(A longer) life on the ocean wave

Yet here I am – in t-shirt and swim shorts – about to enter the Slidecoaster, the world’s first combination rollercoaster and waterslide watching robotic arms head for my wee raft and wondering if I’ve made a mistake.

Less than a minute later, I’m soaked, but exhilarated, having loved the twists and turns of the hi-tech ride – once the robot arms backed off, momentum propelled me up and down three decks of the ship, colourful lights adding to the excitement. Could I have another go?

I certainly could – the Slidecoaster is included in the Norwegian Aqua fare, along with such other fun elements as the Glow Court, whose LED floor lights the way as you play; a minigolf game that takes you around the world; and the huge games room, with everything from VR experiences to retro arcade affairs… it turns out I’m brilliant at table hockey.

The holiday got off to a start far bumpier than that of the Slidecoaster, as on arrival at Southampton for the maiden voyage of the Norwegian Aqua we learned that our seven-day voyage to Boston, Massachusetts, was now a ten-day journey to New York. Predicted bad weather in the Atlantic – think storms, icebergs and probably Moby Dick – meant the original route was a Very Bad Idea. Passengers were offered the choice of cancellation with a full refund, or carrying on, with three complimentary days on the newest ship at sea.

Steve and I were hugely disappointed that our plans to meet friends in Boston and visit Salem were wrecked, but after our brilliant travel agent tweaked our return flights and cancelled hotels, we boarded.

Suddenly though, our long stretch of sea days – usually our cruises call at fascinating, fun places every day – have increased by 50 per cent. Would we be bored? We weren’t.

The Aqua is NCL’s first Prima Plus class ship, offering a third more space than usual to guests, and it has plenty to offer, from a massive selection of dining options to top-class entertainment and leisure facilities. As far as food is concerned, Norwegian favourites such as French restaurant Le Bistro, Mexican eatery Los Lobos and Cagney’s Steakhouse were present and enticing. New-to-us Sukhothai was an instant hit, with delectable Thai fare, while Palomar was a treat for lovers of Mediterranean fish dishes. These five, and a few others, are extra pay places, but the food in the elegant main dining rooms, the Commodore and Hudson’s, certainly didn’t disappoint.

There’s also a decent buffet, the Surfside Cafe, 24-hour diner The Local and more, including our new favourite, Indulge Food Hall, a collection of mini-eateries with menus taking in Italy, India, South America and beyond, but you don’t have to visit the counters and, in one case, a faux food truck. Table tablets mean you can order from everywhere and the Peaky Blinders-alike servers have your selection with you in a jiffy. There’s also coffee, desserts and cocktails, and if the weather’s good – and it usually will be as the Aqua’s first season takes in the Caribbean and Bahamas – you can sit outside on the promenade deck.

We’re talking Deck Eight, where as well as Indulge there’s outdoor seating allied to Italian eatery Onda, the aforementioned Los Lobos, the Local and the Soleil Bar. A couple of sections of the walkway are glass – spectacular rather than super scary – and there are an awful lot of sunbeds and sundry seating. You’ll also find a couple of Infinity pools, one of which proved a terrific way to spend a cool afternoon with friendly fellow guests before the weather perked up.

Yes, while the first couple of days were, let’s say, atmospheric, the decision to change course proved correct as the sun came out and calmer waters saw many a passenger using one of the swimming pools or Jacuzzis.

For a spot of indoor serenity there’s the Mandara Spa, offering the usual treatments, along with a thermal suite boasting steam room, salt room, ice room and charcoal sauna, the first clay sauna at sea and a two-storey waterfall. Next door you can work off some of the meals in the gym, though, as the excellent restaurant staff always tell us, ‘vacation calories don’t count’.

Entertainment included tributes to Prince, Fleetwood Mac, the Bee Gees and the Beatles, but our favourite shows starred the UK’s own Cleopatra Higgins, who quickly won over the mainly American crowd.

The three-deck Aqua Theatre is a clever affair, with seating that pulls back to transform the first level into a nightclub. The only problem is that it’s far too small for the number of passengers – 3,571 at full capacity – meaning we usually had to arrive an hour early to get a seat.

No complaints about our cabin, though, a balcony stateroom on Deck Ten – there are nine passenger levels on the 20-storey Aqua – with a comfy double bed, smartly designed bathroom, settee, telly and loads of storage space.

We didn’t get to use the balcony much but the room was a lovely retreat when we weren’t wandering the ship, taking in the likes of the magnificent Atrium, enjoying lectures on the Salem Witch trials and Statue of Liberty (no doubt a late addition) or visiting comedy club Improv at Sea or music venue Syd Norman’s Pour House (where we won a fun films game show).

All in all, while there were no stops on our Aqua adventure, there was no stopping the fun.

I started by patting myself on a very wet back for braving the Slidecoaster. What I haven’t mentioned is The Drop, a terrifying-looking ten-storey spiral down ten decks. Maybe next time…

Southampton-Boston cruise, £4,207 for two people (included flights from Edinburgh). The 'free at sea' package included drinks, tips, some wifi, speciality dining and excursion credit. For upcoming itineraries, contact Connoisseur Travel or visit ncl.com