Review: Norwegian Aqua taps into Gen X for Port Canaveral debut
You don't have to be in Generation X to enjoy Norwegian Cruise Line's new ship, but it doesn't hurt.
An osprey stops by The Haven, Norwegian Cruise Line's ship-within-a-ship concept for suite-level guests, on board the new Norwegian Aqua on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) The 10-deck dry slide The Drop is lit up on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Blue is the night light of choice for Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) The Ocean Boulevard promenade on Deck 8 is lit up at night on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Norwegian Aqua's Sukhothai is the first Thai specialty restaurant on board a Norwegian Cruise Line ship. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Norwegian Aqua's Sukhothai is the first Thai specialty restaurant on board a Norwegian Cruise Line ship. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Norwegian Aqua's Sukhothai is the first Thai specialty restaurant on board a Norwegian Cruise Line ship. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) The Metropolitan Bar is one of the venues getting more seats on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) A traditional tandoor oven is used to make naan at Indulge Food Hall on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) The Observation Lounge wraps around 270 degrees of the top decks of Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) An organized beer pong table is among a slew of games in The Stadium area on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua seen docked in Miami on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Rock venue Syd Norman's is a popular smaller music concept on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Unique shadows are cast on Ocean Boulevard, the wraparound promenade deck on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) The glass walkway is part of the wraparound Ocean Boulevard on Deck 8 of Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua seen docked in Miami on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) The adults-only Vibe Beach Club seen on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua when docked in Miami on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Hasuki, the teppanyaki venue on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua is one of the venues with extra seating. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) The Aqua Game Zone features a variety of new and old video games along with virtual reality rides and other games on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) "Revolution: A Celebration of Prince" features part of the audience watching as if at a concert aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua while docked in Miami on April 13. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) The Haven, reserved for higher end guests, has its own infinity pool on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) NAMA sushi has an updated design on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Hidden away on the ship is the new venue Swirl wine bar on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Hidden away on the ship is the new venue Swirl wine bar on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) New seating arrangements take shape on Ocean Boulevard, the wraparound walkway on Deck 8 on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Norwegian Cruise Line's new ship Norwegian Aqua sits anchored offshore from the line's private Bahamas island Great Stirrup Cay on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Norwegian Cruise Line's new ship Norwegian Aqua sits offshore from the line's private Bahamas island Great Stirrup Cay on April 15. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Norwegian Cruise Line's new ship Norwegian Aqua sits offshore from the line's private Bahamas island Great Stirrup Cay on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Norwegian Cruise Line's new ship Norwegian Aqua sits offshore from the line's private Bahamas island Great Stirrup Cay on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Norwegian Aqua sails into PortMiami ahead of its April 13 christening ceremony. (Courtesy/NCL) Norwegian Aqua, as seen docked with Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas in the background at PortMiami for Aqua's christening ceremony on April 13. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Norwegian Aqua sails into PortMiami ahead of its April 13 christening ceremony. (Courtesy/NCL) The top deck of the new Norwegian Aqua cruise ship features the Aqua Slidecoaster, which is part roller coaster, part water slide, seen here while the ship was docked at PortMiami ahead of its christening ceremony on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Norwegian Aqua sails into PortMiami ahead of its April 13 christening ceremony. (Courtesy/NCL) Norwegian Aqua is docked at PortMiami for its christening ceremony on April 13, 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Norwegian Aqua seen docked in PortMiami for its christening ceremony on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Norwegian Aqua seen with the Miami skyline in the background as the ship was docked at PortMiami for its christening ceremony on Sunday, April 13, 2025. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel) Show Caption1 of 36The Aqua Slidecoaster is part roller coaster, part water slide offering a thrilling, wet option on board Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Aqua. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)Expand
Norwegian Aqua debuted earlier this month with a christening ceremony in Miami, but will spend the summer sailing out of Port Canaveral. The first of four ships in what the line calls its Prima Plus class, it's about 10% larger than 2022's Norwegian Prima and 2023's Norwegian Viva.
