Norwegian Aura is the newest addition to Norwegian Cruise Line’s Prima Class. This Norwegian Aura guide is the result of weeks going through the ship’s deck plans, renderings, announcements and available information. All so we can share definitively what’s changing – and what makes Aura truly different from Prima, Viva, Aqua and Luna.

Below you’ll discover our Norwegian Aura changes video, along with the 4-part series on Norwegian Aura changes. Additionally, we’ve added a Frequently Asked Questions section to provide answers to some of the most common questions we’ve received about Norwegian Aura.

Norwegian Aura: 50+ Changes to NCL’s Newest Ship

Norwegian Aura isn’t just a copy/paste of the Prima-class. The brand shares that the ship will be 10% larger than her Aqua and Luna sisters. As a result, Norwegian had a choice: Add a bunch more stuff or fix the things that cruisers most often complain about. The reality? Aura does both!

In our comprehensive list of Norwegian Aura changes video, we use official Norwegian Cruise Line renderings and deck plans to identify and explain more than 50 changes coming to Norwegian Aura.

What’s New on Norwegian Aura

While we won’t cover all of the changes in this Norwegian Aura guide, there are some huge highlights to mention:

• Norwegian Aura DOUBLES the size of the buffet. Surfside Café is getting larger to address guest feedback.
• The Surfside Café change causes a series of dominoes to fall as Palomar and Sukhothai are forced to move to other locations on the ship.
• Norwegian Aura Ocean Heights outdoor complex is the largest visual change coming to the ship compared to her Prima-class sisters
• Syd Norman’s Pour House is gone! Replaced with the new Off Key in the former location of fan-favorite Syd’s
• The entire front of Deck 8 has been reimagined to focus on families and kids on board with multiple new venues. This takes the previously underutilized space and builds the ship’s family-friendly reputation
• Norwegian Aura Pool Deck will be the largest pool deck in the cruise line’s history – adding more loungers, another hot tub, and more pool space to enjoy
• 3 new bars will debut on Norwegian Aura
• A “new” Indian specialty dining restaurant will make its debut
• And so much more…

Norwegian Aura 4-Part Blog Series

Leading up to this Norwegian Aura guide, we put together a 4-part blog series that covers the ship’s changes in detail. We cover:

• Norwegian Aura dining changes
• Bar and entertainment changes on Norwegian Aura
• Norwegian Aura outdoor and pool deck changes

The final article in the series covers the Norwegian Aura Haven and Mandara Spa changes.

While the articles cover a lot of ground, the full video goes into even more detail. It highlights the things you can only find by studying the deck plans and renderings!

Norwegian Aura Frequently Asked Questions

We’ve spent weeks digging through Norwegian Cruise Line announcements, deck plans, renderings, and other publicly available information to understand what’s changing on Norwegian Aura. Below are the Norwegian Aura guide FAQs we get asked most often about Norwegian’s newest Prima-class ship.

What is Changing on Norwegian Aura?

There’s a lot. Our comprehensive Norwegian Aura Changes video covering 50+ changes to the ship gives viewers an in-depth look at Aura updates. Cruisers will see changes to Norwegian Aura’s dining, bars, entertainment venues, atrium, buffet, outdoor entertainment options, including the pool, 3 new bars, and so much more.

Is Norwegian Aura Bigger Than Prima, Viva, Aqua and Luna?

Yes. Norwegian Aura is approximately 10% bigger than her Prima-plus class sisters Norwegian Aqua and Norwegian Luna according to NCL. Those ships, themselves, were almost 10% larger than Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva. That means Norwegian Aura has significantly more space to work with compared to the Norwegian Prima, the very first ship in the Prima-class.

What restaurants are on Norwegian Aura?

Norwegian Aura will feature many fan-favorites. At the same time, the ship is introducing a new specialty dining Indian restaurant and a new included Middle Eastern concept. Additionally, Norwegian Aura replaces the Commodore Main Dining Room with the brand-new Panorama Room. Here is the complete list of included and specialty dining on board:

Norwegian Aura Included Dining:

• Surfside Café (doubles in size)
• Indulge Food Hall (updates include new Mexican options and a new Middle Eastern concept)
• The Local (24 hour eatery)
• Hudson’s Main Dining Room (updated interior design)
• The new high-tech Panorama Room (replaces Commodore Main Dining Room)

Norwegian Aura Specialty Dining:

• Cagney’s Steakhouse
• Tamara (Indian concept leaves Indulge Food Hall and becomes a specialty restaurant)
• Le Bistro
• Palomar
• Onda by Scarpetta
• Hasuki
• Nama Sushi and Sashimi
• Sukhothai

What’s different about Norwegian Aura compared with Luna?

