Greek Isles from Ravenna to Istanbul, 3 July 2026 (10 nights)

Very well equipped ship, with excellent facilities and very clean and inviting. The staff in all areas were efficient, friendly and helpful. My only slight complaint is that that ‘Surfside’ (the self service restaurant) was too small and the seating in there was cramped making dining a somewhat awkward experience.

The Ports of call was the reason I chose this cruise, and the NCL Viva impressed me with it's modern design. They offer solo cabins & lounge which is where I met my fellow travellers & friends, good variety of dining options & attentive staff all contributed to an enjoyable vacation. Easy check in from Athens, and all transfers were on time with regular updated communication.

The Ibis hotel in Athens was comfortable and the staff were friendly and helpful. The Norwegian Viva was very modern but I didn’t like the modern Atrium, much prefer the classic grand staircase look. The staff and the food was very good but we didn’t like the food republic speciality restaurant. My wife thought it was the best ship we have been on but it did feel crowded at times. The chairs wasn’t that comfortable in the bars. The hotel in Istanbul was the worse hotel I have ever stopped in. The breakfast was terrible with a lack of choice. I think the only reason this hotel has got a 4 star is because of the pool and spa area that we didn’t use.

Don’t expect a five-star cruise, yes, the ship is very nice but it feels small, lots of areas to sit in, but therefore can be quite crowed, NCL have crammed someone singing and entertaining the passengers in every nook and cranny so as you walk around so it’s possible to hear two or three people singing at the same time. Breakfast is a war zone, as one would expect, but certain nations believe cueing is not for them and will push in front to get what they want. Dining is a disappointment, the bread comes in a cheap metal dish with paper in the bottom, no napkin, the butter is prewrapped and almost impossible to open and rock hard, the cutlery is all the same size, it may not seem like a big deal, but if my local pub can do it why can’t NCL? You pay extra for some restaurants but they too are disappointing, ok, bread come with a cloth napkins and soft butter and the correct size cutlery for the meal, one small cold jacket potato is not a roast potato, and three small florets of broccoli don’t add up to a serving of vegetables. The only saving grace were the trips, Ephesus, the Pyramids and trips to some lovely Greek islands were some of the reasons for the trip, but overall, the ship was nice and new but NCL tried to do to much and it just got messy.