2025_0911 Norwegian Cruise Line Viva...

Thursday, September 11th, we had a slow beginning to the day. We had a final breakfast at 8:30am in the Grand Hyatt. Then we checked out of the hotel at 10:30am. The Norwegian Cruise Lines bus to port arrived at the hotel at 11:20am and we were on our way to embark on our next cruise. By 12:30pm we were on the Norwegian Cruise Lines Viva. Our cabin was on the 16th deck Room 16104. It was not ready yet, so we waited in the Observation Lounge till our stateroom was ready. This was our view of Athens from the Observation Lounge.

Over the cruise, I took a few pictures of the Viva. On the 17th deck is the Observation Lounge. There is an hallway to get into it that is very wide. In the center of this hallway is a glass case with a scale model of the Viva. I determined that was the best way to get a picture of the entire ship. The ship was enormous! I asked Claude to stand by the model and point to about were our state room was located. That is the first picture. The second picture is the full length of the port side of the Viva. 

One of the cool features was the carpeting in the hallway for the staterooms. Those can be LONG hallways with nothing to help you get your bearings except for watching the room numbers. However, NCL has installed carpeting with arrows pointing toward the bow of the ship in these hallways. You can easily tell if your are headed in the right direction by looking for the arrows. Subtle, but they are there.

On the days we had shore excursions, we waited for them to call us to disembark in the Viva Theater. Except on the two stops where we needed a tender to get to shore. Those were the islands of Santorini and Mykonos. Those days we went to the Commodore Dining Room to wait. The ceiling of the Viva Theater had an interesting centerpiece that displays constellations. It is like a little movie and, for a while, it displays several different Zodiac signs in black and white. This was Leo. They did not do Libra in this mode. I am Leo. 

Then for a while it goes to a color screen where the Zodiac signs rotate. We were able to see Libra in that picture. Claude is Libra. Very amusing to watch.

A highlight of each cruise we have taken, is our evening meal in the one of the main dining rooms. The main dining rooms on the Viva were the Commodore (6th deck) and the Hudson (7th deck). We preferred the Hudson Room. Huge windows to see where the ship was going. The dining rooms are located at the stern or back of the vessel. We found if we went at opening time, we could get a table by the big windows and we missed the rowdy groups that came in. 

Walking to and from the Hudson Dining Room, we passed a wall of butterflies. When we visited Japan, we went to the top of one of the local mountains to an observatory. There was a display on the floor of one of the rooms with these interactive pictures. You touch the screen and it creates animation in the objects in the picture. When we first past this wall on the Viva, I recognized it as one of these with lots of butterflies waiting to be stirred up. As we left the Hudson, I told Claude to run his hand along the wall while we walked. Sure enough, the picture opened up, the butterflies opened their wings and you had lots of movement. Every night from that point forward, when we passed that wall, Claude would run his hand the entire length of the wall. There is actually a lounge across that room and the people loved learning they could do that with the wall. Great fun. 

I could see a walkway around the port side of the ship from our balcony. I learned it was on the 8th deck and was called Ocean Boulevard. After dinner one evening, we went to the 8th deck and walked all the way around the ship. I took these pictures on that walk of interesting features on the Viva. The first picture is the staterooms called The Haven. Top dollar for these rooms, they are huge and luxurious with an amazing balcony view of the cruise. This area has its own entrance and dining room. 

I never saw anyone on this waterslide. Before we left the States, there was a news report that someone on some cruise ship was almost cut in half going down one of these types of slides. Not sure if they were shut down until research could be done and I don't believe it was this slide on the Viva. Lots of huge cruise ships sport these types of water slides nowadays. 

There were two sections of this glass walkway. You can see right down below you. One section is over the deck below. The other section juts out over the water. Yike!! We walked both and held on to the rail. 

This piece of artwork fascinated me. It is a depiction of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Cool!

And every ship needs a life preserver with their name on it. 

This was a nice walk and allows you to see in all directions. 

After getting in our stateroom, we enjoyed sitting on our balcony watching the Viva leave Athens about 5pm. 

We had our first dinner at the Hudson. I had cauliflower soup, chicken piccata and creme brulee. Claude enjoyed French onion soup, New York strip steak and creme brulee. Excellent first dinner onboard the Viva. 

We strolled to the Surfside Cafe on the 7th deck to find the soft serve ice cream machine. This is another highlight of any cruise for us. Once each day, we have a small soft serve ice cream cone. Claude became very adept at creating these for us with a curlicue on the top. He could work at Dairy Queen now that he has mastered that skill!

We met our cabin steward as we returned to our stateroom. His name was Rolando and he was from the Philippines. We spent our evening on the balcony. Man that is a great experience. 

Our first sunset on the Aegean Sea!