Norwegian Aqua cruise evaluation: All of the ship has to supply passengers

Norwegian Aqua cabins and suites

Norwegian Aqua has 15 essential cabin and suite varieties, starting from tiny, windowless Studio cabins that accommodate a solo traveler to 2 2,100-square-foot Premier Proprietor’s Suites that sleep eight in extremely luxurious lodging inside the Haven suite advanced.

Norwegian Aqua eating places

Norwegian Cruise Line is understood for its eating selection, however the majority of its dinner choices are extra-fee eating places. Nevertheless, your “Extra at Sea” bundle provides you with just a few discounted meals, so between that credit score and the complimentary venues, you do not have to spend a ton on eating.

The 2 bigger complimentary eating places are The Commodore Room on Deck 6 and Hudson’s on Deck 9. Each supply the identical menu at dinner; Hudson’s is open for breakfast and lunch. Passengers booked into the lavish suites of the Haven might take their meals on the upscale Haven Restaurant, included of their fare.

Surfside is the poolside buffet on Deck 17. It serves three meals a day and has indoor and out of doors seating (in addition to a soft-serve ice cream machine). At peak instances, the buffet was crowded, with slim walkways and fewer stations than I would count on for a ship of this dimension.

Indulge Meals Corridor on Deck 8 aft may begin out as your secret lunch spot on embarkation day, however your shipmates will quickly uncover its enchantment, bringing crowds at prime eating instances. It is like a Meals Corridor on land: You may order from venues serving tapas, Indian dishes, noodles, vegetarian, barbecue, Latin/Mexican meals, rotisserie and dessert through a pill. Nevertheless, in the event you sit on the bar for any explicit meals outlet, you possibly can solely order from that menu.

The Native Bar and Grill on Deck 8 serves a limited-menu sit-down scorching breakfast within the morning and a menu of pub grub all day and into the night time — to fulfill your burger, rooster wing, pretzel chew and nacho wants.

All the opposite eating places include a surcharge ($40, $50 or $60 per individual). With the “Extra at Sea” inclusions, you successfully pay $20 per individual for every meal in your bundle.

Cagney’s Steakhouse (discovered on each NCL ship) and the French Le Bistro (discovered on almost each NCL ship) are Norwegian’s signature eating places.

Palomar serves upscale Mediterranean seafood, and Los Lobos dishes out Mexican delicacies in an simply missed spot.

Lovers of Asian delicacies have a number of choices on board, together with Nama Sushi, Hasuki (a hibachi restaurant) and Sukothai (Norwegian Aqua’s first-in-fleet Thai restaurant).

Sukothai’s menu is interesting with all of your favourite Thai appetizers, 4 kinds of curry and the pad Thai dish that impressed NCL to create the restaurant within the first place. Whereas my rooster satay was cooked completely and never dry, everybody’s essential dishes wanted small enhancements. I would give the restaurant a bit extra time to return into its personal.

Onda by Scarpetta is certainly one of my favourite venues on board, and you could find it simply off the atrium. The venue’s design is as interesting as its menu. Select from connoisseur pizzas (particularly the ricotta-stuffed-crust Macellaio pizza), decadent pastas (NCL’s president swears by the spaghetti) and meaty entrees (like veal Milanese). You is likely to be tempted to complete with tiramisu, however the butterscotch budino is a should.

Room service prices additional for all NCL company besides these staying in suites and The Haven. It is accessible 24/7 and is priced per supply, not per merchandise. Continental breakfast is half the worth of scorching breakfast or the all-day eating menu.

Norwegian Aqua bars and lounges

Most company on Norwegian Aqua are seemingly to decide on the road’s “Open Bar” bundle, accessible at a reduction by means of NCL’s “Extra at Sea” inclusion bundle. So it is a good factor the ship presents a wide range of bars to quench everybody’s thirst.

The Metropolitan Bar on Deck 7 — a taking place spot with dwell music close to a number of eating places — is probably the most notable bar on board. It focuses on biodynamic wines and sustainable craft cocktails, utilizing banana peels, pineapple rinds and off croissants as substances for drinks made with sustainably produced liquors. My croissant mai tai was candy however scrumptious.

For those who’re eating on Deck 6, you possibly can seize a pre- or post-dinner drink on the tiny Swirl Wine Bar or the bigger, darker Whiskey Bar. Or head to the Penrose Bar on the other facet of the deck, by the on line casino and atrium.

On the prime of the atrium is the Belvedere Bar, which focuses on bottled cocktails. The Native Bar Bar & Grill is open late and is the place to observe a recreation whereas munching on bar snacks. Indulge Meals Corridor has bars in each its indoor and out of doors areas.

You will additionally discover bars within the Remark Lounge, Aqua Theater, the pool space, Vibe Seaside Membership, The Improv and Syd Norman’s leisure venues and the Bull’s Eye.

The Starbucks within the Deck 7 atrium space is all the time buzzing and is a superb assembly spot when your group will get break up up. The Humidor on Deck 7 is the onboard spot to smoke cigars.

Norwegian Aqua actions

The standout attraction on Norwegian Aqua is its hybrid curler coaster-waterslide known as the Aqua Slidecoaster. Its twin waterslide tubes dominate the highest deck in the midst of the ship. The trip combines the magnetic accelerator of a contemporary curler coaster with a water raft trip, and it is ridiculously enjoyable. It is also free.

The ship’s prime decks are chopped up into a wide range of play areas and haven’t got fairly the streamlined really feel of extra conventional cruise ships. Deck 17 is residence to the ship’s essential pool and two infinity scorching tubs. It is extra spacious than the identical space on Norwegian Prima and Viva, but it surely feels small for a ship of this dimension that is dedicated to warm-weather cruising.

