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Norwegian Viva cruise ship now sailing from Galveston for 7-day Caribbean excursions

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Published  December 13, 2025 6:19pm CST
Sullivan's Smart Sense
FOX 26 Houston
New cruise ship now sailing from Galveston for 7-Day Caribbean excursion

New cruise ship now sailing from Galveston for 7-Day Caribbean excursion

The Norwegian Viva cruise ship has pulled into its new home in Galveston, marking yet another wave in growth in the local cruise industry. FOX 26 Consumer Reporter Heather Sullivan gets a tour of the ship.

The Brief

    • The Norwegian Viva cruise ship has pulled into its new home in Galveston.
    • Viva will offer Saturday departures for 7-day Caribbean cruises.
    • Norwegian Cruise Line will share the newly renovated Terminal 16 with MSC, while contributing to the booming local cruise industry.

GALVESTON - The Norwegian Viva cruise ship has pulled into its new home in Galveston, marking yet another wave in growth in the local cruise industry. Norwegian Cruise Line will share the $156 million newly renovated Terminal 16 with MSC, which launched sailings from the port in November with the MSC Seascape.   

By the numbers:

Galveston Wharves reports the booming local cruise industry has created 4,547 jobs and generates $733 million in business revenue, plus $25 million in state and local taxes. 

New cruise ship now open in Galveston

New cruise ship now open in Galveston

Norwegian Cruise Line will share Galveston's $156 million newly renovated Terminal 16 with MSC. FOX 26 Consumer Reporter Heather Sullivan spoke to Port of Galveston CEO Rodger Rees about the new cruise and the terminal.

Since launching its first cruise ship in 2000, Galveston has become the fourth most popular cruise port in the U.S. 

The number of passengers continues to break records each year, from its one millionth passenger in 2022, to 3.6 million in 2025, and an expected 3.9 million in 2026.

Things to do onboard

Dig deeper:

Norwegian will offer 7-day Caribbean trips, departing Galveston on Saturdays to destinations including St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; St. John’s, Antigua; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatan, Honduras; and Harvest Caye in Belize.

The Norwegian Viva offers a vast array of attractions, highlighted by the Viva Speedway, where guests can race mini cars around the track at sea, as well as comedy clubs, live music, "Beetlejuice The Musical," a spa, casinos, a virtual gaming complex, two escape rooms, and a Topgolf Swing Suite.  

The ship offers 11 eateries, including a Texas Smokehouse, as well as several cocktail bars. 

The Source: Information in this article is from Norwegian Cruise Line and Galveston Wharves.

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