Norwegian Cruise Line will introduce new food and beverage concepts on the Norwegian Aqua, a ship arriving in April 2025.
They include the line's first Thai specialty restaurant, a wine bar and a venue with a full plant-based menu.
The Thai restaurant, Sukhothai, will put a spin on traditional dishes like Thai cashew chicken, salt and pepper prawns, Thai grilled steak salad and various curries. The restaurant aesthetic will have contemporary Thai design elements, including bamboo and rice paper pendant lights, colorful furniture and a geometric patterned floor, with the look put together by London-based SMC Design.
The Indulge Food Hall, which debuted on the Norwegian Prima, will include Planterie, serving plant-based bowls. Planterie will serve dishes such as the Southwest Bowl with smoked tempeh and the Mediterranean Goddess Bowl with spiced vegetables, tabbouleh and honey-roasted carrots.
The food hall, which will have 10 food stations, will sport a new design by New York-based Rockwell Group, featuring deep wood accents with gold and metal furnishings.
The Commodore Room will be one of the Norwegian Aqua’s complimentary main dining venues. Photo Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line
A contemporary wine lounge called Swirl Wine Bar will be tucked away on deck six between the Whiskey Bar and Hasuki, a hibachi-style restaurant. Described as a "hidden enclave," the bar will feature a wine-by-the-glass menu, including a list of rare and premium vintages. The bar is being designed by Miami-based Studio Dado and is inspired by the curvature of Antelope Canyon in Arizona with warm color hues and cascading horizontal lines.
NCL is planning new designs and expanded seating on the Aqua, including in the Commodore Room, a main dining room that will feature a "rustic yet luxurious design" inspired by seafaring. NCL said the Commodore Room will "transport guests to the past times of maritime sophistication with antique wood furnishings; leather banquettes; floors that mimic the lines of a pier; and incredible stone accents, all with a delicate, modern touch."
Metropolitan, a bar serving sustainable cocktails that debuted on the Norwegian Prima, will be moved from its midship location and redesigned on the aft of deck seven. The bar will feature a grand piano and a small entertainment space for live music, in addition to its drinks made from sustainable sources ranging from specialty spirts to syrups made from banana peels and watermelon rind. Designed by Studio Dado, the space will include new dark hues, motifs and fresh greenery.
Studio Dado will also redesign Nama Sushi and Sashimi, which debuted on the Prima. The Surfside Café space will also get a makeover with floor-to-ceiling windows and design by London-based design firm A.D. Associates.
Palomar, an upscale Mediterranean seafood venue, will also feature a new design with natural materials such as rope and wood accents. The Penrose Bar and Waves Pool Bar will have new designs, too.
The Norwegian Aqua is slated to debut in April 2025. Photo Credit: Norwegian Cruise Line
The Aqua is the first of four Prima Plus class ships due out through 2028. The Aqua will begin cruising five- and seven-day Caribbean itineraries out of Florida's Port Canaveral. The ship will shift to New York City in later summer and offer five- and seven-day Bermuda cruises from August through October before repositioning to Miami for the winter.
The ship, which will be NCL's 20th, will also have a hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide called the Aqua Slidecoaster, a first for the brand, along with a digital sports complex with an interactive LED floor called the Glow Court.
NCL's first three-bedroom duplex suite will be a part of The Haven on the Aqua.