Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Aqua
- Cruises
- 15
- From
- $299
Ship comparison
Norwegian Aqua vs Norwegian Encore
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Encore
- Cruises
- 12
- From
- $109
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Norwegian Aqua is a large Norwegian Cruise Line ship carrying 3,571 passengers, in service since 2025. Norwegian Encore is a large Norwegian Cruise Line ship carrying 3,998 passengers, in service since 2019.
Choose Norwegian Aqua if you want a more family-friendly ship, a more romantic trip or a newer ship: it outscores Norwegian Encore for family friendly (8.0 vs 7.0) and romantic (8.0 vs 7.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its maiden voyage was in 2025 (vs 2019).
Choose Norwegian Encore if you want more of a party, a lower starting fare or more crew per passenger: it outscores Norwegian Aqua for party (7.0 vs 2.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores, its cruises start from $109 (vs $299) and it has a crew member for every 1.9 passengers (vs 2.6).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Norwegian Aqua | Norwegian Encore | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Norwegian Cruise Line | Norwegian Cruise Line |
| Ship size | Large | Large |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2025 (better) | 2019 |
| Gross tonnage | 142,500 | 169,116 |
| Passengers | 3,571 | 3,998 |
| Crew | 1,388 | 2,100 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 2.6 | 1.9 (better) |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 39.9 | 42.3 (better) |
| Decks | 20 | 16 |
| Length | 962 ft | 1,094 ft |
| Beam | 133 ft | 136 ft |
| Speed | 28 mph | 26 mph |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 9 / 10 | 9 / 10 |
| Cruises on sale | 15 | 12 |
| Upcoming sailings | 139 | 107 |
| Cruise lengths | 2–7 nights | 1–15 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | $299 | $109 (better) |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Norwegian Aqua leads on 3 of the ten, Norwegian Encore on 1, with 6 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Aqua
Norwegian Aqua is Norwegian Cruise Line’s next-generation Prima Plus class ship — a more family-friendly evolution of Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva ... and 10% larger in size and capacity.
Sailing now
15 cruises on sale, from $299.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Encore
Since its debut in November 2019, Norwegian Encore from Norwegian Cruise Line has impressed travelers with the one-two combination of a beautiful, fun ship and great ports of call.
Sailing now
12 cruises on sale, from $109.
Questions
Norwegian Aqua or Norwegian Encore?
Which is bigger, Norwegian Aqua or Norwegian Encore?
Norwegian Encore is bigger at 169,116 gross tons, against 142,500 gross tons for Norwegian Aqua. Norwegian Aqua carries 3,571 passengers and Norwegian Encore carries 3,998.
Which ship is newer, Norwegian Aqua or Norwegian Encore?
Norwegian Aqua is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2025 against 2019 for Norwegian Encore.
Which has more space per passenger?
Norwegian Encore, with 42.3 gross tons per passenger against 39.9 on Norwegian Aqua. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
Norwegian Encore, with one crew member for every 1.9 passengers against one for every 2.6 on Norwegian Aqua.
Which is better for families?
Norwegian Aqua scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 8.0 out of 10, against 7.0 for Norwegian Encore.
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