Norwegian Aqua Review: ‘Slidecoaster’ Steals the Show

Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Norwegian Aqua, made its debut in April 2025 featuring a dramatic rollercoaster-style waterslide that winds across the top deck. Called the Aqua Slidecoaster, the splashy ride sums up what this cruise is all about: High-energy, family-focused fun with a wave of innovation.

I attended the Aqua's christening celebration on April 13, 2025 in Miami, followed by a three-night sailing to NCL’s private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay. While the sailing was a special preview for media, travel agents and employees (and not a typical guest voyage), I still got a strong taste of what this ship has to offer — and there’s a lot. Although NCL covered the cost of my trip, the opinions in this review are my own.

The Aqua is 1,056 feet long and capable of carrying over 3,500 guests, making it about 10% larger than her sisters, the Norwegian Prima and Viva. It's hardly the biggest ship at sea (that title goes to Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, which accommodates about 5,600 passengers), but it still feels huge. Although the Aqua is pricier than some competitors, the superior rides, entertainment and food options make it worth the splurge.

The Norwegian Aqua is a head-turner from the moment you see its hull, adorned with funky, colorful art by Oakland, California-based street artist Allison Hueman, the first woman to design hull artwork for NCL.

The ship’s vibrant, high-energy aesthetic extends through its exterior. Aside from the Aqua Slidecoaster, there’s also a 10-story dry slide called The Drop. The deck is lined with infinity hot tubs.

There’s also Ocean Boulevard, an outdoor walkway that wraps around the ship. One section is a glass bridge where you can peer down on the sea below. It’s a bit trippy, but seriously cool.

The center of the ship is a multistory atrium. Most floors have a bar, and there’s often live music or other activities like trivia happening at almost all times of day.

Inside, there’s a lot to do and eat. The food game is strong and diverse. Sukhothai, a new restaurant for NCL, serves up tasty Thai food, while the fast-casual Planterie restaurant offers healthy plant-based bowls.

You can watch theater shows, including a Prince tribute show and an acrobatics show called "Elements: The World Expanded." There’s also a Glow Court that functions as a sports court during the day and a dance floor at night.

Expansive glass windows throughout make for excellent views pretty much anywhere onboard.

As is the case with most cruise lines, rooms range from more affordable interior rooms (yep, that means no windows) to opulent, multiroom suites. But no matter which room you go for, the Aqua's cabins feel a bit more elevated than competing cruise lines.

The bathrooms have an artsy backsplash that feels elegant and modern, and plenty of drawers and shelves to hide the clutter.

Rooms have blue accents, which add some energy. And they’re thoughtfully designed with plenty of USB ports and outlets near the bed and at the vanity.

NCL put me in a balcony room, and gave me a chance to tour a few more rooms.

Balcony room

My balcony room with a king-sized bed came in at about 300 square feet plus a private outdoor area that was nearly 100 square feet, making it one of the largest balcony rooms available on any major cruise line. This room fills the sweet spot for cruisers who want a private deck and more space without splurging on a suite.

NCL covered the cost of my stay, but a seven-night Caribbean sailing out of Miami for two adults in this type of balcony room typically starts around $4,000. That’s the base fare, meaning it covers most food and activities, but not extras like excursions, specialty meals, Wi-Fi and alcohol. These rooms can accommodate up to four, but prices increase as you add people to the room.

Note that prices per sailing vary widely throughout the year based on demand.

Inside room

Starting at around $2,000 for two people for a seven-night sailing, the inside rooms are surprisingly functional with storage nooks to keep things organized despite the small space. You won’t get a view, but it’s a budget-conscious choice for travelers who plan to spend most of their waking hours out and about.

Suite

Starting at around $6,000 for two guests, the Aqua’s suites dial up the luxury with larger living areas, upgraded amenities and better views. Suites vary widely in size and layout, with the largest covering more than 500 square feet and featuring multiple bedrooms. Suites also come with butler and concierge service.

The Haven

The Haven is an exclusive series of rooms, similar to Princess Cruises’ Sanctuary Collection and MSC Cruises’ Yacht Club, where guests receive more personalized service and rooms with fancier touches.

Travelers staying at The Haven have access to an exclusive sundeck, pool, bar and lounge. They receive 24-hour butler service and benefits like a personal escort on and off the ship to whisk you past potentially long lines at both the pier and at ports-of-call, or reserved seating at shows.

Within The Haven, the cost and size of rooms vary. Most impressive of the bunch is the 6,700 square foot, three-bedroom garden villa. It sleeps up to eight people and includes its own living room, private dining area and outdoor terrace with hot tub.

But considering the smallest rooms in The Haven start at around $9,000 per couple for a seven-night Caribbean sailing (and $35,000 for a party of eight in the three-bedroom Villa), it’s tough to justify the huge added expense. There are certainly some benefits to expedited boarding and 1:1 service, but in my opinion, it's not worth the added price for most people.

With 17 restaurants and 18 bars, Aqua is one of the best cruise ships out there for foodies. While it doesn't feature celebrity chef partnerships like some competitors, the overall food quality was on par with Princess Cruises — which is known for its strong culinary program.

