Norwegian Prima and Viva fans are in for a treat when they sail on Norwegian Cruise Line’s third Prima Class vessel, Norwegian Aqua. The ship and its sister, Norwegian Luna, which is under construction at Italy’s Fincantieri Monfalcone shipyard, are referred to as Prima Plus Class ships – and for good reason.
Aqua, which was docked in New York City’s cruise terminal for two nights, welcomed travel advisors and media to witness first-hand what that “plus” is all about.
For starters, the 156,300 gross-ton ship, which accommodates 3,571 guests at double occupancy, is 10 percent larger than Prima and Viva – and that extra space has arguably been put to good use.
Just some of the new enhancements include a slate of new restaurants and bars, and the rejiggering of some of the public spaces.
The new Aqua Slide Coaster, which doubles as waterslide and rollercoaster, replaced the racetrack, which took up a considerable amount of space. =Additionally, the pool deck and the pool itself been expanded.
Here are just a handful of things I loved about Aqua.
The Belvedere Bar is set in the heart of the Penrose Atrium. (Source: Claudette Covey)
Deck Eight
First, the deck houses the Belvedere Bar and cocktail lounge (my favorite aboard Aqua), which is set in the heart of the Penrose Atrium. The bar, formerly on Deck 6 was moved to Deck 8, and The Whiskey, which was on Deck 8 was transferred to Deck 6.
For me, it was the place for people watching. Deck 8 is also home to Ocean Boulevard, which wraps around the entire deck, and includes such guest favorites as The Indulge Food Hall, The Local Bar & Grill and much more.
Sukhothai
Tucked away on Deck 17, the Thai restaurant replaced Food Republic and serves delectable Thai cuisine, with dishes that are ideally suited for sharing. Some of the standouts dishes include the Pad Thai, the Red Thai Curry, the Thai spring rolls, salt and pepper prawns, and for dessert, fried bananas with toasted coconut and ice cream.
Indulge Food Hall
The Indulge Food Hall upped its game with Planterie, a new eatery focused solely on plant-based options, including a Jamaican Bowl, with sweet potato glass noodles, zucchini, carrots, peanuts sauce, red cabbage, scallions, cucumber sales, cilantro, roasted peanuts and lime; and a Moroccan Bowl with lemon saffron couscous, eggplant tomato salad, roasted sweet potatoes, zucchini, red onion and pomegranate seeds.
There are many other wonderful options in the Indulge Food Hall – my favorite of which is Tamara, the Indian eatery.
A lounge area in The Haven. (Source: Claudette Covey)
The Haven
Although I didn’t stay in The Haven, NCL’s luxury hotel-within-a-hotel, I toured it – and suffice it say it’s an extremely impressive space. It’s been enlarged – there are 123 suites on Aqua compared to 107 on Prima and Viva. The Haven was also moved to the aft of the ship, which enabled the line to expand the space itself.
The Haven features gorgeous and plentiful outdoor spaces, a lovely bar, a restaurant and accommodations that include four new two-story, three-bedroom Duplex Suites.
Hannah (left), who performed miracles on the author’s hair in the Mandara salon. (Source: Claudette Covey)
The Mandara Spa and Salon
The Mandara Spa and Salon has been enhanced with a new clay sauna, IV drip therapy and thalassotherapy loungers. If you have clients who are looking for a supremely chill experience, suggest they purchase a pass to the spa’s Thermal Suite, which in addition to the clay sauna, include a charcoal sauna, a steam room, an ice room, a salt room and a thermal pool. Guests who opt for Thermal Suite passes also have access to the spa’s observation area, which offers incredible panoramic views.
On Aqua, I sampled the services of the Salon, where Hannah, an extremely gifted colorist, added highlights, lowlights and a conditioner to my pathetically damaged hair. She’s amazingly talented, and I highly recommend her services.
Aqua’s Hull Art
More than 20 years ago, NCL began transforming its ships hulls into works of art. And through the years, that artwork (at least in my view) has become increasingly sophisticated.
Aqua’s hull design is my favorite of all NCL ships – and it’s the first designed by a woman, the multi-disciplinary artist Allison Hueman. The design concept, “Where the Sky Meets the Sea,” blends abstract with figurative representations of – you guessed it – the sky and sea.
Aqua is set to be christened on April 13 by actor Eric Stonestreet. The ship will then embark on a series of seven-day Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral between April 2025 to July 2025, followed by five- and seven-day itineraries to Bermuda from New York City from August 2025 through October 2025.
To find out more about Aqua, look for my story in the May issue of AGENTatHOME.
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