Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Private Island: Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Great Stirrup Cay is Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas, and you’ll find it on lots of Bahamas and Caribbean cruise itineraries. I recently visited this island while on a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise, and in this article I’ll share my full review with you. Join me as I take you for a tour of the island, offer you my overall review, and also share some of my ‘top tips’ for how you can get the most out of your time here.
If you enjoy this post, then please support my content by coming over to check out my YouTube channel. You can find me by either clicking here to go straight to my channel now, or you can search ‘Fraser at Sea’ on your device. Alternatively, just click into the video below, and remember to hit that 'subscribe button! This video is from my time onboard Norwegian Luna, the cruise ship I was travelling on when I visited Great Stirrup Cay.
At the point of my cruise in early 2026, the huge-scale upgrade programme across the island was nearing completion. For that reason, I’m not able to show you the Waterpark, as it was still ‘under construction’ at that point. That probably means that I’ll need to book another cruise to come back and feature that on the site, right?
Don’t worry though - I’ll be showing you every other part of this island, so hopefully you’ll enjoy learning more about where you can spend a day in ‘paradise’ on your future cruise.
How do you get to Great Stirrup Cay?
Great Stirrup Cay is the private island retreat operated by Norwegian Cruise Line and, as a result, you’ll need to be cruising onboard an NCL ship in order to visit.
As soon as you step outside onto the decks of your cruise ship on the morning you arrive here, you know this place is going to be beautiful. Looking across the clear waters to the island is a feeling that I just can’t get enough of. On that note - during our visit here, they were in the process of finishing the new Welcome Plaza, which meant that the construction of the dock was in its’ final stages.
For us, that meant that we operated a tender process to go ashore. This, however, will be a thing of the past soon enough, which should make stops here way more reliable than they have been for the last few years! Later in 2026, Great Stirrup Cay will be a ‘dock’ port, meaning that cruise ships will be able to physically dock there rather than having to rely on tender operations.
Due to an incomplete dock, we used a Tender operation to go ashore, © Fraser at Sea
Where is Great Stirrup Cay, and what’s the history behind it?
Great Stirrup Cay is on the Northern tip of the Berry Islands in the Bahams, and it’s about 125 miles East off the coast of Florida.
This was actually the first cruise line-owned private island in the Caribbean - it was acquired by Norwegian Cruise Line in 1977. There’s loads of really interesting history surrounding this island - it was actually used as a safe haven for pirates and also warships, thanks to the fact it’s got a protected cove.
Now, there aren’t any pirates - just cruise ship passengers letting their hair down and enjoying a day that’s different to any other on their cruise itinerary…
Great Stirrup Cay in at the top of the Berry Islands, highlighted above using the red arrow, © Fraser at Sea
For most cruisers who visit Great Stirrup Cay, it’s important to know that there are four key neighbourhoods.
Welcome Plaza - this is the first place you’ll reach after you walk ashore from your cruise ship’s docked position.
The Lagoon - here, you’ll find facilities including the Great Life Lagoon (the huge swimming pool) and Splash Harbor (the kids splash park).
The Beaches - this is where you’ll find, as the name suggests, the beaches that Great Stirrup Cay is so famous for. The VIBE Shore Club is also found here.
The Waterpark - under construction at the point of my visit, the waterpark on the island promises to be among to most thrilling in the Caribbean.
There’s also Silver Cove, but I’ll tell you about that later.
In order to move around the island in the easiest to follow way possible, I’ll cover each neighbourhood one by one. Before we start with Welcome Plaza, here’s a map of the island to help you get your bearings…
The Map of Great Stirrup Cay, including all of the 2026 changes and upgrades, © Fraser at Sea
Neighbourhood 1: Welcome Plaza
Once the dock here is fully open, this is the first place you’ll arrive when you come ashore from your cruise ship. Here, you’ll find a large welcome area, and also the huge ‘Great Stirrup Cay’ sign, which offers you a great social media-worthy photo opportunity with your ship in the background. There are restrooms here, and a pavilion offering some much craved shade from the sun!
