A rollercoaster water slide at sea, you say?!
Yeah, you read that right. The twentieth ship in Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet, Aqua, offers an unrivalled experience with thrills aplenty. Martin Jacobs boards ship and explores both indoors and out.
Much like in biblical times, with climate change, Nature’s taken to asserting herself in the most unseasonable of ways. In the early hours of Thursday 20 March, following one of the wettest spring months Lisbon had experienced in many years, Nature flung at Portugal’s capital an unexpected storm of epic proportions. Put it down to a hotel room with double-glazed windows, or exhaustion following a busy day sightseeing, but the first I learn of this is hours later, upon noticing an enormous uprooted tree in the hotel garden en route to breakfast. The force of its collapse had sent garden furniture to the bottom of the pool, and cracked floor-to-ceiling windows in the hotel’s breakfast room. Equally surprising was learning that I’d slept through the (accidental) sounding of the hotel’s fire alarm.
Triggered by the extreme winds of the storm, the alarm – and the recumbent tree – are the first indications that Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Aqua’s, arrival in Lisbon harbour may be delayed due to a possible port closure. Indeed, at breakfast, it’s confirmed – for myself and close on one hundred global journalists and influencers waiting to embark on Aqua’s maiden voyage – that her entry into port has been delayed, and that our boarding time pushed out by several hours.
Since setting sail from Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy, on 13 March, only crew and contractors have been aboard Aqua. A week later, this inaugural cruise from Lisbon to Southampton will present the first opportunities for the world to discover Aqua, and for those familiar with the two previous ships in Norwegian Cruise Line’s elevated Prima class – Prima and Viva – to spot what improvements have been made.
It’s after dark by the time all passengers have boarded, by the time I’ve settled into my stateroom, and by the time the South African media team gathers in Deck 17’s Observation Lounge. A predinner cocktail here has as a backdrop the twinkling lights of Lisbon’s Alfama neighbourhood, visible through the lounge’s almost 360-degree walls of glass. It’s immediately apparent from the sophisticated interiors that Norwegian Cruise Line’s commitment to creating design-forward and stylish spaces (in this case, a lounge with panoramic views especially great for taking in departures from, and arrivals into, ports) in which to enjoy cruising has been further refined.
This is confirmed the next morning when Jovo Sekulovic, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Vice President of Hotel Operations and Newbuild Delivery, comments on Aqua’s improvements. “Aqua is a perfected version of Prima,” he says, explaining that the ship is ten percent larger than the two others in the Prima class fleet, and home to more suites, including an increased number for solo travellers. The twentieth Norwegian Cruise Line ship, Aqua heralds a new class, Prima Plus. Spending four days aboard Aqua is a pleasure, even in the stormy and roughest of seas during the notorious Bay of Biscay crossing. Everything aboard ship is new; most being used for the first time, and a joke quickly circulates that Aqua has ‘that new ship’ smell.
The brand’s revised slogan, More at Sea, is not treated lightly, for there really is a plethora of differing daily activities, outlined in the Freestyle Daily newsletter, to keep one entertained. These include musical tributes (to Fleetwood Mac, the Beatles, Amy Winehouse, Michael Bublé and more), trivia and game shows, karaoke and club nights, painting and dance classes, a murder mystery that needs solving, and – one particularly for the ladies – a Mr Sexy Legs Competition (albeit weather permitting). It’s challenging to narrow down four days of sheer fun into a ‘top five’, but these are a few Aqua highlights that, for me, elevate this ship as a cruise experience. They’re worthwhile reasons to make Norwegian Cruise Line’s Aqua your next (or first) cruise:
REVOLUTION: A CELEBRATION OF PRINCE
According to Bryan White, Vice President of Entertainment Production, persuading Prince’s estate to allow Norwegian Cruise Line to stage a theatrical and concert-like production of many of Prince’s most treasured songs was a breeze; the brand’s history of onboard entertainment with top-notch production values spoke for itself. Broadway director and choreographer Patricia Wilcox’s involvement sealed the deal, and she received her own round of applause at the end of the debut performance. At just short of an hour, Revolution: A Celebration of Prince is a high-octane production that guests can enjoy either seated in Aqua Theater’s balconies or from the dance floor (a ‘show’ in itself, Aqua Theater’s sixth deck seating can retract to convert the space into a nightclub). The production meets increased requests from past passengers for music they recognise and visual spectacle. And spectacle there is, for the stage is cleverly used, with performers (two from South Africa) singing and dancing on mini stages moved around the theatre. There’s impressive lighting galore, plenty of costume changes, and with four cast members (two men, two women) taking turns singing Prince’s hits, zero chance of one’s enjoyment waning.