Norwegian Luna introduced multiple firsts to the Prima-class of ships herself. Norwegian Aura takes this to the next level adding new food, bar, and entertainment concepts. For a complete list of the 50+ changes, check out the Norwegian Aura Changes video.

Does Norwegian Aura have a bigger buffet?

YES! Norwegian Aura DOUBLES the size of the Surfside Café (buffet) on board. This is the biggest piece of negative feedback we hear about Norwegian’s Prima-class of ships, and Norwegian Aura delivers in a big way. Cruisers will find more food facings, more places to sit, and more variety than her sister ships. Ironically, Norwegian Prima, Viva, Aqua, and Luna utilize the space Surfside Café is taking over for seating during breakfast and lunch, so it makes complete sense that they’re finally leaning into feedback and delivering what cruisers want.

What is Ocean Heights on Norwegian Aura?

Ocean Heights is Norwegian’s new multi-deck open-air amusement complex. While the Midway games and Moonclimber concepts introduced on Norwegian Luna return, most of this space is completely new for Norwegian Aura! Mini-golf relocates in favor of adding in more waterslides, a full ropes course, and a new bar/lounge area to take in the wake of the ship. Norwegian also announced a new rock wall for the Ocean Heights complex. However, at the time of publication, the available renderings and deck plans don’t yet show where the new space will be located.

What are the new waterslides on Norwegian Aura?

Norwegian Aura is adding a bunch of waterslides not found on her sisters. In fact, she’ll have the most waterslides of ANY Prima-class ship in existence. Leaning into the ship’s focus on families, there will be waterslides for all ages:

• Eclipse Racers: The brand’s first dueling mat waterslides
• Aura Free Fall: A drop-in body waterslide
• The Wave: A pendulum style raft ride
• The Party Slide: A wide, shallow slide for families to ride together
• Infinity Loop: Figure-eight slide that wraps around The Party Slide

Does Norwegian Aura have The Haven?

Absolutely! In fact, The Haven is getting even bigger and better than on sister ships. With more stateroom accommodations and more public space, fans of Norwegian’s ship-within-a-ship concept should really appreciate the changes the cruise line is making to this space.

What’s new at Mandara Spa on Norwegian Aura?

Norwegian Cruise Line’s popular Mandara Spa is coming back to Norwegian Aura, however, the cruise line is making some HUGE changes. NCL teases that the Mandara Spa will have 11 brand-new experiences. These include new hot and cold plunge pools, a new 360-degree immersive Sensory Pool experience, a new blue-glow room, a new waterfall experience, a foot spa, and more. Fans of both relaxation and spa experiences have a lot to look forward to on the new Norwegian Aura!

What Problems With the Prima Class Does Norwegian Aura Fix?

While we – like many other cruisers out there – love the Prima-class of ships from Norwegian Cruise Line, there are definitely multiple areas where Norwegian is making changes with Norwegian Aura. The biggest complaint cruisers have about the Prima-class of ships is the much-too-small Surfside Café buffet. Norwegian Aura doubles the size of this space, making room for more seating, more food facings, and more options that cruisers have come to expect from other NCL ships.

Norwegian Aura also fixes a common complaint found on sisters Norwegian Aqua and Norwegian Luna by better separating out the casino from the atrium space. Renderings appear to depict the Penrose Atrium Bar moving to the opposite side of the ship. It now serves as a buffer between the casino floor and the atrium space.

Speaking of the atrium, Norwegian Aura’s focus is to make this more of an entertainment hub. Frequent NCL cruisers often complain about missing the large LED screen and gathering space found on Norwegian’s Breakaway-class of ships. Well, that’s fixed on Norwegian Aura! With a giant new LED screen and reconfigured stairways and atrium space, long-time Norwegian cruise fans should appreciate these changes the most.

Norwegian Aura also adds several new bars. Notably, NCL is addressing a common complaint about the lack of bar service outdoors at Infinity Beach by adding a new outdoor bar on the starboard side of the ship.

While these are some of the biggest fixes, watch our complete Norwegian Aura review and 50+ changes breakdown to see all of the reconfigured spaces and changes coming to Aura.

What if I have a question that’s not answered here?

If we didn’t answer your question in our Norwegian Aura guide, check out the Norwegian Aura changes video first to see if it’s covered there. If you still don’t see the answer to your question, leave a comment below. We reply to every comment on the site and are happy to put our knowledge and research to use answering your questions!