IMO the Viva is not built to accommodate all the passengers. As the itineraries are a port everyday, any change resulting in a sea day would be overly crowded. The ability to navigate the layout of the ship is challenging and illogical. Venues are small, especially the buffet. Staff is fantastic.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
If taking the flights provided by NCL is included in this section, my rating would change to 2 stars. Horrible flights that actually flew us in the opposite direction of our port in San Juan for 2 hours. Once at the pier, the process was seemless.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Main dining rooms, the Hudson and the Commodore were, quite frankly, better meals and service than the specialty dining at Cagneys and Los Lobos. The buffet is a buffet - decent food, but often you can tell it's been sitting there a while. As for the specialty dining, it was clear the ship was short-staffed or poorly assigned. Serving staff were trying to handle way too many tables. The food was just as good as the main dining rooms, but no better.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Viva is a new ship, yet everything is much smaller than the Breakaway class ships. The theater is a joke. Get there early or forget it. That concept is the same as all the smaller venues. To get to the fitness center, you need to walk through the spa. The pools are small and crowded. The current concept seems to be to pay even more money to access The Vibe (adult only) pool area.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
The stage show Beetlejuice was cancelled due to technical difficulties - - on a new ship. Saw one comedian show and it was not good.
Children's Programs
No kids
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Staff are the main reason we return to cruising with Norwegian. They are exceptional. Friendly, polite, energetic. They remember names, drink orders, food preferences, room requests.
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
What did I think of the ship's layout- - AWFUL! Was it clean, yes, although sad that on a ship that has been in service less than a year, there are signs of wear and damage in the rooms. Back to the layout. You cannot get from one end of the ship to the other without having to walk through dining rooms. One scenario is that when using one of the infinity pools on the side of the ship, to get to a restroom, you must walk through The Local dining room, leaving puddles in your wake and having diners stare at you as they eat. Common area were clean and looking good but small and crowded, as is the key concept for everything on the prima class of ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The rooms were the only physical highlight of the trip. Clean and actually more spacious with the closet design. The balcony is much more private and the furniture is more comfortable. Not being able to hear the announcements in the room is a drawback. Bed was comfortable. Curtains blacked out all light. Bathroom was a decent size.
We used self walk off as our flight, scheduled by NCL, was not for another 9 hours, so we had to book a day stay to avoid just sitting in the airport all day. Getting off the ship is always challenging to get an elevator whether you do self walk off or wait for your group to be called. Actually process was very smooth. San Juan port is very organized with taxi service. Uber location is a bit more challenging, but doable.
Sorry you were not pleased with some venues. We have been on the Prima and really enjoyed it.
I think all the ships are overcrowded in the carribbean. Since covid, this has been the case on the carribbean cruises we have taken.
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