Great Stirrup Cay cruise port

Walk off the new pier to a ship-sized pool and the Great Tides waterpark.

Great Stirrup Cay is Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island in the Berry Islands, about 140 miles east of Miami, and since December 2025 ships tie up at a new $150 million pier instead of tendering, with a tram waiting at the end of it. Most cruisers split the day between the free beaches and the heated Great Life Lagoon pool, and since September 2026 the Great Tides waterpark with its 170-foot Tidal Tower and the Caribbean’s only cliff jumps. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Great Stirrup Cay, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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Dockednew pier since Dec 2025; tender on some calls

USD, cashlesseverything charges to your room key

Dec to Aprdry season, highs near 80

All inevery price includes taxes and fees

Start here

Three ways to do Great Stirrup Cay

Pick a free beach-and-pool day, a waterpark day or an adults-only day, and the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

Free day

Beach, lagoon pool and a barbecue lunch

Walk off the pier or ride the tram to Bertram’s Beach and Fiesta Beach; loungers, towels and lifeguards are included
The Great Life Lagoon is a heated 28,000 square foot pool the size of a cruise ship with two swim-up bars, free to use
Jumbey Beach Grill, Abaco Taco, the Tropic Like It’s Hot truck and a hot dog cart serve a free lunch; Free at Sea drink packages work at the island bars

Best for: families, first-timers, short Bahamas getaways

Waterpark

Great Tides Waterpark, open since September 2026

Nearly six acres, 19 slides, the 170-foot Tidal Tower, the 800-foot Wandering River and Cliffside Cove with the Caribbean’s tallest cliff jumps
Day passes start around $100 per person for adults and children (kids 3 and under free), priced by sailing in myNCL once you are booked
Waterpark cabanas for up to six include admission; shore excursion credits apply to cabanas but not to admission tickets

Best for: families with tweens and teens, thrill seekers

Adults only

Vibe Shore Club and Silver Cove

Vibe Shore Club is an 18-plus day pass with plush daybeds, premium cocktails and private dining, priced by sailing
Silver Cove villas for 6 to 16 guests come with air conditioning, a private pool, a full buffet and Mandara Spa access
Snorkel the underwater sculpture garden off the main beach; bring water shoes for the rocky entry

Best for: couples, groups, Haven and suite guests

Live from the cruise lines

Great Stirrup Cay cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Great Stirrup Cay, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, month, length and price.

SmartCruiser picks

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Every cruise that calls at Great Stirrup Cay

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.

Where you start

Home ports that sail to Great Stirrup Cay

Almost every NCL Bahamas and Caribbean sailing from the East Coast stops here, and picking a port below filters the list above to cruises leaving from it.

MiamiNCL’s busiest base: Norwegian Aqua, Viva and the Prima and Breakaway-class ships on 3 to 11 night Bahamas and Caribbean loops that nearly all call here Port CanaveralShort 3 to 5 night Bahamas cruises and 7 night Caribbean sailings with a Great Stirrup Cay day, plus Norwegian Aqua’s Miami loops that stop in Port Canaveral New York7 night Bahamas and Florida cruises from Manhattan that pair Port Canaveral and Nassau with a beach day on the island PhiladelphiaNorwegian Pearl’s 7 night Bahamas and Florida cruises for 2026-27 call at Nassau, Jacksonville or Port Canaveral and Great Stirrup Cay

In port

Things to do at Great Stirrup Cay

The beaches, the pool and lunch are free; the waterpark, clubs and rentals are extra and sell out on busy days.

Great Life Lagoon poolA heated 28,000 square foot freshwater pool with two swim-up bars, a short walk or tram ride from the pier; free, and the easy answer if the sea is choppy or cool.

Beaches and the sculpture gardenBertram’s Beach and Fiesta Beach have free loungers, umbrellas and lifeguards; snorkel out to the underwater sculpture garden for fish and the sunken statues. Snorkel gear rents on the island or on board; water shoes help on the rocky edges.

Great Tides WaterparkOpened September 4, 2026: 19 slides, the 170-foot Tidal Tower, an 800-foot accelerated river, cliff jumps and a kids’ zone. Day passes from about $100 per person, booked in myNCL; cabanas for six include entry.

Vibe Shore ClubThe adults-only beach club with daybeds, premium cocktails and its own dining; a day pass priced per sailing, sold on board and in myNCL, and separate from the Vibe Beach Club on the ship.

Silver Cove villasAir-conditioned villas for 6 to 16 guests with a private pool, buffet and Mandara Spa access; the splurge for extended families and suite guests, booked well ahead.

