Norwegian Aqua cruise review: All the ship has to offer passengers

At a glance

• It’s big on entertainment and outdoor fun with an industry-first, waterslide-roller coaster and Prince show.
• Room types range from tiny solo cabins to multiroom and duplex suites.
• The upscale vibe can be at odds with multiple extra-fee attractions.

Norwegian Aqua has many personalities, and I can’t decide if that’s genius or confusing.

The 156,300-ton, 3,571-passenger ship is not Norwegian Cruise Line’s biggest, but it is an expanded version of Norwegian Prima and Viva (the previous two new builds). Like those ships, its design conveys a muted elegance with modern styling and neutral colors. The three-deck atrium will wow you with its sophisticated good looks, and the ship’s multiple pool areas call to mind upscale resorts.

But look up from your beach club lounger, and you’ll see the fun-loving side of the ship. Two brightly colored tubes encircle the ship’s funnel; this striking architectural feature is Norwegian Aqua’s hybrid waterslide-roller coaster attraction. This top central area of the ship is rollicking with free-spirited fun — minigolf, multideck drop slides, a retro-meets-virtual-reality arcade and a high-tech sports court with disco vibes.

Inside the ship, Norwegian’s dedication to onboard entertainment is apparent. Its versatile theater converts from a club-like concert venue to one with traditional stadium seating, and its shows pay tribute to Prince and Fleetwood Mac. The intimate basement club scene at Syd Norman’s Pour House is always standing room only, and The Improv draws cruisers in with guest comedians and themed dance parties.

Yet for all the ship’s sophisticated appearance, it’s still a mass-market vessel with a lot of nickel and diming for extras. The buffet and pool deck seem small — perhaps to push passengers to pay for passes to Vibe Beach Club, the spa’s thermal suite or the ship’s many specialty restaurants. Its “More at Sea” fare inclusions tend to be discounts rather than freebies, but without them, I’m not sure I’d pay $40 per person for a Mexican dinner or $50 for Thai. Even the minigolf costs extra on Norwegian Aqua (though the Aqua Slidecoaster is refreshingly free). The Aqua Game Room is also sure to enthrall teens and bankrupt parents.

Is Norwegian Aqua too fancy for your family vacation or the perfect blend of sophisticated surroundings and high-energy all-day activity? The final verdict is yours.

Norwegian Aqua cabins and suites

Norwegian Aqua has 15 main cabin and suite types, ranging from tiny, windowless Studio cabins that accommodate a solo traveler to two 2,100-square-foot Premier Owner’s Suites that sleep eight in incredibly luxurious accommodations within the Haven suite complex.

Norwegian Aqua restaurants

Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its dining variety, but the majority of its dinner options are extra-fee restaurants. However, your “More at Sea” package will give you a few discounted meals, so between that credit and the complimentary venues, you don’t have to spend a ton on dining.

The two larger complimentary restaurants are The Commodore Room on Deck 6 and Hudson’s on Deck 9. Both offer the same menu at dinner; Hudson’s is open for breakfast and lunch. Passengers booked into the lavish suites of the Haven may take their meals at the upscale Haven Restaurant, included in their fare.

Surfside is the poolside buffet on Deck 17. It serves three meals a day and has indoor and outdoor seating (as well as a soft-serve ice cream machine). At peak times, the buffet was crowded, with narrow walkways and fewer stations than I’d expect for a ship of this size.

Indulge Food Hall on Deck 8 aft might start out as your secret lunch spot on embarkation day, but your shipmates will soon discover its appeal, bringing crowds at prime dining times. It’s like a Food Hall on land: You can order from venues serving tapas, Indian dishes, noodles, vegetarian, barbecue, Latin/Mexican food, rotisserie and dessert via a tablet. However, if you sit at the bar for any particular food outlet, you can only order from that menu.

The Local Bar and Grill on Deck 8 serves a limited-menu sit-down hot breakfast in the morning and a menu of pub grub all day and into the night — to satisfy your burger, chicken wing, pretzel bite and nacho needs.

All the other restaurants come with a surcharge ($40, $50 or $60 per person). With the “More at Sea” inclusions, you effectively pay $20 per person for each meal in your package.

