Norwegian Viva Mediterranean Cruise Blog – Day 6 – Sea Day

July 12, 2024 Randy Young

It was day 6, and our cruise had officially entered the second half. It was our first and only sea day as the Norwegian Viva made its way from the Greek Isles to Italy for our next few stops. Sea days are typically the true test of how a cruise ship can handle the crowds, and I was very nervous about how the Viva would perform. Follow along on our sea day to see how the Viva did.

Norwegian Viva Mediterranean Cruise Day 6 Overview

Norwegian Viva Freestyle Daily – Day 6 – Sea Day
Breakfast at Surfside Cafe Buffet
Upgrading the Internet
A Look at the New Entourage Teen Lounge
Trouble Finding a Seat on a Sea Day
Trying the Viva Speedway Race Track
Gym Time at Pulse Fitness Center
Breeds of Cat Trivia
Music in the Penrose Atrium
Cagney’s Steakhouse for Dinner
Proof Whiskey Bar
80’s Flashback Revival Gameshow
Beetlejuice Show in Viva Theater

Norwegian Viva Freestyle Daily – Day 6 – Sea Day

Breakfast at Surfside Cafe Buffet

It was the first morning since we first started our trip where we didn’t need to set an alarm or have to be somewhere at a specific time. I got off to a lazy start, for me at least, getting up around 8:30 AM. I opened my curtains and saw the beautiful turquoise waters of the Mediterranean as the ship glided its way toward Italy. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day.

Since we had done breakfast at Indulge Food Hall a few times already, we decided to check out the main buffet, Surfside Cafe. It was crowded and I was surprised more people hadn’t slept in later on our only sea day.

I walked up and down the buffet to see what options were available here that I didn’t see at Indulge. They had fresh waffles and a delicious berry compote that were delicious. On this specific day, the fresh fruit area was lacking; I couldn’t even get a banana. Later on in the cruise, more fruit was available, so I’m not sure if they were out entirely or just rationing. Either way, for what this cruise cost, they should have had something as basic as a banana out every day.

We grabbed our food and walked down the hallway and through the specialty restaurant to eat outside at Palomar. As I was walking through the restaurant, I couldn’t help but notice it looked very similar to the Surfside Cafe, so much so that I speculated that the space was originally intended to be a part of the buffet, but they divided half of it into a specialty restaurant so they could make more money. I have no idea if it’s true, but it’s quite the coincidence.

Upgrading the Internet

When I booked this cruise, I got the Free at Sea promotion, which included 150 minutes of internet per person. So far, this amount had been sufficient because we were on shore most of the time, and I had cell phone service there. But with half the cruise over and only 15 minutes left on my account, it was time to upgrade my internet.

Since the beginning of the cruise, the NCL app had been notifying me that I could upgrade to unlimited internet for a discounted price. The price decreased each day. It’s not a discount; it’s just pro-rating the internet since you won’t be using it for the completed days.

Tip: To get the lower price, you must purchase the upgrade while you still have free minutes. If not, the app will charge you full price to upgrade. If you blow through all your minutes, you can still go to the internet desk (next to Starbucks on the Viva) and ask them to make an exception.

Here are the prices I saw for the Unlimited Standard Wi-Fi on our sailing.

Day 1:	$199.99
Day 2:	$169.91
Day 3:	$139.97
Day 4:	$109.93
Day 5:	$79.94
Day 6 – Day 10:	$49.99

Prorated cost of Unlimited Standard Wi-Fi on the Viva

The Viva has Starlink, the new, low-orbit satellite-powered internet that many of the cruise lines are rolling out across their fleets. This service is usually much faster than the previous satellite-based service and can provide speeds rivaling what you see at home, but that wasn’t the experience on the Viva. On both the Free at Sea minutes and the Standard Unlimited Wi-Fi packages, my device struggled to break 3 Mbps, and upload speeds were abysmal. When I sailed on both Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships with Starlink, the speeds were at least ten times faster.

Overall, the internet was usable for emails, social media, and writing blog posts, but uploading files and pictures took ages (my Google Photos and Dropbox refused to back up at all on ship Wi-Fi). Thankfully, coverage and connectivity were fine everywhere on the ship, meaning I always had a connection at least.

A Look at the Viva’s New Entourage Teen Lounge

Just two weeks before our sailing, Norwegian made a big change to the Viva, they installed a new Entourage Teen Lounge. When they originally built the Prima-class, the powers-that-be decided teens would be fine sharing a space with the younger children or meeting at random venues throughout the ship. That proved to be a huge pain point for many parents during full Caribbean sailings. So Norwegian rectified it by taking the Speedway Bar that was located on Deck 18 and enclosing it to provide a dedicated space for kids 13 to 17.

