First Guests Join Norwegian Cruise Line’s First Prima Plus Vessel
Just one week after receiving its sparkling-new Prima Plus-class ship from the shipbuilders, more than 2,000 invited guests have boarded the first of the Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) five inaugural sailings.
Norwegian Aqua, the first of what will be six Prima Plus vessels – 10 percent larger than Prima Class ships – for the expanding cruise line, is repositioning from Italy’s Fincantieri shipyard, where she first celebrated her float-out and sea trials in 2024.
Following the official handover, which took place on March 13, 2025, the new ship cruised through the Mediterranean before stopping in Lisbon, Portugal, to welcome an array of cruising enthusiasts, media, travel advisors, and industry insiders on March 21, 2025.
“During this inaugural season, we look forward to welcoming our travel partners from around the world and to give them the exclusivity of being the first to experience our newest product and to fully understand how guests can ‘Experience More at Sea’ with us,” said the cruise line’s President David J. Herrera.
“More at Sea” is the company’s new tagline to showcase its larger class, filled with industry-first experiences, such as the Glow Court digital sports complex with an interactive LED floor and the Aqua Slidecoaster, the first hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide.
Early birds get to sample the ship’s new entertainment, as well, including the new “Revolution: A Celebration of Prince” and “Elements: The World Expanded,” which gives more acrobatics, magic, and stunning visuals to the already-popular show found on NCL.
Additionally, the selected passengers are the first to try Norwegian Aqua’s 17 restaurants and 18 bars and lounges, including the first Thai specialty restaurant for the cruise line, Sukhothai.
“This is a milestone moment for Norwegian Cruise Line as we set sail aboard Norwegian Aqua, a ship designed to offer our guests MORE – more wide-open space, more thrills, more culinary experiences, and more immersive entertainment,” Herrera continued.
Sailing the East Coast
Following Norwegian Aqua’s introduction, another round of passengers will board the massive 156,300-gross-ton ship in Southampton on April 28, 2025, as she makes her transatlantic sailing to Boston.
Arriving in North America on April 4, 2025, several additional get-to-know-her cruises will be offered en route to Miami for a christening ceremony that will take place on April 13, 2025.
Up to 3,571 passengers (at double capacity) and 1,388 crew members will then set sail on her official first voyage on April 16. This journey will include a call in Nassau and the cruise line’s private destination, Great Stirrup Cay, in the Bahamas.
Once her month in the limelight is complete, Norwegian Aqua will spend her time sailing to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Bermuda from PortMiami, Port Canaveral near Orlando, Florida, and New York City.
Her predominantly 7-night itineraries in Port Canaveral start on April 26, 2025, and sail to popular destinations in the Dominican Republic and the US and British Virgin Islands, as well as Great Stirrup Cay.
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The vessel will reposition to New York City to begin a series of 4-night journeys between the city and Kings Wharf in Bermuda, beginning on August 18, 2025.
Norwegian Aqua will then return to Miami in October to return to the Caribbean with a similar lineup to her spring and summer offerings, as well as a couple of sailings to the cruise line’s additional private resort, Harvest Caye in Belize.
She will return to New York in April 2026 and alternate seasons between New York and Miami through 2027.
First Guests Join Norwegian Cruise Line’s First Prima Plus Vessel