Norwegian Cruise Line Welcomes Newest Cruise Ship to Fleet

Norwegian Cruise Line welcomed Norwegian Viva, the second vessel in its Prima class, to the fleet with an inaugural ceremony and celebration in Miami, Florida.

“To christen Norwegian Viva in Miami is incredibly special to many of us at NCL, not only because Miami is our hometown, but also because we can share this moment with our local family and friends,” said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line to a group of attendees at the portside ceremony in the company’s terminal.

“Launching a ship is no solo endeavor. I am overwhelmed with gratitude towards the entire NCL team, our partners and especially our amazing crew who have contributed to bringing Norwegian Viva to life and who care for and deliver exceptional vacation experiences for our guests.”

An exceptional experience it was, playing ode to the company’s Miami heritage and the ship’s upcoming warm weather voyages with performances by the ship’;s godfather Luis Fonsi along with other Latin all-stars, including Paulina Rubio, Marcello Hernandez, and Pedro Capó.

“It is so exciting to celebrate the magnificent Norwegian Viva in true Latin-style in Miami and alongside fellow A-list Latino entertainers,” said Luis Fonsi, an award-winning global artist. “We are giving her a proper despedida before she makes her debut in my hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico.”

Fonsi joined Herrea, NCL Holding’s president and CEO Harry Sommers and Norwegian Bliss godfather Elvis Duran to press the button for the ceremonial breaking of the Champagne bottle on the hull of the ship.

According to Sommers, Viva “further elevates our world-class fleet, providing our valued guests with another incredible way to vacation, discover new experiences and create unforgettable memories.”

Since the ship’s launch in August, he noted that the initial guest satisfaction scores have outshined any new build in the history of the NCL fleet.

At 965-feet long with capacity for 3,099 passengers, Viva is exactly the same size as its sister ship, Prima. While many of the onboard amenities are the same, Viva has all new notable entertainment onboard, including the Tony-award nominated Broadway musical Beetlejuice and a new live game show experience with the first ‘Press Your Luck LIVE’ at-sea.

After the inaugural sailing and select voyages from Miami, Viva will re-position to San Juan, Puerto Rico where it will embark on seven day port-intensive Caribbean voyages. In April, Viva will sail Mediterranean and Greek Island itineraries.