9 Nights Greek Isles: Santorini, Rhodes & Istanbul Cruise

La Viva Bella from Greece

Excellent ship, excellent itinerary! The ship is pretty new (<2 years old). Very modern, a modern palette of colors without garish neon and annoying pin-point LEDs everywhere. Flow through the ship is managed very well and it never felt crowded. Embarkation was exceedingly slow. Even though NCL promised to make people wait until their selected boarding time, they did not, so things were slow. After finally making it through check-in and security, we had to board a bus to take us to the opposite end of the pier to get on the ship. From there, things went more smoothly. We dropped our bags in our stateroom (an inside, like usual, but it felt bigger, somehow). We headed up to The Local for some lunch and an embarkation drink. The Local must be the replacement for O'Sheehan's, and it's a good substitute. The outdoor deck spaces are really nice. There some infinity pools, the requisite hot tubs, and lots of lounging space on Deck 8. You can always find somewhere to sit. There are a few roving bartenders, but they are rare (as seems to be the trend over the past several years). No matter, as there seems to be a bar within easy walking distance. And if you like to walk, Deck 8 is the place to do it. You can literally walk the entire perimeter of the ship from stem to stern without ever ducking inside due to some impediment. And on sea days, Deck 8 is the place to lounge! Dining was a bit of a disappointment. Hudson's and The Commodore feel a bit posh for a ship's main dining rooms, but the dining rooms on larger ships like Breakaway feel very nice, too. The menu is the problem. The appetizers rarely change -- they do, but if something you like is missing today, it will definitely be there tomorrow. There is a selection of about 4 entrees that are available every meal. The daily entrees change, but there are only 5 or 6, and they are a bit lackluster. You're not going to find lobster. Or filet mignon. Or escargot. You can pay extra to get a lobster tail and/or filet mignon. I think you can find escargot at Le Bistro. But the standard fare is, well, standard. It is quite obvious NCL wants you to spend $$ in the specialty restaurants. PRO TIP: don't wait to book your "complimentary" (with More at Sea) specialty meals. We did, and wound up only being able to get a table at Food Republic. Thankfully, it was covered by More at Sea. Otherwise, it's a $60 cover charge and definitely not worth it. Our 2 teens seemed to have a great time on the ship. Entourage kept them entertained, and they always seemed to wander in around midnight (the ship does have a 1am curfew for those under 18). We did require them to check in with us via text every hour. They missed the deadline one time early in the cruise, which meant I had to walk up to Entourage and retrieve them. They weren't causing any problems, but they missed our parental-implemented deadline and had to come back early. Interestingly, they never missed a check-in after that. I did ride the go-karts with them twice, and I have to say, that was a blast. They are electric, and they will move! Not sure how fast they go, but when you're at the top of a moving ship, it feels really fast. Service was generally good. Our cabin got cleaned once per day, and we only had to call for extra towels once -- they arrived quickly. Bar service was quick with what seemed like somewhat generous pours (or maybe it was just the giant ice cubes they used). For quick table service, head to the Whiskey Bar. Good selection, and more roving bartenders than out on deck. A few dollars or euros with each round means the next round won't be too far away. Dining service was hit or miss. It felt like lunch service was a training run for new servers. They either took forever or completely missed the mark on our order. Dinner was a smidge better, but not much. They have a couple of maitre d's about and they seemed to exert quite a bit of influence on the servers, but they servers need more experience. We didn't avail ourselves of any ship excursions. We quit doing that about 5 years ago when we discovered a company called Tours by Locals. They offer private tours that are customized to what we want to do, and they are invariably less expensive and more expansive that ship tours. Even in Egypt, we found a guide to pick us up in Alexandria, drive us to Cairo, tour us around the Coptic Quarter and the bazaar, drop us at our hotel (yes, we spent the overnight in Cairo instead of aboard the ship), pick us up for our Nile dinner cruise, and then pick us up the next morning, tour us around the Sphinx and Great Pyramids, do a camel ride, visit the Saqqara step pyramid, and drive us back to Alexandria to rejoin the ship for less than what NCL wanted for a 10hr bus trip to the pyramids and back. And it was just the 6 of us, not a bus full of fellow cruise passengers. We would definitely sail the Viva again (and probably any Prima-class ship). Modern and sleek, it was full of fun and, most interestingly, was never crowded. There seemed to be no wait for anything except maybe 5 minutes for a dining table at dinner. Dining could be better, or NCL could try to be less conspicuous about wanting you to go to a specialty restaurant.

Viva did not disappoint on a bucket list cruise.

