28th Mar 2025 | 12 nights | Norwegian Cruise Line | Norwegian Aqua
Voyage on a brand new ship and explore the iconic cities of the East Coast of the USA on this epic cruise and stay itinerary! Begin your adventure from Southampton and board the brand new (for 2025!) Norwegian Aqua for your 7-night transatlantic cruise to Boston! Once your cruise has arrived into Boston, you will have a 1-night stay with a Discovery Tour included, showcasing the highlights of this wonderful city. You will then spend a further 2-nights in each city of New York and Washington, with a hand-picked experience included in both! This itinerary picks out the very best of the East Coast, after a wonderful cruise on a brand new ship. Maybe your next holiday will be the West Coast?
Norwegian Aqua, launching in 2025, will showcase a lively and colourful hull art design by NCL's first-ever major female hull artist, Allison Hueman. World-renowned for her street art and global brand collaborations, including Nike, L'Oreal and Google, Hueman's distinctive art style is a blend of ethereal realism. Norwegian Aqua's design, entitled "Where the Sky Meets the Sea," is curated by Goldman Global Arts and evokes modern mythology through colourful mashups of abstract and figurative representations of sea and sky, ruled by ancient goddesses. Spanning 1,056 feet long, 156,300 gross tons and accommodating 3,571 guests at double occupancy, Norwegian Aqua will offer more outdoor space and the highest staffing levels of any new contemporary cruise ship.
What's included?
- 7-night cruise onboard BRAND NEW Norwegian Aqua
- 2-night post-cruise stay at a 4* hand-picked hotel in New York City
- 2-night post-cruise stay at a 4* hand-picked hotel in Washington
- 1-night post-cruise stay at a 4* hand-picked hotel in Boston
- History & Highlights Discovery Tour - Boston
- Top of the Rock Observation Deck Entry Ticket - New York
- City Highlights & Discover Tour - Washington
- One way flight included from Washington to London
- ATOL protected
Why not upgrade your cruise to More at Sea to add premium drinks, speciality dining experiences, tour excursion credit, and Wi-Fi?
Transfers: Many of our customers prefer the convenience of local taxis or ride-share schemes such as Uber. Therefore, transfers have not been included as standard in this holiday. If you'd prefer the security of a pre-booked car service, our team would be happy to provide a quote.
Cruise Circle Collection packages adhere to our 7 point charter:
Located on the south coast of England, Southampton served as the historic ocean liner gateway for the British Empire and the intense North Atlantic passenger trade to the U.S. and Canada. Today it is the U.K.'s - and indeed Europe's -- leading cruise port.
Best known as the homeport of Cunard's Queen Mary 2, Southampton now hosts a wide variety of cruise ships in the booming European cruise market with the principal lines being Cunard, Fred. Olsen, Royal Caribbean, P&O Cruises and Saga Cruises.
For most cruise passengers, it's the first and/or last port on a European cruise or Atlantic crossing. But New York it ain't, and the first thing you see as you approach is not the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building, but a giant IKEA.
A pleasant, bustling city of around a quarter of a million inhabitants, Southampton has several areas of interest, though much of its historic medieval character was destroyed during World War II. In 1620, the Mayflower left from just outside the existing city walls, and the waterfront recalls this historic voyage. From Mayflower Park, you can enjoy watching the container ships pass en route to and from the freight terminal beyond the Western Docks, cruise ships departing from three separate locations, and excursion boats and cross-harbour ferries flitting around the port. Today, it is a modern shopping destination, business centre and university town (the University of Southampton is a major British research university; among its well-known alumni is QM2 designer Stephen Payne with a large commercial port in addition to its year-round cruise operations.
It's not somewhere you want to hang around (unless you want to pick up some flat-pack furniture), and most visiting cruise passengers will use Southampton as a gateway to nearby London (an hour and 10 minutes away by train). It is also a good starting point for the Isle of Wight (reachable by ferry) and the surrounding county of Hampshire and Wiltshire, with their numerous attractions.
