How Is Norwegian Aqua Different from Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva?
Norwegian Aqua carries up to 3,571 cruisers and offers a wide range of resort-style amenities, specialty restaurants and fun activities. (Courtesy Norwegian Cruise Line)
It seems like each new cruise ship that has launched in recent years makes big waves by being bigger, bolder and more innovative that the ones that came before it.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s latest, Norwegian Aqua, is no different.
Aqua is the first ship in the line’s new Prima Plus class.
Norwegian Aqua is a further evolution from the line’s innovative Prima Class, which brought us Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva.
In this post, we’ll talk about the new things to be excited about on Norwegian Aqua and how this ship differs from the two cruise ships that preceded it in the lineup of Prima/Prima Plus class vessels.
Norwegian Aqua is about 25 meters longer and 10 percent larger overall that its predecessors. Aqua carries up to 3,571 passengers compared with a maximum of 3,099 for Prima and Viva.
This means more space for venues indoors and outdoors on this resort-style cruise ship. There are new eateries and larger spaces for familiar restaurants and venues.
Check out the main differences you’ll find on Norwegian Aqua.
1. The Aqua Slidecoaster
This attraction at the top of the ship is the world’s first hybrid rollercoaster/waterslide on a cruise ship. This ride takes the place of NCL’s Speedway go-kart race tracks on other ships.
The Aqua Slidecoaster is free and wraps around the ship's funnel. There are two slides that twist and turn through three levels. This is a two-person ride that allows you to race friends. The ride is free and takes about 60 seconds. There are height and weight requirements, and you can even ride two to a raft.
I gave it a try and thought it was pretty fun. You might have a little bit of a wait in the line to get on for the 1-minute ride. You get a cool rush at the start as the catapult arm launches you up the slide. You can reach speeds of more than 30 mph at the beginning. The ride is not fast after that, though, just a nice relaxing loop through the colorful tunnels until you are back where you started.
2. Glow Court and Aqua Game Zone
Glow Court offers interactive LED games, including the Volcano basketball, Wall Ball soccer and React chase game. (Photo by John Roberts)
This high-tech LED sports court is located up on Deck 20. Glow Court is open for interactive games and requires a fee and reservations. Players could pick from three action-packed challenges during our sailing: React, Volcano and Wall Ball. The sessions last 15 minutes, and you can choose to play any of these games during your time. Two of the games involve soccer and basketball skills.
Note: There is no traditional sports court on Norwegian Aqua, so you won’t have open-play basketball or soccer games like you do on many large cruise ships. There are a range of other games at the top of the ship in The Stadium, including a great caged-in dedicated pickleball court.
Aqua Game Zone features some classic arcade games, VR games and activities like bubble hockey and bowling. (Photo by John Roberts)
Aqua Game Zone is a new concept, as well. The large arcade on Deck 17 right behind the Observation Lounge features classic arcade games like Donkey Kong and Ms. Pac Man alongside VR games, a bowling alley and other fun activities for the entire family. This space is quite different from the rides and games found in Galaxy Pavilion on Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva.
Aqua Game Zone has a bunch of games that are free to play.
3. Sukhothai
I had chicken satay as one of my appetizers for my meal at the new Thai restaurant Sukhothai. (Photo by John Roberts)
This is NCL’s first Thai restaurant. It occupies the space where you find Food Republic on Prima and Viva, up on Deck 17. Sukhothai has a nice menu of traditional Thai dishes, and cruisers can pick two appetizers and a main course plus a dessert for a $50 cover charge. I dined here with friends, and we picked items like chicken satay, spring rolls, nam tuk neua (beef salad), yellow, green or red curries and pla yum mamuang (fried red snapper with mango and toasted cashews).
This is the menu for Sukhothai on Norwegian Aqua. This is the first Thai restaurant for Norwegian Cruise Line. (Photo by John Roberts)
You can see the chefs prepping the dishes in the open kitchen near the entrance, and wait staff whisk the hot plates to awaiting diners in the nicely decorated and lively space.
4. Planterie
Planterie is the new plant-based eatery located in Indulge Food Hall. (Photo by John Roberts)
This is another new restaurant on Norwegian Aqua. Planterie is Norwegian Cruise Line’s first plant-based eatery. It offers a full plant-based menu and is located within the popular Indulge Food Hall complex at the aft on Deck 8. This eatery is included in your cruise fare, as are all foods at Indulge Food Hall.
We tried out some of the items for lunch and liked the Hawaiian Bowl with sweet potato, glass noodles, grilled slaw, edamame, macadamia nuts, ginger and tahini sauce. You don’t have to be a vegan to enjoy some of these dishes.
Here’s our selection we enjoyed at lunch in Planterie. (Photo by John Roberts)
The lunch menu also offers lemon lentil and minestrone soups, as well as Mediterranean Goddess and Southwest bowls packed with ingredients such as brown rice, kale tabbouleh, quinoa, hummus, cucumber, olives, spinach, corn, beans, tomatoes, sweet potato and honey.