With the extra space, the line has added larger cabins, more seats in the restaurants and, for those in of a laugh, you might manage to find somewhere to sit for the comedy show.
While the ship offers many of the same features of its smaller sister ships including the popular Indulge Food Hall (now with a vegetarian-focused offering), a 10-deck dry drop slide and a crazy collection of outdoor games from mini golf to darts to beer pong, there's some major shifts and some unique tweaks that make it its own vessel worth a sail.
Here are some of the best:
Party like it's 1999: The big stage show offering on board is 'Revolution: A Celebration of Prince.' The line partnered with the late musician's estate to create a whirlwind production pulling from crowd-pleasing hits while opening up the stage floor for passengers to watch the show like it was a concert. It's not just musicians on stage, though, but acrobatics, choreography and even a fashion show shoehorned into less than an hour.
'Structurally the way the show is designed, we didn't want it to be sort of biographical. We didn't want it to be linear. We wanted to sort of structure the show in these kind of sections, these thematic sections,' said Bryan White, vice president of entertainment production for NCL's parent company. 'So one of the sections, we internally call it roots. Another section we call relationships. So once we had that kind of framing device, we were able to take our long list of songs and say, 'Here's what we think musically is going to sound interesting.''
The end result jumps around, and gets you 'Little Red Corvette' and 'When Doves Cry' as well as some deep cuts and even mashups like one that pairs 'Kiss' with with Prince protege group Vanity 6's 'Nasty Girl.'
Other shows on board include a jaw-dropping revamp of a popular NCL original aerialist and magic show called 'Elements: The World Expanded' and the return of a Fleetwood Mac 'Rumours' show, all running under an hour.
Plus for all those children of the 80s who ever spent a day home sick from school, the line is bringing back 'The Price is Right LIVE' game show for some sailings.
Hold on tight: NCL got rid of the go-kart track found on its sister ships and replaced it with an adrenaline-inducing ride called the Aquacoaster that combines a roller coaster and water slide. A pair of two-seater rafts slowly crawl into place on a rising ramp. What riders don't see is a massive mechanical arm creeping up behind them like the hand of God and hurling them up the ramp and into a high-speed ride whipping around a classic water slide tube. While the line says it's the first hybrid roller coaster and water slide, it's similar to Disney Cruise Line's AquaDuck and AquaMouse, but only if Mickey and Donald had taken 10 shots of espresso.
Level up: The Aqua Game Room is right up the alley for anyone who used to hit the arcade with a pocket full of quarters. But while it pays homage to the classics including Pac-Man, Centipede and Donkey Kong among others, it's not stuck in the 80s. There are virtual reality simulators and updated racing and shooting games. There are also ticket-spitting fan favorites like Skee-Ball and Whack-a-Mole and even a mini bowling alley.
Thai food: The ship has specialty restaurants galore bringing back its popular steakhouse, teppanyaki, sushi, French, Mediterranean and Mexican venues, but it's now home to the line's first dedicated Thai offering, Sukhotahi. The menu doesn't disappoint. The tom kha gai soup with a magical mix of coconut milk, lemongrass and lime will set Thai food fan bellies in a good place before diving into entrees like yellow, green and red curries, cashew chicken, pad Thai and roasted duck.
Red red wine: Boat drinks with little straws are fine and all, but fans of the divine grape will be pleased with Swirl, a small but unique wine venue nestled away on Deck 6 behind the more expansive Whiskey Bar with just a few seats. The venue offers vintages from around the world. Wine not your thing? There are 13 other bars on board that have you covered.
Overall, if people enjoyed the layout of the Prima and Viva ships from NCL, they'll enjoy the extra space of Norwegian Aqua. Finding a seat won't be as challenging. A walk around the outdoor deck 8 promenade will still be inviting. And the entertainment on board keeps skewing a little younger.
Generationally, this isn't your grandparents' cruise ship. In fact, you might just be the grandparent now.
Norwegian Aqua will continue seven-night Eastern Caribbean sailing from Port Canaveral through August before a stint in New York. It will return to Florida sailing out of Miami this October.
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