Goodbye Carnival Spirit, Hello Carnival Valor

Currently, the Carnival Spirit is doing sailings from Mobile. That changes in March 2027 when the ship will move to other ports. When Carnival returns to Mobile in May, it will sail its largest ship yet from the port, Carnival Valor.

Carnival Valor is a Conquest Class ship, and while it’s 24% larger than the Spirit, it’s not a mega ship by any means. The ship can hold 40% more guests than the Spirit, meaning the cruise line now has much more capacity in Mobile.

Valor is only three years newer than Spirit, and it was just refurbished earlier this year with minor upgrades like the Heroes Tribute Bar, an upgraded waterpark, and an expanded casino. It features many of the things people love about the Spirit including Alchemy Bar, Blue Iguana Cantina, Guy’s Burger Joint, and Red Frog Rum Bar.

Mobile Switching to Year-Round Sailings

Currently, Mobile, Alabama, is a seasonal port, sailing from October until April each year. But starting in May 2027, the port will transition to year-round sailings. The Valor will offer 6- and 8-day sailings visiting Carnival’s private destinations like Half Moon Cay and Celebration Key, as well as other Bahamas destinations. The ship will also sail two 14-day Carnival Journeys cruises: one in September 2027 and one in January 2028.

“This is a big win for our guests who love the convenience of cruising close to home, and for the community that has supported us for many years. Carnival Valor will bring even more opportunity for fun, and we can’t wait to welcome our guests aboard,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

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Update Sept 15, 2025: Carnival has made an attempt to adjust the project following extreme backlash from loyal Carnival cruisers. The changes are:

• Any guests who receives Diamond status by 5/31/2026 will keep it for life.
• All guests who are Platinum by 5/31/2026 will receive 10,000 status qualifying stars when the program launches, and ever 2 years after that; starting them at Gold status.
• Guests under 18 will not be able to participate in the program (because it’s a Rewards program, not a loyalty program and is restricted by the US government). Children will have the same status of their parent when sailing. Anyone under 18 who has received Diamond or Platinum status by 5/31/2026 will have an option to enroll under that level when they turn 18.
• Milestones: all VIFP milestone awards earned through May 2026 will be honored through May 2030.

Previous Loyalty VIFP Program

Carnival’s old loyalty program was simple. Your status was based on the number of nights you sailed over your lifetime. You earned one point for every night onboard, slowly working your way through the tiers: Blue, Red, Gold, Platinum, and finally, Diamond.

Many guests wore their status like a badge of honor, proudly displaying their level on their Sail & Sign cards and lanyards.

But all that’s about to change. Carnival’s new program launches in June 2026 and ditches lifetime status for a short-term, spend-based model. The program is called Carnival Rewards.

New Carnival Rewards Program Gets Rid of Lifetime Benefits

The biggest shift? Your status is now based only on your activity over a rolling two-year period. Your long history with Carnival won’t matter anymore; it’s all about what you’ve done lately. (There is a grandfather period; see below.)

Carnival Rewards Adds Points and Stars

Points

Points can be redeemed for perks like cruise fare discounts, spa treatments, specialty dining, and shore excursions. You’ll earn:

• 3 points for every $1 spent on Carnival purchases, including cruise fare, shore excursions, specialty dining, and drinks.
• 1 point for every casino point earned.

There are also milestone rewards:

• After 50 nights sailed, you’ll get 5,000 bonus points and a special Sail & Sign card.
• After every 100 nights, you’ll receive 10,000 points, a commemorative gift, and a specialty card.

Stars

Stars determine your status level, like in the previous VIFP program. Like points, you earn 3 stars per $1 spent on qualifying purchases, but these stars are only valid within a two-year window. Stars reset every two years, so you’ll have to consistently spend to maintain your tier.

Rewards Points Calculator

You know a loyalty program is complex when it needs its own calculator. Carnival provides a tool to estimate how many points and stars you’ll earn based on your cruise.

Based on how I cruise, if I book a 7-day sailing every 2 years, I’d receive Gold Status.

Carnival Rewards Starts June 1, 2026

The new program goes into effect June 1, 2026. If you have status under the current VIFP system, it will carry over for two years through May 31, 2028. Diamond members will receive an extended grace period and retain their status through May 31, 2032.

What Does Carnival Rewards Give You?

Carnival hasn’t released the exact redemption values for points yet, so we don’t know their worth. But they have outlined the Star-based benefits, which are more familiar status perks. Here’s what’s changing:

Red

• One complimentary 1.5L bottle of water

Gold

• One complimentary 1.5L bottle of water
• One complimentary beverage on cruises 5+ nights
• No longer includes a VIFP Gold pin

Platinum

• Collectible member pin
• One complimentary 1.5L bottle of water
• Two complimentary beverages
• Complimentary wash & fold laundry
• Priority dining reservations
• Priority main dining time
• Early online check-in (16 days before sailing)
• Priority embarkation
• Priority debarkation
• Removed: VIFP Club party, $5 arcade credit for minors, welcome treat, and VIFP logo gift

Diamond

• All Platinum benefits
• Guaranteed main dining time
• Invitation to a special event hosted by the captain
• Removed: VIFP Club party, $5 arcade credit for minors, welcome treat, VIFP logo gift
• Removed: first-time Diamond benefits, including free specialty dining, complimentary cabin upgrade, and luggage tag set

My Take: It Doesn’t Pay to Be Loyal

Let’s be honest. Most cruise loyalty programs aren’t that valuable unless you cruise frequently. I’ve been sailing with Carnival since 2004, and I’m currently a Gold member. That status earns me a 1.5L bottle of water and one free drink, totaling about $25 in value. Am I going to pick a vacation based on that? Not a chance.

But many cruisers love being loyal. They love the recognition and the small perks that come with it. For them, this change is going to sting.

That said, it’s easy to understand Carnival’s logic. Under the old program, someone booking a suite and spending thousands onboard got the same perks as someone in an inside cabin who stuck to the buffet. Cruise lines are shifting their focus to onboard spending, not just the number of nights sailed. They’re regularly sailing full ships—they don’t need to reward frequency; they want to reward spending.

Unfortunately, many of Carnival’s most loyal guests, those who sail often but don’t spend a lot on board, are likely to feel the biggest impact.

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A Bold Move in a Mega-Ship Era

In the past couple of years, cruise lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Norwegian have announced new upcoming mega-ships, coming in at over 200,000 gross registered tons and holding up to 8,000 guests. In fact, it’s rare nowadays to hear about a new cruise ship debuting that holds less than 4,000 guests.

According to SeaTrade Cruise News, Disney’s latest plan bucks this trend by embracing smaller ships. While they will still be launching a fourth Wish Class ship sailing out of Japan starting in 2027, the new ships after that will shrink considerably.

What We Know About Disney’s Smaller Ships

Disney Cruise Line recently announced plans for three smaller vessels to debut between 2029 and 2031. These new ships will be approximately 100,000 gross tons, significantly smaller than the Wish Class ships. They’ll also hold almost half the number of guests that the Wish Class ships accommodating around 3,000 guests.

The smaller size will allow Disney to access a wider range of ports and offer more diverse itineraries. They will be setup with flexible fuel capacibilty, so they are also be refueled at almost any cruise port (the newest ships using LNG fuel are limited to homeports that can refuel them).  

Additionally, the new ships will feature cutting-edge technology, including streamlined hulls, advanced propulsion systems, and the ability to operate on alternative fuels like hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and renewable methanol.

Why Smaller Ships Make Sense for Disney

Smaller ships are a strategic move for Disney Cruise Line, enabling the brand to differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded market. Disney positions itself as a premium cruise line, at a premium price, so this change makes sense. Their vessels prioritize exclusive experiences, offering a unique Disney atmosphere that other cruise lines can’t. The ships also allows access to smaller ports that can’t accommodate mega-ships, distinguishing themselves from the pack.

Is Disney Setting a New Trend?

Of course, on hearing this news, the first thing that small/mid-size cruise ship fans are likely to think is that this is the beginning of a trend to reduce cruise ship size. Unfortunately, that’s not very likely across the industry. While we know Royal Caribbean is working on the upcoming Discover Class, which is supposed to be smaller than their Oasis Class ships, other lines like Carnival and Norwegian have already committed to several mega ships over the next 10 years.

