Tag Archives: Prima Class

Norwegian Viva Christened in Miami Ceremony

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Norwegian Cruise Lin has celebrated the christening of Norwegian Viva in a Miami ceremony.

“To christen Norwegian Viva in Miami is incredibly special to many of us at NCL, not only because Miami is our hometown, but also because we can share this moment with our local family and friends,” said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line. “Launching a ship is no solo endeavor. I am overwhelmed with gratitude towards the entire NCL team, our partners and especially our amazing crew who have contributed to bringing Norwegian Viva to life and who care for and deliver exceptional vacation experiences for our guests.”

Following Norwegian Viva’s debut this past August and its inaugural summer season of European voyages, today, over 1,500 guests joined the christening ceremony held in the Company’s LEED® Gold Certified terminal at PortMiami.

“As a Company, it has been a milestone year with the debut of next-generation ships across all three of our best-in-class cruise brands, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

“The addition of Norwegian Viva further elevates our world-class fleet, providing our valued guests with another incredible way to vacation, discover new experiences and create unforgettable memories. Since she launched in August, Norwegian Viva’s initial guest satisfaction scores have outshined any newbuild in the history of the NCL fleet, a testament to not only how stunning this ship is, but also the exceptional level of service and attention provided by our amazing crew onboard.”

Luis Fonsi, Norwegian Viva’s godfather and GRAMMY Award-nominated singer, songwriter, musician, and producer, officially named and christened the vessel with the ceremonial champagne bottle break across the ship’s hull which signifies good fortune and safe travels for all who sail aboard. As a native Puerto Rican, who is also based in Miami, Fonsi embodies the vibrant energy guests can enjoy aboard Norwegian Viva with warm-weather itineraries spanning from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean.

The celebration continues through the evening with an unparalleled and next-level entertainment lineup headlined by Fonsi performing his award-winning and global chart-topping hit “Despacito,” among his other beloved Latin hits like “No Me Doy Por Vencido” and “Échame La Culpa.” Other talented performers with authentic Miami and Latin roots are taking the stage, including “Saturday Night Live” cast member and Miami-native, Marcello Hernandez; the Queen of Latin Pop, Paulina Rubio; and recently announced GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist, Pedro Capó.

“It is so exciting to celebrate the magnificent Norwegian Viva in true Latin-style in Miami and alongside fellow A-list Latino entertainers,” said Luis Fonsi, award-winning global artist. “We are giving her a proper despedida before she makes her debut in my hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico.”

A Look at Norwegian Viva’s Maiden Season

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The Norwegian Viva is readying to enter revenue service for Norwegian Cruise Line.

During its first year in service, the newbuild is set to offer a series of cruises in the Mediterranean, in addition to a trans-Atlantic crossing to North America and different itineraries in the Caribbean.

Cruise Industry News highlights some of the itineraries of the ship’s inaugural season.

Maiden Cruise
Date: August 10, 2023
Length: Nine nights
Homeports: Trieste (Italy) to Lisbon (Portugal)
Complete Itinerary: Split (Croatia); Salerno, Civitavecchia and Livorno (Italy); Cannes (France); and Ibiza (Spain)

After leaving the building-dock in Italy, the Norwegian Viva is set to offer a maiden cruise that sails between the Eastern and the Western Mediterranean.

The one-way itinerary departs from Trieste and visits several destinations in Italy, France and Spain before arriving in Lisbon. In addition to the Portuguese capital city, the nine-night cruise is highlighted by visits to Salerno, on Italy’s Southern Coast, and to Cannes, in the French Riviera.

Greek Islands and Italy
Date: September 13, 2023
Length: Ten nights
Homeports: Piraeus (Greece) to Civitavecchia (Italy)
Complete Itinerary: Istanbul (Turkey); Santorini, Mykonos and Katakolon (Greece); Catania, Naples and Livorno (Italy); and Villefranche (France)

Viva’s program in the Mediterranean also includes several cruises to the Greek Islands and Italy. This ten-night itinerary sets sail in mid-September and features visits to some of the most popular destinations in the region, including Mykonos, Santorini, Naples and Istanbul.

Sailing one way between Piraeus and Civitavecchia, the cruise also pays visits to less usual ports of call, including Catania and Villefranche.

