Norwegian Viva Mediterranean Cruise Blog – Day 8 – Naples

July 19, 2024 Randy Young

Last Updated on August 20, 2024

It was day eight of our ten-day Mediterranean cruise on the Norwegian Viva. The ship pulled up to Naples at 6:45 AM this morning, and we’d have until 4:30 PM to explore the area. We had a few things we wanted to do, but the big thing was visiting Pompeii.

Norwegian Viva Mediterranean Cruise Day 8 Overview

Norwegian Viva Freestyle Daily – Day 8 – Naples
Breakfast in the Buffet
Private Excursion of Pompeii in Naples
Exploring Naples
- Lunch at Trattoria Medina
- Naples’ Spanish Quarter (Quartieri Spagnoli)
Getting Back to the Viva
Pool Time on the Viva
Los Lobos Specialty Restaurant for Dinner
Rainy Weather Gives Us a Double Rainbow
Nighttime Entertainment on the Viva

Norwegian Viva Freestyle Daily – Day 8 – Naples

Breakfast in the Buffet

Because we had an early start today, Indulge Food Hall wasn’t open for breakfast yet. Instead, we went to the Seaside Cafe (the buffet on the Viva). It was our third day having breakfast here, and it was starting to get a bit old. It was nearly the same thing every day; it almost felt a bit like Groundhog’s Day. The buffet and Indulge Food Hall had a large selection, but after eight days, all the breakfast foods were starting to lose their novelty. To be fair, I never tried breakfast in The Local or Hudsons which both offered sit-down service for breakfast with some other options.

Private Excursion of Pompeii in Naples

Getting to Pompeii from Naples

For this port, we booked an excursion through a third-party, Viator, called “From Naples: Pompeii Shared Tour w/ guide & tix included.” It was a four-hour tour costing $128 per person. Norwegian offered a similar excursion that was $169. It wasn’t just the price that made us choose a private excursion, though. Our excursion was a shared tour with a maximum of 15 people in our group, while the cruise tours would easily be 30 – 50 people on a mega bus.

See this Pompeii Excursion on Viator

Naples Cruise Port is right next to the city, so we were able to walk off the ship. Right outside the gate, third parties were waiting with people’s names on signs. We immediately spotted our guide, Francesca, and she took us to our minibus, which already had a group of 3 on it. They weren’t on the cruise but stayed in Naples, so she picked them up first. So even though our tour could have had 15, we only had 8 in our group.

The white, air-conditioned minibus took us for the 20-minute drive to the historical site of Pompeii. According to Francesca, over 50,000 people visit the site every day, so getting there earlier is best. We arrived before the site opened, and the crowd at the gate was growing.

Cameo Factory Tour

Since the site wasn’t open (we were 30 minutes early), Francesca said we could tour the Cellini Coralli & Cammei Factory that was right next door. The “tour” was basically a 3-minute demonstration of how the they make cameos. A man sat carving intricate designs out of a shell, a camera over his workstation let us see the skill required for this craft on a TV. After that, we were free to walk around the shop and use the bathroom. Unlike the carpet demonstration we attended in Kusadasi, this tour was very low pressure. The works were all beautiful, but everything in the place was quite pricey. I wonder how many items they really sell by allowing their restrooms to be used for free (I suspect the free bathroom it the major reason to come here, they were very clean. The free public toilets located near Pompeii’s entrance were disgusting).

Exploring Pompeii

Once we finished the tour, we met up with Francesca again. Apparently, she wouldn’t be our guide; she was just the coordinator. She introduced us to our actual guide, who would walk us through the site.

At this point, the site was getting crowded as all the other tour groups and cruise buses arrived. Thankfully, once the gates opened, everyone quickly entered, and the crowds dissipated as tour guides went in different directions. I saw the massive groups from the official cruise ship excursions going, using their electronic earpieces like we did in Mykonos. Because our group was so small, we didn’t need it (although our tour guide was a bit quiet).

Pompeii was an ancient city destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The eruption blanketed the city with 13 to 20 feet of ash, burying buildings, carts, and people. It essentially froze the city in time. Over the years, archaeologists have worked to uncover the city and, in the process, get a glimpse into how city life was two thousand years ago.