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Hit – A High-End and Intimate Atmosphere

From the minute you step foot on the Norwegian Viva and enter the beautiful Penrose Atrium, you get a sense of the elevated, premium decor of the ship. The ship is unlike most of the Norwegian fleet; it has a subtle elegance that is unique and more in line with something you’d expect from a premium cruise line like Celebrity. 

Most of the Viva has a distinct high-end, intimate feel. It’s very modern and filled with lots of light, both natural and artificial. If you showed people pictures, most wouldn’t even think it was a cruise ship. 

The design of the Viva also focuses on “intimacy.” You won’t find a massive interior promenade filled with thousands of people on the ship. In fact, only a few spaces on the ship hold more than a hundred guests. In addition, many of the larger areas are broken up with different barriers or sections to make it feel cozy. There’s almost no time while you’re on Viva when you feel like you’re with 3,000 other passengers. 

While the modern and futuristic design aesthetic may not be to everyone’s taste, there’s no arguing that Norwegian does it very well on the Viva. 

Miss – The Main Pool Area

Norwegian’s ships aren’t known for having the best pool areas. While other cruise lines have added theming and decor, Norwegian keeps it mostly basic and functional. With the Viva, they didn’t change that. 

On a ship where they focus on beauty and high-end finishes, the pool area is spartan and industrial. It’s like it was a complete afterthought to the rest of the ship. The race track looks over one side of the pool, further increasing the industrial feel, and the other side is just a wall of white metal. They have a video screen, but for some reason, they put it at eye level, not raised, making it impractical for movies or sporting events. The Waves Pool bar itself is a simple white bar. If not for the rows of liquor bottles behind it, you might mistake it for a towel sign-out area. At least the size is good for the space and serves the area well. 

The main pool, located on deck 17, is small to be a main pool. On our 10-day sailing, it was never overly packed, but during summer breaks, I could easily see it being overrun with children. The entertainment staff would try to do water activities here, but because it’s the only pool, that meant while water aerobics was going on, people just sat around watching. They have a dedicated splash area for the kids, but it’s a prime exact of form over functionality. There are no slides, dump buckets, or pools. I question if whoever designed this ever actually met a child.

In addition to the main pool, The Viva has two Infinity Pools on Deck 8 that are also available. While not huge, they provide an alternative to the more crowded main pool and a more relaxed experience. 

Hit – Ocean Boulevard

When you go on a cruise, you want to see the ocean, and it’s amazing how many ships don’t consider that. Norwegian has long tried to embrace that, having debuted the “Waterfront” space on their Breakaway-class ships that offered an exterior promenade with outdoor dining options. On the Prima, Norwegian evolved that concept into “Ocean Boulevard.”

Ocean Boulevard is the exterior promenade that wraps around the entire ship. It’s reportedly double the size of the Waterfront on the Norwegian Breakaway. On the Viva, they expanded the space significantly, installing tons of comfy seating, two infinity pools, loungers, and outdoor dining options. It offers some breathtaking views with a variety of seating options looking at the water. It’s so easy to find a place to get away and chat with friends, old and new. Couches, beds, swings, loungers, you name it, it’s there. 

The exterior promenade also had two glass walkways, called Ocean Walk, and an Art Gallery.

Miss – The Entertainment Venues

Norwegian really missed the mark when designing the entertainment spaces on the ship. While the Viva Theater is impressive, probably one of the best multi-use setups I’ve seen on a cruise ship, the rest of the venues just weren’t thought out. 

The Improv Comedy Club, which does not have any actual improv comedy, is small. It only holds 73 guests – just 3% of the possible guests on the ship. The space is narrow and has large columns that block sight lines and when the space is used for events, the doors open right into the middle of the space, interrupting the flow and making it awkward to enter. 

Syd Normans Pour House has a similar problem. It is used for Norwegian’s rock-band-style performances which are some of the most popular events on the ship, but it’s ridiculously small. According to Norwegian, the space holds 70 guests. They have made some improvements over the sister ship, the Prima, by removing bulky couches and armchairs and replacing them with pub tables. Still, Syd Normans can’t accommodate the crowds who want to see the show. While these types of performances work better in more intimate venues (compared to a 400-seat theater), it is just too small for a ship of this size.

To give credit where it’s due, the space looks fantastic. It’s themed to look like a hole-in-the-wall, underground rock club with lots of memorabilia on the walls. It’s actually a great-looking space, but you’ll never be able to appreciate it because it’s jam-packed. For Syd Normans’ popular Rumors show (where they play the album Rumors in its entirety), I got in line 45 minutes early, and once doors finally opened, I couldn’t get a seat; I had to stand. 

Another problem area is the Penrose Atrium for musical performances. Here, they created a makeshift band space next to the Penrose Bar. But this area is cut off from the rest of the atrium by awkward shelving with pottery and vases on it. You can’t see the performers at all if you’re not in the handful of seats right under the deck above. 

It’s not much better in the other bars. In the Metropolitan Bar, the talented performers are given a space between two circular couches to perform right off the main hallway. The Observation Lounge and Belvedere Bar, don’t even attempt to offer any live music or entertainment.

Norwegian did do a good job with the Viva Theater. It was sufficiently large, had an impressive design, sight lines were good throughout, and the seating was very comfortable, even though they were retractable. However, because the theater is the only space that can hold several hundred people, an evening’s entertainment essentially revolves around what’s happening there. Even if the entertainment staff wanted to hold other events, there’s not a sufficient place to do it.

Most cruise ships have several larger performance spaces, so several events can happen at once, keeping the ship busy with energy. If you look at the Celebrity Beyond, a ship roughly the same size, they have several venues that can handle larger groups: a theater that holds 990 people; Eden, a 3-deck venue that holds 268 people; and The Club, which holds 300. Having all these venues means they can schedule several types of entertainment at once, breaking up crowds and giving options.

While talking about entertainment, I should point out that Norwegian’s entertainment offerings were pretty mediocre. While I really enjoyed Beetlejuice and thought it was Broadway-quality, Norwegian is removing Broadway shows from its ships (they just announced the Prima will lose the Donna Summer musical), so Beetlejuice is not guaranteed to be on future sailings. Their other offerings were what people expect when they say hear “cruise ship entertainment,” uninspired musical reviews and “featured performers.” While other cruise lines are stepping up their game, Norwegian is quickly loosing ground here.

Hit – Indulge Food Hall

While most cruise lines are now copying the idea, Norwegian was the first to put a food hall on a cruise ship when it debuted the Prima. At the Indulge Food Hall, you can choose food from 8 different stalls. All the food is made to order and brought out to you by a waiter. You order using a tablet on the table, so you can mix and match the offerings from different food stalls. 

The space is filled with a variety of seating options, including large circular booths, regular tables, and bar tops. The layout isn’t straightforward; instead, it encourages you to meander through the space to find a table. Since waiters are delivering the food, the people flow doesn’t matter as much. Indulge Food Hall also has great seating available outside on Ocean Boulevard for impressive aft views.

On the Viva, Norwegian made a few changes compared to the Prima. They removed the Starbucks, Cocos extra-fee dessert, and one of the food truck facades to provide more seating. 

I ate there a lot during my 10-day cruise and never waited more than 7 minutes for my food to come out; usually, it was closer to 3 to 4 minutes. I also never had a problem finding a table. All the dishes I tried were delicious, my favorite being the Totopos (elevated nachos) and the Pulled Pork Sandwich. 

For breakfast, the Indulge Food Hall was also a hidden gem. Here, you could find standard breakfast favorites (eggs, cereal, pancakes, bagels, fruit). For breakfast, you don’t order on tablets, but instead visit different stations where they have buffets setup. It was a bit confusing the first time, but the complete lack of crowds made it my breakfast “go to” for our sailing.

Miss – Undersized Buffet / Surfside Cafe 

Norwegian’s designers made a big mistake when they designed the main buffet on the Norwegian Viva (called Seaside Cafe). Anyone who has ever been on a cruise ship could have spotted this issue, so it’s odd Norwegian went with this design for two ships.

First, the buffet is too small. According to Norwegian, the Seaside Cafe can hold 238 guests, just 6% of the people on the ship. Norwegian was hoping the large Indulge Food Hall would take away some of the demand for the buffet, it didn’t do so sufficiently. Norwegian has tried to rectify this issue but opening the seating in nearly Food Republic and the outdoor area of Palomar to people sitting for breakfast and lunch, which made a huge improvement. Unfortunately, it’s quite a walk back if you want seconds.