Getting around Great Stirrup Cay is really simple - you can either walk or take the complimentary shuttle that runs frequently. The shuttles operate as high-capacity land-trains, so you shouldn’t be required to wait any length of time to catch a ride.
To be honest, the island is almost entirely flat - I’d recommend walking around (if you’re able) - it’s a great way to see the place, and also a great way to burn off some of those dreaded cruise calories…!
A short walk (about 10 minutes) will take you to our next neighbourhood: The Lagoon.
As you walk there, you’re treated to a walk across Panoramic Bridge, a raised bridge that offers you a really unique view of some of the island and also your cruise ship. From the bridge, you’re also able to look down into the ocean (which is 12 metres beneath you). Cool, right?
Neighbourhood 2: The Lagoon
Within ‘The Lagoon’, you’ll find the Great Life Lagoon, Abaca Taco (the Taco eatery), three bars, Splash Harbor and also the Harborside Market. Let’s look at each of these aspects individually now.
Great Life Lagoon
Welcome to one of the largest swimming pools you’ll ever see. Great Life Lagoon is a monstrous 28,000 square foot heated pool - it’s absolutely enormous.
In the pool, there are two swim up bars, a beach-style entrance, water features for kids, and amazing views out to sea - you really do have to see this pool in the flesh to be able to fully appreciate the scale of it.
Throughout the day of your visit, there will be a DJ playing and also plenty of activities to keep everyone busy no matter their age. One of the huge benefits to this pool being so large is that the entertainment team are able to keep their activities and events to one section of the pool, leaving everybody else to relax as planned in the other sections of the pool.
Around the pool, there are loungers both in and out of the water, all of which are entirely free of charge to use - in other words, these are included in your cruise fare. Remember to bring your towel from the ship with you, but remember that you’ll need to return this at the end of the cruise to avoid a charge being applied to your onboard account.
Great Life Cabanas, Grand Cabanas and Couples Cabanas
Around the Great Life Lagoon Pool, you’ll find a number of luxury cabana options. These range from small cabanas suitable for a couple right up to cabanas suitable for the whole extended family.
The cabanas at this location aren’t good examples of a quiet, personal and private oasis, due to the fact that you’re in the vicinity of the pool area, but that’s probably one of the biggest benefits to securing one of these. If you’d like to book one of the cabanas around this pool, or anywhere else on the island for that matter, simply log into your online account before the cruise, or book through the Shore Excursions team once onboard.
I’ll show you later in the tour where you can find much more private and secluded cabanas.
Splash Harbor
Directly opposite the Great Life Lagoon is Splash Harbor, the kids splash park.
If you’re cruising with children, they’re probably going to much prefer this to the Lagoon pool we’ve just looked at - there’s so much more going on here. Think water jets, automatically filling giant water buckets, slides and more, and then you’ll probably have a fair idea of what to expect from this aspect of the island.
Harborside Market
If you consider yourself to be quite a shopper, or you enjoy souvenir shopping when you cruise, then you’ll be delighted to know that there’s a small local market here. Interestingly, most purchases you make on the island are charged to your onboard account, but not at these shops - it’s recommended that you take a small amount of US dollars ashore with you if you’d like to shop here.
All of the shops that I could see here were offering the same sorts of souvenirs that you would expect to find at a Caribbean cruise port call, so it’s a good way to either purchase your souvenirs at the start of your cruise, or spend your remaining vacation funds before you disembark (this port is usually either at the start or end of a cruise due to its’ close proximity to Florida, where most of the cruises start and finish!).
Neighbourhood 3: The Beaches
The neighbourhoods of the Lagoon and the Beaches blend together perfectly - you can either use the Promenade-style walkways to go between them, or you can simply walk across the beach. Either way, you’re in paradise.
You’ll find lots of amenities at this part of the island, including the check-in facilities for those booked in to Cabanas, Villas and the Spa. You can also browse and book Shore Excursions from the various huts here for any last-minute desires.
You’re also able to rent items like floating mats, snorkel equipment (which you can then use in the underwater snorkel garden) and more. Again, you’ll find these stalls here.
If you’re reading this guide and wondering about accessibility, then this area is where you can find the accessible beach wheelchairs, and also the beach strollers.