PLANTERIE
With close on fifteen restaurants and eateries aboard Aqua, there’s no shortage of cuisines on offer. And yes, while a cruise is exactly the sort of holiday where one’s forgiven for packing on the pounds, guests wanting healthier meals will be delighted by what could well be the first plant-based eatery at sea, certainly a first for Norwegian Cruise Line. Planterie is a new station at the Indulge Food Hall, the indoor-out complimentary food ‘court’ at Deck 8’s aft, where ‘fast’ food is ordered from table-based iPads and delivered within minutes. I opt for lunch at Planterie’s counter on a choppy day at sea, when I’m after something lighter, less rich. I quickly fall into conversation with the Mauritian chef, who talks of the freshness of the ingredients he uses, and how – having worked for Norwegian Cruise Line for many years – he’s noticed the brand’s move towards more locally-sourced produce. While plating my Mediterranean Goddess bowl, he quietly confides that, tasty as his dishes are, little compares to his mom’s Mauritian cooking. Grains, roasted vegetables, legumes and plant-based proteins (think falafel, tempeh, tofu and jackfruit) are the foundation of Planterie’s menu, which differs at lunch and dinner, and includes soups and bowls with Hawaiian, Thai, Moroccan, Jamaican and other culinary influences.
AQUA SLIDECOASTER
A first at sea, and impossible to miss when looking at the ship, Aqua’s Slidecoaster is a hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide, and occupies the very top decks of Aqua where, on Prima and Viva, the multi-levelled Speedway racetrack can be found. When we first boarded ship, after dark, Aqua Slidecoaster was illuminated and glowing, and mobile phones were quickly retrieved from pockets and bags to capture the impressive feat of engineering (when operational, 40 tons of water circulate through the course). In replacing the Speedway, the Aqua Slidecoaster has not only opened up more surrounding space for other outdoor games and activities (an NCL-destinations inspired mini golf course, a Glow Court with an LED floor, a padel court and more), but is a more inclusive experience, allowing as many as 200 passengers per hour to experience its thrills. And thrills they are, for solo or tandem riders, seated in miniature ‘dinghies’, are propelled at powerful speeds by a mechanical and magnetic ‘thruster’ up and into one of two enclosed water tubes that snake and spiral their way around the funnel and across three storeys. The ride, which lasts about a minute, begins and ends on the same deck, so thrill seekers need not climb staircases to queue for further rides. Suitable for all (with limited exceptions determined by weight or height), Aqua Slidecoaster is included in one’s cruise fare, so can be enjoyed on repeat.
SUKHOTHAI (SPECIALTY) RESTAURANT
Christian Pratsch, Vice President of Food and Beverage Operations, explains how every new dish served aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship is first tested and refined in a test kitchen in the brand’s Miami headquarters. While the test kitchen may differ in scale from those on the ships, the available equipment is the same, ensuring that onboard dishes can exactly replicate those tested “in the lab”. He adds that it was the all-time popularity of Indulge Food Hall’s Nudl’s Pad Thai on previous ships that lead his team to conceptualise Sukhothai, a dedicated Thai specialty restaurant. Located midship on Deck 17, much like the Observation Lounge, Sukhothai offers floor-to-ceiling views out to sea, and it’s this that is the restaurant’s décor, for the interiors are casual: patterned floors, comfortable purple armchairs, teal banquettes and the occasional striking pendant lamp. By comparison, bold pairings of delicate flavours characterise the menu, which includes Tom Kha Gai Bangkok-style soup, a green papaya and Thai chili salad, yellow, green and red curries, a red snapper and mango main, and a lychee and candied ginger sorbet.
ALLISON HUEMAN’S HULL ART
Art enthusiast that I am, during my time aboard Aqua I was constantly taking note of artworks, particularly those that line its walls. From staterooms to corridors, restaurants to lounges, there’s no shortage of paintings, photographs and prints – the vast majority abstract – that command one’s attention. But it has to be said that perhaps the most impressive of Aqua’s artworks is, unusually, outside, rather than in, this ship. If Dominic Harris’s movement-activated digital butterflies artwork was the standout piece on Viva, then Filipino-American Allison Hueman’s Where The Sky Meets The Sea hull art is Aqua’s equivalent. The brand’s first-ever female hull artist (it’s worth asking what’s taken Norwegian Cruise Line this long), Hueman is best known for her semi-abstract wall murals that reference movements as diverse as Baroque and Abstract Expressionism. She’s previously collaborated with the likes of Nike, Estée Lauder, Xbox and The North Face. A mythological world of sea and sky, both ruled by ancient goddesses, was the concept behind her colourful mashup of abstract and figurative forms on Aqua’s hull. I particularly love how she’s extended her design up and onto several decks at the ship’s bow.
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