The second problem is that the buffet is also used as a main concourse on the ship. If you want to go from the main pool to the aft elevators, or if you want to access to sports area/race track, you have to walk from the pool into the buffet, walking down the same space where people are trying to get food. This setup leads to people bumping into each other, crowding, and ultimately a chaotic feel. It also doesn’t help cleanliness because the staff can’t encourage people to wash their hands when they enter since they might just be walking through. 

Then there’s the Seaside Grill, a seemingly hidden room at the end of the buffet through glass doors. Here, you’ll find burgers and hot dogs as well as some food found in the main buffet. They’d serve food here in some late afternoons, but some guests didn’t even know this area existed. They’d walk into the buffet, see it was closed, and think no food was available. 

That being said, while the design was poorly done, the food was actually quite good. The food was all good quality, hot, and constantly being rotated out. I enjoyed the wide selection of entrees from different types of cuisine, although the dessert section was a bit lacking. I would have likely gone to the buffet more often if I didn’t have to worry about the crowds. Still, I found the buffet to be as good, if not better, than buffet offerings I’ve had on other ships.

Hit – Number of Bars and Dining Options

The Viva builds on Norwegian’s Freestyle Dining concept, where you have a large variety of restaurants to choose from on the ship. Considering it’s not a massive ship, it’s incredible how many different venues are available onboard the Viva. You have over 12 different bar options and 14 restaurants to choose from while sailing. 

For food, there’s a mix of included venues and extra-fee options. For included dining, the ship has a buffet (Seaside Cafe), Indulge Food Hall, two main dining rooms (Hudsons and The Commodore Room), and The Local, the nearly 24/7 pub. The menus in the two dining rooms are the same, but half of the menu selections rotate each night. 

For guests who don’t mind paying extra for food, there are eight specialty restaurants. In most restaurants, guests can choose a la carte pricing or purchase a specialty dining credit, which usually includes an appetizer, a soup/salad, an entree, and a dessert. You have a variety of types of foods to choose from: French, Mediterranean, Sushi, Italian, the options are pretty varied. Again, what makes it remarkable is this ship isn’t a mega ship like Icon of the Seas. Usually, ships this size don’t have that many options. 

The ship also has a variety of bars, both indoors and outdoors. Even better, most of them have different menus. When I was on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas last year, 90% of the drink menus were the same across the whole ship. It got boring. On the Viva, most bars had a dedicated menu with different options unavailable at other locations. It’s especially nice since most people get the “Unlimited Open Bar Package” (learn more here) when booking a “Free at Sea” fare, giving them so many more drinks to try. 

Miss – Confusing Layout With Lots of Hallways

Norwegian made some odd choices when designing the Viva, making the layout confusing and hampering the usefulness of some spaces. 

The biggest issue is one I already touched upon. You literally have to walk through the food line in the buffet to get to the back of the ship from mid-ship on the pool deck level. Whenever you try to get to the aft elevators, someone asks you to wash your hands because you’re walking into the buffet. And during busy buffet times, this hallway gets crowded with people trying to get food. 

Down on Deck 8, if you want to get to Indulge Food Hall, you have to walk through The Local Bar, which is fine, but no signage indicates this. It feels a bit odd having to walk through a bar to get to a restaurant, and if they have a game showing on the massive TV in the bar, you have to block people as you walk past it. 

The Viva also has some odd concourses filled with stands rather than stores. It feels like a hallway filled with mall kiosks. I think it was to encourage spur-of-the-moment shopping, but instead, you get an uncomfortable feeling as workers are just standing at these sad retail spots waiting for someone to talk to them. 

There are also areas of the ship you can only find if you’re looking for them. For example, the Belvedere Bar and Commodore Room feel forgotten in a back part of the ship in an area that’s only visited during dinner.  To get there, you either take the aft elevators, or walk through the casino, but there’s no clear walkway or path through the casino.

The poor layout won’t ruin your experience, but it impacts the crowds and usage of the space. 

Hit – Beautiful and Spacious Cabins

You can tell Norwegian wanted to make sure they focused on the cabins on the Viva, and they knocked it out of the park. The cabins are modern and filled with lots of natural and artificial light. The furnishings are high-end and well thought out. For example, they put a full-size hair dryer in a holder on the vanity so someone can use it while someone else is in the bathroom, of the closets had lights that would turn on as you opened it. Hooks are even already on the wall. For my 10-day cruise, we had plenty of storage for all out belongings. 

The Viva balcony cabins are 20 – 35% larger than the cabins on the Breakaway, and the balcony is 50% larger. The new cabins are also larger than the standard balcony cabins on Norwegian’s competitors’ latest ships. They’re 28% larger than the Utopia of the Seas and 15% larger than Carnival Jubilee.

One of my favorite parts of the cabin was the bathroom. All levels of cabin on the Viva, from the standard interior to a Club Balcony, have large bathrooms. The showers are rectangular with glass doors and rival the size you might see at home. It also has art, and the dark panels in the shower make it feel high-end. 

Miss – Too Much Space Dedicated to Extra-fee Spaces

On the Viva, quite a bit of space is taken up by things that cost extra. It’s not necessarily that you’ll feel pressured to pay more, but some of the things take away valuable public space. 

For example, there is no free adult-only section on the ship. On Norwegian’s other ships, they have Spice H2O, which is kid-free and offers a party Vibe throughout the day. On the Viva, they didn’t have room for that because of all the extra-fee areas. If you want a kid-free space, you’ll have to pay. Rates are $279 per person for a seven-day cruise, and it has a very limited capacity, meaning only a couple hundred people at most will get to experience this space. It sells out months before the cruise sails.

Another example is the buffet. Norwegian put a new restaurant on the ship called Palomar that serves Mediterranean food. People rave about it, but the problem with it is the location. It is right next to the small main buffet and could have been used as a split-buffet setup, but instead, they went with an additional extra-fee space on the ship. 

The Haven, Norwegian’s premium ship-within-a-ship concept, has a two level sun deck with a dedicated pool and hot tub. It’s great for those who pay for this exclusive area, but it means the rest of the guests are crammed into the open public areas of the main pool deck.

Overall: A Premium Ship Where the Ship Isn’t the Destination

Norwegian Viva feels on par with something you’d expect from a premium cruise line like Celebrity, elevated from the rest of the Norwegian fleet. It feels quite elegant without being stuffy, and I grew to really enjoy the intimate spaces provided around the ship. There’s a lot that Norwegian did right with the Viva, and they really nailed the aesthetic they were going for in most cases.

The ship goes against the trend of a cruise ship being “the destination” in itself. While Royal Caribbean is putting ice skating rinks and entire waterparks on board, the Norwegian Viva doesn’t attempt to be the whole vacation destination. It shines when doing port intensive sailings, where you spend exploring the destination, and return to the ship for dinner, drinks, and entertainment.

Because of that though, I’d be reluctant to recommend it for standard Caribbean sailings. My 10-day cruise had only one sea day, and that worked well, but if it was a 7-day Caribbean cruise with 3 sea days, this ship would not have worked for me.

You Might Enjoy Norwegian Viva If…

• You’re a Norwegian Cruise Fan
  • If you’re a Norwegian fan, the Viva will have many things you’ve come to expect from the cruise line, just evolved and higher end. You have Norwegian’s freestyle dining, a plethora of specialty restaurants, various shopping opportunities, and plenty of bars. You’ll also find Norwegian’s popular spaces like The Haven and the Vibe Beach Club.
• You’re Taking a Couples or Friends Trip
  • The ship has lots of lounges, seating options, and bars to meet up at and enjoy each other’s company. Also, since it’s not a mega-ship, it’s easier to meet up with each other. You might bump into each other while going about your day instead of having to set a designated time and space because the ship is so big you wouldn’t see each other otherwise. 
• You’re New to Cruising
  • If you’ve never cruised before and have no preconceptions, the Viva might be right for you. With no expectations, you’ll likely be impressed by the ship’s features and overall look and feel. It might be especially good for cruisers who are looking to avoid the “party” vibe from other lines like Carnival. 
• You’re Going for the Itinerary
  • Because the Viva is not a mega-ship, it can more easily access ports that ships like Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas can not. The Viva, and its sister ship the Prima, both have some unique itineraries with less common cruise ports. Some of the Viva’s most significant shortcomings are the onboard spaces for daytime activities, so if you’re off the ship most of the time, you won’t notice it.