Both of these items are available for you to use free of charge, and they’re available on a first come, first served basis. In other words, there’s no guarantee that you’re going to be able to use one during your call here. Speaking from my experience, availability of both of these items remained healthy throughout my day on the island - every time I walked past, there was a stock of both available to use.
Accessible beach wheelchairs are available for you to use while on the island, © Fraser at Sea
Beach-friendly strollers are available for you to use while on the island, © Fraser at Sea
Obviously, the main attraction within ‘The Beaches’ neighbourhood are the beaches themselves. Great Stirrup Cay is well known for having some beautiful beaches, and I wasn’t at all disappointed.
Interestingly, I expected the beaches to be much bigger than they were. Having previously visited Half Moon Cay, a nearby island owned by Holland America Line, I expected the beaches here to feel equally as sprawling, but they felt very different due to the fact that there are numerous coves as you walk along the coastline of Great Stirrup Cay.
These coves have worked in Norwegian Cruise Line’s favour, as they’ve allowed the cruise line to ‘close off’ specific sections to then offer beach facilities with greater privacy and therefore exclusivity - more on that later.
A few call outs for the beaches - the sand is beautifully soft, but you may wish to wear water shoes as you enter the water. The water here is shallow for quite a distance at parts, meaning that you may be on your feet rather than swimming. There are stones and rocks on the bed in places, so water shoes will offer you a much more comfortable experience.
All of the loungers on the beach are complimentary - you won’t need to pay to use these. Any lounger close to a palm tree will typically go first - shade will become a rare commodity as the day goes on here, so that’s something to think about if you’re trying to find somewhere to relax!
You’ll find a pair of beach swings in this area, which offer you a fantastic photo opportunity - what a shot to make your friends and family back home jealous that you’re in the Bahamas, and they’re not…!
Another tip that I would offer for the beaches on Great Stirrup Cay is to try to get off of your cruise ship early. This will allow you to experience the beaches in their pristine state, before potentially thousands of passengers head ashore to enjoy them!
The Great Stirrup Cay Lighthouse
Perhaps the most noticeable feature within ‘The Beaches’ section of the island is the Lighthouse.
This lighthouse is one of the first things you’ll see when you look out from the ship in the morning, and it stands proudly right in the heart of the action. The artwork on the exterior was painted by Guy Harvey, who is the artist who was commissioned to paint the incredible hull art on Norwegian Escape. My first ever cruise was actually on Norwegian Escape, and so it was really lovely to walk onto the island today and see a ‘nod’ to that ship standing right in the centre!
The Lighthouse on Great Stirrup Cay, © Fraser at Sea
At the base of the lighthouse, you’ll find a gift shop offering you pretty much everything branded ‘Great Stirrup Cay’ that you can imagine: hats, tshirts, phone cases - you name it, it’s probably going to be available for you to purchase in here.
The entrance to the famous zipline experience is also found at the base of the lighthouse. Yes, that means that the zipline begins from the top of the lighthouse! Norwegian Cruise Line promises that the ziplines begin on platforms that are 120-feet above ground, and they have a top speed of over 50mph!
While this isn’t for me (understatement of the century), I can totally appreciate that this must be amazing for a thrill-seeker with a head for heights. Taking a ride on the network of ziplines here will undoubtably offer you a unique view of the island.
At the point of my cruise, prices for the zipline started at $99 for adults and $79 for children.
The entrance to the zipline is at the base of the Great Stirrup Cay Lighthouse, © Fraser at Sea
Cabanas on the Cay
I mentioned earlier that I would show you where you could book a much more private Cabana experience than those around the Great Life Lagoon. This could be the answer that you’re looking for! For those looking for a more private or exclusive day on the island, you could book one of the ‘Cabanas on the Cay’.
You’ll find these Cabanas in a much less trafficked section of the Beaches, offering you a bit more peace and quiet than what you’d get at the cabanas back at the Great Life Lagoon.
If you’d like to book one of these, you can do so via your online account before the cruise, or through the Shore Excursions team once you get onboard the ship.
Note: the entrances to these Cabanas have steep inclines, so be sure to check their suitability if you have any mobility limitations within your travel party.
