Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), along with its partners at Fincantieri, the Italian shipbuilding company, has announced the float out of Norwegian Aqua from its dry dock at the shipyard in Marghera, Venice. The float-out marks a major construction milestone and the first time the vessel made contact with the water.
The event signifies the completion of the external work done on Norwegian Aqua, the first of the expanded Prima Plus Class, ahead of its April 2025 debut. To celebrate this milestone, two ceremonial coins were welded into Norwegian Aqua in maritime tradition, which symbolize an offering to ancient gods and goddesses of the sea in exchange for good luck and safe passage for the vessel. The ceremony was followed by a blessing by a local chaplain and celebratory champagne breaking across the ship’s hull.
At 156,300 gross tons and a length that spans 1,056 feet, Norwegian Aqua will be 10 percent larger than the first two Prima Class vessels, providing more space and more offerings including the first-ever hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide, the Aqua Slidecoaster; a new digital sports complex with an interactive LED floor, Glow Court; and Ocean Boulevard, NCL’s most expansive 360-degree outdoor promenade to date. The ship will also offer luxurious accommodations in The Haven by Norwegian, including NCL’s first-ever Three-Bedroom Duplex Haven Suites.
In April 2025, Norwegian Aqua will sail seven-day Caribbean itineraries departing from Port Canaveral, FL. Ports of call include Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s private island in the Bahamas. Following the ship’s Caribbean season, the ship will offer five and seven-day voyages to Bermuda from New York City from August 2025 through October 2025 and then cruise five and seven-day Eastern Caribbean itineraries from Miami from October 2025 through April 2026.
For more information, visit www.ncl.com.
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