You Might Not Like Norwegian Viva If…

• You Like Mega-Ships
  • If you like mega-ships, like Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, you will be disappointed. There’s nothing “mega” or “big” about this ship; they wanted it to feel smaller and more intimate. Norwegian Viva doesn’t have any attraction or feature that will make you go “wow.”
• You Don’t Like Paying Extra
  • While Norwegian’s “free at sea” program covers alcoholic drinks, limited Wi-Fi, and one or two meals at specialty restaurants, it doesn’t cover everything. If you want to experience everything Viva offers, it will cost more, especially with kids. $10 per person for mini-golf, $15 for the race track…it adds up quickly. Similarly, most dining options cost extra, so if you want to experience the whole ship, you will be spending more. 
• You Have Kids
  • While Norwegian says the Viva is geared towards multi-generational cruises, it’s less family-friendly than some other Norwegian ships or cruise lines Carnival and Royal Caribbean. While they have a kids club on board, there are not many other things geared toward the younger crowd (3 – 10). There are no kids’ water slides, the splash area is poorly designed, and you’ll find extra fees for most activities kids might want to try. On top of that, many of the intimate spaces would be a nightmare for parents; kids will easily climb over the furniture or even the sculpture garden. In May 2024, Norwegian tried to improve the kid-friendliness of this ship by adding a dedicated Entourage Teens Club, but both the kids Splash Academy and Entourage Teen Club can only hold a fraction of the kids on board during summer sailings.   

Follow along on our Mediterranean Adventure

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Pre-cruise – Athens

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 1 – Athens

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 2 – Santorini

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 3 – Kusadasi

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 4 – Istanbul

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 5 – Mykonos

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 6 – Sea Day

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 7 – Messina

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 8 – Naples

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 9 – Florence

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 10 – Nice

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 11 – Rome

5 Hits and Misses on Norwegian Viva

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Norwegian Viva Mediterranean Cruise Day 3 Overview

• Norwegian Viva Freestyle Daily – Day 3
• Breakfast in Viva’s Surfside Cafe
• Arriving in Kusadasi, Turkey
• Private Ephesus Tour Experience
• The Notorious Turkish Carpet School in Kusadasi
• Touring Historic Ephesus
• Lunch at The Local
• The Bull’s Eye Dart Lounge
• Tee Time Mini Golf
• The Stadium Activity Area
• The Rush and The Drop Dry Slides
• Recently Reworked Galaxy Pavilion on the Viva
• Norwegian Viva’s Escape Room
• Belvedere Bar for Pre-dinner Drinks
• Trying Viva’s Food Republic Specialty Dining
• Post-dinner Entertainment

Norwegian Viva Freestyle Daily – Day 3

Breakfast in Viva’s Surfside Cafe

Because we had an early start this morning, the only place that was open for breakfast before we left was the Surfside Cafe, the main buffet located on Deck 17. The buffet is another one of the poor design choices Norwegian made when building the ship. Norwegian chose to downsize the space from other ships, so it only has seating for 6% of the guests on board. That’s an astounding 70% fewer people than the Norwegian Encore. Compounding the problem, they made the really poor decision of having a main walkway in the ship go through the buffet, right next to the food. It ends up clogging the walkways and makes getting food harder. 

The space is beautiful, though, with floor-to-ceiling windows, but the lack of seating meant we only ate in there once during our cruise. Luckily, we grabbed our food every other time and walked down the hallway to the nearby Food Republic or Palomar to eat there. It was much quieter and more peaceful. The only downside was it was a pain if you wanted more food, as it was a bit of a walk. 

Tip: Don’t waste time looking for a table in the buffet. For breakfast and lunch, Food Republic and the outside area of Palomar have seating available. 

The food was quite good, with made-to-order omelets, scrambled eggs, pancakes, french toast, and cereal. It was nice to see they offer plenty of bacon every day, something Carnival still refuses to do, but a few things were missing. Norwegian used to have the best crispy, round hashbrowns, but they got rid of them as a cost-cutting measure. The fruit, pastry, and cold cut sections were also lacking compared to cruise lines like Royal Caribbean. It was still a good breakfast, though, and prepared me for the day ahead.

Arriving in Kusadasi, Turkey

The cruise terminal in Kusadasi is conveniently located right next to the city; it’s not a long drive like many other Mediterranean ports. For many guests on board, it was their first time visiting Asia. It was also our shortest port of the cruise, with the Viva only being in port from 6:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The main attraction is the ruins of Ephesus, located a short drive from the port. 

Private Ephesus Tour Experience

While Ephesus is the main attraction, there aren’t any buses or trains that take you there. The best way to see it is to book a tour. For this port, Norwegian didn’t put any excursions up until about three weeks before the cruise. Because we weren’t willing to wait for NCL to figure out what they were doing, we booked a third-party excursion. 

We used Viator to book “SKIP THE LINES: Best Seller Ephesus PRIVATE TOUR For Cruise Guests.” For us, it wasn’t about “skipping the line,” that’s just marketing speak for “we get your tickets.” On our stops, it would have been of little value as there weren’t many lines at the place. Instead, we were focused on a knowledgeable tour guide, comfy transportation, and a private experience. The tour was one of the cheapest on Viator for a private tour, but that’s because they didn’t include the 40 euro per person admission to Ephesus; for that, we’d pay the driver. It was clearly noted in all the documentation though and was still a good deal.

Tip: Third-party excursions aren’t always about saving money. While they can be cheaper, that’s not always the case. Another reason to look at sites like Viator is that they can offer unique or more exclusive experiences. For this tour, it was just the 5 of us, compared to the 50 people on a cruise ship tour. The risk, though, is that you don’t make it back. If you book through a cruise line, you’re guaranteed that the ship won’t leave without you. If you’re on your own, you take the risk, although many companies also offer a guarantee and will reimburse expenses if something goes wrong. 

Our tour guide used WhatsApp to schedule our meeting for 7:00 AM at the end of the port. We walked off the ship and through the small port area filled with shops. At the end, there was a board where they’d put up private tour signs with the people’s name on it, making it easy to find your guide.

Within a few minutes, we found our guide and were on our way. We got in an air-conditioned private van and started driving towards Ephesus, about a 20-minute drive from the port. Since we were off the ship so early and beat the port crowds, we actually had time to fill before Ephesus opened (8 AM). Because of that, our tour guide took us to a carpet-making facility. 

The Notorious Turkish Carpet School in Kusadasi

If you’ve read about Kusadasi, you know this is a notorious part of every excursion in Ephesus, a stop at Turkman Carpet. Here, you learn how they make hand-woven Turkish rugs and give you a Turkish coffee. Really, it was less of an educational experience and more of a sales pitch. Since we were early, the five of us were the only ones there. A gentleman walked us through the process, having the women working there demonstrate the art of making carpets; it was clear those women were not excited to be part of the demonstration. 

Then, after that, we sat on our couch to have our coffee while vendors rolled out carpet after carpet in front of us. There’s no arguing that the carpets were beautiful, some even changing color before our eyes, but who goes on vacation and buys a $700+ carpet without knowing how it’d fit in their room.

“What’s your favorite color?” the man asked a woman in our group, and then he proceeded to show her every carpet in that color. The choices were overwhelming, and the facility had a labyrinth of rooms filled with different options. At one point, someone in our group was shown something in a different room, and we quickly had to go find her before she ended up buying 3 different carpets. Our tour guide told us to tell him when we were done, so we did. He quickly signaled that we were not buying, and then we headed on to Ephesus. It wasn’t overly high-pressure, but I would have preferred to skip this part. 

Touring Historic Ephesus

Our tour guide said he’d typically start at the House of Mary if you wanted to see that. That site had an extra 10 euro admission cost and lines could get to be 40 minutes or more. Thankfully, our group was not interested in seeing it, so we headed right to Ephesus. 

Ephesus is the ruins of an ancient city that dates back to biblical times. Back then, it was a port city, although over thousands of years, the waters have receded, and now it’s a 20-minute drive from the cruise port. It was lost to time, only to be discovered in the late 1800s, and slowly recovered and reconstructed. 

Our guide took us down the streets of Ephesus, explaining what happened at that point in history and how the site was being excavated. Being in a private group, it was nice to be able to ask questions and focus on the stuff that was actually interesting to us. Our guide did a good job of explaining what we’d see in the shade away from the crowds; then we’d go look at it. This way, we weren’t clogging the attractions like other tour guides were doing. 