Cagney’s Steakhouse (found on every NCL ship) and the French Le Bistro (found on nearly every NCL ship) are Norwegian’s signature restaurants.

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

Lovers of Asian cuisine have several options on board, including Nama Sushi, Hasuki (a hibachi restaurant) and Sukothai (Norwegian Aqua’s first-in-fleet Thai restaurant).

Sukothai’s menu is appealing with all your favorite Thai appetizers, four types of curry and the pad Thai dish that inspired NCL to create the restaurant in the first place. While my chicken satay was cooked perfectly and not dry, everyone’s main dishes needed small improvements. I’d give the restaurant a bit more time to come into its own.

Onda by Scarpetta is one of my favorite venues on board, and you can find it just off the atrium. The venue’s design is as appealing as its menu. Choose from gourmet pizzas (especially the ricotta-stuffed-crust Macellaio pizza), decadent pastas (NCL’s president swears by the spaghetti) and meaty entrees (like veal Milanese). You might be tempted to finish with tiramisu, but the butterscotch budino is a must.

Room service costs extra for all NCL guests except those staying in suites and The Haven. It’s available 24/7 and is priced per delivery, not per item. Continental breakfast is half the price of hot breakfast or the all-day dining menu.

Norwegian Aqua bars and lounges

Most guests on Norwegian Aqua are likely to choose the line’s “Open Bar” package, available at a discount through NCL’s “More at Sea” inclusion package. So it’s a good thing the ship offers a variety of bars to quench everyone’s thirst.

The Metropolitan Bar on Deck 7 — a happening spot with live music near several restaurants — is the most notable bar on board. It specializes in biodynamic wines and sustainable craft cocktails, using banana peels, pineapple rinds and stale croissants as ingredients for drinks made with sustainably produced liquors. My croissant mai tai was sweet but delicious.

If you’re dining on Deck 6, you can grab a pre- or post-dinner drink at the tiny Swirl Wine Bar or the larger, darker Whiskey Bar. Or head to the Penrose Bar on the opposite side of the deck, by the casino and atrium.

At the top of the atrium is the Belvedere Bar, which specializes in bottled cocktails. The Local Bar Bar & Grill is open late and is the place to watch a game while munching on bar snacks. Indulge Food Hall has bars in both its indoor and outdoor areas.

You’ll also find bars in the Observation Lounge, Aqua Theater, the pool area, Vibe Beach Club, The Improv and Syd Norman’s entertainment venues and the Bull’s Eye.

The Starbucks in the Deck 7 atrium area is always buzzing and is a great meeting spot when your group gets split up. The Humidor on Deck 7 is the onboard spot to smoke cigars.

Norwegian Aqua activities

The standout attraction on Norwegian Aqua is its hybrid roller coaster-waterslide called the Aqua Slidecoaster. Its twin waterslide tubes dominate the top deck in the middle of the ship. The ride combines the magnetic accelerator of a modern roller coaster with a water raft ride, and it’s ridiculously fun. It’s also free.

The ship’s top decks are chopped up into a variety of play spaces and don’t have quite the streamlined feel of more traditional cruise ships. Deck 17 is home to the ship’s main pool and two infinity hot tubs. It’s more spacious than the same area on Norwegian Prima and Viva, but it feels small for a ship of this size that’s devoted to warm-weather cruising.

One deck up from the pool is the Kids’ Aqua Park, where little ones can enjoy water sprayers and mini waterslides.

If you’re a hot tubber or sunbather who wants to avoid crowds, you can buy a pass to the adults-only (18 or older) Vibe Beach Club at the back of the ship on Deck 17.

The Haven crowd has its own exclusive sun deck with pool and hot tubs on decks 16 and 17.

The fun continues on Deck 18, where you’ll find Tee Time (12-hole minigolf for an extra fee), The Stadium (free outdoor games including table tennis, bean bag toss and foosball), and the Bull’s Eye Bar, which features tech-enhanced darts games.

You’ll also find the entrance to The Drop, a dry slide that spirals down the side of the ship to Deck 8. If you’re claustrophobic, you might want to avoid this narrow tube slide where you step into a capsule and wait for the floor to drop out from under you.

Keep heading up for the ship’s pickleball court and Glow Court — a sports court with a high-tech LED sports floor.