Even the food options that come included with your cruise fare are good. Notably, the Indulge Food Hall puts a fresh spin on the usual cruise buffet with various international cuisines including Southeast Asian, Chinese and Italian.

Health is at the forefront. In front of every restaurant, an employee stands with a spray bottle of hand sanitizer. There are also hand-washing stations everywhere.

Specialty restaurants

Specialty restaurants require an extra fee. Aqua stands out with a restaurant called Sukhothai, which costs an extra $50 per person. As the cruise line’s first Thai specialty restaurant, you can order traditional dishes like green curry and pad Thai in a sleek, upscale setting.

My personal favorite of the specialty restaurants is Palomar, a Mediterranean seafood restaurant, which costs an additional $60 per person. I was won over by its Galaktoboureko, a dessert consisting of Greek yogurt sorbet served with an orange custard pie.

The specialty restaurants are certainly good, but a budget-conscious traveler would be perfectly fine to skip these. The food that’s included in the cruise fare is excellent.

Included restaurants

The buffet: Aqua has one main buffet called Surfside Cafe & Grill. It’s pretty small, and the breakfast was the same every day of my sailing, a pretty generic array of eggs, sausages, baked beans, yogurt, oatmeal and pastries.

It’s much better during lunch and dinner, where there are recurring staples, including a salad bar and grilled chicken. The rotating dishes include veal, curry, chow mein noodles and more international cuisine.

Indulge Food Hall: Speaking of international cuisine, Indulge Food Hall is the star. It’s all-you-can-eat, but instead of walking around a buffet, you order via an iPad and get small plates delivered to your table. There are seven restaurants in the food hall, each featuring different cuisines and flavors.

Some of the best flavors I had came from Planterie, NCL’s first plant-based eatery. There, I ordered a Hawaiian bowl complete with sweet potato glass noodles, pineapple slaw, macadamia nuts and edamame. You can top it with plant-based proteins like falafel, tempeh, or jackfruit cake.

Next up, I ordered from the barbecue stall, where I got some juicy smoked turkey.

The Nudls stand was another winner, offering global takes like Singapore street noodles, pesto gnocchi and Indonesian noodle soup. Over at Tamara, an Indian restaurant, I sampled chicken korma, fish tikka and vegetable pakoras.

Still, Indulge Food Hall had some kinks. At some times during my sailing, it was hard to find seating indoors. While you could sit at the counters of each food stall, those seats only let you order from that specific stand, which defeats the whole purpose of a food hall concept. There were a few available seats in the central area where you could order from all stalls — but several of the iPads at those tables were broken. The only functional ones I found were outside, where it was too hot to enjoy a leisurely meal.

The main dining room: Hudson’s, the main dining hall, has massive floor-to-ceiling windows offering sweeping ocean views. Service was smooth, the food quality was consistent, and the space never felt overly crowded. The high quality of this waiter-service restaurant that’s included with your sailing might even make you question why you’d pay roughly $50 per person for specialty dining.

"Revolution: A Celebration of Prince" is the best show I’ve seen at sea. The dancers were incredibly athletic, and the show captured the essence of Prince without falling into cheesy tribute territory. It was modern and electric in all the right ways.

"Elements: The World Expanded" is also worth catching. It’s similar to a Cirque du Soleil show with dancing and acrobatics, plus some illusions. It’s also family-friendly, unlike the Prince show, which might not be suitable for younger kids.

The ship’s signature attraction is the Aqua Slidecoaster, which uses magnetic lift technology to propel riders in rafts up a hill at speeds of 30 mph before splashing down through a winding tube.

For thrills that don’t require a swimsuit, there’s a dry slide called The Drop, which shoots you down 10 stories along the side of the ship.

An area called Horizon Park offers lawn-style games like giant Connect Four and bean-bag toss on the top deck.

You can spend time at the arcade, which also has a two-lane bowling alley inside.

There’s also an international-themed mini golf course with each hole representing a different country, though it requires an extra fee.

And like most ships, there’s a rooftop pool.

There’s no shortage of bars (alcohol is an additional fee), and a casino takes up a large portion of one floor.

An area called Vibe Beach Club offers cabanas and cocktails in an adults-only space.

There’s also a spa with unique rooms like a charcoal sauna and a salt room, but there’s an extra fee for a spa day pass. Services like pedicures or massages aren’t included and carry separate fees. Even if you’re willing to spend the money, the spa might be better suited for longer sailings than shorter ones.

The gym was slightly smaller than I expected, especially for such a large ship. It was also crowded when I visited.

Still, there were enough machines and weights for a decent workout, and the ocean views made for a good gym session.

For a ship that strikes the perfect balance between family fun and elevated escape, Norwegian Aqua is it. It’s elegant without being stuffy, stylish, clever and easy to navigate. From its blue-accented rooms and modern atrium to high-quality food options, Aqua proves that Norwegian knows how to deliver a ship that feels like a step up — even if it doesn’t charge luxury-line prices. Although it's pricier than many other family-oriented cruise lines, the top-notch dining and entertainment options make it worth the cost.

If you’re cruising with kids, want a fresh take on dining, or crave unique attractions like a Slidecoaster at sea, Norwegian Aqua is worth the ride.

 (Top photo by Sally French)