Island ZiplineSoar at more than 50 mph about 120 feet over the beach; booked as an excursion through NCL, and the best view of the island and the ship at the pier.

Stingrays and swimming pigsA short boat ride to neighboring Treasure Island for a wade-in stingray encounter and photos with the swimming pigs; sold as a Norwegian excursion, not an on-island activity.

Cabanas and clam shellsPremier cabanas for up to eight with floating mats and water, or a two-lounger clam shell for shade; both fill up fast, so book as soon as your sailing opens.

Pick your style

Which lines call at Great Stirrup Cay?

Great Stirrup Cay is Norwegian’s island, with occasional calls by its sister brands; compare it against the other private islands on the Bahamas and Caribbean pages.

      Norwegian Cruise LineNearly every NCL Bahamas and Caribbean sailing from Miami, Port Canaveral, New York and Philadelphia; Oceania and Regent Seven Seas ships call occasionally on longer Caribbean voyagesSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Bahamas cruisesEvery line’s Bahamas sailings side by side: Nassau, Freeport and all five private islands, priced with taxes and fees includedCompare every line
      Caribbean cruisesGreat Stirrup Cay opens or closes most NCL 7 night Eastern and Western Caribbean loops; see how they compare with Royal Caribbean, Carnival and MSCCompare every line
    

Timing

When to go

The Berry Islands are warm and swimmable all year; winter and spring are dry, breezy and busy, summer is hot with afternoon showers, and hurricane season runs June through November.

December to AprilHighs in the high 70s to low 80s, water around 75, little rain and a steady breeze; the heated lagoon pool makes cooler January days easy. Peak demand, especially school holidays.

May to JuneHighs in the mid 80s, water into the 80s and thinner crowds before school lets out; a strong value window and the best sea conditions for snorkeling.

July to AugustHot and humid, highs near 90, quick afternoon storms and the busiest family weeks; waterpark passes and cabanas sell out first.

September to NovemberPeak hurricane season, especially September and early October, with the lowest fares of the year; winter storms can also force a tender or a skipped call, as happened in February 2026. November cools into the low 80s.

Good to know

Great Stirrup Cay questions we answer every day

Does the ship dock at Great Stirrup Cay or tender?

Most calls now dock. Norwegian Getaway was the first ship alongside the new two-berth pier on December 28, 2025, and a tram meets you at the end of it. The pier was still being finished through 2026, so on days with two ships, or after winter storms like the one that closed the pier and pool in February 2026, a ship may anchor and tender; your onboard daily program will say which. Oceania and Regent calls follow the same rules.

What is free and what costs extra?

Free: beaches, loungers, towels, the tram, the Great Life Lagoon pool, lifeguards and lunch at the Jumbey Beach Grill, Abaco Taco, the food truck and the hot dog cart. Free at Sea drink packages work at the island bars. Extra: Great Tides Waterpark passes, Vibe Shore Club, Silver Cove, cabanas and clam shells, snorkel gear, kayaks, paddleboards, the zipline, wave runners and the stingray and pig excursions.

Do I need cash, and what about phone service?

The island is cashless; everything charges to your room key card. Bring a few US dollars only for tips. Phones roam on Bahamian networks at international rates, and NCL’s ship Wi-Fi does not cover the beaches. Great Stirrup Cay runs on Eastern time, the same as Florida.

Is Great Stirrup Cay safe?

Yes. It is a private island with only Norwegian guests and staff ashore, lifeguards on the main beaches and pool, and medical staff on call. The sea entry is rocky in places, so pack water shoes, use sunscreen and watch children near the pool’s swim-up bars.

Is the Great Tides Waterpark worth the pass?

For families with kids over about eight and anyone who likes big slides, yes: 19 slides, the tallest cliff jumps in the Caribbean and a fast river, for about $100 a head on most sailings. If your group is mostly toddlers or beach loungers, skip it; the free lagoon pool and beaches fill a day. Buy passes in myNCL before you sail, since the park caps attendance and shore excursion credits do not cover admission.

Do I need a passport for a Great Stirrup Cay cruise?

US citizens on a round trip from a US port can sail with a government photo ID plus an original or certified birth certificate under the closed-loop rule, but we recommend a passport for everyone; if you had to fly home from the Bahamas you would need one. Non-US citizens should carry a passport and any visas required for the Bahamas and the United States.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions, waterpark and club passes, drinks and gratuities are extra.

Talk to a Great Stirrup Cay cruise specialist

Tell us your dates and home port and we will check availability on every Norwegian sailing that calls at Great Stirrup Cay, including the ones with SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560