For indoor fun, the Aqua Game Zone on Deck 17 offers an array of video, virtual reality and other games (some for free and some for a fee). The ship’s entertainment will also program a variety of daily activities throughout the ship, including trivia games, a murder mystery, karaoke, art and dance classes, and family events.

You’ll find more alfresco relaxation and additional pool and lounge space on the Deck 8 promenade. The aft section is called Infinity Beach with infinity pools on either side of the ship. The two sides meet at the back of the ship with the Indulge Outdoor Lounge and affiliated Soleil Bar.

On the other side of Infinity Beach, don’t miss the Ocean Walk, which has glass walkways that allow visitors to see the ocean below.

Norwegian Cruise Line is also known for its entertainment, and Aqua does not disappoint. The main Aqua Theater on decks 6-8 hosts musical performances with the ship’s ensemble and guest entertainers; the ship’s signature show is the concert-style “Revolution: A Celebration of Prince,” created in partnership with the late singer’s estate. We also loved the intimate Fleetwood Mac tribute, “Rumors.”

The versatile venue can transform from a typical stadium-style seating arrangement to a nightclub-style dance floor with balcony seating for late-night dance and party events.

You’ll find additional musical acts at Syd Norman’s Pour House on Deck 7 and comedy and late-night theme parties at The Improv on Deck 6. The ship’s casino — with VIP and smoking rooms, slots and table games — is also on Deck 6.

If you’re looking for pampering, the Mandara Spa and Salon is on decks 15 and 16. Book a treatment or buy a pass to the gorgeous thermal suite, which has heated loungers, water therapy pools and a series of therapeutic rooms including an ice room, clay sauna, steam room and salt room.

All the way at the front of the spa on Deck 16, the Pulse Fitness Room offers ocean views as you stretch, run, cycle or lift weights.

Finally, if you’re looking for therapy of the retail kind, you’ll find the ship’s shops mainly on Deck 8; they sell everything from logo items, vacation wear and necessities, alcohol, jewelry, watches, sunglasses and pre-owned designer bags.

All guest services (including future cruise and shore excursion sales) are in the gorgeous atrium on Deck 7.

Norwegian Aqua itineraries and pricing

Norwegian Aqua will sail seven-night cruises from Port Canaveral (near Orlando) to the Eastern Caribbean through August 2025. It will then reposition to New York to offer five-night Bermuda cruises through September. Come October, it will move to a new Florida home port, Miami, for weeklong Eastern Caribbean sailings through April 2026. It will then return to New York for weeklong Bermuda cruises before heading back to Miami and the Caribbean.

Fares start at $883 based on double occupancy.

Norwegian Aqua for families

Norwegian Aqua gives the impression of a more adult-focused cruise ship, but it offers many attractions for families with kids. Adventurous kids and teens will love the Aqua Slide Coaster and The Drop, and families can enjoy games at Tee Time, the Game Zone, Glow Court and The Stadium together (though fees might apply). Entertainment staff will also organize family-focused programming around the ship.

Parents can drop their kids off for supervised play at Splash Academy on Deck 15, and teens can hang out in their own club on Deck 14. (Both are in the middle of cabin decks.) Parent-supervised play time is scheduled daily for kids younger than 3. Extra-fee group babysitting is available from 10 p.m. to midnight for kids ages 3-12.

The three-section Splash Academy space is a large multipurpose room with an area dedicated to the littlest cruisers (ages 3 to 5), a video game room and a play area with a video wall. It seemed small for a ship of this size, but Splash Academy would not give me a maximum occupancy or indicate if they expected issues on cruises during holidays and school vacation times.

Norwegian Aqua accessibility

Norwegian Aqua offers accessible accommodations — which include wide door frames, roll-in showers, shower benches, high-rise toilets and handrails in the shower and toilet area — in the following categories:

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

The main pool and The Haven pool have chairlifts, and there are accessible bathrooms in most public spaces.

Bottom line

Norwegian Aqua is definitely a ship for couples and friends looking for a resort-style pool experience by day and a high-octane evening with dinner, drinks and a show or club every night. But it will also suit families, especially those with older kids, who will adore its top-deck attractions.

Just make sure you understand the costs and inclusion of your “More at Sea” package and plan for all the extra splurges you are sure to make on board.

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