One deck up from the pool is the Children’ Aqua Park, the place little ones can get pleasure from water sprayers and mini waterslides.

For those who’re a scorching tubber or sunbather who needs to keep away from crowds, you should purchase a cross to the adults-only (18 or older) Vibe Seaside Membership in the back of the ship on Deck 17.

The Haven crowd has its personal unique solar deck with pool and scorching tubs on decks 16 and 17.

The enjoyable continues on Deck 18, the place you will discover Tee Time (12-hole minigolf for an additional payment), The Stadium (free out of doors video games together with desk tennis, bean bag toss and foosball), and the Bull’s Eye Bar, which options tech-enhanced darts video games.

You will additionally discover the doorway to The Drop, a dry slide that spirals down the facet of the ship to Deck 8. For those who’re claustrophobic, you may wish to keep away from this slim tube slide the place you step right into a capsule and watch for the ground to drop out from below you.

Maintain heading up for the ship’s pickleball court docket and Glow Courtroom — a sports activities court docket with a high-tech LED sports activities ground.

For indoor enjoyable, the Aqua Sport Zone on Deck 17 presents an array of video, digital actuality and different video games (some at no cost and a few for a payment). The ship’s leisure may even program a wide range of each day actions all through the ship, together with trivia video games, a homicide thriller, karaoke, artwork and dance lessons, and household occasions.

You will discover extra alfresco rest and extra pool and lounge house on the Deck 8 promenade. The aft part is named Infinity Seaside with infinity swimming pools on both facet of the ship. The 2 sides meet in the back of the ship with the Indulge Outside Lounge and affiliated Soleil Bar.

On the opposite facet of Infinity Seaside, do not miss the Ocean Stroll, which has glass walkways that enable guests to see the ocean beneath.

Norwegian Cruise Line can also be identified for its leisure, and Aqua doesn’t disappoint. The principle Aqua Theater on decks 6-8 hosts musical performances with the ship’s ensemble and visitor entertainers; the ship’s signature present is the concert-style “Revolution: A Celebration of Prince,” created in partnership with the late singer’s property. We additionally liked the intimate Fleetwood Mac tribute, “Rumors.”

The versatile venue can remodel from a typical stadium-style seating association to a nightclub-style dance ground with balcony seating for late-night dance and occasion occasions.

You will discover extra musical acts at Syd Norman’s Pour Home on Deck 7 and comedy and late-night theme events at The Improv on Deck 6. The ship’s on line casino — with VIP and smoking rooms, slots and desk video games — can also be on Deck 6.

For those who’re searching for pampering, the Mandara Spa and Salon is on decks 15 and 16. Ebook a remedy or purchase a cross to the attractive thermal suite, which has heated loungers, water remedy swimming pools and a sequence of therapeutic rooms together with an ice room, clay sauna, steam room and salt room.

All the best way on the entrance of the spa on Deck 16, the Pulse Health Room presents ocean views as you stretch, run, cycle or raise weights.

Lastly, in the event you’re searching for remedy of the retail form, you will discover the ship’s outlets primarily on Deck 8; they promote all the pieces from emblem gadgets, trip put on and requirements, alcohol, jewellery, watches, sun shades and pre-owned designer luggage.

All visitor providers (together with future cruise and shore tour gross sales) are within the attractive atrium on Deck 7.

Norwegian Aqua itineraries and pricing

Norwegian Aqua will sail seven-night cruises from Port Canaveral (close to Orlando) to the Jap Caribbean by means of August 2025. It’ll then reposition to New York to supply five-night Bermuda cruises by means of September. Come October, it’ll transfer to a brand new Florida residence port, Miami, for weeklong Jap Caribbean sailings by means of April 2026. It’ll then return to New York for weeklong Bermuda cruises earlier than heading again to Miami and the Caribbean.

Fares begin at $883 based mostly on double occupancy.

Norwegian Aqua for households

Norwegian Aqua gives the look of a extra adult-focused cruise ship, but it surely presents many sights for households with children. Adventurous children and teenagers will love the Aqua Slide Coaster and The Drop, and households can get pleasure from video games at Tee Time, the Sport Zone, Glow Courtroom and The Stadium collectively (although charges may apply). Leisure workers may even manage family-focused programming across the ship.

Dad and mom can drop their children off for supervised play at Splash Academy on Deck 15, and teenagers can hand around in their very own membership on Deck 14. (Each are in the midst of cabin decks.) Guardian-supervised play time is scheduled each day for teenagers youthful than 3. Further-fee group babysitting is out there from 10 p.m. to midnight for teenagers ages 3-12.

The three-section Splash Academy house is a big multipurpose room with an space devoted to the littlest cruisers (ages 3 to five), a online game room and a play space with a video wall. It appeared small for a ship of this dimension, however Splash Academy wouldn’t give me a most occupancy or point out in the event that they anticipated points on cruises throughout holidays and college trip instances.

Norwegian Aqua accessibility

Norwegian Aqua presents accessible lodging — which embody broad door frames, roll-in showers, bathe benches, high-rise bathrooms and handrails within the bathe and bathroom space — within the following classes:

• 21 Inside Staterooms
• Eight Ocean-view Staterooms
• 16 Balcony Staterooms
• Two Suite Staterooms

The principle pool and The Haven pool have chairlifts, and there are accessible bogs in most public areas.

Backside line

Norwegian Aqua is certainly a ship for {couples} and buddies searching for a resort-style pool expertise by day and a high-octane night with dinner, drinks and a present or membership each night time. However it’ll additionally go well with households, particularly these with older children, who will adore its top-deck sights.

Simply be sure you perceive the prices and inclusion of your “Extra at Sea” bundle and plan for all the additional splurges you might be positive to make on board.

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