Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has taken delivery of Norwegian Viva, the newest vessel in the now 19-ship fleet and the second ship in the revolutionary Prima Class, at the renowned Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy.
The milestone event marks the arrival of the second of six ships in the Prima Class set to debut through 2028.
Following the launch of the award-winning Norwegian Prima in 2022, Norwegian Viva will continue to raise the bar on cruising, according to NCL. The ship’s tagline “Live it Up” “embodies the enhanced guest experience and on-board characteristic of this pioneering class, including elevated offerings, more spacious designs, thrilling onboard activities such as the three-story Viva Speedway, and new dining concepts, most notably Indulge Food Hall – an open-air food market featuring 11 unique eateries,” NCL said.
“Ships as stellar as those of the Prima Class are only possible in collaboration with an incredible shipyard like Fincantieri,” said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line. “Delivery marks an important milestone for Norwegian Viva, and we are beyond excited to bring this spectacular ship to life as we welcome guests aboard next week.”
While the ship boasts many of the highlights that are central to the Prima Class, unique to Norwegian Viva is the at-sea debut of Tony Award®-nominated production, “Beetlejuice,” where guests can “Live it Up” with the undead during a musical adaptation of Tim Burton’s 1988 film of the same name.
Additional evening entertainment programming includes Press Your Luck Live – an immersive game show experience pulled straight from the television screen, offering audience members a chance to participate in the classic game and win prizes.
At 965 feet long, 143,535 gross tons and with the capacity for 3,100 guests, Norwegian Viva also features The Concourse, an outdoor sculpture garden in Ocean Boulevard, the wrap-around boardwalk bringing guests closer to the water than ever before. Reimagined for Norwegian Viva, the area will include work from six artists that have been featured on previous Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. ships: Kevin Box, Jonathan Prince, Arik Levy, Richard Hudson, Sophie Elizabeth Thompson, and Pablo Atchugarry.
A new art addition will be included at Metropolitan Bar, the ship’s exclusive sustainable cocktail bar, “Every Wing has a Silver Lining,” a 52-foot-long interactive work of art designed exclusively for Norwegian Viva by contemporary British digital artist Dominic Harris.
“Norwegian Viva is a testament to our wonderful partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line,” said Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer of Fincantieri. “We are proud to play a role in the innovative Prima Class and look forward to continuing our partnership for years to come with the next four highly anticipated Prima Class ships.”
Following the ship’s maiden voyage on 10th August 2023, Norwegian Viva will sail a series of Mediterranean and Greek Isles itineraries, before her official Christening ceremony in Miami on 28th November 2023. Luis Fonsi, Latin GRAMMY® award-winning artist and godfather to Norwegian Viva, will attend the celebration to officially name the ship and will be joined by The Queen of Latin Pop, Paulina Rubio; “Saturday Night Live” cast member and Miami-native Marcello Hernandez; and singer Pedro Capó.
The ship will homeport in San Juan, Puerto Rico for a season of Caribbean voyages from December 2023 through March 2024 with calls to Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. John’s, Antigua; Bridgetown, Barbados; Castries, St. Lucia; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.
