Sea change
What happens when high design takes to the high seas? Norwegian Cruise Line’s recently launched luxury ship, Viva, is the answer. Deputy editor Martin Jacobs travels its maiden voyage, checks out its future-forward design and sophisticated interiors, and shares his favourite spaces.
The biggest Batman logo I’ve ever seen is the first thing I take in when I wake in Livorno port, most cruise ships’ gateway to Florence. It’s my first morning on the maiden voyage of Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) newest ship, Viva, and after a night at sea sleeping with my stateroom balcony door open, I’m woken by noises from the port. And there, separated by a quay, is a Batman logo at least five storeys tall. It, along with other Batman iconography, is emblazoned on the side of another cruise ship. And it represents many of the aesthetic apprehensions I’ve always had about cruising.
Mostly that the aesthetics of cruising are often kitsch. That moulded plastic décor abounds. That luxury comes second to practicality, particularly with reference to materials and finishes. That pastiche rules. So, it’s a relief to know that what I’ve seen of Viva in my short time aboard, and with so much still to explore, that my assumptions have been debunked. The second in NCL’s state-of-the-art Prima class (the first being Prima, floated in 2022), Viva boasts forward-looking design, with a luxurious guest experience foremost in its conception. If one subscribes to the belief that in today’s cruise market there’s a cruise ship to meet each and everyone’s tastes, then Viva is the ship that will surpass the expectations of most aesthetes.
It’s a sentiment shared by several of the journalists I’m travelling with, many of whom have had the privilege of reviewing multiple cruises aboard numerous fleets. There’s journalistic unanimity in thinking that Viva’s interior design and architecture are not just sophisticated and contemporary, but welcome in tomorrow’s design today. Such descriptors are reinforced by the onboard work of major trendsetting names in the interior design world – Pierro Lissoni of Lissoni & Partners, the award-winning Miami-based Studio Dado (specialists in cruise ship interior design) and New York’s interdisciplinary Rockwell Group, a key player in the city’s newest performing arts venue, Perelman Performing Arts Center.
With names as influential as these on board (all puns intended) for the design of Viva, it would have been a missed opportunity for NCL not to have consulted with them at planning stage. So of course, they did. “When a cruise line embarks on a journey to develop its next class of vessels, to be invited to participate in the conceptual design phase is quite an accolade,” explains the Studio Dado team who, of all the design teams involved, contributed most by way of number of different spaces designed.
Over my five days aboard Viva, I make a point of experiencing as much of her as possible, with a focus on design. I forego racing on the three-deck Viva Speedway, time in the gym (perhaps foolishly, given the copious food I’m consuming), interactive virtual reality games in the futurist Galaxy Pavilion, and laughs in Improv, the comedy club. Instead, my attention is given to exploring the ship’s many eateries (which include five complimentary and eight speciality restaurants), appreciating views from the Observation Lounge, interacting with British artist Dominic Harris’s 16m-long digital artwork, and rejuvenating in the thermal pools and multiple saunas (yes, multiple – including Finnish, charcoal, infrared and salt) of Mandara Spa.
What I discover is that sophisticated design, luxurious materials, and a forward-looking interpretation of form abound. Everywhere. Regardless of whether it’s in Viva’s most exclusive areas, transition spaces like corridors, or experiences created for enjoyment by children. Expense hasn’t been spared and luxury not sacrificed – and these are doubly worth considering given that finishes and fabrics are chosen for high performance, needing to be stain resistant, fire retardant, waterproof – the works. “From the parquet to the ceiling, from the fireproof and salt-resistant materials to the carpet, everything was checked ten times more strictly than usual – that took us years,” explains Lissoni. Such attention to design detail is visible throughout the ship. Backlit onyx lines the walls of an otherwise entirely marble salt sauna. Robustly industrial screens and pillars demarcate seating areas in Cagney’s Steakhouse. Vintage food trucks are objects of curiosity in the Indulge Food Hall. Floor-to-ceiling chandeliers add glamour to French restaurant Le Bistro. Lighting everywhere is showstopper. Sconces, floor lamps, pendants, and ceiling installations – much of it conceived by Hamburg-based We Are Light.