While adults aren’t typically allowed in there, except for counselors, they were kind enough to provide me with a walk-through of this new space. Overall, it was impressive. It didn’t look like an afterthought or a refurbished space but like it was always supposed to be there.

The space uses vibrant colors and color-changing lights to give it a very energetic feeling, and the one-way floor-to-ceiling windows provide some of the best views on the ship (they’re one way so the Vibe Beach Club doesn’t feel the kids staring at them).

Read all about Viva’s new Entourage Teen Lounge and see the teen activities here.

Trouble Finding a Seat on a Sea Day

Once I finished my tour, I grabbed a drink and went to look for a lounger to read a book. I started near the main pool, and while all the loungers were taken, the pool was surprisingly uncrowded, considering how small it is for a ship of this size.

Then I went up to Deck 18, where I had been the day before, but I couldn’t find a single open chair.

I figured I’d have a better shot downstairs at Ocean Boulevard, so I took the stairs down there. I walked around the whole promenade, and there was not a single chair to spare; even the long couches on “La Terrazza,” a more isolated space, were taken. And it’s not like it was chair hogs just with a towel; almost all the seats had someone in them. I even tried indoors at the Observation Lounge, but most of the seating was taken there as well.

The lack of seating was very frustrating, but I can’t say it was unexpected as I read about it previously. It’s also confusing, because the Viva isn’t a ship that’s overly packed full of people. If you compare the number of people to the size of the ship (in tonnage), the Prima and Viva rank better than any other Norwegian ship and are on par with some premium cruise lines. They shouldn’t feel crowded, and most times they didn’t, but I think 2 things created the outdoor seating issue. One is that Norwegian dedicates deck space to customers who pay extra, either to have access to the Vibe Beach Club or to a suite in The Haven, meaning all other guests have less space to use. The second reason is that the race track also takes up a lot of space which on other ships would be used for seating.

I ended up going back to my cabin and reading on my balcony. Originally, I had booked an interior cabin, so I was happy I upgraded for this sailing. The view and sea breeze were perfect here. The seats on the balcony didn’t recline, but they were comfortable enough for me to read a book and feel relaxed.

Trying the Viva Speedway Race Track

After lunch, I met up with my friends, and three of us decided to try the Viva Racetrack, a 3-story go-kart track on the ship. Here, you can whip around the ship at up to 45 mph while you race against your friends. It’s Norwegian’s longest, tallest, and widest track yet (tied with the Prima).

We went to the activity booth on Deck 18 and signed up; we didn’t need to make reservations days ahead of time. While it was open, the schedule was in the Freestyle Daily; races left every 20 minutes. We had no wait at all and got right on line for the next run. The cost was $15 per person.

Tip: The race track has a few restrictions. Guests must be at least 55 inches tall and 10 years old. The maximum height is 82 inches, and the maximum weight is 300 pounds. Close-toed shoes are required.

After a few minutes, they took us up the stairs while our friends who weren’t racing headed to the Race Track Observation Area to watch us. The instructor here, Gabriela, was the only activity staff member I witnessed on the whole 10-day cruise who had any kind of passion or energy. She explained the rules, and then we watched a quick video to get us ready. Overall, the whole instruction setup took about 5 minutes.

Then we got into the cars, which were all lined up in a single line. The staff started our electric cars and put on our helmets. Then we were off to go. They electronically limit your speed until you’re fully on the race track, and then the car starts to zoom along at full speed.

We raced around the track for 9 minutes. It was surreal seeing the ocean all around us as we climbed the hills and made the sharp turns. Unlike older Norwegian ships, the track on Viva is wide enough to pass racers, so there are fewer bottlenecks. That being said, I ended up lapping one of my friends whose car was stuck in “slow” mode. They fixed it towards the end, but for the first ⅔ of the race, he puttered along the track slowly watching everyone pass him by.

Learn more about Norwegian’s Race Track here

Gym Time at Pulse Fitness Center

I always like to go to the gym at least once during a cruise. It makes me feel better knowing I’m doing at least something to offset the 10,000 calories a day I’m putting away on the ship. We walked 6 – 8 miles a day for this cruise, so it wasn’t as much of a concern, but I still thought I should try the gym.

Like many other cruise gyms, to get to the Pulse Fitness Center, you have to walk through the Mandara Spa and down a hallway that looks like you shouldn’t there.