This is my first cruise on the Norwegian Viva. I was a little apprehensive after reading negative reviews. I loved the ship. It is not typical. There is no huge buffet. There is no giant main dining room. There is no huge swimming pool with loungers around it. My state room. I had originally booked one of their single studios. About six weeks before the cruise they reduced the price. I called in and were given the option of upgrading to a better state room or receiving a cruise credit for a future cruise. I took the upgrade to an ocean view state room. Very large room well appointed. I loved the location on the fifth floor. In Port I just had to run up one level or down one level to get on or off the ship. This is my first time sailing in a non-balcony room and I did not miss it.. I purchased the 11 day spa package for $389. It was well worth the money. The spa on the Viva was beautiful. I stopped in once or twice a day to lay on the heated loungers or sit in the salt cave or hot tub. It was very quiet and serene. The dining was good. I only ate in the main dining room twice. It seemed typical. Two hour meal three or four courses. Nothing exciting. I ate mostly at The Local. Open almost 24 hours a day with table service. The nachos and wings were my favorite. Also, really liked the Indulge Food Hall. Similar food to what was on the buffet but you ordered on an iPad at your table and they ran it out to you in a few minutes. The barbecue brisket.and ribs and deviled eggs were good. The three specialty restaurants I ate at were Cagney’s steakhouse which was OK. Hasuki the Teppanyaki restaurant was very good. And my favorite Los Lobos. The best food on the entire ship. Everyone in my group had something different and we all loved our food. I also had a burger or a pork tenderloin sandwich at the Surfside Café a few times. I also made a point of having a meal in each port to try the local cuisine. The layout of the ship. The best thing on the ship was the eighth floor, where you could walk around the entire ship on the deck. They also had a lot of lounge chairs and different seating areas on the eighth floor with small plunge pools and Infinity pools. Many of the restaurants were on this floor with outdoor seating. The 17th floor had a pool with lounge chairs, and hot tubs. it was not a large pool but on an adult European cruise where we are in Port every day you don’t really need it. Also, on the 17th floor was a beautiful place called the observation lounge. We didn’t discover it until the last few days of the cruise. A beautiful place to sit and have afternoon tea or just look at the amazing views. I saw very little of the entertainment on board. I went on this cruise to spend the maximum time at each port and relax in the spa. I did see Beetlejuice and occasionally heard live music in the main areas of the ship. All of it seemed pretty standard. I used the laundry service on board and I highly recommend it. On day three or four of our cruise, they left a bag on the bed that you could fill for $34? It was returned in 48 hours beautifully cleaned and pressed. I kept asking if the ship was full because it did not seem very crowded. I only saw a handful of children the entire time. At some Ports I used the Norwegian excursions and some I did my own thing. Naples: I did the Pompeii and enchanting Sorrento excursion. Pompeii was great and well worth it. Sorrento was a beautiful town with a lot of shopping and restaurants. I did get bored there after a couple hours. Catania: I loved this port. Easy stroll into town. Ended up in a funky art area with a lot of street murals and one of a kind shops. I definitely want to see more Sicily and could definitely see spending at least a week there. Alexandria: I did the ships tour pyramids of Cairo. It was very well organized but a very long day. They did drive us right up to the pyramids and we were given the opportunity to ride a camel, etc. we were given an amazing luncheon after and I think it was a Marriott hotel in Cairo. On our second day in Alexandria, I did a ships tour of the local museum and Gardens. There were a lot of Egyptian vendors at the pier right by the ship for purchasing souvenirs. Limassol Cyprus: Took a cab into the city. There were a lot of them at the pier. Just make sure you set the price before you get in. Walked around the beautiful old town saw the castle and had a nice lunch. Took a cab back to the pier.. Rhodes : another favorite port. A very easy walk into town from the ship. Fascinating old world city with the palace of the grand Masters of the Knights of Rhodes. Very easy to walk around and do on your own. Santorini: I did the ships tour to the black sand beach. I think this is the best option for Santorini. Because I was on a ships tour I got on one of the very first tenders. They took us to buses further down the coast. We were driven to the black sand beach and left there for four hours. They had arranged with a restaurant for us to use their shaded lounge chairs for free. The water was still pretty cold. There were waiters to bring us drinks and food and a very nice bathroom facility. Then at about 1230 a bus came and drove us up to Fira and dropped us off. We were free to do whatever we wanted we just had to walk or take the trams down to the tender boats. Our ship didn’t leave port until 10:00 PM so we had plenty of time to see the town. I waited in the huge line for the tram around 6:00. From the time I got in the line until I got on the tender boat it was 45 minutes. Mykanos: The ship provided free shuttles from the new port we docked at to the old port on the edge of town. I’m not sure if they offer that every cruise. We did not find out until we got off the ship. Very beautiful to wander around shop eat visit the local sites. No need for a tour here unless you really want one. Kusadasi. Took the ships tour to Ephesus. This is my second time there. Easily a high point of the cruise comparable with the pyramids in Cairo and Pompeii.. you just have to escape off of the bus at the end of the trip before you end up at the rug demonstration although a lot of people seem interested in seeing how the rugs were made This tour can easily be done by yourself by hiring a cab or a private tour. The tour guide we had with the ships tour was excellent.. Istanbul: This is where I disembarked. I stayed here for three additional days. It was not enough time to see everything. I loved Istanbul. It felt very safe. The Blue Mosque, The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, The Basilica Cistern, the Grand Bazaar, The Spice Market, The Topkapi Palace, can all be done on your own. Members of my group also did a traditional Hammam and raved about it. It is also fun to cross the bridge from the European side to the Asian side. I definitely need to go back to Istanbul.

NCL Haven 4/26 Lisbon to Rome - 5 Stars!

Wonderful services, food, cabins and ports! Such a wonderful experience for our first cruise from Lisbon to Rome! I learned a lot, including the fact that deals on things (spa/art/shops/next cruise) improve as the days pass. Live and Learn! The excursions offered were excellent and reasonably priced. Had a few local experts that either weren’t loud enough and didn’t use Vox and/or didn’t speak English very well, but not NCLs fault. We had one day at sea and took advantage of the Spa and Gym. One thing I learned is the Spa is an unrelated party from NCL and every time you come in contact with the staff there’s a sales pitch for their products. The Haven is definitely the way to go! The butler service, bartenders, concierge, stewards, restaurant staff were friendly, helpful, accommodating and we developed a fondness for many of them! Overall an excellent experience that I look forward to repeating!