Thoughts on the Viva

[amygutman]

5 hours ago, room with a view said:

We had many a fabulous cruise on the Spirit . 

@room with a view Very jealous. Had booked the Alaska to Hawaii for June 2025 for our 20th anniversary. The Middle East itinerary is amazing but....sigh...the Spirit looks so beautiful. I am sure you had a great cruise!

warmest, Amy

[room with a view]

1 hour ago, schmoopie17 said:

It will be interesting to hear reports from early Viva cruisers as to whether they had the incessant rattling of their cabin walls that many (including us) experienced on the Prima. That alone would make us think twice before scheduling the Viva.

Which cabins were these, please 

[schmoopie17]

2 minutes ago, room with a view said:

Which cabins were these, please 

I don't recall our cabin on the Prima...it was six months ago and I don't remember what I had for breakfast this morning. I know it was a mid-ship balcony.

 

As for other cabins, there are NUMEROUS postings about this issue on the NCL board. I'm sure someone (with a better memory than I have) will be able to provide their cabin number...assuming they see this.

[room with a view]

8 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

I don't recall our cabin on the Prima...it was six months ago and I don't remember what I had for breakfast this morning. I know it was a mid-ship balcony.

 

As for other cabins, there are NUMEROUS postings about this issue on the NCL board. I'm sure someone (with a better memory than I have) will be able to provide their cabin number...assuming they see this.

Thanks ... I'll check it out in reviews 

Edited July 4, 2023 by room with a view
correction

[graphicguy]

On 7/2/2023 at 12:41 PM, jemz1949 said:

Here's my issue with Indulge....not so much the area itself but the people that occupy it.  As some have said, it is not an extremely large area.  My problem is that far too many cruisers go into the Indulge seating area and "camp out"....not to eat but instead to play cards or board games or read a book...and in doing so, make an already limited seating area even smaller.  

 

I think that's an issue on any cruise ship on any cruise line.   People camp out for hours in the buffets to play cards, board games, etc....even during the busiest hours.  

 

Again, I believe NCL, are being innovative, as they tend to be.  Traditional Garden Cafe there are always a bunch of people at breakfast, lunch and dinner trying to compete for tables/seats/lines for traditional food.  That causes bottlenecks.  I see how NCL is trying to spread out the traditional buffet by having alternate areas outside of the buffet, like they're doing with Indulge.

 

I get it.  If that doesn't work for you, then I think Prima/Viva may not be the ships you want to sail.

[room with a view]

14 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

I think that's an issue on any cruise ship on any cruise line.   People camp out for hours in the buffets to play cards, board games, etc....even during the busiest hours.  

 

Again, I believe NCL, are being innovative, as they tend to be.  Traditional Garden Cafe there are always a bunch of people at breakfast, lunch and dinner trying to compete for tables/seats/lines for traditional food.  That causes bottlenecks.  I see how NCL is trying to spread out the traditional buffet by having alternate areas outside of the buffet, like they're doing with Indulge.

 

I get it.  If that doesn't work for you, then I think Prima/Viva may not be the ships you want to sail.

Reading reviews of the Prima on CC it's a bit like the Epic - you love her or hate her.

We will look at available cabins on the Viva for next year and hope the problems with cabin noise and walls creaking will have ben resolved.

Edited July 5, 2023 by room with a view
Grammar correction !!

[BirdTravels]

On 6/30/2023 at 12:16 PM, room with a view said:

Fabulous looking ship .....any thoughts on best deck with a midships balcony cabin . 

On the Viva is there much difference between a balcony cabin or a club balcony cabin ... we are Platinum Latitudes .

thanks

You can look at the deck plans. On average, the Club rooms are about 30 sq ft bigger. We have sailed in both a Balcony and Club Balcony on the Prima. 

 

Balcony 

Club Balcony - You can see some additional space on either end of the room (between door and night stand on left and extra nightstand and space on right of sofa). In reality, you really don't notice it that much. It is not like the other big ships where there is a noticeable difference in the bathroom space. 

 

 

[BirdTravels]

On 7/2/2023 at 12:46 PM, room with a view said:

Thanks for that - something I never considered. We had our Christmas/New Year cruise on the Epic cancelled by NCL - now that is a ship with a poor design  !!

So,,, any cruise ship with any cruise line will have indoor congestion when the weather is bad outside. We have sailed on the Prima twice and don't see that it is any worse than other ships. Yes, the Prima/Viva have the most outside space than any other contemporary cruise ship. And the ship is built for cold weather with an observation lounge inside and heaters over dining areas outside. We spend a lot of time outside when it is cool.... just enjoy sitting out watching the water (not so much when the water is falling from the sky). 

[room with a view]

Thanks for that information and the photos .