We entered the site near the baths and State Agora, which had many ruins that resembled rubble, but as we ventured further into the site, the buildings were better preserved and more impressive. It was a unique experience to walk down the actual roads ancient civilizations walked down. It was also amazing how far we’ve come. The old marble roads were slippery and hard to walk down, today’s concrete and asphalt are such a huge improvement. 

Tip: Wear closed-toed shoes when touring ruins. Roads back then were made from basalt, granite, or marble, which has worn down over the years to be very slippery. Be careful; one twisted ankle can ruin your whole vacation.

The highlight of the site was Celsus Library, a massive restored building that towers over you. It’s been meticulously reassembled and strengthened to withstand earthquakes. As you get closer, you can appreciate the intricate carvings on it. You’re actually able to walk up and into the Celsus Library. It’s funny because as tall and grand as it looks from the outside, it is relatively small on the inside. While it could hold up to 12,000 scrolls in ancient days, the facade is much grander in appearance, a smart move by the designers to make this building stand out in a crowded city. 

We took Marble Road to the Ephesus Theater. It was an impressive sight to behold. It was hard to comprehend that this massive structure was constructed in 250 BC. Built into the mountainside, this theater could hold 25,000 spectators (in comparison, Madison Square Garden in NYC only holds 19,500). It’s roughly 60 feet tall and divided into 3 levels. It’s incredible how much it resembles a theater we’d build today. 

Of course, there were no microphones and speakers in those days, so this site was built to increase acoustic performance. It’s been said you could hear whispers from the stage in the top rows. I can’t attest to that, but we can attest to the acoustical performance. One woman stood in the middle of the stage and sang “Amazing Grace” as if she were the only person there. You could see her partner in the background, videotaping it for TikTok or Instagram. It was a cringeworthy moment, but I’ll give the Ephesians something; from up in the second tier of seating, I was able to hear every single pitchy note she sang. (I don’t know if she understood the irony of singing Amazing Grace on a stage where Christians were literally fed to lions). 

We then exited the site at Harbor Road, where our van was waiting for us. He gave us more history about the area as we returned to the ship. Even though Kusadasi was a short port for us, it didn’t feel rushed, and it felt the right amount of time to take in the sites. 

We arrived back at port with an hour left before all-board time. The port had a cute variety of shops with an Arabian theme, but we decided to head back on board since we’d spend the next day in Istanbul and visiting the Grand Bazaar. 

As we walked up to the ship, Norwegian staff were there to hand us cups of water and cold towels to refresh ourselves before boarding, it was a nice little touch that the other mainstream cruise lines don’t do (Premium lines like Celebrity and Holland America also offer this). 

Lunch at The Local

We got on board and headed straight to The Local, Norwegian’s “all-hours” dinner/pub (which, since COVID, is really 5 AM to 3:30 AM). I always thought Norwegian was so smart to offer restaurant food for such extended hours. On other lines, you pretty much just get pizza at 9 PM, and if it’s in between meals, you’re out of luck. 

The Local on the Viva has an odd setup. On the port side of the ship is the actual restaurant with waiter service. On the starboard side is the bar section you must walk through to get to Indulge Food Hall. You could order food here and sit at the bar or the comfy seats along the window. It felt like two different spaces with no connection. I spoke with one woman who didn’t realize there was an actual restaurant just behind the wall of the bar.

We had no wait. A hostess immediately showed us to a table, probably because most guests weren’t back on board yet. The Local has all the essential pub food you can want. We started with a few appetizers, ordering buffalo wings, nachos, and pretzel bites for the table. I’ve heard talk of the wings being subpar since Norwegian stopped frying them and baking them, but everyone at the table thought they were decent. I got the Ruben, my go-to diner food, and it was delicious and absolutely packed with meat. Although I was pretty full, I had to try the Hot Fudge Sundae everyone talks about, and it was worth it. 

Since we had the rest of the afternoon free, we decided to explore the activities on the ship. 

The Bull’s Eye Dart Lounge

Norwegian Viva and its sister ship, the Prima, both have The Bull’s Eye Dart Lounge. There, you can rent a bay where up to 6 people can play a game of darts. It has standard darts and dart boards but also uses cameras to track and score you, similar to what Top Golf does for golf. Using a tablet, you could choose various games, from really difficult, to relatively easy. 

The Bull’s Eye Dart Lounge is an additional fee, but it’s surprisingly reasonable for Norwegian. It’s only $5 per bay for 50 minutes of play for up to six players. For our group, that meant $1 per person. It was totally worth that price.

They do take reservations in advance, but we didn’t need to book ahead. We just walked to the activities desk on Deck 18 and booked the upcoming 1 PM slot. 

Tip: If you’re playing darts, get your drinks before you arrive so you don’t waste any time. The Waves Pool Bar is the closest full bar, but at the end of the Surfside Cafe is a small counter with a makeshift bar. It’s easy to miss, but you can get basic beers and cocktails here as well. 

Overall, it was a lot of fun. The lush brown leather couches and wood paneling give it an old-school feel. It’s outside, so you can enjoy the ocean views, but the race track is the level above, so you’re not in direct sun, and when the ship is moving, you get a beautiful breeze as you play. 

Tee Time Mini Golf

In the same area of the ship was Tee Time Mini Golf. It’s an elevated “Vegas-style” mini golf, with electronics that track your ball, and blinking lights and sounds. In the end, you even had a chance to win a prize.

Unfortunately, it also has a steep price tag. They charge $10 per person for mini-golf, which is ridiculous. We did not even consider playing at that price. The course was mostly empty compared to other cruise lines, where it’d be packed on a day like today. Still, during our hour at the Dart Lounge, we saw 11 people play, so they made $110 in an hour. 

The Stadium Activity Area

Next, we went to The Stadium area on the other side of the ship. It’s a game area with free activities like foosball, ping pong, pickleball, and tabletop shuffleboard. Like the dart lounge, the race track covered the area, keeping it out of the direct sun and making it a nice place to be on a hot, sunny day.

The place was popular, with teenagers and adults trying their hand at the games. It was a nice use of space by Norwegian and an innovative area I haven’t really seen on other ships. 

The Rush and The Drop Dry Slides

Next up was the thrill slides. When many people first see the Viva, they assume the huge slides on both sides of the ship are waterslides. In reality, they’re dry slides that go from Deck 18 to Deck 8. (The ship does, in fact, have one water slide that we try later on in the cruise). 

Royal Caribbean launched the idea of having a dry slide at sea with their Ultimate Abyss, first installed on Harmony of the Seas. Now, MSC and Norwegian have added these slides to their ships. Each one is a little different, but all involve getting into a carpet-textured bag to slide down in the dark. 

The Drop

The first slide we tried was “The Drop.” For this slide, you step into a chamber and get suited up in a bag. Then the hatch closes, a countdown begins, and the floor drops out from under you. You slide down, going through a clear part of the tube that hangs out over the side of the ship before plunging into darkness again and twisting your way down to Ocean Boulevard. 

The lines at the slides were pretty minimal; it only took us about 5 minutes before our turn. Many people in line were scared to go on. In reality, most of the fear is in the unknown of what’s beneath you and when you’ll drop. The slide itself has fewer g-forces from the turns than Royal Caribbean’s, and the drop of the floor is gentler than a trap door water slide. It’s still a neat ride though. 

The Rush Dueling Slides

We took the elevators back up and tried The Rush, which is a racing slide. For these slides, you sit and a mat and launch yourself down. The tube turns much more tightly, giving it a more intense feeling; Norwegian said the slides have the highest G-forces at sea. Actual speed can vary depending on the weather though. When I went on the slide on the Prima, it was so slow I barely made it out; they shut it down for the day after that. 

Recently Reworked Galaxy Pavilion on the Viva

We headed over to the front of the ship to explore the Galaxy Pavilion, a virtual reality arcade. The entrance is well done, using video screens and lights to make it seem like you’re entering a warp tunnel. The inside is filled with a variety of VR games you can play for $9 each (they also offer a unlimited pass for $199 for the VR games, and $299 for all VR games and arcade games).

When I first tried the Galaxy Pavilion on the Prima, I was disappointed. Many of the games were very basic, with graphics that felt like something from 2004. A few games were much more mind-blowing, but it was just a small portion. 

