With the large success of Norwegian Prima, many cruise vacationers are trying ahead to her upcoming sister ship, Norwegian Viva, set to debut in August 2023.
The ship’s first transatlantic crossing to convey her to North America, nevertheless, will now be dramatically totally different than initially scheduled, with new ports of name and a brand new vacation spot as nicely.
Norwegian Viva Transatlantic Modifications
Norwegian Viva will spend her first season crusing from varied Mediterranean homeports, together with Trieste and Rome in Italy; Lisbon, Portugal; and Piraeus (Athens), Greece. The ship’s first transatlantic crusing, nevertheless, is of explicit curiosity, and is ready to depart from Lisbon on November 16, 2023.
That departure date is nearly the one merchandise on the unique itinerary remaining the identical, nevertheless – that and the truth that the ship will certainly be crossing the Atlantic Ocean for the primary time.
Whereas a number of days at sea will stay the identical (as many days at sea are a part of crossing voyages), all however one of many ports of name and even the ship’s first vacation spot in North America have been modified.
Norwegian Cruise Line has reached out to journey companions and impacted company with information of the itinerary change.
“We’re dedicated to delivering distinctive trip experiences world wide. Whereas it’s at all times our intention to take care of authentic itineraries, at occasions unexpected circumstances require us to make modifications,” the letter defined. “On account of fleet redeployment, your itinerary has modified and your voyage will now finish in Miami, FL.”
The ship will nonetheless depart Lisbon on Thursday, November 16, 2023, however will now go to Ponta Delgada within the Azores of Portugal on Saturday, November 18, as a substitute of the next Monday.
Initially, the ship was to spend 4 days at sea after two ports of name in Portugal. Now, Ponta Delgada would be the solely Portuguese port go to, adopted by 5 days at sea.
The unique itinerary then had the ship visiting Bermuda on Saturday, November 25, earlier than arriving in New York Metropolis on Monday, November 27.
Now, Norwegian Viva will go to two Caribbean ports of name – St. Thomas within the U.S. Virgin Islands on Friday, November 24 and Puerto Plata within the Dominican Republic on Saturday, November 25 – earlier than arriving in Miami, not New York, on Monday.
This dramatic shift of vacation spot port is certain to be a shock to booked vacationers, who will now want to regulate their journey plans to accommodate a totally totally different North American arrival level. Luckily, as a result of this itinerary change is being introduced practically 11 months prematurely, vacationers have loads of time to make adjustments with minimal penalties or inconvenience.
Why Miami and Not New York?
No clarification has been given for the acute change of North American ports, aside from “fleet redeployment” adjustments. It’s seemingly, nevertheless, that as a result of Norwegian Viva is scheduled to set sail from Miami for a single 7-night voyage on December 6, 2023, this ensures the ship is just not crusing with out company between New York and Miami.
This will even be a window when the ship might have her official naming ceremony or supply non-revenue sailings to journey companions, members of the media, and varied dignitaries previous to starting passenger sailings from her official winter homeport, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Norwegian Viva will start sailings from San Juan from December 15, 2023, providing primarily 7-night cruises to Barbados, Antigua, and St. Lucia.
In April 2024, the brand new ship will return to the Mediterranean for the summer season and fall seasons, after which she is going to return to San Juan to homeport from mid-December 2024 via April 2025.
Norwegian Viva is the second Prima-class ship, with a projected gross tonnage of roughly 142,500 gross tons and the capability to welcome 3,215 company at double occupancy. She is presently underneath building on the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy.
4 further Prima-class vessels have already been ordered and are set for supply in from 2025 to 2027, although shipyard constraints have already delayed the supply of the third and fourth vessels within the class, even earlier than their building has begun.
