Norwegian Cruise Line Opens Bookings for Norwegian Bella Cruises
Built by Fincantieri, Norwegian Bella will have nearly 2,000 staterooms, including 159 Haven suites with private elevators and a dedicated sundeck.
Norwegian Cruise Line has opened bookings for Norwegian Bella, which will begin seven-day round-trip Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona in May 2028. Its inaugural season will include visits to Rome, Florence and Salerno in Italy; Marseille, France; and Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
The sixth and final planned Prima-class ship will measure approximately 170,000 gross tons and 1,129 feet in length, with capacity for 3,921 guests at double occupancy. It will join Norwegian Aura as the largest vessels in NCL’s fleet.
Fincantieri is building both ships. Aura is due for delivery in May 2027 and will sail in the Caribbean.
“Drawing on the innovations and guest feedback that have shaped the class from the very beginning, Norwegian Bella brings together our most sought-after experiences in one extraordinary ship,” said Marc Kazlauskas, president of Norwegian Cruise Line.
Cabins, suites and expanded outdoor decks
Bella will have nearly 2,000 staterooms, with accommodation ranging from inside cabins and studios to balcony staterooms. The inventory includes 159 suites in The Haven, the line’s keycard-access accommodation complex.
Designed by Piero Lissoni and located aft, The Haven will have private elevators, a dedicated restaurant, bar and lounge, and a sundeck with an infinity pool, two hot tubs, an outdoor sauna and a cold room. Separate areas will accommodate families and adults only. Suite benefits include round-the-clock butler and concierge services, plus priority for boarding, disembarkation and reservations.
Compared with Norwegian Aqua and Norwegian Luna, Bella’s pool deck will be more than 15% larger, while the Ocean Boulevard promenade on deck eight will have additional seating. The pool deck will also feature an infinity hot tub and a large LED screen.
Ocean Boulevard will encircle the ship, with Infinity Beach providing pools, daybeds, hot tubs and an outdoor bar. For adults, Vibe Beach Club will offer its own infinity hot tubs, an ocean-facing bar, loungers and daybeds. Horizon Park on deck 19 will provide additional lounging space and outdoor lawn games.
Family spaces and upper-deck attractions
The open-air Ocean Heights complex will occupy decks 18 through 21, combining daytime activities with nighttime lighting and LED projections. Its attractions will include the side-by-side Eclipse Racers, Bella Free Fall waterslide and The Wave, a pendulum-style raft slide carrying up to four people. The Drop, the Prima-class dry slide, will descend 10 decks.
Other activities will include the Bella Ropes Course and Bella Midway, with carnival-inspired games. Deck 20 will have a nine-hole miniature golf course and Moon Climber, a multilevel climbing attraction that does not require a harness.
Dedicated children’s areas along Ocean Boulevard will be divided by age. Little Explorers’ Cay will serve children ages two to six with a playhouse and slides, while Adventure Alley will offer crawl spaces, tunnels and ocean-themed play for ages six to 10. Teens will have Surf’s Bay, a hangout featuring a surf-wall photo installation.
The upper-deck Kids’ Aqua Park will include a redesigned splash pad and interactive water features. Two nearby slides will offer different formats: The Party Slide will have a broad, shallow surface for shared rides, while Infinity Loop will follow a figure-eight course.
Completing the Prima-class program
NCL announced the shipbuilding program in 2017 with an initial order for four vessels, subsequently adding two more. Norwegian Prima entered service in 2022, followed by Norwegian Viva in 2023. Norwegian Aqua, which began service in 2025, introduced the larger Prima Plus design and is approximately 10% larger than the original ship.
The program also introduced Fincantieri-built ships to NCL’s fleet. Bella’s interior design team includes AD Associates, Piero Lissoni, Rockwell Group, SMC Design and Studio Dado.
The ship’s hull will feature original artwork by Australian contemporary artist George Rose. “Through vibrant color, organic forms and a feeling of movement, I wanted to create a piece that reflects the excitement of exploration and discovery,” Rose said.
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