Norwegian revamped the Galaxy Pavilion on the Prima two weeks before we boarded. They took out some under performing games and a Top Golf Swing Simulator and put in some traditional arcade games. It was odd that the ship never had a regular arcade, so it was a good move. Walking around, the regular games had much more kids at them than the VR ones. This changeover made a mess, though. The arcade is open most of the time, while the VR rides need an attendant and are only open during certain hours. Because of that, they had barricades and ropes to keep people out of certain parts at certain times. 

Norwegian Viva’s Escape Room

Earlier in the week, we made reservations for the Escape Room. The Viva has two Escape Rooms you can pre-book. An escape room is an interactive game where you and up to 5 other people try to solve puzzles to escape from a room within an hour. 

The two Escape Rooms on the Viva can each accommodate up to 6-guests. If there are fewer in your party, others may join your group. The cost is $24 per person, which is on par with the prices you’d see on land. 

Our job was to free a magician from a trap he was stuck in. The theming was well done, with props, lighting, and sound effects that created an immersive experience. Overall, though, the Escape Room wasn’t pretty middling compared to the ones I’ve done on land. The gameplay was very linear; you had to do one puzzle, then the next, then the next. I’ve never had that before. 

Also, with escape rooms, you usually get an assistant to watch you on camera, and you can ask him if you get stuck. In land-based ones I’ve done, they’d have a monitor to give you clues and messages. In this one, the assistant would just pop in and tell us something. We’d be looking at one clue, and he’d walk in and say, “No, put this knife here,” without explaining why we should have done that. We eventually had to ask him to stop giving us clues. We escaped with about 10 minutes left on the clock, but overall, it was anti-climatic. 

Unimpressive Activity Staff

By the end of our day of activities on the ship, I realized how unimpressed I was by any of the activity staff on board. By activity staff, I mean the people running the slides, dart lounge, Escape Room, and Galaxy Pavilion. They constantly looked bored, barely tried to connect with the guests, and were not communicative about how things worked or the rules. It was very different from lines like Royal Caribbean, which have very energetic and personable staff on their attractions. 

Belvedere Bar for Pre-dinner Drinks

After the Escape Room, we had time to kill before dinner, so we headed to the Belvedere Bar for pre-dinner drinks. The bar is tucked away at the rear of Deck 6. In fact, it was day 3 on the ship, and most of my group had no idea it even existed. The only way to get to Belvedere Bar is to take the aft elevators to that level or to wind your way through the casino. 

Belvedere Bar is dark, with no windows or natural light but the bar itself has reflective gold tiles around it that glisten in the spotlights. Overall, this gives the space a very intimate and high-end feel. 

The bar was crowded this evening, most likely because it’s directly between the Commodore Room main dining room and Cagneys Steakhouse. Many people were here getting pre-dinner drinks, the same thing we were doing. 

While it has a full bar available, many of the menu cocktails here were pre-made batch cocktails. Unlike the cocktails on tap, bartenders made these in the morning and individually bottled each one. This preparation saved a significant amount of time when the bar was busy.

Trying Viva’s Food Republic Specialty Dining

For dinner tonight, we used one of our specialty dining credits to go to Food Republic. Food Republic serves “global cuisine” with elements of Latin and Asian foods. The tapas-style menu had a wide variety of options. We chose this restaurant because there was something for everyone, from sushi rolls to Korean fried chicken to ramen.

The restaurant was about half full when we arrived and we were shown to our table in the back of the restaurant. The restaurant had a lot of bar seating, like a sushi bar, but none was in use that night. Our waitress explained that we’d order our food using a tablet and then they’d bring out the dishes when they’re ready. With our specialty dining plan, we each got four dishes (that would include dessert if we wanted it). 

We started browsing and ordered some dishes. The food quickly arrived, and the portions were huge. So we could try everything, we shared all our dishes with the whole table. We were already getting full by the time we ordered our third round of dishes.

The food was top-notch; I don’t think there was a single dish we didn’t like. My favorite was the calamari, which was fresh and had a light, crispy batter. Another favorite of mine was the tuna pizza.

Food Republic also had some unique alcohol selections. I tried the sake which was included in the Unlimited Open Bar package we had. (You can learn more about Norwegian’s drink packages here.)

While we enjoyed dining here, the tablet system started to feel like a gimmick. At one point, one person’s tablet started ordering dishes by itself. We’d watch as a dish got added to the cart and then sent to the kitchen with no one ever touching it. We called the waitress over twice to tell her, and they didn’t seem to understand what we were saying. Eventually, they straightened it out on our bill, but they ended up making several dishes we didn’t order because they didn’t figure it out. Now that Indulge has the same tablet ordering system, they might do better switching to regular service at Food Republic to make the place more appealing to those who don’t like technology (it won’t be returning on the upcoming successor, the Aqua). 

Post-dinner Entertainment

Since we didn’t order dessert at the restaurant, I wanted to see if there was somewhere to get something sweet. Unfortunately, it was 9:30 PM, and the buffet and Indulge Food Hall were already closed. The Local offered three desserts on its late-night menu: carrot and walnut cake, apple pie, and brownie-raspberry swirl cheesecake, but I wasn’t in the mood to sit down and wait for service.

On Royal Caribbean, I’d usually grab a cookie or snack from Cafe Promenade, but Norwegian doesn’t have anything like that. Then I realized that at no point did I even see any cookies on the ship. They had some mousse cakes and tarts, but no cookies you can grab and eat somewhere. Perhaps I missed them, but I never had one cookie in the ten days on board. It could be the result of cost-cutting; I’m sure cookies fly off the shelf much more than cakes because you have to sit down to eat them and can’t grab and go. 

I gave up on dessert and went to see what else there was to do. In the main theater was the Icons show again, so the main theater was off the agenda for the night (if we had known it was playing two nights in a row, we would have gone the second night, but unlike other cruise lines, they don’t give you an overall rundown of entertainment for the whole week on Day 1). 

We checked out Syd Norman’s for a rock band-style show, but the small venue was absolutely packed. A comedian had two comedy shows scheduled this evening, but it was in the Improv Comedy Club, which only held around 75 people and was completely full. (It’s a regular comedy show. While they call the venue Improv Comedy Club, there is no actual improv-style comedy.)

Then we went to the Atrium, where they have a singer. Here were saw another example of Norwegian’s poor design. The musician has a makeshift area to play, which is behind a bunch of wooden shelves with ceramics on them. These shelves don’t seem to be structural looking at them. I have no idea why they would cut off the performer from the vast majority of the Atrium. It really dampens the experience when trying to listen to live music. 

After finishing a long day, and not finding anything exciting that evening, we decided to turn in and prepare for our next day in Istanbul. 

Follow along on our Mediterranean Adventure

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Pre-cruise – Athens

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 1 – Athens

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 2 – Santorini

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 3 – Kusadasi

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 4 – Istanbul

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 5 – Mykonos

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 6 – Sea Day

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 7 – Messina

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 8 – Naples

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 9 – Florence

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 10 – Nice

Norwegian Viva – Cruise Blog - Day 11 – Rome

5 Hits and Misses on Norwegian Viva

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Four years before the next new Carnival ship

While completing cruise lines, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines have plans to add many new ships to their fleets over the next few years; Carnival had nothing on the docket after the Jubilee launched in late December. They’ll bring the Costa Firenze into the fleet later this year, but no new ships were scheduled. 

The new Excel-class ship will be delivered in 2027, 4 years after the last ship, the Jubilee. It’s an unusually long time between ships for Carnival, one of the longest since the late 90s. This pause is because Carnival Corporation is focusing on using cash during this period to pay down debt. 

Excel-class ships have proven very popular

Carnival Corporation has 9 Excel-class ships already sailing around the world under the different brands. While these ships share the same platform, the Carnival version of the Excel-class ship has many unique aspects, like the 3-story performance space/atrium, BOLT roller coaster, and adult-only Serenity area. 

It’s unusual for a ship in a class to be ordered this late after its siblings. Typically, if there is this much time between sailings, it’s because a new class of ship is debuting. Carnival has said that the Excel-class is a hit with guests. Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, stated, “Our Excel class ships have been a tremendous addition to the Carnival fleet and proven very popular with our guests.” 

Name, home port, and themed zones yet to be revealed

Unfortunately, Carnival hasn’t released anything else about the new ship. 

It’s a safe bet that the new ship will be named after an older Carnival ship, like all its sister ships.