Tip: Pompeii itself only has 3 plaster casts. For a larger collection, you need to visit the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

Pompeii covers around 160 acres, so the site is quite expansive, the largest of any of the ruins we visited on this sailing. To me, the remarkable part was how it actually felt like a bustling city. You could walk the same roads ancient Italians walked and see the layout, which was in a grid style, similar to cities like New York City.

Tip: While you can visit Pompeii on your own, I highly recommend a tour guide. While seeing the site is impressive, the story behind it is equally important. Without knowledge and context from a tour guide, it wouldn’t have been as enjoyable. In addition, it’s a large site, and it could be hard to find the different attractions you want to see.

Overall, we had 1 hour and 45 minutes at Pompeii. The site had a lot of people visiting, but because it’s so spread out, it didn’t feel overly crowded in any of them. The only time we had a line was at the brothel, and that’s because the tour guide in front of us had her group in there as she explained every picture.

We left the site and met back up with Francesca, to board our van and head back. It was chaos at the site; they said it was unusually crowded because it was a three-ship day in port. We were waiting on the corner for our bus as crowds of people and cars buzzed by. I couldn’t imagine trying to drive here myself or trying to get a taxi here.

Exploring Naples

Our guide asked where we wanted to be dropped off, and since it was only 11:30 and we had until 4:30, we asked her to drop us off in Naples so we could check out the city. Since it was getting close to lunch, we figured it’d be best to go right to a restaurant before the crowds hit. Naples is the birthplace of pizza, so we knew that was a must-have while we were there.

Lunch at Trattoria Medina

Naples has no shortage of pizza restaurants, including the restaurant that actually invented margarita-style pizza. We asked our tour guide for a good lunch recommendation and she mentioned Trattoria Medina. Thankfully, we made it there before the lunch rush—we had no wait, but the place filled up about 20 minutes after we sat down. We ordered some fresh mozzarella balls, and we all got pizzas. There really wasn’t an indication of how big the pizzas would be, and we probably could have had one pizza for two people, but I didn’t feel disgustingly full finishing a whole pizza by myself.

I got a traditional Margherita-style pizza. I dug into it with a knife and fork (that’s how pizza is eaten in Italy), and it was quite good. The crust had a nice char, thanks to their high-temperature wood-fired pizza oven. The sauce was a little sweet for my tastes and I was surprised how little basil was on it compared versions I’d see at home. The biggest difference here was the cheese; in Italy, they use buffalo milk to make their fresh mozzarella, compared to cow milk with preservatives added in the US. It was definitely creamier and had a richer flavor than I was used to. Overall, the meal took us about an hour which was pretty good for a European lunch.

Naples’ Spanish Quarter (Quartieri Spagnoli)

It started raining a bit as we left lunch, but it wasn’t too heavy, so we thought we’d head to the Spanish Quarter (Quartieri Spagnoli). Our tour guide recommended it as a place she’d go with her friends at night. As we were walking, it started to downpour. While some in the group were smart enough to bring jackets and umbrellas, I was not, so I ended up getting pretty wet.

The neighborhood was cute. One part had a large boulevard lined with designer boutiques and shops. Then, you could turn down smaller alleyways to explore a less commercial area filled with food stalls, local shops, and cafes. Banners and pictures of football stars hung across the narrow streets. It was a cute neighborhood, and once inside, it didn’t feel very touristy. If I wasn’t getting soaking wet, I think I would have enjoyed spending more time here.

Between the Spanish Quarter and the cruise port, we passed Chalet Ciro. It smelled delicious so we stopped to pick up some donuts on the way back. The chain has been featured in Wall Street Journal and is known for its high-quality ingredients. The donuts were freshly made and could be filled with a variety of toppings. The dough was incredibly light and fluffy, pillowy almost. I got a bomba filled with Oreo’s and creme.

