The Norwegian Viva will be christened in Miami by her godfather, Latin recording star Luis Fonsi. The new ship will offer sailings in the Caribbean and Europe.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s second Prima-class cruise ship, the Norwegian Viva, is set to debut in North America this November. Luis Fonsi, five-time Latin Grammy Award-winning singer, musician, songwriter and producer, has been selected to serve as her godfather. He will fulfill the longstanding maritime tradition of christening and officially naming the ship on November 28 in Miami.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s New Cruise Ship Christening Ceremony
Best known for his extensive list of radio hits, including the global chart-topping hit “Despacito,” Fonsi is a native Puerto Rican based in Miami. On November 28, he will officiate the ceremonial breaking of a Champagne bottle on the ship’s bow to bid the vessel and her travelers good fortune on their voyage.
“Live it Up!” will be the evening’s theme. The lineup of leading Latin entertainers joining Fonsi will include Paulina Rubio, the Queen of Latin Pop; singer Pedro Capo; and “Saturday Night Live” member and Miami native Marcello Hernandez.
Fonsi said, “I am so honored to be named godfather of Norwegian’s newest ship, the Norwegian Viva, and look forward to sharing her with the amazing people in Puerto Rico, a community that truly represents the spirit of ‘live it up.’ Growing up on an island, the ocean has played such an important part in my life, and there is nowhere else I’d rather be. Cruising provides such an incredible vacation experience, and I cannot wait to christen this incredible ship and introduce her to the world.”
After completing her christening voyage, the Norwegian Viva will be the newest ship to homeport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, arriving on December 15.
Fonsi is the third godfather of a Norwegian Cruise Line ship. Rapper Pitbull christened the Norwegian Escape in 2015 and performed at the ceremonies at PortMiami. Radio personality Elvis Duran christened the Norwegian Bliss in 2018.
Infinity Pool
What to Know about Norwegian’s Newest Cruise Ship
- Accommodating 3,100 guests at double occupancy, the Norwegian Viva will be 965 feet long with gross registered tonnage of 142,000.
- She’ll have 1,646 passenger staterooms in 35 categories, and there will be 107 Haven Suites.
- Her eye-catching hull art has been designed by Italian graffiti and sculpture artist Manuel Di Rita, known as “Peeta.” Di Rita also illustrated the Norwegian Prima’s hull.
New Adventures Await Norwegian Viva Guests
The Viva Theatre & Club is the ideal venue for Vegas-style night club events such as Ocean Music Fest. This is the ultimate jam session where multiple musicians merge their talents on one stage for a world-class immersive concert. The club features sophisticated visual effects, a multi-story video wall, a show-stopping chandelier and VIP lounge seating.
Offering panoramic views, Ocean Boulevard, the 44,000-square-foot outdoor walkway, wraps around the entire ship. The expansive pool decks sport glass bridges above the water.
Adventurous guests will want to tackle the Viva Speedway, a three-level racetrack, and The Drop and The Rush, the fastest slides at sea.
Commodore Room
Dining Options on This New Cruise Ship
The Norwegian Viva will have nine new food and beverage options. Guests can sample cuisines from around the world by visiting Indulge Food Hall, which has 11 unique eateries. New specialty dining options include Palomar, Norwegian Cruise Line’s first ever Mediterranean seafood restaurant, and Hasuki, for Japanese Teppanyaki fare.
Hudson’s, a complimentary restaurant, offers 270-degree ocean views. Also complimentary are the Commodore Room and indoor-outdoor Surfside Cafe, as is Indulge Food Hall.
The ship also will have Norwegian’s industry-exclusive sustainable cocktail bar, The Metropolitan Bar.
Beetlejuice Headlines Entertainment Options
Norwegian Cruise Line recently announced that “Beetlejuice The Musical” will be the headline production onboard the Norwegian Viva. The 90-minute Broadway adaptation of Tim Burton’s iconic 1988 film narrates the story of the Deetz family as they attempt to remodel an uproariously haunted house. “Beetlejuice The Musical” will take place in the Viva Theatre & Club.
Returning entertainment favorites will include Improv @Sea, to be held in the Comedy Club, and Syd Norman’s Pour House, which features tributes to The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac and other legendary rock music artists.
Where the New Cruise Ship will be Sailing
From San Juan, the Norwegian Viva will offer a variety of seven-day Caribbean cruises through April 2024.
Norwegian Viva ports of call include:
- Tortola, British Virgin Islands
- St. John’s, Antigua
- Bridgetown, Barbados
- Castries, St. Lucia
- Phillipsburg, St. Maarten
- St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
During her 2023 summer/fall season in Europe, the Norwegian Viva cruise liner will offer sailings from:
- Athens (Piraeus), Greece
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Rome (Civitavecchia)
- Venice (Trieste) in Italy
Surfside Cafe
Firsts for Norwegian’s Prima-Class Cruise Ships
The Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, the first two Prima-class ships, feature cutting-edge alternative technologies, including the NOx reduction system SCR that reduces the ship’s overall environmental impact. The SCR catalysts filter out sulfur oxides up to 98% and nitrogen oxides up to 90%, ensuring that these ships meet the Tier III NOx compliance. Also, the ships are equipped with an Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGCS), an advanced wastewater treatment system that treats and cleans all the wastewater to meet stringent international standards.
Providing guests with diverse itineraries in the Caribbean sailings and Mediterranean, the Norwegian Viva provides you and your group members another option to consider when organizing your next cruise.
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—By Cindy Bertram
