A small town sets sail. A lack of space and a feeling of confinement are inevitable. Full restaurants and no free sunbeds. Comfortably splashing around in the pool? Impossible! Find an empty seat in the tiny Theatrium? Dream on!
Many vacationers might doubt before booking whether relaxing on such an ocean liner is possible at all. Lonely and individual, of course, can be forgotten. After all, at the end of the day, it’s a cruise ship designed for the typical package tourist.
But now you can find out why the AIDAnova is worthwhile for those interested in cruises, which prejudices can be safely blown to the wind and which highlights the ship offers in terms of entertainment.
#1 Theatrium
The centerpiece is, of course, the circular Theatrium, where various events and shows take place almost all day (especially on sea days). There are 500 seats and especially in the evenings the Theatrium is well attended, not to say overcrowded. If you want to get a seat, you should be there early. For that reason alone, we didn’t see that many shows.
But I can absolutely recommend the show Nashville. The performed country-rock songs are just fun and the singers really have it. The performance Show me! Yello! on the other hand, was really weird. Both acrobatically and dance-wise, it wasn’t a smash hit.
However, you should not miss the laser shows, which are usually shown after a performance. I was so impressed by it that I had to watch the show several times.
#2 Studio X
Studio X is the first TV studio on the sea. There, you can be there live when AIDA shows like the (sometimes amusing) Prime Time or Who Wants to be a Millionaire? are recorded, which can then be watched on the TV in your cabin. Seating, however, is limited to 500 here as well. If you are quick and patient, you can sit in there.
#3 Mystery Room
Escape rooms are quite popular at the moment, so AIDA didn’t miss the opportunity to set up the Mystery Room on board. The goal is to escape from a locked room within one hour with the help of puzzles. The whole thing is chargeable and prices range from €10-€25 depending on age.
#4 Activity Deck 16
The right place for a dose of fun, because here, as the name suggests, numerous activities are offered.
#5 Four Elements
There are water slides, a climbing garden, a stage for shows and an LED wall for broadcasting movies and sporting events.
The highlight in this area are the 3 water slides that run over 3 decks. And the coolest: In some sections you can see through the tube to the open sea. Simply great! The surprise (and maybe the little shock) are guaranteed.
Now, many people are probably thinking “it’s always crowded there and it takes forever to get to your turn”. I thought so too. But oh wonder! Even on a sea day, the crowds were manageable. Even if a line forms, you don’t really have to wait long. For us, the waiting time was between 1-10 minutes. I would not have expected that on such a huge ship. In all likelihood, this also depends on the time of travel and the number of children on board. But the surviving impression gives hope that even then it should be bearable.
Slides nice and good. You don’t want to do that all day long anyway. What about pools & hot tubs?
Here, too, the crowds are kept within limits. I don’t know exactly why myself. Personally, I’m not a water rat either, but the majority of vacationers are usually into that kind of thing. But my observation on the AIDAnova was that you can always find a spot in the wet.
It is the same with the loungers. Sure… on the sunny side everything is usually full and it becomes difficult to find a place for 2+ people. However, I have also had this experience on smaller cruise ships.
But with a little patience and willingness to compromise, you will find what you are looking for. And yes, even on the AIDAnova the miserable reserving of sunbeds is widespread. Super annoying and AIDA has to do something. Royal Caribbean and Mein Schiff simply do a better job. If a space is unoccupied for an extended period of time, the towel will be put away. As simple as that. A towel fee that is refundable upon return would put a quick end to the reservation craze. One can only hope that there will be a reconsideration soon.
#6 Beach Club
Pools and whirlpools are available not only at Four Elements, but also at the Beach Club. Here, the noise level is a bit higher because there are more children. In the evening you can relax under palm trees at the beach club or party with live entertainment. It gets too crowded there for my taste. But for a good party, that’s probably just fine.
Kids & Teens still have separate areas on deck 16 such as the Mini Club (6-36 months), the Kids Club (3-11 years), the Wave Club (for teens between 12 and 17 years) and finally the Game Room, which is open to all and offers some gaming equipment. It is very convenient that the family or kids restaurant Fuego is located around the corner.
#7 Clubs & Bars
Night owls and party lovers can not only drink something cozy in the numerous bars, but also really party and rock out. The Cube is a stylish club with a cozy lounge area.
The Rock Box Bar, on the other hand, offers a contrasting program. The bar has a pub atmosphere and attracts with rock’n’roll music.
#8 Fitness & Wellness
Fitness and relaxation enthusiasts are in good hands in the wellness and fitness area on deck 8. Numerous spa and sauna treatments are offered on board. Holidaymakers who like that kind of thing can certainly relax well in this spacious area.
Personally, I’m not interested in that kind of thing. Simply too little action. To relax, I prefer to use the private hammock on the balcony.
However, as a fitness fanatic, I really enjoyed using the fitness area. Cardio equipment is sufficiently available with an (indirect) view of the sea. The weight lifting area, on the other hand, is unfortunately far too small. If there are 5 people training there, it’s already getting crowded. That is definitely expandable. The outdoor workout area is quite nice, but a lot of the equipment there is totally nonsensical. No one needs them. The space should rather be used for more useful devices.
However, for a workout with your own body weight, the area with a direct view of the sea is great. Especially at sunrise simply gorgeous. That’s a great way to work out.
Those who don’t feel like working out on their own can take classes like spinning, yoga, Pilates or TRX for a fee.
On the sports field, those hungry for exercise can shoot some baskets or score goals for free.
A round of minigolf, on the other hand, is completely sweat-free. So the offer is diverse and should have something for everyone.
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