TAKE A BOW

WELL, this is a tame ride, I thought, as I sat in a dinghy on a conveyor belt inching up a steep track, water trickling towards me.

- DAVE MONK

Then everything stopped. I heard a shrill mechanical whir-ring from behind and suddenly a metal arm was propelling me like a human cannonball up the slope and into the entrance of a large plastic tube.

It all went downhill from there literally as I was carried for nearly 900ft on a wave round numerous bends, through a succession of bright lights and vivid colours, making it feel like the opening titles of Doctor Who.

Around 40 thrilling seconds later, I was deposited with a splash into a pool back near the start and clambered out, wet and laughing.

This was the Slidecoaster a cross between a water slide and roller coaster on the new £1billion cruise ship Norwegian Aqua.

On a rainy day in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, I was among the first passengers to test this attraction, which will be even more fun in the heat of the Caribbean.

Aqua - the 20th in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet is the first in a new class called Prima Plus, 10% bigger than its forerunners Prima and Viva. Even with 3,571 passengers, there is ample space for everyone on the 20 decks.

The 17 restaurants include a new Thai venue, Sukhothai one of the fantastic eateries I visited during a five-day inaugural cruise to Southampton. Another night I ate at one of my favourite steak houses at sea, Cagney's an NCL regular fixture serving perfectly cooked fillets and crispy Parmesan-dusted truffle fries.