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Celebrity Silhouette vs Norwegian Viva
The Celebrity Silhouette was built in 2011. It was renovated in 2020. While the Celebrity Silhouette has a lawn club like most of it's sister ships, it's mostly exclusive to suite guests or those willing to pay extra. It's 12 years older than the Viva, which was built in 2023.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Silhouette is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,033 feet long and 121 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.9 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 13-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Viva, the Silhouette is 15% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Celebrity Silhouette holds about the same number of passengers as the Viva based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Silhouette has less space per person compared to the Viva.
| Celebrity Silhouette | Norwegian Viva | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Solstice | Prima |
| Gross Tonnage | 122,000 | 143,535 |
| Length | 1,033 | 965 |
| Beam/Width | 121 | 133 |
| Passenger Decks | 13 | 15 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,886 | 3,099 |
| Crew | 1,285 | 1,506 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 2.1 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 42 | 46 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Silhouette has 17 different dining options like Lawn Club Grill, Tuscan Grille, and Le Petit Chef at Qsine. Of those options, 8 are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other 9 options have an additional fee.
The Viva has the same number of dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Surfside Grill, The Local, and Hudsons. 6 of these restaurants are complementary and the other 11 have an additional fee.
The Celebrity Silhouette has about the same number of dining options as the Norwegian Viva.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Silhouette might be a better choice then the Viva. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Celebrity Silhouette | Norwegian Viva | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 17 | 17 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 8 | 6 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 9 | 11 |
| % of Included Options | 47% | 35% |
| See the options | See the options |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Viva below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The problem is that with thousands of people on a ship, there's not always room. If you want to spend all day for 7 days in a pool, a cruise isn't for you. You would have a much better bet choosing a resort with a huge pool complex. That being said, a quick dip in the pool can be nice on a hot day.
The Celebrity Silhouette has a total of 3 pools and 6 hot tubs. Tired of loud kids and splashing? 1 of the pools and 2 of the hot tubs are adults only.
Norwegian Viva has more pools than the Silhouette and the same number of hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Viva. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
| Celebrity Silhouette | Norwegian Viva | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 6 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 4 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Silhouette, 56% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Viva, only 53% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Celebrity Silhouette | Norwegian Viva | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area (extra fee) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Beyond the Podium Talk Series | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bingo | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dart Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Lawn Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✗ | ✓ |
| Race Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Virtual Arcade | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Celebrity is a premium cruise line. Premium cruise lines typically offer upscale food, accommodations, and service. These typically cost about $150 - $400 per person per day.
Norwegian, on the other hand, is considered a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. To get a good idea of how the pricing compares, visit the cruise line's website to price out the separate cruises or consult a travel professional.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Celebrity Silhouette | Norwegian Viva | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $4.00 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.00 | $7.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $65 - $95 | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Celebrity Cruise Lines offers an "All Included" program. Guests who book a cruise using this promotion will have wifi and alcohol included. Some sailings are available without this program so pay attention when booking. Typically prices are lower if they don't include "Always Included." The wifi and alcohol package are the base levels and can be upgraded for an additional cost.
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a More at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at specialty restaurants. If you book using this promotion, you'll be responsible for the gratuities on the dining and drink package. If you won't be using these options, booking a "sail away" rate that doesn't include the More at Sea benefits is considerably cheaper. Also, most of these benefits are the base packages; you can spend more to upgrade to better alcoholic drinks or faster/more wifi.
We sailed aboard the Norwegian Viva
Follow along on our sailing on the Norwegian Viva. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
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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