A Q Texas Smokehouse pulled pork sandwich from Indulge Food Hall on Norwegian Viva. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIndulge Food Hall, only found on Norwegian’s Prima Class ships, offers a food court-style experience where you seat yourself and select free items from a touchscreen menu, similar to an iPad. Waiters will bring each dish as you order it.<\/p>\n
The portions tend to be small, so you can try multiple dishes. It’s common for passengers to order a couple of items, eat them and then order a couple more. I highly recommend the guacamole as a starter and something from the Tamara Indian menu, followed by a pulled pork sandwich from Q Texas Smokehouse if you have room left.<\/p>\n
Indulge, found on Deck 8 aft, is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with different menus for each meal.<\/p>\n\nThe bar section of The Local on Norwegian Viva. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Local, located just before Indulge on Deck 8, is oddly split into two sections: one with a bar and alcove seating and another with tables where you can sit and order food. Both areas have big-screen TVs where you can watch sporting events. Separating the spaces and serving as a passageway between the two is a small vestibule with a few arcade games.<\/p>\n
What’s great about The Local is that it’s open nearly 24 hours. (It closes between 3:30 and 5 a.m.) The food is complimentary, and it’s tasty, typical pub grub like wings, fish ‘n’ chips, sliders, nachos and burgers, as well as lighter fare such as Caesar salads.<\/p>\n\nThe Surfside Cafe buffet on Norwegian Viva. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSurfside Cafe and Grill is the ship’s standard buffet venue, serving a variety of food from self-serve stations on Deck 17 midship. Because Norwegian Viva also has The Local and Indulge, the space dedicated to the traditional buffet is smaller than on other cruise ships. I didn’t eat a single meal there because when I ventured inside it was so crowded that people could barely move. I elected for more civilized meals elsewhere.<\/p>\n
If your stomach is rumbling a bit too much before dinner, the luxuriously appointed Observation Lounge on Deck 17 forward offers gratis between-meal snacks daily from 3 to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n\nThe Haven Restaurant on Norwegian Viva. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Haven Restaurant functions as the free main dining room for passengers booked in The Haven suite complex. It’s open daily to passengers with access, and it features a set menu for the entire sailing.<\/p>\n
Free soft-serve machines can be found in the buffet and outside on Oceanwalk, near Indulge. Chocolate, vanilla and twist are offered, and the ice cream is vegan. The machines are not available 24 hours a day like they are on some cruise lines’ ships. Norwegian Viva has neither a stand-alone ice cream shop nor a bakery, which was disappointing.<\/p>\n
Added-fee food<\/strong><\/p>\nOn Norwegian Viva, dining can be a bit chaotic at peak times, so make reservations for any specialty restaurants you’re considering \u2014 and do it on the first day so you’re not left with the crummiest times.<\/p>\n\nLe Bistro French restaurant on Norwegian Viva. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFor French food, Le Bistro is your answer. This specialty restaurant on Deck 7 is as elegant as they come, featuring a bright atmosphere with light blue accents and high-end decor, including giant floor-to-ceiling crystal chandeliers that are stunning. There’s no dress code to dine at Le Bistro, but you might want to embrace the experience by making an effort.<\/p>\n
I’m generally not a fan of French cuisine, so I played it safe and went with French onion soup and Dover sole, both of which were delicious.<\/p>\n\nA petite filet mignon with truffle fries from Cagney’s Steakhouse on Norwegian Viva. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nCagney’s Steakhouse is \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 Norwegian Viva’s steakhouse on Deck 6 aft. It provides a menu of items like shrimp, tuna tartare, oysters Rockefeller, soups, salads, steaks, fish and sides.<\/p>\n
I went with a crabcake, a beefsteak tomato with onions and balsamic vinaigrette, and a petite (5-ounce) filet mignon with a side of truffle fries. If you’re someone who doesn’t eat meat, fish or seafood, you might consider dining elsewhere.<\/p>\n\nRicotta and spinach mezzelune from Onda Italian restaurant on Norwegian Viva. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nEver a fan of carbohydrates, I enjoyed Italian-influenced Onda tremendously. It was a nice night as we sailed along Italy’s Amalfi Coast, so my group asked for a table outside, along Oceanwalk on Deck 8, which was absolutely delightful with the city lights as a backdrop and a warm breeze reminding us that we were moving.<\/p>\n
We started with a couple of sharable \u2014 and absolutely to-die-for \u2014 pizzas and a veggie calzone. Then, I moved on to burrata, which was an absolute masterpiece, followed by ricotta and spinach mezzelune (similar to ravioli).<\/p>\n
