Key Aspects:
- Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Aqua began her seasonal deployment to PortMiami on October 7, 2025, sailing a 5-night itinerary to ports in Belize and Mexico.
- The Prima Plus-class ship will be based in the Cruise Capital of the World until April 2026, sailing 7-night voyages that feature calls to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas, and other popular Caribbean destinations.
- Norwegian Aqua, the newest in the fleet, will return to PortMiami in fall 2026 for her second winter season sailing Caribbean itineraries.
The much-celebrated Norwegian Aqua, the first ship in Norwegian Cruise Line’s Prima Plus Class, has arrived at PortMiami for her winter season deployment.
A sister ship to Prima-class ships Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, the newest vessel is no stranger to Miami, since she was christened there in a gala ceremony on April 11, 2025.
Norwegian Aqua accommodates 3,571 guests in double occupancy and is roughly 10% larger than her sister ships, qualifying her as Prima Plus class rather than Prima class.
Cruisers who sail aboard the new ship from her Miami homeport can experience one of the cruise industry’s top thrill rides — the Aqua Slidecoaster, a hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide that is the longest and fastest at sea.
After the naming event in Miami, Norwegian Aqua was based at Port Canaveral for a series of summer sailings, and then it was onward to New York in August 2025 for several Bermuda cruises.
Her maiden cruise from Miami, which departs on October 7, 2025, is a 5-night sailing that will visit Harvest Caye, Belize, and Cozumel, Mexico.
Through April 2026, the ship will sail 7-night Caribbean voyages that include calls at the cruise line’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay, in the Bahamas, plus Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, USVI, and Tortola, BVI.
“We are delighted to welcome Norwegian Aqua to her new homeport in Miami, the city where NCL originated and continues to play a significant role in our history even today with our headquarters here,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
All itineraries feature a port call to Great Stirrup Cay, which is scheduled to unveil a new, two-ship pier and a 28,000-square-foot heated pool in December 2025. Currently, the island destination is a tender port.
The upgrades are part of a larger renovation of the private island paradise; in summer 2026, the destination will open the Great Tides Waterpark, a 6-acre aquatic space.
Norwegian Aqua Will Return to PortMiami in Fall 2026
Following her seasonal base at PortMiami, Norwegian Aqua will return to New York for additional Bermuda itineraries during summer and fall 2026. The 5-night cruises will call at Kings Wharf and overnight in the popular port.
Read Also: I Tried Out the First Prima Plus Class Cruise Ship, Norwegian Aqua
The ship will also return to PortMiami in October 2026 for her second seasonal deployment, through April 2027. By that time, the full set of improvements to Great Stirrup Cay will be completed.
The 156,000-gross-ton Norwegian Aqua, which was constructed at Fincantieri’s Marghera, Italy, shipyard, has 17 restaurants, 18 bars, and 36 stateroom categories, including the exclusive luxury accommodations in The Haven.
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In addition to the unique Aqua Slidecoaster, the ship offers more thrills with The Drop, a 10-story dry slide. Interactive games are also offered, such as Glow Court, the digital sports complex with an LED floor, the Aqua Game Zone, and an outdoor activity space called The Stadium.
Adults can relax in the Vibe Beach Club, where guests must be at least 18 years old to enter, and the Mandara Spa and Salon, offering various wellness treatments.
