[ON LOCATION] REGINA BARABAN
Sailing on Norwegian Viva’s 3-night christening cruise from Miami in November gave me a taste of what the stunning, 3,099-passenger ship has to offer groups. There’s built-in variety for a range of experiences, from plentiful upscale F&B choices to world-class entertainment, all wrapped in elevated contemporary design. There’s also a high service ratio, with nearly one crew member for every two guests.
My favorite place on the ship is the Thermal Suite in the Mandara Spa, a soaring atrium space with a Zen vibe. I could spend all day here, floating in the warm salt pools and resting on heated lounges between rounds of various sauna, steam and ice rooms. Meanwhile, others on board can’t get enough of the heart-pumping, 3-story Viva Speedway, navigating 14 nail-biting turns as they compete with other daredevil drivers. The thoughtful design of this ship, the second in Norwegian’s Prima class, seamlessly accommodates all manner of attendee preferences, with plenty of options for both relaxation and high-adrenalin activities.
Viva also has many venues that are easily adaptable for dedicated group functions. “On NCL ships we transform beautiful areas into meeting rooms for everything from cocktail receptions with presentations to spectacular award ceremonies,” Violeta Avila, marketing manager, charters, meetings & incentives tells Prevue. Viva’s 3-story theater, for example, is a multi-use space perfect for large groups, with flexibility to transform into a nightclub environment. Large groups are also accommodated in the 458-seat Hudson’s dining room, with spectacular 270-degree views through floor-to-ceiling windows. And numerous chic bars and lounges on board are great for group networking receptions. These spaces, as well as state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, are included in NCL’s meeting packages.
Norwegian’s world-class entertainment is a big draw for groups. My experience began on our first night, with the ship’s godfather and five-time Latin Grammy winner Luis Fonsi headlining a Latin-themed evening. There’s nightly entertainment at the Viva Theater & Club, including the family favorite game show “Press your Luck LIVE” and my personal fave: the irreverent and hilarious “Beetlejuice: The Musical.” There are also smaller venues with comedy, karaoke, music and dancing.
The many bars and lounges on board, each tastefully designed with different vibes, buzz with conviviality. Tell attendees to check out the zero-waste Metropolitan Bar, a chic outpost enlivened by the 52-ft-long interactive digital artwork “Every Wing Has a Silver Lining” by Dominic Harris. Running your hands over the surface sets a fluttering landscape of silver-winged butterflies taking flight. Here, delicious cocktails and mocktails are handcrafted with repurposed ingredients like leftover croissants, banana peels, pineapple rinds and cucumber pulp, and other cocktail ingredients and spirits are sustainably sourced.
With five inclusive dining choices and eight upcharge specialty restaurants on board (plus a Starbucks), Viva’s food variety is impressive. While I experienced just a fraction of the offerings, everything I ate tasted uniformly good. I loved the laid-back atmosphere and upscale Mexican cuisine at Los Lobos, where the tableside-prepared guacamole was to die for. And I couldn’t get enough of the (fee-free) Indulge Food Hall, which reimagines and updates the traditional food court with 11 fun eateries serving up tasty world cuisine from tapas to Indian and from Texas barbecue to Pad Thai. There’s no buffet line here; diners put their orders on touch-screen tablets. First introduced on Norwegian Prima, the Indulge Food Hall was so popular that it was expanded with additional indoor and outdoor seating on Viva.
A stroll on the outside promenade known as Ocean Boulevard that wraps around the ship on deck 8, is a lovely way to enter and exit Indulge Food Hall. Along the way, walkers will pass a modern sculpture collection and stroll over a glass walkway with views of the ocean underfoot. It’s one of several places onboard that lends a feeling of spaciousness to the ship. According to NCL, there’s up to 36 percent more space per guest on Viva compared to other contemporary cruise lines. “One of the features I love is how much outdoor space there is,” John Chernesky, SVP of North America sales for Norwegian Cruise Line, tells Prevue, “and it feels like you can soak in the ocean views from so many areas of the ship.”
Among Viva’s 1,586 staterooms are 946 larger-than-average balcony cabins perfect for planners looking for identical attendee accommodations. They’re skillfully designed to maximize space and minimize clutter, with pleasing contemporary design. And for the highest tier incentive qualifiers or top execs, The Haven is the ship’s tony and exclusive ship-within-a-ship enclave. The Haven has 107 spacious suites and a private restaurant, lounge and pool; plus 24/7 butler and concierge service. Groups staying here get a super luxe experience while also having access to all of the onboard amenities and entertainment.
Experiences at Sea is NCL’s rebranded umbrella resource for meeting and incentive planners, with experts to help create impactful charters, meetings and incentives. “Experiences at Sea was created for the sole purpose of providing immersive experiences and adapting our ships’ spaces for whatever planners need,” says Avila. Experiences at Sea includes a partnership with Sixthman Umbrella, a provider of event management services and enhanced experiences that brings in artists, athletes, actors and comedians for creative events—providing equipment, set-up, staffing, amenities, marketing and more. Due to the partnership with Sixthman, NCL resources for planners go beyond just chartering a ship, notes Avila. “Our meeting and incentive expertise combined with Sixthman’s partnership is what makes us unique,” she stresses. “We leverage that partnership to create personalized and singularly immersive group experiences. We can transform the ship into a targeted, one-of-a-kind experience that begins the minute attendees walk on board.”
ncl.com/events