Although the meal was great, the service was a bit on the slow side. It took about three hours from start to finish, and we waited nearly 30 minutes for someone to take our order once we were seated.<\/p>\n\nSole with capers from Palomar seafood restaurant on Norwegian Viva. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nCraving seafood? There’s a restaurant for that, too: Palomar on Deck 17 mid. The entrance near the pool area was closed on my sailing, forcing passengers to fight through the buffet to reach the main entrance. That experience did not set the tone for the beginning of such an upscale meal.<\/p>\n
Like Cagney’s, Palomar offers a mix of seafood and meats like steak and lamb chops, but it’s heavier on the seafood end. Choose from oysters, grilled jumbo prawns, grilled octopus and several salads for appetizers. Mains include sea scallops, sea bass, filet mignon, New York strip and a whole grilled lobster, with sides such as potatoes, jasmine rice and carrots. I opted for sole (again), preceded by a golden beet salad with cheese and accompanied by asparagus.<\/p>\n
Although Palomar features vegetable-based sides and appetizers, vegetarians and vegans will not find suitable mains on the menu.<\/p>\n\nPork belly bao buns from Food Republic on Norwegian Viva. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFood Republic, across from Palomar on Deck 17, is my favorite of NCL’s alternative restaurants. In my opinion, it’s also one of the most underrated.<\/p>\n
When I ate there near the end of my voyage, it was nearly empty at 7:30 p.m. \u2014 a prime dining time. It seems the issue is that cruisers don’t quite understand what the venue offers. People might also confuse it with Indulge Food Hall, which offers similar fare and a similar ordering system but for zero extra cost.<\/p>\n
Food Republic is a street food restaurant that leans heavily Asian. You’ll be seated when you arrive, and you order from a touchpad. Items are priced a la carte and will be made to order, with each delivered when ready, rather than all at once.<\/p>\n
If you have a dining package, you can select any four food items, including desserts. Items are served as small plates. I didn’t finish everything and still left absolutely stuffed. The pork belly bao buns and edamame are excellent.<\/p>\n\nTableside guacamole at Los Lobos Mexican restaurant on Norwegian Viva. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nOn the flip side, my least favorite restaurant is Los Lobos, a for-fee Mexican eatery on Deck 8, near The Local. I’m a huge fan of Mexican cuisine, but when I ate at Los Lobos on fleetmate Norwegian Encore about a month prior, the service was slow, and the food was mediocre. With that in mind, I was skeptical about eating there on Viva.<\/p>\n
I dined at Lobos twice during my voyage. The first time was a pleasant surprise, with the tableside guacamole, tortilla soup and chicken enchiladas de mole serving as highlights.<\/p>\n
The second time, however, both the service and the food were lacking. Our servers seemed confused when my vegetarian dinner companion asked about meat-free options, and when my chicken tacos arrived, they looked gross \u2014 mushy and with brown avocado. The one saving grace was the wonderful strawberry frozen margarita I had.<\/p>\n\nHasuki sushi restaurant on Norwegian Viva. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFor passengers in the mood for Asian cuisine, Nama sushi and Hasuki teppanyaki on Deck 7 aft are both solid options. The former offers for-fee a la carte sushi and sashimi, and the latter features a traditional experience where diners sit around a grill to watch a chef cook, perform tricks and tell cheesy jokes.<\/p>\n
If you’re feeling more like a night in, you can order room service by hitting the dedicated button on your cabin phone. From 10 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., the menu consists of choices like chicken soup, a selection of salads, fruit and cheese plates, sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, pizza, spaghetti, flank steak, roasted chicken, tilapia and a handful of desserts. For the kids, there are items like macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chicken fingers.<\/p>\n
Room service is no longer free on Norwegian Cruise Line ships, and a $9.95 surcharge applies to all deliveries, along with a 20% delivery charge (note this is not a tip). Order enough items to make it worth the cost. Although tipping is not expected, it’s nice to offer a couple of dollars to the crew member who delivers your meal.<\/p>\n
Breakfast \u2014 including continental options \u2014 is offered from 6:30 to 10 a.m. for $4.95, plus a 20% delivery charge.<\/p>\n\nA stale peanut butter and jelly sandwich delivered via room service on Norwegian Viva. ASHLEY KOSCIOLEK\/THE POINTS GUY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhen I placed a late-night order for an 11-inch pizza, a cheese plate and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, it cost me $11.94, and it took an hour and 13 minutes to arrive. The pizza was lukewarm with way too much garlic, and the sandwich bread was stale.<\/p>\n
However, when I ordered room service breakfast one morning, it arrived five minutes ahead of the earliest delivery time I selected, and the French toast was tasty.<\/p>\n
Norwegian Viva bars<\/h3>\n\n
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