The VIBE Shore Club
You might be familiar with the VIBE Beach Club, which is the exclusive sun deck that you’ll find onboard NCL ships. To access that deck, you’re required to purchase either a day pass, or a pass for the entire cruise.
The VIBE Shore Club is exactly the same concept, but on land. In order to gain entry to this space, you need to purchase a day pass. If you don’t have a day pass, you won’t be permitted inside.
In here, you’ll find much more comfortable loungers and a much quieter beach environment than what you’ll find in the main areas outside. There are also further Cabanas available to rent within this club area - of course there are - there seem to be Cabanas everywhere around this island available to rent!
There’s also a restaurant and a bar here. Both of these facilities are for the exclusive use of those who have purchased day passes. These are great additions to the Shore Club - this means that you don’t really need to leave the Club at any point during the day - you can relax on the beach, grab something to eat and satisfy any thirst without going far at all!
Neighbourhood 4: The Waterpark
The 4th neighbourhood on Great Stirrup Cay is the Waterpark, which was ‘coming soon’ at the point of our visit. As a result, I can’t show you anything from this section, as it was very securely closed off and not open for viewing whatsoever.
I guess that means I’ll just need to book another trip to Great Stirrup Cay to see it for myself!
Silver Cove
Silver Cove is, without a doubt, the most exclusive part of the island. Here, you’ll find some highly luxurious villas, all of which are a significant step above any of the Cabanas and rental options that you’ve seen throughout our tour.
Silver Cove is also where you’ll find the on-island spa. If you’d like to book in for a treatment where you can either enjoy the soothing sounds of the ocean in the background, or perhaps enjoy the luxury of a fully air conditioned spa environment, then this is where you’ll be able to do that!
The Silver Cove villas on Great Stirrup Cay, © Fraser at Sea
How does food, dining and drinks work on Great Stirrup Cay?
When you visit this island, all of your food is included in your cruise fare, so you won’t have to pay anything extra to eat while you’re ashore. Before you leave the ship, it’s important that you check your Freestyle Daily (Daily Schedule) for opening times of the outlets - they’ll all typically close a few hours before the ‘all aboard’ time, to allow the crew time to clean up and get back to the ship on time.
There are a number of options for food while you’re ashore: a Taco Bar, a Food Truck, and a large buffet restaurant. You can visit these as many times as you like throughout your visit - all you need to do is wait in line, and you’re good to go!
Drinks operate slightly differently - they’re not included while you’re ashore. If you don’t have a package on your account, then you’ll pay per drink that you order, exactly the same as you would on the ship. However, if you have a drinks package or the ‘Free at Sea’ (or equivalent) package, then you won’t have to pay per drink - drinks ashore are included in your package.
All drinks purchases (including those through a package) are subject to a mandatory 10% tax due to the fact that Great Stirrup Cay is in the Bahamas. In other words, if you have a package on your account, you’ll pay only the 10% tax. If you don’t have a package, then you’ll pay for your drink plus the 10% tax charge.
I found the food and drinks on the island to be of good quality, so there’s absolutely no need to head back to the ship in the middle of your day to eat and drink on there instead. Relax, and enjoy your time ashore - you’re on island time!
Is there Wi-Fi or Internet Access on Great Stirrup Cay?
This was a question that I heard being asked so many times across the cruise, as we got closer to visiting Great Stirrup Cay. Lots of people (myself included) assumed that there would be some Wi-Fi provision on land, and I was surprised to find out that there was no connectivity at all.
With Great Stirrup Cay being a land island, there is a chance of cel coverage reaching here (I believe they have a signal mast on the island), but we didn’t get any coverage on any network during our full day here.
If you’re planning to be connected during your day here, my biggest advice would be for you to change your expectation - there wasn’t any signal or Wi-Fi at all for us in April 2026.
That’s it - that’s a whistle-stop tour of Great Stirrup Cay. If you’ve enjoyed the tour, please come over and check out my YouTube channel - I’ve got so much more to show you. To get there, just search ‘Fraser at Sea’ on your device, or click here.
Below is more Norwegian Cruise Line content that I’ve released here on this website - see you on another post!
