Cruise line announces newest Prima Class ship Norwegian Viva will visit Haifa in 2025
JOHANNESBURG (November 16, 2022) – Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), the innovator in global cruise travel, celebrated a new milestone as Norwegian Epic became the first of its 18 ships to homeport in Haifa, Israel.
The 4,100-passenger and 155.873-gross tonnage ship will embark on her open-jaw 11-day voyage to five countries including Israel, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and Italy.
Nick Wilkinson, NCL Regional Vice President of Israel, Middle East and Africa, said: “We are excited to offer a new embarkation from Haifa. What’s more, we’re thrilled to announce that none other than the newest ship in our Prima Class, Norwegian Viva, will be visiting Haifa in 2025.”
Commencing her maiden voyage from Haifa on November 15, Norwegian Epic will sail a variety of 10, 11 and 12- day sailings in December 2023 as well as in March and October 2024, calling to Ashdod, before stopping in Limassol (Cyprus), Rhodes (Greece) (Turkey), Patmos, Piraeus (Greece) Naples, Livorno, Venice (Trieste) and Civitavecchia (Italy) as well as Split in Croatia.
Norwegian Epic’s The Haven by Norwegian™ underwent an extensive refurbishment at the end of 2020, which resulted in 75 reimagined and upgraded suites combined with redesigned experiences including The Haven Restaurant and The Haven Courtyard Pool and Sundeck. Norwegian Epic was the first in the fleet to premiere the brand’s key-card access ship-within-a-ship concept in 2010, complete with private amenities, dedicated services and the most luxurious accommodations on board and she continues to feature one of the largest The Haven spaces in the NCL fleet.
The international cruise line has further announced that Norwegian Viva, its newest ship and the second vessel of its ground-breaking Prima Class, will offer open-jaw voyages from Istanbul, Haifa and Piraeus (Athens) in summer 2025. The 9 and 10-day sailings will visit highlight ports in the Eastern Mediterranean including Athens (Piraeus), Mykonos and Santorini in Greece, Kusadasi in Turkey as well as Alexandria and Port Said in Egypt. NCL will be the only cruise line to offer open-jaw sailings between Istanbul and Haifa for Eastern Mediterranean sailings in spring and fall 2025.
Mirroring the upscale design and structure of her record-breaking sistership Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Viva, will boast a redefined The Haven by Norwegian, NCL’s ultra-premium keycard only access ship-within-a-ship concept as well as the Prima Class’ signature experiences including Indulge Food Hall, the brand’s first upscale food marketplace with 11 eateries, the fastest freefall drop dry slides at sea with The Rush and The Drop and the largest three-level racetrack at sea with the Viva Speedway.
About Norwegian Cruise Line
As the innovator in global cruise travel, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has been breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising for 55 years. Most notably, the cruise line revolutionised the industry by offering guests the freedom and flexibility to design their ideal vacation on their preferred schedule with no assigned dining and entertainment times and no formal dress codes. Today, its fleet of 18 contemporary ships sail to over 400 of the world’s most desirable destinations, including Great Stirrup Cay, the company’s private island in the Bahamas and its resort destination Harvest Caye in Belize. NCL not only provides superior guest service from land to sea, but also offers a wide variety of award-winning entertainment and dining options as well as a range of accommodations across the fleet, including solo-traveller staterooms, mini-suites, spa-suites, and The Haven by Norwegian®, the company’s ship-within-a-ship concept. For additional information or to book a cruise, visit www.ncl.com or contact a travel professional. For the latest news and exclusive content, visit the media centre and follow NCL on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube @NorwegianCruiseLine; and Twitter and Snapchat @CruiseNorwegian.
Locally Issued By:
Claire Lathe, Big Ambitions
