7 Nights Caribbean: Harvest Caye, Cozumel & Roatan Cruise

NCL Viva is a fabulous cruiseship!

I was a bit concerned after reading some pretty negative reviews for the Viva. This was my second NCL cruise and 5th cruise overall. I was traveling with my sister and we both thought it was a fabulous cruise. The ship is gorgeous, clean and not very difficult to find your way around. The food options were numerous and all were excellent. We did not eat at the buffet as we normally avoid those anyway on other cruises. The Indulge Food Hall was incredible. It's so fast, fresh, hot, and delicious. It has something fo everyone. We loved the Local as well, especially the wings and burgers. Waiters were spot on. We ate at the main dining room Hudsons 3 times for breakfast, and 4 times for dinner. Again, great food and service. We had no reservations at Hudsons (you can't reserve precruise), and never waited more than 5 minutes. Onda Italian was superb! We had reserved our dining time several months before for the specialty dining. The Los Lobos Mexican was pretty good, but not our favorite. The guacamole and service was great. Our favorite quiet and relaxing place was the Observation Lounge, just gorgeous with the best bartenders on the ship. The only long wait we had for drinks was at the main bar in the atrium area, but it was understandably very crowded. There was always some organized activity going on there. I agree with most reviews that the entertainment venues such as Sid Normans and comedy club should be much bigger. We loved the Oceanwalk area, but generally avoided the main pool area which is always packed. We did catch the Fleetwood Mac Rumours show. We got there an hour early and just chatted with some nice folks while waiting in line, no big deal. The show was definitely worth the hour wait. I will say we did not care for the Beetlejuice show at all. It was awful. With that said, there are so many activities on the ship going on, it would be impossible to get bored. We booked all independent excursions through the Shore excursion group website and Viator for Aruba, Curacao, St Lucia, and St Kitts. Much cheaper than the cruise line excursions, smaller group size, and all great. We also had great massages at the spa and played slots in the casino. I wish NCL sold 1 day spa passes instead of just the weekly. I really am baffled at the negative reviews especially regarding the food and the ship itself. I always preplan my activities, specialty dining reservations, and spa appointments ahead of time, so maybe it just comes down to precruise organization and planning for a smoother cruise? The crew overall was excellent and our cabin steward was always available. He kept our cabin spotless and we saw him several times a day, so he was always available for any requests. Our balcony cabin was on deck 14 midship and very spacious and quiet. Don't hesitate to book this ship and if you have already, no worries, you will have a great time!

Absolutely Brilliant Experience on NCL Viva

We recently returned from a week-long Caribbean cruise aboard the stunning NCL Viva, and we are still buzzing from the experience. As first-time cruisers, we weren't entirely sure what to expect, but everything from start to finish exceeded our expectations. Boarding was effortless—far easier and more relaxed than catching a flight—and once we stepped onboard, we were immediately struck by how beautiful and thoughtfully designed the ship was. The NCL Viva is a beautiful, modern ship with immaculate facilities. The staff and crew were exceptional—always courteous, professional, and eager to help. Whether we were relaxing in the Observation Lounge, soaking up the sun on the Pool Deck, or enjoying the ambience of the Atrium, we were consistently impressed by the attentiveness of the team. We also really enjoyed some of the unique features of the Viva, including the Oceanwalk—with its glass walkway offering breathtaking views over the ocean—and the Infinity Pools, which created the perfect relaxing escape with unbeatable sea views. These thoughtful design touches added an extra layer of magic to the overall experience. The staff and crew deserve a standing ovation. Every interaction was warm, genuine, and helpful, and we felt incredibly well cared for throughout the cruise. The Freestyle Daily made it super easy to plan our day and ensure we didn’t miss out on all the great activities—whether it was racing around the go-kart track, checking out art auctions, or catching a high-energy show at the theatre.

PLEASANTLY SURPRISED

My wife and i sailed the viva february 2025 for 7 nights southern carribean. We were a bit hesitant given all the negative reviews about the size of some spaces on the ship. For background, we have been on 7 cruises-we did the celebrity(apex)last year, royal carribean(harmony & navigator of the seas) and carnival(miracle). HERE IS OUR HONEST OPINION OF THE VIVA: NEGATIVES: 1. THE VERY SMALL POOL CRAMMED IN BETWEEN TWO TALL AREAS 2. Make the entire ship accessible to all. We did not like seeing the haven have the optimal spot on the ship. 3. DO NOT CHARGE FOR MINATURE GOLF, DARTS AND THE RACING CARTS-MAKE IT ALL INCLUSIVE 4. The drinks at the bars need to be better, most of them were way to sweet and allow the guests that have the more at sea drink have free access to top shelf liquors. NOW FOR THE POSITIVES: 1. The ship was beautiful-yes i wish the atrium area was more grand and bigger but it was still very nice. Yes the pool area was small however there was still plenty of seating on deck 8(ocean walk area) to find a lounger and sit near the infinity pools. The soleil bar on the back of the ship was nice as well. 2. Entertainment-this was better than we expected. Syd normans venue was amazing, beetlejuice was awesome and we loved seeing press your luck game show. YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED BY THE ENTERTAINMENT ON THE VIVA 3. Food-the main dining room was nice and we looked forward to being seated and eating a nice meal with beautiful views. The real gem of the ship was: indulge food hall, local bar & grill and the speciality restaurants. They did a great job with this. I think if they did not have the indulge food hall or local, then i think the food would be about the level of royal carribean. However having these two venues elevated it close to the celebrity level. Also everyone is complaining about the buffet and how it was so small. We found it to be fine especially since you had the indulge food hall and local to go to. 4. Service: the staff was great and friendly. I think there were a couple of bartenders that really stood out to make our experience so good. RICHEL MANUEL AND ALI WERE AWESOME AND WERE PROBABLY THE BEST BARTENDERS WE HAVE MET ON THE SEA 5. Activities: the raceway was amazing, tee time miniature golf and darts were all fun. I WISH THEY DID NOT CHARGE BUT THEY DID DO A GREAT JOB WITH EACH OF THESE ACTIVITIES The ship is nice, new and clean. We enjoyed the trivia sessions the staff put on and talking with fellow cruisers-people were considerate and friendly which is always nice. At least on our cruise we were always able to find a lounger outside and a place to sit in the indulge food hall or local bar. We have read the negative blogs and watched the negative video about this ship and i think people are exagerating the negatives. We were apprehensive about going on this ship but we came away with one of the best cruise experiences. We would definitely want to sail with norwegian again perhaps on a totally different newer ship(after the aqua in 2026).