By
Alice Chambers |
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has floated out Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Aqua at its dry dock in Marghera, Italy.
The construction milestone was celebrated by Fincantieri welding two ceremonial coins into Norwegian Aqua to bestow good luck and safe sailing for ship.
“We are excited to celebrate another milestone with our partners at Fincantieri, who are integral to the Prima-class journey and supporting us in evolving the amazing experience we design and deliver for our guests,” said David Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line. “Building upon the guest-favourite features of the award-winning vessels of this class, the 10 per cent increase in space provides us with more flexibility to deliver more offerings and more beautifully designed venues for our guests to relax and explore onboard Norwegian Aqua.”
The floating out ceremony marks the end of work on the ship’s exterior ahead of its launch in April 2025 (image credit: Fincantieri)
Norwegian Aqua, the largest of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Prima-class vessels, will debut in April 2025 with a maiden season in the Caribbean, calling at Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island in The Bahamas.
The ship will then offer five and seven-day voyages to Bermuda from New York City from August 2025 to October, before sailing five and seven-day Eastern Caribbean itineraries from Miami, Florida, until April 2026.
Norwegian Cruise Line will now carry out interior work to bring its new culinary concepts and more to life (image credit: Norwegian Cruise Line/Rocket Aerial LLC)
“We are excited to mark this significant moment with Norwegian Cruise Line as we witness the float out of Norwegian Aqua, which represents a new chapter in our long-lasting partnership,” said Luigi Matarazzo, general manager of the Fincantieri Merchant Ships Division. “We are proud to be part of this transformative journey in which innovation, a cornerstone of our industrial plan, is one of our key points, as we strive to push boundaries and elevate industry standards.”