This morning you will disembark the ship and check-in to your 4* hotel for a 1-night stay in the city.
Go beyond the Freedom Trail and experience modern Boston through the city’s incredible history. From the iconic Boston Harbour, to the famous Freedom Trail, into the heart of beautiful Beacon Hill, join your local guide on an experience that promises to connect you to the Boston of old and new. Approximately 2 hours.
At the scheduled time you will take your onward flight to The Big Apple!
Check-in to your 4* hotel for a 2-night stay.
Believe the hype. Nestled at the height of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Top of the Rock’s three levels of indoor and outdoor observation decks deliver spectacular, unobstructed views of the city skyline. With terraces facing east, west, north, and south, Top of the Rock’s panoramic sights make it the ultimate observation deck in NYC. Soaring 70 floors above Rockefeller Centre, it’s one of the top things to do in New York City.
At the scheduled time you will take your flight from New York to Washington DC.
Check-in to your 4* hotel for a 2-night stay.
This 6-hour guided tour is an ultimate journey through historic Washington, DC, and nearby Northern Virginia. Explore the highlights of this iconic city, all guided by a local expert. Tour highlights include; U.S. Capitol Building, National Archives, National Gallery Of Art, Washington Monument, The White House, U.S. Botanical Garden, Grant's Memorial and more!
At the scheduled time you will take your overnight flight back to the UK.
The legacy continues with renowned Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri constructing this next-generation Prima Plus Class. Building upon the award-winning experiences of Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, Norwegian Aqua will set new standards and deliver brand-new guest experiences to be discovered with an overall 10 percent size and capacity increase from its sister ships. Spanning 1,056 feet long, 156,300 gross tons and accommodating 3,571 guests at double occupancy, Norwegian Aqua will offer more outdoor space and the highest staffing levels of any new contemporary cruise ship.
Norwegian Aqua will showcase a lively and colourful hull art design by NCL's first-ever major female hull artist, Allison Hueman. World-renowned for her street art and global brand collaborations, including Nike, L'Oreal and Google, Hueman's distinctive art style is a blend of ethereal realism. Norwegian Aqua's design, entitled "Where the Sky Meets the Sea," is curated by Goldman Global Arts and evokes modern mythology through colourful mashups of abstract and figurative representations of sea and sky, ruled by ancient goddesses.
Following a series of seven-day Caribbean sailings from Port Canaveral, Fla., Norwegian Aqua will offer five and seven-day voyages to Bermuda from New York City from August 2025 through October 2025. The ship will then sail five and seven-day Eastern Caribbean itineraries from Miami, the "Cruise Capital of the World," beginning October 2025 through April 2026.
Norwegian Aqua will premiere the world's first hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide, the Aqua Slidecoaster. Complete with exhilarating dual slides and a magnetic lift that propels adventurous guests through two different courses, this NCL-exclusive experience will feature three stories of exciting twists and turns around the ship's funnel. The new Glow Court, a digital sports complex with an interactive LED floor, will offer a variety of interactive guest activities by day and then transform into a nightclub in the evening. Guests will also be able to continue to enjoy some of their favourite Prima Class experiences aboard Norwegian Aqua, including The Drop, NCL's 10-story free-fall slide, and the Stadium, a now expanded game space offering complimentary activities.
NCL’s family-favourite Splash Academy, for children ages three to 12, will return to Norwegian Aqua. Adolescents aged 13 to 17, can engage in fun, age-appropriate activities at Entourage, NCL’s signature teen club with its very own dedicated space. Guests looking to spend their days lounging at sea, will enjoy Norwegian Aqua's infinity edge pool with expanded seating, and for the first time in NCL's fleet, day beds will be available on the main pool deck for guests to lounge and relax. For an elevated and adults-only experience, the expanded Vibe Beach Club will also offer more lounge seating. With additional outdoor spaces, guests can spend their days exploring and enjoying NCL's most expansive Ocean Boulevard to date, the outdoor walkway that wraps around the entire ship complete with Oceanwalk, a glass bridge that offers great photo opportunities; Infinity Beach featuring expanded vistas and intimate pools overlooking each side of the ship; and La Terrazza, the open-air lounge with sweeping sea views.
