NCL to Upgrade Venues During Ship’s Transatlantic Cruise

Norwegian Cruise Line is reaching out to guests booked on one of its upcoming transatlantic repositioning voyages with updates and changes to several onboard activities and services.

The cruise, on Norwegian Viva, will sail from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Lisbon, Portugal, as the Prima-class ship prepares for her summer season in the Mediterranean.

Several Public Spaces Will Close Aboard Norwegian Viva

In a notice to cruisers just a week before their transatlantic cruise departs San Juan, Puerto Rico, Norwegian Cruise Line informed guests that several popular areas aboard Norwegian Viva will receive enhancements and will not be available during their voyage.

The 3,100-guest ship, which joined the Norwegian fleet after her November 2023 christening ceremony in Miami, is set to depart on a 19-day transatlantic repositioning cruise on April 7, 2024.

During the crossing, Norwegian Viva’s Speedway Bar will be converted into Entourage, a dedicated space for youngsters ages 13 to 17 that several of the cruise line’s other ships offer. Currently, Norwegian Viva has no dedicated space offering age-appropriate activities for teens.

Also, closed areas will include part of the ship’s Galaxy Pavilion, a virtual reality game space; the Tee-Time mini-golf course; The Bull’s Eye, a game space featuring digital darts; The Stadium gaming space; and The Wave, a popular water slide.

The cruise line’s notice included an apology to guests for the changes, but provided no details about the planned enhancements. In the case of Entourage, the allocation of space could possibly be due to a higher than usual number of teenagers booked on the voyage.

“As part of our commitment to continuously offer extraordinary vacation experiences for our guests around the world, and to uphold a consistent world-class product across our fleet, Norwegian Viva will be undergoing some enhancements during your cruise,” the notice states.

The cruise line advised that, if any of the areas can be reopened during the voyage, there will be announcements to guests. Meanwhile, Norwegian Cruise Line pointed out that many other activities and entertainment will be available on the crossing.

“Rest assured, there will still be plenty of activities available to entertain you during your days at sea, including the Speedway, The Drop, The Rush, the Aqua Park and so much more,” the notice added.

Norwegian Viva has been operating a series of 7-night Caribbean cruises from San Juan since shortly after her christening. Port calls included the Virgin Islands, Antigua, and Barbados. Following her summer in the Mediterranean, the ship will return to San Juan in the fall of 2024.

Transatlantic Crossing Offers Five Sea Days

The ship’s upcoming transatlantic sailing calls at several Caribbean destinations, including St. Thomas, USVI; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; St. Maarten; St. Lucia; and Barbados, before spending four days at sea.

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The ship will call at Cape Verde for two days and then have another sea day before reaching the Canary Islands. Other ports of call will include Agadir and Casablanca, Morocco, and Cadiz Seville, Spain, before concluding in Lisbon on April 26.

After her arrival in the Mediterranean, Norwegian Viva will sail a wide array of cruises of varying lengths. In May the ship will sail 10-day voyages from Athens and Rome, calling at the Greek Islands and at ports in the French and Italian Rivieras. Several voyages offer 1- and 2-night post-cruise land tours in destinations such as Athens and Rome.

10-day sailings in June and August from Lisbon and Rome will feature destinations in Spain, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Sicily, and Malta.