I heard a high-pitched mechanical cry from behind, but suddenly my metal arm was climbing me up the slope and into the entrance of a large plastic tube, driving me. It all went downhill from there – literally, I was carried on a plastic dinghy for nearly 900 feet through the round, winding waves and vibrant colors, and felt like a psychedelic dream or Doctor Who opening title.
About 40 seconds later, I was left with a splash in the pool near the start and climbed up with a wet laugh. This was the slide coaster (intersection of water slides and roller coasters) of the new £1 billion cruise ship Norwegian Aqua.
In Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, I was one of the first passengers to test this charm. The 20th Aqua in the Norwegian Cruise Line Fleet is the first in a new class called the Prima Plus. This means it's 10% bigger than the pioneers Prima and Viva. Even with 3,571 passengers, there is plenty of room for everyone on the 20 deck.
The 17 restaurants will feature Sukhothai, a new Thai venue. This is one of the great eateries we visited on our first five-day cruise to Southampton. Another night I ate at the ocean, one of my favorite steakhouses – Cagney's – a regular fixture from NCL, serving perfectly cooked fillets and truffle fries covered in crunchy parmesan.
We also ate at Onda at Scalpetta, an Italian restaurant serving pizza and pasta, and Le Bistro, a luxury French venue featuring a stately central chandelier serving dishes such as snails, Coq Au Vin and Lobster Thermidor. All of the above restaurants attract extra fees, but the main dining room, Hudson, offers free food in a striking semicircular venue with a massive window overlooking Wake.
My favorite place for snacks and quick lunches was Dulge Food Hall. Here, using a tablet screen allows you to order dishes from a variety of food stalls, including kebabs, tapas and plant-based alternatives, and deliver new ones just cooked on the table.
For research purposes, I also tried many of the 18 bars and lounges, but my top spot was a nightly musician and stylish metropolis. Entertainment was led by a lively tribute to Prince, where the lowest row of theatre seats were pulled back to create a dance floor for audiences to join the party, as in 1999.
With energetic singers and performers filling the stage and dancing on the podium in the middle of the crowd, I decided to watch from the higher tier. After the final show in the evening, the fun continued with the DJ filling the floor with his favorite hits.
Like the slide coaster, the ship has drop slides, pickleball courts and digital sports complexes, and interactive LED floors that adapt to a variety of games during the day and transform into clubs at night. The crazy golf course called Tee Time has a different country theme in each hole, including Dutch windmills and British Tower Bridges. The game zone is a mix of retro arcade favorites and virtual reality challenges. Down on Deck Eight surrounds the ship with a much more traditional cruise feature, The Promenade, but features an infinity pool and vibrant blue sculpture for selfies.
We spent several hours at the impressive spa, with a plunge pool, sauna, ice room and relaxation zone. By the end of the 75 minute massage I was almost asleep. For those who need money, the “Ship on the ship” shelter offers the best suites with private sundecks, bars and restaurants. Residents have the best world of both – an exclusive enclave, but access to all the facilities on a large ship. Aside from Shore Excursions, there's a lot to do every day, from Mr. Sexy Leg Competitions to craft classes and murder mysteries.
The new cruise ship is always impressive with its sparkling glass and shiny chrome, but the NCL fleet also includes an old, renovated ship if you prefer a retro feel. In the future, ships that can operate on green methanol will be listed on the order form, and the line is already testing biofuels with drives to net zero. The Norwegian Aqua will be baptized by modern family Eric Stonestreet in Miami next week from actor Eric Stonestreet. The ship then sails from Florida and New York to the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
The voyage I was on is sometimes called a shakedown. This means testing new crews and facilities before boarding customers. However, this was a shakedown in one or more ways as it sailed into the strong winds and waves of Biscay Bay after a two-day delay in the port due to bad weather.
We wobbled a bit, but the ship, the captain and his crew passed by in flying colours. On April 25th, when we sailed under the bridge and departed from Lisbon, passing the statue of Christ, we saw monuments of famous Portuguese explorers such as Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan.
I must have had more to do bad things than the closure of the water slides. When I arrived in Southampton five whole days after five days, I had not yet seen or went to everything Norwegian Aqua had to offer. I think I just have to come back…
Book a holiday
Norwegian Cruise Line will offer a seven-day cruise at Norway Aqua and will leave Miami on November 9th to visit Puerto Plata, the Dominican Republic. St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands, USA. Trutla in the British Virgin Islands. Great Stir-Kei, Bahamas, starting from £891pp. Flights are extra. godominicanrepublic.com dot.vi.gov ncl.commore infobvitourism.com bhamas.com