We also know that the Excel-class ship will have two themed zones unique to that ship, such as The French Quarter on Mardi Gras, 820 Biscayne on Celebration, or Currents on Jubilee, but we don’t know what they are yet. 

As for the home port, there’s currently an Excel-class ship in Galveston, Port Canaveral, and Miami. Because these ships are extra large, they need a large cruise terminal to accommodate them, limiting where they can sail from. 

More ships to come, but maybe not for Carnival

Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation (parent company of Carnival Cruise Lines) said they’ll add one to two ships annually starting in 2027. But that doesn’t mean they’ll be Carnival ships; it could be Princess Cruises, Holland America, AIDA, or any of their holdings. Those ships will go to the cruise lines where the demand is exceeding the capacity.

What’s it like sailing on an Excel-class ship?

Follow along on our 7-day sailing aboard the Carnival Celebration.

Jacksonville is a great option for those who drive to port

Jacksonville, located in NorthEast Florida, has a small cruise terminal called JAXPORT. It provides a great option for those looking to drive from Northern Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, saving guests coming from Northern states a little over two hours of driving. It’s not the best for guests who want to fly in, as the regional airport has fewer options than larger airports like Atlanta and Orlando, and driving from those airports takes several hours. 

“Expanding our popular cruise program provides passengers throughout the Southeast U.S. and beyond with even more reasons to choose Jacksonville for their next vacation.”

JAXPORT CEO Eric Green.

Norwegian Gem sailing out of Jacksonville starts November 2025

The Norwegian Gem originally debuted in 2007 and received a significant overhaul in 2015. The ship has 14 different restaurants and 16 bars and lounges. Guests can relax in the three pools and five hot tubs on the decks. 

It will sail several longer 11- and 12-day sailings, which will explore the Eastern Caribbean. During these cruises, it will visit Norwegian’s private Island, Great Stirrup Cay, as well as Puerta Plata Dominion Republic, St Thomas, Antigua, and San Juan,

The Gem will also sail shorter 4- and 5-day cruises from Jacksonville. Those sailings will visit the Bahamas exclusively, stopping at Great Stirrup Cay, Freeport, and Nassau. 

Norwegian Gem joins the Carnival Elation

Because of the Dames Point Bridge, only smaller-sized ships can port at Jacksonville’s JAXPORT cruise terminal. For years, Carnival has had its smaller and older Fantasy-class ships in the port. Currently, Carnival is sailing the Carnival Elation out of the port. 

The Gem offers a newer and slightly larger option. It’s nine years newer than the Carnival Elation. It’s also 33% bigger, but don’t expect a big ship; it only holds roughly 2,400 guests, a sweet spot for guests who love more intimate ships. 

Sailings from Jacksonville open mid-February

Norwegian Gem will homeport in Jacksonville, Fla. from November to April every year through 2028. Sailings for the Norwegian Gem will open for booking on February 14, 2024. 

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The emails and website from Royal Caribbean say guests can save up to 55% off cruise favorites, but are they really good deals? Royal Caribbean will usually show the percentage off as the prominent message, but that number is misleading. Always look at the price per day. 

“You use percentages when you’re not real proud of your price point.” -former Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon

If you look online for advice about pricing, you’ll see tons of people saying, “Black Friday offers the best price ever.” In most cases, that advice is wrong.

About Royal Caribbean cruise planner pricing

Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner lets guests pre-book cruise purchases before their sailing. It’s where you can purchase your drink package, shore excursions, internet, and specialty dining. This pricing is almost always cheaper than if you buy it onboard the ship itself. 

The prices are clearly shown on the website, but every previous Royal Caribbean cruiser knows these prices are constantly changing. Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the cost can vary based on the ship, sail date, or even the day you look at it. 

For most cruises, items will vary between a regular price and a “sale” price during the pre-cruise period. Typically, the best prices are further out, and the prices go up as the cruise approaches.

A look at Royal Caribbean’s Black Friday Deals

While Royal Caribbean doesn’t offer any transparency on how their pricing works, we monitored 10 different cruises that will sail within the next year to see the kind of deals happening right now. We looked at different times of the year, types of ships, and departure ports to get a general feeling of what was happening. Then we compared the Black Friday prices to the Labor Day prices we saw two months ago to see if this really was the “best” sale. 

Royal Caribbean’s Good Black Friday Deals

Some of the best deals being offered on Black Friday are for the soda and refreshment package and activities on Perfect Day at CocoCay. 

Refreshment and Soda Package

Royal Caribbean’s non-alcoholic packages both had good deals across all our sailings. The soda package was $8.99 or 10% lower than the lowest price we saw. For the refreshment package, which covers coffees, milkshakes, and bottles of water, the cost dropped to $23.99, roughly a 20% discount on the refreshment package. 

Are these packages worth it? It really depends what and how much you drink? Use our Drink Package Calculator to see for yourself.

Unlimited Dining Package

The Unlimited Dining Package, which lets you eat in the specialty restaurants on the ship throughout your cruise, was a good deal as well. The prices were 7 – 20% better than the previous sale. 

Hideaway Beach at Perfect Day

Hideaway Beach is the new adult-only area on Perfect Day at Coco Cay that will be opening in January. This new area comes at a cost, though, sometimes up to $100 just for access to a kid-free area. 

In our research, every cruise that stopped at Perfect Day at CocoCay was offering a discount on Hideaway Beach, the new adult-only area. The discount ranged from 11 – 25% off the lowest price we’ve seen so far. That comes out to $38.99 to $62.99 per person. 

Thrill Water Park at Perfect Day

The Thrill Water Park has become very expensive over the years; some days it costs more than a full day at a Disney World theme park. For Black Friday, all our sailings were showing a discount. The range was 4 – 45% less than the lower prices we’ve seen, which puts the price at $73.99 – $189.99. 

Coco Beach Club

Royal Caribbean’s high-end private Coco Beach Club on Perfect Day also saw a discount. The prices were 6 to 45% better than the last sale. Still, it’s a pretty penny, costing $168.99 – $287.99 per day. 

Perfect Day Zip Line

The CocoCay Zipline also had a discount on all of the sailings with a discount of 6 – 45% from the lowest price we’ve seen. 

Up, Up and Away Hot Air Balloon Ride

If you look at any picture of Perfect Day at CocoCay, the giant hot air balloon sticks out. A ride on it isn’t cheap, but it’s on sale for all cruises we monitor. The discount was 6 to 45% off. 

Royal Caribbean’s Bad Black Friday Deals

Some of the worst deals for Black Friday are what people ask about the most: the Deluxe Beverage Package (the alcohol package), the Internet package, and specialty dining. 

Deluxe Beverage Package

None of our ten sailings saw a better deal on the Deluxe Beverage Package than before. In fact, for many, the cost went up by 4-6% over September prices. The sailings we monitored cost $74.99 – $89.99 per day. 

We looked at another 50 sailings from our website visitors, and out of all of them, only one had a better price for the Deluxe Beverage Package; the rest had the same cost or higher. You can see a breakdown of user-reported prices over the last six months here.

Specialty Restaurants

None of the specialty restaurants on any of the cruises we monitored had a discount that was larger than usual. The price is still cheaper than paying onboard, but it’s definitely not a special deal for Black Friday. 

Voom Surf and Stream Internet

The internet package isn’t an amazing deal for Black Friday. Out of the ten cruises we checked, only 3 had a lower internet price than the last sale price, and that discount was only 5%. 

Use a spreadsheet to get the biggest savings on your cruise

Again, these are all dynamic prices and can change at any moment. They also will depend on your specific sailing, so you might see a better cost than the cruises we looked at. A spreadsheet is your best friend here. Keep a record of the date and the cost per day to see if you have a good deal. 

Remember, if you see something cheaper, you can always cancel and rebook at the lower price using the Cruise Planner. One word of caution: if the item is subject to availability, like an excursion that’s almost sold out, you may not be able to repurchase it. 

The ship promises a magical experience from bow to stern, with themed spaces and live entertainment inspired by iconic Disney tales such as “Aladdin,” “Coco,” and “Zootopia.”

A sister ship to the Disney Wish

The Disney Treasure is a follow-up to the Disney Wish, which debuted in November 2023. The Treasure will largely resemble its sibling in terms of layout and structure, but Disney has reimagined many areas to fit the theme of adventure on the Treasure. 