More details to come soon
Boasting NCL’s first-ever Three-Bedroom Duplex Haven Suites, Norwegian Aqua will offer all-new luxurious accommodations in the Brand’s premium keycard-access-only-complex, The Haven by Norwegian®. These four two-story spacious suites feature separate living and dining areas; three bathrooms; a sprawling balcony; and three bedrooms, of which two include a king-size bed, with the master offering floor-to-ceiling windows for breathtaking ocean views. The Haven aboard Norwegian Aqua will offer the largest Haven complex in the fleet with 123 well-appointed suites, including access to an expansive, dedicated sundeck; a serene infinity pool overlooking the ship’s stern; an outdoor spa complete with a glass-walled sauna and cold room; two hot tubs; a private lounge; exclusive bar pouring rare spirits and vintages; and sweeping sea views available from every public space. Haven guests will continue to enjoy 24-hour butler service and a dedicated concierge team.
Active families, picky eaters, and couples/groups who love to bar hop
People who can't stand crowds, or those seeking a relaxed onboard environment
Norwegian cruise ships draw a diverse crowd, though the majority of passengers on ships sailing to the Caribbean and in Alaska and Hawaii hail from North America. You'll find a decent number of people from other English-speaking countries, and smaller numbers from South America and Europe. On European cruises, North Americans still dominate but you'll find more people from the United Kingdom and other European countries. You'll find plenty of young families onboard Norwegian ships, especially during holidays and school breaks. However, the line's newest ship, Norwegian Bliss, is less family-friendly than the line's other ships, with all the kids clubs on the lowest levels of the ship and onboard entertainment that is decidedly adult. Generally speaking, Norwegian Cruise Line attracts mostly middle-aged and older couples, as well as groups of friends of all ages.
Norwegian Cruise Line maintains a casual atmosphere onboard; during the day, casual wear is the norm. There's no formal dress code at night either, though most people do change into something slightly less casual for dinner. Additionally, some of the speciality extra-fee restaurants do require long pants, collared shirts and closed-toe shoes. Most evenings you'll see men in dark jeans or khakis and collared shirts, and women in blouses with slacks or skirts, or sundresses. Don't be surprised if you see people in shorts in the main dining rooms. Norwegian doesn't have any formal nights, but there is an optional Norwegian's Night Out at least once per sailing, for which passengers are encouraged to dress up. You'll rarely see a tux or gown, but suits and cocktail dresses are not unheard of. Norwegian ships also typically hold several themed nights (glow party, '70s or '80s, etc.) during a typical sailing. You might want to bring a few appropriate items, such as white clothing for the glow and white parties or bell bottoms for '70s night.
No. Unless you have an all-inclusive dining or beverage package (which you can buy), you'll have to pay extra for most gratuities, speciality dining, room service, all drinks (alcoholic and non, except water, select juices at breakfast, and coffee and tea), shore excursions, visits to the spa and any retail purchases, including photos. On the newest ships, you'll also have to pay for some of the entertainment options and even some of the top-deck fun: On Norwegian Bliss, for example, the laser tag and go-karts cost extra.
On warm-weather cruises, the main pool is the line's most popular spot onboard. On ships with water slides, ropes courses, go-kart tracks and laser tag, these are also popular and often require a wait of up to 30 minutes or more. Inside, you'll find activities that range from trivia, bingo and Deal or No Deal during the day to song-and-dance revues or Broadway shows in the theatre and live music or cabaret shows in the evening. Norwegian ships also have a lively bar nightlife. There's also an always-busy casino, which opens when the ship is out to sea.