Rather than being hidden in some low deck or interior space, the gym on the Viva has prime real estate at the front and center of the ship (just under the Observation Lounge). All along the front and sides are floor-to-ceiling windows, giving you the same views as the captain while you work out. The ceiling was painted black to give it a trendy, soul-cycle-esque feel.

I walked in and was immediately hit by the temperature—it was warm there. It was 2 PM, and the sun was shining in, heating up the space. At this point, there were about 15 other people in there with me.

I was disappointed in the lack of equipment. My go-to cardio is always an elliptical, but there were only three in the Pulse Fitness Center, and all of them were taken. The facility had many more treadmills available, so I ended up having to settle for one of those. It was nice having the ocean views as I puttered along, trying to burn off all the food and alcohol I had during the trip.

In the dead center of the gym, a woman sat in a chair using leg compression leg recovery boots. She was out cold, not moving a muscle in the 50 minutes I was there. I have to give her credit, she found the one free sitting area with a view on this sea day.

Breeds of Cat Trivia

While I was at the gym, some of my friends went to something more their speed…Breeds of Cat Trivia. Held in the Improv Comedy Club, this event asked participants twenty questions about cat breeds. It was right up their alley. Not only did they all own cats, but the shared Google Photos album we set up for this trip was littered with pictures of random cats they saw around Greece and Turkey.

The turnout for this trivia was pretty good. My friends’ team, “Whisker-pedia,” actually did well, getting nineteen of the questions correct to come in second place. They lost out to a woman who was carrying a tote bag with cats on it (it might not have been her first time playing cat trivia).

Music in the Penrose Atrium

I got ready for dinner, and since we had time to kill, some of us went to the Penrose Atrium to enjoy live music and drinks before dinner. “The Classic Tones” were playing; we hadn’t seen the group before, but the lead singer had an impressive voice at the Ocean Music Fest show a few nights before, so we wanted to check him out.

The Penrose Bar itself was almost always crowded. It has a long, linear bar with 3 to 4 bartenders working it, but they couldn’t keep up with the demand. The bar top has slot machines built in (like in Vegas casinos), but I didn’t see anyone play one the entire time we were there. Since it was the most central, full-service bar, it was where everyone stopped to grab a drink.

See the full Penrose Bar Menu

We ended up grabbing a table in an area by the live music. Because we were in front of the bookshelves, we were able to actually see the band, who performs in a walkway, again another venue where Norwegian chose not to install some kind of stage.

A waiter came over and took our drink order pretty quickly. It was my first time sitting in this area, and I could already spot the “regulars” who made conversation with their waiter and he’d bring them their “usual.” I assume they had the “Premium Plus” drink package, which is an upcharge but gives you access to more expensive liquors and wines (you can still get them on the standard Open Bar package, but you pay extra). I could also see them tipping the waiter in cash, not something I often saw on this sailing (probably not coincidentally, they were the only ones with complimentary nuts at their table).

Learn about Norwegian’s different drink packages

Cagney’s Steakhouse for Dinner

When we boarded, we made reservations for Cagney’s Steakhouse for this evening. Cagney’s is Norwegian’s steakhouse and usually one of the harder reservations to get. Luckily they had 7 PM reservations, which worked well with our 10 PM show time we had later on.

Cagney’s forgoes the traditional steakhouse decor of dark mahogany woods and brown leathers for a more contemporary look. The space had light colors and large gray stone dividers, making it feel less like a traditional steakhouse. The hostess immediately seat our group at a table close to the door.

The restaurant was quite crowded, and true to Norwegian’s “Freestyle” mantra, very few people were dressed up. We sat there for 20 minutes until a waitress came over to take our order. She seemed overwhelmed, being polite but not very personable. Because we were using a specialty dining credit, we were allowed to select one appetizer, a soup/salad, an entree, and a dessert.

Overall, the meal took 2 hours and 15 minutes, which was a bit on the long side. Service was pretty poor; we had lengthy waits between courses, and we rarely saw the waitress. As with the other restaurants we’d tried on the Viva, it appeared they were very short-staffed.

The food itself was pretty good though. I started with the crab cake, which was very meaty and not all mayonnaise-like some places will do, and the lobster bisque, which was creamy and delicious. My friend, the Caesar Salad connoisseur, said the salad here tasted like the same dressing used everywhere else on the ship, but they added anchovies to make it more high-end (she said Indulge Food Hall had better Caesar Salad overall). For my main meal, I got the 8 oz filet mignon which was tender and buttery, cooked perfectly. For one of my sides, I got the creamed spinach, which was pretty bad; it had so much cream in it that it was more of a soup than a vegetable. Everyone was impressed with the dessert; I went with the apple pie, which hit the spot.