That said, here are five of what I consider to be my best-designed spaces:
THE HAVEN (design by Lissoni & Partners)
Freshly conceived for NCL’s Prima class, The Haven is the brand’s ship within a ship. Accessed by private elevators, the ship’s ‘hotel’ is more premium and richly appointed than any other area on board. A veteran at hospitality design, Pierro Lissoni was tasked with its conception. “I planned it based on the model of a five-star hotel, with suites, lounges, a restaurant, concierge and butler service,” he explains. “The Haven is actually a building in every respect, although it moves, but on Norwegian Viva you don’t notice it.” Luxury here is plentiful and influenced not only the interior design but the architecture too. More than anywhere else on Viva, all spaces take in sea facing views through floor-to-ceiling windows. I’m struck by the muted neutral palette and tactile fabrics, occasionally punctured by pops of colour in the form of abstract paintings.
PENROSE ATRIUM (design by Studio Dado)
The heart of Viva, the three-deck-high atrium is the most futuristic space she boasts. One journalist compared it to a spaceship. The statement-making space includes a contemporary take on a sweeping staircase, the cut-crystal inspired Whiskey Bar, retail nooks, and a Starbucks. Given its futurist appearance (manipulated geometries, concealed strip lighting, asymmetrical balconies) it’s interesting that Studio Dado’s founding partners referenced the past when conceptualising. “Viva’s atrium blends futuristic architecture with the sense of wonder of the ocean’s earliest explorers,” says partner Greg Watson. “The twinkling stars that comprise the chandelier are a nod to the night skies by which ancient sailors used to navigate.”
STATEROOMS (design by Studio Dado)
Clever design upgrades define the staterooms, from those with balconies to the interior Studios (approximately 8m2) that cater to solo travellers on a budget. I’m told how, compared to other NCL classes, the beds on Viva have been moved closer to the balcony, the advantages of which I immediately appreciate. Not only does lazing in bed sea gazing become an uninterrupted indulgence, but the entrance, lounge, and dressing spaces feel more expansive. Savvy thinking has enhanced the bathrooms too. “The shower space was maximised by expanding it to the length of the room, providing a more residential feel,” says partner Yohandel Ruiz. Noticeable too, is the space-saving way in which the shower door opens unobtrusively inwards. “We thought out a vanity design to include a place for everything, and lighting was strategically placed to avoid shadows.”
OBSERVATION LOUNGE (design by Studio Dado)
What I notice second to the sophisticated metropolitan mood of the Observation Lounge atop Viva is its carpet. Carpets throughout the ship tend to the striking, but here it really draws one into and through the horseshoe-shaped lounge. “The wings of the monarch butterfly inspired our carpet design,” says NCL’s commissioning team. “They’re known to travel long distances, similar to the passengers aboard Viva.” I’m reminded of the fluttering butterflies in Dominic Harris’s digital artwork decks below, activated by passing passenger movement. Studio Dado explains how it intentionally selected the lounge’s warm palette – biscuit tones, caramel, amber, and dark wood – not to compete with the wrap-around view. At sunset (my first experience of the lounge) I can’t help but notice how the amber tones of curvilinear chairs and ornamental glassware are perfectly matched by golden skies, indoors and out becoming a seamless experience.
ONDA and CAGNEY’S STEAKHOUSE (design by Studio Dado)
I’ve left selecting my best-designed restaurant for last, as the decision is impossibly hard. The Local gets a mention for its dark interiors unexpectedly subverted by cheerful island-style décor including hanging chairs and colourful mosaic, Hudson’s dining room for its delicate lighting and stay-all-day soothing hues. Ultimately though, I’ve settled on two: Onda by Scarpetta and Cagney’s Steakhouse. (Both, coincidentally, offer what I believe is the best dining aboard Viva.) The former is a sister restaurant to New York City’s eatery Scarpetta and serves contemporary Italian food. On board, the interiors are heavily sculptural, and curvilinear lines abound. Comparisons must be drawn with the biblical tale of Jonah inside the whale, for the undulating wave-like forms (onda is wave in Italian) that wrap around windows, walls and ceiling are suggestive of the mammal’s giant ribcage. Studio Dado cites ancient Roman arches as inspiration for the curved and rippling forms, and the wheat colours of pasta for the restaurant’s elegant palette. But it’s dining at Cagney’s Steakhouse that surprises me most, for its aesthetic references skirt expected steakhouse tropes, instead celebrating standout architects of the previous century. “Inspired by the architecture of Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van de Rohe, Cagney’s weaves together a series of materials that speak to a sense of permanence and stature,” explains Ruiz. Here, concrete, marble and wood strikingly combine. Much like other luxurious materials used elsewhere on board, it’s their juxtaposition that innovatively harmonises, creating design magic.
