The NCL's ship Norwegian Viva has entered service from Port Galveston (Texas USA). The 2025–2026 winter Caribbean season is the vessel’s first deployment from that homeport. Viva arrived in Galveston on December 13th, establishing its base for sailings through April 2026 and offering a mix of 7-day and 14-day round-trip Caribbean itineraries.
From Galveston’s recently opened Cruise Terminal 16, Viva is operating week-long voyages that include calls at ports such as Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico, Roatán in Honduras and Harvest Caye, the cruise line’s private resort destination in southern Belize. Extended 14-day cruises scheduled for early January 2026 are set to visit a broader range of destinations, including St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands), Antigua, St. Maarten, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), George Town (Grand Cayman) and Great Stirrup Cay, the company’s private island in the Bahamas.
The inaugural season from Galveston positions the Prima-class ship as a winter Caribbean deployment from the Gulf Coast, strengthening the port’s role in the U.S. cruise market and providing Caribbean access without long transits for travellers departing from Texas and the central United States. Norwegian Viva is scheduled to return to Galveston for a second winter season beginning in October 2026 through April 2027, continuing the pattern of Caribbean round-trip service from the Lone Star State.