Getting Back to the Viva

The Naples cruise terminal was a 15-minute walk from the Spanish Quarter. Unfortunately, our ship was at the last dock, the Odyssey of the Seas (my next cruise) was in the first spot. That meant we had to walk another 5 minutes to get to our ship in the last dock. They had a shuttle available, but at that point, the rain stopped, so we didn’t mind the walk.

Pool Time on the Viva

We got back to the ship around 2 PM and walked right onboard. I suggested getting a drink at the main pool. We hadn’t been to this bar as a group yet, and I only stopped by here when going to the buffet or walking somewhere else.

The bar was always busy, but they always had at least three bartenders working, so lines went quickly. The standard menu they place on the counter is pretty generic, but I knew from past guests that they have frozen drinks available here; you just have to ask.

See the Waves Pool Bar menu

We went for the frozen mudslides because people say they’re amazing, and I don’t think I’ve ever had one. The mudslide was delicious—basically a boozy milkshake. Other highly recommended options were the mango meltdown (a swirl of mango and strawberry daiquiris) and the frozen rose slush. I don’t know why they don’t advertise that they offer these drinks, as it was one of my favorite poolside drinks.

After grabbing our drink, we jumped into the main pool. The Viva only has one small pool on the main pool deck (there are two smaller infinity pools on Ocean Boulevard), but when you get in it, it actually feels quite a bit larger than it looks. The pool only had around eight people in it, so there was plenty of space (according to signs it can hold 24 people). The water was quite chilly, and I probably would have preferred a hot tub, but the Viva only has two publicly available hot tubs and both were filled.

Tip: Space in a cruise ship pool will always be an issue, no matter the ship. To really enjoy it in peace, go on the first day, after an excursion, or during the late afternoon.

It was the first time spending a good amount of time in the pool area on the Viva, and it’s such a disappointing space. Norwegian’s competitors go all-out on theming and making their pool decks feel vibrant and fun (Royal Caribbean and Carnival) or high-end (Celebrity and Virgin Voyages). Norwegian’s just feels industrial, with steep white walls, no decor, and the race track on one side.

Los Lobos Specialty Restaurant for Dinner

Tonight, we had reservations at Los Lobos, the specialty Mexican restaurant on board. We made 6:30 reservations on the first day right after we boarded the ship. It would be our third specialty dining experience of the cruise.

We passed Los Lobos a couple of times so far this sailing while going to The Local restaurant. The wall outside the restaurant is covered in boxes filled with statues. Inside was dark, with spotlights on the tables. Some booths were bright pink, while others were against walls of warm-toned wood. It give it a very intimate feeling, oddly more intimate than the steakhouse Cagneys.

We were immediately seated when we arrived, and the restaurant was about one-third full. A waiter came up and greeted us and then a second one came minutes later, there seemed to be confusion over who had which tables, but they got it straightened out. Because we were using our specialty dining package, we were able to get two starters, one entree, two sides, and a dessert. I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t have a specialty drink menu at Los Lobos. They did have three margaritas, though: regular, strawberry, and spiced jalapeno.

We placed our order, and the waiter brought our drinks with some chips and salsa to the table. You could tell the chips were made fresh, they were crispy and warm. Unfortunately, they had a lime chili flavoring, which ruined them for me (I absolutely hate any flavored chip), but the rest of the table enjoyed them.

Within minutes, our table was filled with the different appetizers we ordered. Most appetizers were clearly for one person. Four of us wanted guacamole, so we ordered three of them. We should have realized the mistake when they checked twice to see if we really wanted three guacamoles. They rolled out two carts to the table, and two chefs prepared the guacamole for us. It was way too much; one order was probably good for three or four people.

I’m not a fan of tableside guacamole. It’s always so awkward; I’d be fine if they made it in the back. The thought behind it is that you know it’s fresh, and you can customize it. In this case, though, we asked for one mild and two medium, but they were all identical. The chef said just to add jalapeno if you want it and left a small dish of it.

Overall, the food was pretty good and plentiful. I got the Ensalada De La Casa salad as a starter, and it was a bit watery, almost like they washed the lettuce but forgot to dry it. Otherwise, though, the food was good, and there was a lot of it; the entrees and sides absolutely filled the table when they arrived. For dessert, I got the churros which were freshly made and delicious.