Adriatic and Sicily
Date: October 10, 2023
Length: Nine nights
Homeports: Civitavecchia to Trieste (Italy)
Complete Itinerary: Naples, Palermo and Messina (Italy); Valletta (Malta); Corfu (Greece); Dubrovnik, Split and Zadar (Croatia)

In October, the Norwegian Viva sails to the Aegean, the Adriatic and Ionian seas with this nine-night cruise to the Eastern Mediterranean.

After departing from Civitavecchia, the port for the Italian capital city Rome, the vessel is scheduled to visit Naples, Palermo and Messina, in Italy; as well as Valletta, in Malta; Corfu, in Greece; and Dubrovnik, Split and Zadar, in Croatia.

First Transatlantic Crossing
Date: November 16, 2023
Length: 11 nights
Homeports: Lisbon (Portugal) to Miami (United States)
Complete Itinerary: Ponta Delgada (Azores); St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands); and Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic)

After completing its maiden season in Europe, the Norwegian Viva offers an 11-night repositioning cruise to North America.

Sailing between Lisbon and Miami, the transatlantic crossing features visits to three ports in Portugal, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic: Ponta Delgada, St. Thomas and Puerto Plata. The cruise also includes a total of eight full days at sea.

Southern Caribbean
Date: December 15, 2023
Length: Seven nights
Homeport: San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Complete Itinerary: Tortola (British Virgin Islands); St. John’s (Antigua); Castries (St. Lucia); Bridgetown (Barbados); Philipsburg (St. Maarten); and St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands)

After a few itineraries departing from Miami, the Norwegian Viva is set to arrive at its winter homeport in December. Sailing from Puerto Rico during the entire 2023-24 season, the vessel is scheduled to offer a series of seven- to nine-night cruises to the Southern and Eastern Caribbean.

The first cruise from San Juan, for instance, sails for seven-night and features visits to Tortola, Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados. St. Maarten and St. Thomas.

Norwegian Sets New Targets Towards Zero Emissions

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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings launched an updated climate action strategy with short- and near-term greenhouse gas targets towards achieving net zero by 2050, according to a press release.

“We are proud to further refine and strengthen our climate action strategy and commitments including by setting milestone GHG intensity reduction targets which will guide us on our ambitious pursuit of net zero by 2050,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer-elect of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

“Every aspect of our business from shoreside to shipboard is responsible for doing their part to design, deliver and demonstrate results for decarbonization and our Board of Directors has reinforced this expectation by establishing shared accountability and tying incentives for our entire management team to this critical effort. We also recently took an important step forward on our pursuit of net zero by announcing the modification of two of our future Prima Class newbuilds to accommodate the use of green methanol in the future.”

The key components of the new targets include reducing greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 10 per cent by 2026 and 25 per cent by 2030. These include emissions from the company’s fleet islands and facilities as well as fuel- and energy-related activities. The new targets serve to support NCLH’s existing strategy for achieving net zero by 2050. 

“We are also activating and mobilizing our full network of team members, ports and destinations, suppliers and partners, and guests to act now and join us on this transformative journey, further amplifying the efforts we could achieve on our own,” added Sommer.

The updated climate action strategy is centred around efficiency, innovation and collaboration. The company continues to invest in systems and technologies aimed at optimizing efficiency, such as HVAC system upgrades and waste heat recovery systems. NCLH is also working on long-term solutions including technologies that help support the ability to operate using green fuels.

The company has already completed tests of biofuel on several ships, using a blend of about 30 per cent biofuel and 70 marine gas. Long term, NCLH is also planning on using green methanol which would result in a drastic reduction in emissions and up to 95 per cent reduction in CO2 and has announced Prima ships five and six will be methanol ready.

Achieving net zero will require collaboration across the company’s network of stakeholders.

“We are encouraged to see the significant progress and momentum across sectors to decarbonize, but fundamental challenges continue to exist for the cruise industry to fully decarbonize by 2050,” said Jessica John, vice president of ESG, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

“Rather than waiting for these challenges to dissolve, our strategy is about acting now to implement solutions for efficiency today, innovate for future solutions and collaborate with our stakeholders along the way. Underpinning this strategy is good governance and effective risk management as we work to advance our climate action efforts and build our Company’s resilience.”