When the Norwegian Aqua launches in the first half of 2025, you might think you’ve seen the ship before. But actually, she’s a whole new class of her own.
She is a vessel that has been born out of guest feedback.
She has more suites in Norwegian Cruise Line’s ship-within-a-ship area, The Haven, more deck space, and bigger restaurants and public spaces which guests have signalled that they wanted.
It’s an indication of a change in the NCL guest preference – there is a bigger focus on food, more deck spaces, and larger public areas. Not to mention the addition of suites in The Haven.
Bye bye racetrack
Another big change for the cruise line, is that they have removed the famous racetrack from its top deck, which officials have said “it’s time for a change”.
“The racetrack was a great innovation,” said Harry Sommer, the President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
“But I think after having it on five ships, it was time to do something different and we are really exciting.”
Instead, it’s been replaced with a rollercoaster and waterslide, spanning three storeys, with twists and turns that wrap around the ships’ funnel.
“It’s got a smaller footprint so it’s allowed us to put more family type of games on the two decks and I think people really appreciate these activities, which for the most part, will be complimentary,” he said.
“We’re not looking to nickel and dime people. We want people to have a wonderful experience with the base product that we offer.
What’s new in food and beverage?
Restaurants like Commodore are far bigger, with more capacity. The cruise line has increased capacity from 417 to 490 seats, while Hudson’s will be able to accommodate 470 guests, an increase from 458 on Norwegian Viva. And the line has seemed to have made the move to expand out the complimentary dining spaces in times of economic crunch.
The popular Teppanyaki restaurant which has been a big hit across the fleet, once had six stations for guests, now has nine tables for groups of 18.
And the French restaurant, Le Bistro, now has increased capacity from 82 to 96 guests.
But the big changes between Norwegian Aqua and Prima and Viva is that there will be two additions to their dining options. By popular demand, the guests have asked for a dedicated Thai inspired restaurant – which is what NCL has given them. The new Sukhothai which will debut on Aqua serves Thai inspired dishes like Nam Tok Neua, a beef salad as well as Thai Cashew Chicken.
In the Indulge Food Hall, which has elevated the humble buffet into a fun interactive experience with dedicated food stations, will have a vegetarian eatery called the Planterie. For the health conscious, they’ll be able to find Southwest Bowl with smoked tempeh and the Mediterranean Goddess Bowl filled with delicious, spiced vegetables, tabbouleh and honey-roasted carrots.
For the grown ups
And for a ship that will spend around 80 per cent of the year in warmer climates, it was a non-negotiable for the cruise line. There will be more deck chairs and a bigger Vibe Beach Club, which Sommer said, was after millions of ship visits.
“I guess with Aqua is a ship that’s been developed from previous learnings. We have been purposeful, and to start it off, we made the ships of the Prima Class a little bigger,” said Sommer.
“While Prima and Viva are perfectly delightful ships, I think one of the main pieces of feedback we got from our guests was to make the sun deck a little bigger.”
An all-new class of The Haven
The Haven is the fastest booked accommodation on any of NCL’s ships, said Jovo Sekulovic, the Vice President of Hotel Operations & Newbuild Delivery of the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
The cruise line has made the move to now include 123 suites in The Haven which is a step up from 107 suites on Viva.
New for the brand is the Two- and Three-Bedroom Duplex Suites. These expansive two-story accommodation offerings will feature separate living and dining areas; three bathrooms; a balcony; and three bedrooms which are designed for multigenerational families.
What’s new in entertainment onboard Norwegian Aqua?
The cruise line earlier this week announced two new shows – ‘Revolution: A Celebration of Prince’ and ‘Elements: The World Expanded’.
‘Revolution’ will be an hour-long show produced by the in-house team at NCL. The concert experience celebrating Prince’s music, energy, and life. At its core, the show will embrace the global icon’s rise to popularity, as one of the leaders of soul, rock and pop music.
Set in the Aqua Theater & Club, the show will feature performances both on stage and off for a fully immersive experience.Guests will also have the option to enjoy the show on the dance floor with the cast or watch from traditional theatre seating.
One of the line’s most popular shows, ‘Elements’ will be revamped. It will be a more immersive experience that focuses on the four elements; earth, air, water and fire combined with magic, aerial acrobatics along with music can dance.