Overall, the meal took about an hour and a half. Service was prompt, and all the food was hot and fresh. Our waiter, Daniel, kept coming back to check in on us, top up our drinks, and make conversation. He was actually the best waiter we had on the entire cruise.

The food was decent, not bad, but not the best Mexican I’ve had. The group seemed to enjoy it, and we all felt ridiculously full when we were done. Was it worth the $39 specialty dining credit? I’m not sure; I think I would have been just as fine going to the main dining room again.

Rainy Weather Gives Us a Double Rainbow

After dinner, we went outside to Ocean Boulevard to watch the sunset. While we were at dinner, it lightly rained, and the deck was slick with water. The sky was a mixture of sun and cloud, with rain in the distance. From there, we could see a beautiful rainbow on the horizon—a full arch from end to end, and not just one, but two.

Nighttime Entertainment on the Viva

Press Your Luck

For this evening’s entertainment, we had a few options. In the Viva Theater was “Press Your Luck,” a version of the old-school TV game show at 7 and 9:30 PM. It’s not like “Deal or No Deal” or “Wheel of Fortune,” which are basically just pay-to-play games, fancier versions of bingo. Instead, guests play to win prizes. Unlike the Price is Right, which plays on the Prima, where players are selected at random from the audience, for Press Your Luck, you have to audition on day one on the cruise. Everyone in the audience is entered for a chance to win door prizes, though.

Tip: You can reserve seats for Press Your Luck when you check in (typically 14 days before sailing), but according to people on board, there were no problems getting seats on our sailing.

Comedy Show

So far, we hadn’t been able to see a comedy show on this sailing. The ship only had one comedian onboard, and he was scheduled for ten performances for our sailing. It’s pretty surprising they don’t offer more, and it shows how they prioritize entertainment. It doesn’t come close to Carnival, which is known for their comedy program. When I was on the Carnival Celebration, they had seven comedy shows in one night!

Tip: Don’t let the name fool you. While the venue is called “Improv,” comedy events here are usually stand-up, not improv.

Most of the shows were in the Improv Lounge, which only holds 73 people. So far, we couldn’t get into any of them. This evening, the comedian Jim McDonald was performing in the Viva Theater, which would allow more people to see him. Unfortunately, the times didn’t work for us. We were still at dinner during the 8 PM show, and for the 10 PM show, we were still in Syd Normans, which ended at 10:15. They should have at least scheduled the comedy for 10:30 PM so the crowd at Syd Normans could make their way to the comedy show.

Rock the Pour House at Syd Normans

This evening also had a show at Syd Normans by the Syd Norman’s Band called “Rock the Pour House 2. Since we enjoyed the Rumors show a few nights before, we decided to check this show out.

When we arrived, Syd Normans was full, but not nearly as jam-packed as during the Rumors shows. We arrived 20 minutes before, and all the seats were taken, so we found a spot to stand near the bar.

Syd Normans show isn’t like the other music performances on the ship. At the other bars around the ship, the musicians may have a setlist but seem to mostly play it by ear. At Syd Normans, it’s a set performance with choreography, video effects, dialogue, and a fixed set list; it’s a whole production. So, if you go to see “Rock the Pour House 2” on any of the Norwegian ships with Syd Normans, you will see the same show.

This evening’s performance had plenty of hits from the ’70s and ’80s, including “Edge of 17” by Stevie Nicks, “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield, “Message in a Bottle” by The Police, and “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. My favorite song of the evening was a surprising mashup of Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach” and Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean.”

The artists were talented and worked really well together. While the previous Rumors show was really well done, this evening’s setlist really got the crowd’s energy by playing hit after hit. Overall, it was a really good show lasting 1 hour and 15 minutes. I see why people rave about Syd Normans on all the other ships. The only things that hurt this show is the ridiculously small space they gave to Syd Normans (it only holds 70 people, according to Norwegian).

We had a long day, so after the show, we decided to head to bed and rest up for our next day in Livorno.