Overall, it was my first time at Norwegian’s Cagney’s Steakhouse, and I wasn’t very impressed. The food was elevated, but it was not that much better than what you’d see in the main dining room. On other cruise lines, the steakhouse is near their top-level dining experience, but here, it felt like the main dining room but with a variety of steaks to choose from. If I sail Norwegian again in the future, I won’t waste a dining credit at this restaurant where there were so many others to choose from.

Proof Whiskey Bar

We had some time to kill before Beetlejuice, so we headed to the Proof Whiskey Bar on Deck 8, the third level of the Penrose Atrium. It’s a large circular bar right up against the large glass windows on the side of the atrium. During the day, it has beautiful views but at night, you don’t notice much since the outside is pitch black.

The bar was only about half full, and the tables around it were empty. This bar specializes in whiskey, and they have a wide variety to try and several whiskey-based cocktails. You didn’t see any drinks on tap here; this was more of a specialty bar where bartenders would craft each drink individually. It’s probably why this bar was usually less crowded as it was such a specialized menu (on the upcoming Aqua, they will move the Belvedere Bar which has a broader menu to this space).

I ordered one of the cocktails, the Sunny Monk, which had Bulleit whiskey, sweet vermouth, and peach schnapps (I’m a sucker for anything with schnapps in it). Because so many of the bars had drafts or pre-mixed drinks, it was almost odd seeing a bartender having to make a drink from scratch.

See the Proof Whiskey Bar menu here

80’s Flashback Revival Gameshow

In the background, we could hear the 80s music trivia on Deck 6. This “trivia” was less of a quiz and more of an 80s dance party. The Penrose Atrium was packed, with people really getting into the event. Since we were on the third level of the atrium, the noise and crowds didn’t affect us much as we waited for the theater to open.

Beetlejuice Show in Viva Theater

Tonight, we’d get to see Beetlejuice, the big theater production show on the Viva. Norwegian has been cutting back Broadway shows on many of its ships in a cost-cutting measure, but thankfully, they signed the agreement for this show before they made that decision, so it’ll be on the ship for a while still. On our sailing, the show ran on two nights, with two performances each night (7 PM and 10 PM). The 10 PM felt late, but we were afraid we’d be rushed for dinner if we did the earlier show.

Tip: You can make reservations for Beetlejuice (and Press Your Luck) the day check-in opens for your cruise. For most people, that’s 21 days before sailing. If you don’t have reservations, you can stand in line and wait to see if any spots open up (which they did on our sailing).

The doors to the Viva Theater opened 30 minutes before showtime. Only a handful of people lined up before that. With Norwegian’s system, you don’t reserve a specific seat, so getting there early will get you a better view. However, because this theater is set up very well, there aren’t many bad seats in the house.

As we walked in, the theater was washed in green lights for an otherworldly feel. We found a prime spot about ten rows back in the middle of the theater and waited for the show to start. Getting a waiter to bring us a drink was nearly impossible, so I’m glad we brought drinks with us from the Whiskey Bar.

The show is an adaptation of the Tony-nominated (but not-winning) Broadway show. The story was adjusted to shorten it and to remove the intermission (it ran for 1 hour 45 minutes).

I was very impressed with the production. The sets were well done, and the costumes were top-notch. It definitely felt like something I could have seen on Broadway. The leading actress, Lydia, did a phenomenal job, and the actor playing Beetlejuice did a good job filling the shoes of the lead character (the original actor who played Beetlejuice embodied the role so well that other actors struggle to live up to it). I was really impressed with what Norwegian pulled off with this show.

That being said, I’m not sure it was the right fit for the Norwegian crowd. Beetlejuice is kind of a raunchy comedy, with some swearing and f-bombs. About 15 minutes into the show, three women in front of us got up and left because they were offended. The audience also seemed to miss many of the jokes. The play was written for theater-goers, so jokes that would have killed in New York City seemed to go over the heads of most of the audience. For example, these lines would have had big laughs during the Broadway run, but they just got a few chuckles on Viva.

“Holy crap! A ballad already? And such a bold departure from the original source material!”
“I’m invisible, like a gay republican.”
“Name something scary- The electoral college, why does Ohio have so much power?!”

Still, the producers made some adaptations that helped relate it to the audience, bringing in cruise jokes like about The Haven or the “Icons” show. Those proved to be a hit with guests.

Overall, the show was enjoyable and was the quality of something I would have paid to see at home. If you’re on the Viva, I definitely recommend checking it out. It’s really a shame Norwegian is cutting back on these types of shows because they did them well.

The show ended just before midnight, and we all headed to bed. We had a full day ahead of us in Sicily the next day.