NORWEGIAN AQUA: SAIL, SLIDE, SIP AND SAVOUR

I was glad to fly into Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, to set sail to the Netherlands and then to Southampton in the United Kingdom on board Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Norwegian Aqua. After all, it was the perfect city to embark on the cruise, as Lisbon is one of the sunniest capitals in Europe.

- PALLAVI PASRICHA

But as fate would have it, heavy rains and storms lashed the city all that week, delaying the trip by a couple of days. Although that meant cutting short the cruise slightly and missing the stop at Rotterdam, there was a silver lining as it gave me an opportunity to explore this wonderful Portuguese city built on seven hills.

From eating the most flavourful egg tarts, riding the fabled yellow tram, visiting the majestic Saint George’s Castle and taking in some iconic views of the city from its many viewpoints, I did it all despite the rain.

Finally, the rain gods took pity on me and the sky cleared and it was time to set sail. I have cruised earlier with Norwegian Cruise Line on Norwegian Prima and I was ready to be pampered again. The Norwegian Aqua promised to pack in a lot that was new, from design, decor to dining options and new experiences as this ship is the first one in the Prima Plus class of NCL.

Design meets luxury

This facade of the massive ship, which can accommodate 3,500 passengers was a splash of colours. The vibrant artwork by Allison Hueman, a renowned Filipino-American graffiti and street artist, depicts mythology via abstract and figurative representations of the sea, sky and ancient goddesses.

Once aboard, I was happy to find out that I was on a high deck, the 16th, which is also where the spa is located. The spacious balcony stateroom had one queen bed, a sofa that could be pulled out to turn into a bed, a dressing table with a vanity mirror, a mini fridge and a television. There was ample storage space and a large bathroom with a shower.