Grand Hall is themed around Aladdin

The Grand Hall is the heart of the ship, spanning three decks in the middle. It’s where guests first board and the home for many character meet and greets and activities throughout the sailing.

On the Disney Wish, this space was themed after Cinderella and her castle complete with a large, gold statue of Cinderella. On the Treasure, the Grand Hall is themed after the palace of Agrabah from Aladdin. The space seems much darker and more mysterious than the one on the Wish. In the center, guests will find a large statue of Aladdin and Jasmine on a magic carpet. 

Right off the Grand Hall are two walk-up cafes, Heihei Café and Jade Cricket Café, which draw inspiration from Disney Princesses Moana and Mulan.

Plaza de Coco will replace Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure

The Disney Treasure will have a new dining room at the back of Deck 5 called Plaza de Coco, replacing the Arendelle dining room on the Disney Wish. This restaurant and theater in the round is themed after the movie Coco. The restaurant will feature modern takes on traditional Mexican dishes. 

Plaza de Coco is part of Disney’s rotational dining menu, meaning guests will eat here twice on their visit. On the first night, the story will pick up where the movie Coco left off, with Miguel and his family providing a musical experience that celebrates families and togetherness. On the second night, Miguel will celebrate Dia de los Muertos by bringing his great-great-grandparents to celebrate. 

Periscope Pub replaces Keg & Compass

The Periscope Pub is a new bar that is themed after the 1954 Disney film, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” It replaces the Keg & Compass on the Disney Wish. The space resembles a submarine interior and uses projections, polished metal, and nautical decorations to give it a unique feel. A large window/video screen completes the illusion. It feels like a modern taken on the original Disneyworld ride. 

Skipper Society replaces The Bayou

On Deck 3, the Disney Treasure has a new lounge experience themed after the classic Jungle Cruise ride. It is where The Bayou is on the Disney Wish. This space is filled with fun nods to the ride, such as a monkey-shaped chandelier and postcards from places in the attraction. Here, dry-witted “skippers” will serve guests light snacks and themed cocktails. 

Sarabi replaces Luna

Sarabi is a hub of activity throughout the cruise and home to live music performances, game shows, and more. It takes the space where Luna is on the Disney Wish. Sarabi, named after the mother from The Lion King, is themed after the open savanna in Africa with a distinct look. 

AquaMouse water coaster returns

The Disney Treasure will feature its own spin on the AquaMouse water coaster found on the Wish. Called “AquaMouse: Curse of the Golden Egg”, this 750-foot-long tube slide will offer a new storyline that revolves around Mikey and Minnie looking for legendary treasures within an ancient temple. 

Returning favorites for the Disney Treasure

The Disney Treasure will, of course, feature many returning favorites. 

Two rotational dining venues from the Disney Wish, Worlds of Marvel and 1923, will make a reappearance on the Treasure. Guests will rotate between these two restaurants and the Plaza de Coco throughout the cruise. The Worlds of Marvel offers dishes inspired by Marvel movies like Black Panther in a sci-fi-looking restaurant. 1923 is dedicated to the golden art of animation with California-style cuisine. 

Many of the dedicated kids’ spaces will also return to the Treasure. The Oceaneer Club, Edge, Vibe, and It’s a Small World Nursery will return to provide designated spaces for kids to let their imaginations run wild under the guidance of Disney-trained counselors. Like the Disney Wish, the Oceaneer Club will feature spaces like Marvel Super Hero Academy, Star Wars Cargo Bay, and Fairytale Hall. The family0friendly cabin options will also return.

Still some mystery around the Disney Treasure

Two spaces have yet to be released by Disney. These venues will replace Nightingales and Star Wars Hyperspace lounge on the Disney Wish. Disney has said details will be provided for these spaces in the future, but speculation is that one will be themed after the Haunted Mansion.

Disney Treasure will sail from Orlando

The Disney Treasure promises an enchanting voyage for Disney enthusiasts and families, combining the magic of Disney storytelling with the excitement of exploring the high seas.

It’s scheduled for its maiden voyage on December 21, 2024, departing from Port Canaveral, Florida, the Disney Treasure will embark on a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise. Following this debut, an inaugural season of seven-night itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Port Canaveral will be offered. 

Bookings for the Disney Treasure open this month

Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club members can start booking their Disney Treasure cruise as early as September 12, 2023, with bookings opening to all guests on September 20, 2023.

New short itineraries for Utopia of the Seas

The biggest news about Utopia of the Seas is that it will sail 3- and 4- cruises out of Port Canaveral (Orlando). Typically, the Oasis-class ships are reserved for 7-day or more sailings, but that meant people with limited vacation days or new cruisers who are reluctant to commit seven days of being on the ocean couldn’t sail this impressive class of ship. Now, with these sailings, guests can take a long weekend and enjoy one of the newest and biggest ships in the world. 

These cruises will stop at Royal Caribbean’s private island Perfect Day at CocoCay. Royal Caribbean is integrating this destination into their marketing campaign, with their materials including information about the ship and CocoCay being used at the same time.  

Utopia of the Seas is another Oasis-class ship

Utopia of the Seas is the sixth Oasis-class ship in the fleet. It may confuse some because the Icon-class ship will debut six months before, but Royal Caribbean has a history of launching multiple classes of ships at once.

The Utopia of the Seas won’t be a drastic change from its sister ships, but it will be an evolution as their designs have changed over the years. It’ll also feature a new, cleaner burning fuel, liquified natural gas (LNG). 

New for Utopia of the Seas

Izumi and Izumi in the Park

Utopia of the Seas will move the Izumi restaurant to the Central Park neighborhood. This larger space allows them to double the number of teppanyaki tables and add new al fresco seating. Royal Caribbean is also adding a new Izumi in the Park walk-up window for grab-and-go sushi and Japanese-inspired snacks for an extra cost. 

Izumi will take the place of the Italian restaurants on the other Oasis-class ships. Both of these changes are carried over from the design of Icon of the Seas.

Upgraded Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar

The specialty Italian restaurant will move to a new location taking over what is Wonderland on the other Oasis-class ships. It’ll be super-sized to be two decks, and they’ll add a new outside terrace that overlooks the Boardwalk. 

Pesky Parrot Bar

Utopia of the Seas will have a new Caribbean bar called Pesky Parrot. Located on the Royal Promenade, this bar will serve fruit-based cocktails made with rum, tequila, and gin, as well as frozen drinks. The Pesky Parrot will be where the Bionic Bar is found on other Oasis-class ships. 

Improved Ultimate Abyss Thrill Slide

The Ultimate Abyss returns to Utopia of the Seas but gets a few upgrades. Royal Caribbean has added new zoom booster rollers for more speed and put in transparent portions over the AquaTheater section. It’s also 43 feet longer, making it the longest dry slide at sea. 

Immersive Dining Experience

Royal Caribbean will introduce a new immersive dining experience on Utopia of the Seas. This specialty restaurant will feature multiple courses, destinations, and storylines. Royal Caribbean is still working on this concept and doesn’t reveal a lot of details, but the Royal Caribbean Blog was lucky enough to get a preview of an early concept, and it sounds really cool (read it here). At that time they were going with a dining car theme as depicted in the renders. 

Poolside Food Truck

Royal Caribbean is adding a new “food truck” near the pool areas. This grab-and-go spot will feature handheld bites, so you don’t have to wander far from the pool for a quick snack. It’ll also offer another much-needed Coke Freestyle machine that is easy to access from the pool. 

Utopia of the Sea’s returning favorites from sister-ships

The Utopia of the Seas has a lot of carry-over from its sister ships, most notably the Wonder of the Seas, which included significant upgrades. That includes the completely enclosed Solarium at the front of the ship, the Mason Jar restaurant, The Vue bar, and the Suite Only neighborhood. Like Wonder of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas will also feature Caribbean-themed deck decor and super-sized Lime and Coconut bars on the pool deck. 

Some other notable favorites are:

• AquaTheater
• Studio B Ice Rink
• Kid’s Splash Park
• Children’s Play Scape
• Carousel
• Zip Line

Utopia of the Seas is the ultimate long weekend

Overall, Utopia of the Seas is shaping up to be the perfect cruise for a long weekend. It’s great for a group of friends, a family get-together, or just a trip to blow off some steam. With so much to do on board, there’s no way you’ll be able to see everything on the ship, but that just means you’ll have to plan another trip later on.