Planterie features different items for breakfast and dinner, too.
5. Swirl Wine Bar
Swirl is a new wine bar on Norwegian Aqua. Wine lovers can sip varietals from all over the world in this intimate space. (Photo by John Roberts)
This is a new upscale wine bar. It occupies a small and intimate space on Deck 6 aft. The venue offers a funky modern design and serves up all kinds of wine varieties from around the world. It’s a nice treat for wine lovers.
You can order from tablet menu at your tables. This tiny venue is right down the hall from Whiskey Bar and the Commodore Room main dining room.
6. Metropolitan
Metropolitan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s craft cocktail bar, has a new location on Norwegian Aqua. (Photo by John Roberts)
This specialty bar serves sustainable craft cocktails, which means bartenders make drinks with ingredients such as fruit that might otherwise end up as waste on the ship. It’s been a big hit on Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, but the constant foot traffic through the space and acoustics aren’t ideal on those ships.
So, on Norwegian Aqua, this delightful bar is relocated from mid-ship on Prima and Viva to the aft of Deck 7. It’s in a bigger space and closer to the restaurants in this area of the ship (Cagney’s steakhouse, Nama Sushi | Sashimi, Le Bistro and Hudson’s), making Metropolitan a wonderful spot for pre- and post-dinner cocktails. The bar area features a grand piano and a small entertainment space for live music.
7. The Haven
Norwegian Aqua features the largest Haven ship-within-a-ship complex in the NCL fleet, with 123 suites and the first two-story, three-bedroom Duplex Suite cabins. There are four of these staterooms on the ship.
The Haven Sun Deck with hot tubs up on Deck 17 is for cruisers 16 and older. All ages are welcome anywhere else in The Haven, which has most of its venues and amenities on Deck 16. The Haven features an infinity pool, Finnish sauna, cold room, dedicated Haven Restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, sun loungers and day beds and a bar and lounge area.
There also is a concierge desk to help with booking shore excursions, spa treatments and specialty dining.
8. New Aqua Theater Shows
Aqua Theater offers a dance floor configuration on Deck 6 that cruisers can use during the spectacular new “Revolution: A Celebration of Prince” show. The entertainment lineup on Norwegian Aqua is sure to please cruisers. (Photo by John Roberts)
Norwegian Aqua features two exciting new shows. Plus, a popular NCL nightclub show now is being showcased in Aqua Theater.
“Revolution: A Celebration of Prince” is a concert-style production that honors the music legend Prince. The show takes place in the Aqua Theater & Club, which transforms into a Vegas-style nightclub for certain late-night events. The Prince show was amazing, with nearly three dozen singers, dancers and musicians playing the all the top hits from the legendary Purple One.
The interactive stage slides into place on Deck of the theater forming a runway in the shape of the famed Prince symbol. Cruisers can choose to watch from seats on Decks 7 and 8 or go down onto the Deck 6 dance floor and dance along right in the middle of the show.
There are two showings of “Revolution” on the same night, with a Prince-themed dance party that follows the second performance.
“Elements: The World Expanded” has it all. Also, in Aqua Theater, this show combines dancing, acrobatics, magic and music inspired by the four elements: earth, wind, fire and water. This is an enhanced version of a popular show on other ships.
“Rumours,” the Fleetwood Mac tribute show is in the main theater, too, giving more cruisers a chance to see this brilliant bit of music and storytelling through the songs of Fleetwood Mac’s iconic Rumours album.
The show is in Syd Norman’s Pour House, a bar and nightclub on Prima and Viva. The smaller venue typically leaves many wanna-be attendees crammed into the space or lingering in the hall trying to watch and listen to the show.
9. Familiar Spaces, But in New Places
Whiskey Bar has a new location Deck 6 that gives it more space. It swapped places with Belvedere Bar (pictured below), which is in the atrium on Deck 8. (Photos by John Roberts)
Whiskey Bar has been relocated to Deck 6 near the new Swirl Wine Bar and the Commodore Room restaurant, while Belvedere Bar moves to Deck 8 at the heart of the atrium. This is a swap of the two bars. Whiskey Bar is a small circular bar on Prima and Viva but gets much more space on Aqua, allowing people to relax and enjoy the vibe away from the bustle of the Penrose Atrium.
Belvedere is a nice long bar there now, with more room for live music performances that take advantage of the nice acoustics of the atrium space.
Penrose Bar and the Waves Pool Bar also feature new designs, and the pub-style The Local Bar & Grill, Japanese hibachi restaurant Hasuki and cruise line’s signature steakhouse Cagney’s steakhouse all have expanded to accommodate more people.
Of course, there are different design elements on the ship to give it special feel and different from Prima and Viva. I personally think the decor in places like The Local Bar and Ocean Boulevard offers much more personality and charm on Prima and Viva.
On Aqua, the decor is much more understated, with plain tables and neutral colors for the furnishings.
To get a complete idea of what the new Norwegian Aqua looks like, including all the public spaces, The Haven and cabins, check out my series of videos.