Visiting Great Stirrup Cay? What’s Included and What’s Not

Great Stirrup Cay is a 270-acre private island in the Bahamas, owned by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). Many of the cruise line’s sailings stop there, allowing cruisers to bask on the beach and partake in unlimited food served on the island at no additional cost. Other activities like ziplining and spa treatments do involve an additional fee.

Purchased in 1977, Great Stirrup Cay was the cruise industry’s first private island. Since then, other cruise lines have followed suit, often improving on GSC’s early model.

NCL invited me on a media sailing as part of the Norwegian Aqua's christening celebration so I could visit the island for myself.

Immediately upon arrival, I was able to bask in full relaxation mode. I grabbed one of the main lounge chairs to set down my stuff. I didn’t feel pressured to make a plan of where to go or to consult a map (as I typically would when arriving at the port of a real city). Plus, the ability to grab complimentary food whenever I wanted was convenient.

Still, there were some pitfalls. For example, there was no Wi-Fi, which most other private islands have. And ultimately, you're stuck on a small island. Sure, it's bigger than the ship, but for people who want the freedom to get out and explore on port days, there just aren't that many places to go on Great Stirrup Cay.

Here’s everything you need to know about Great Stirrup Cay.

Great Stirrup Cay feels like a massive, family-friendly beach club. For me, the high points were:

• It felt safe. I blissfully left my camera on a lounge chair, trusting it wouldn’t get stolen (something I wouldn’t do on a truly public beach).

• Lounge chairs were free. That’s generally not the case on public beaches.

• The food was good. I devoured some chicken drumsticks included in the cruise fare.

Here’s what I didn’t like:

• There was no Wi-Fi. There are no plans to add it, either.

• Going to and from the ship is time-consuming. I had to take a tender boat to get from the cruise to the island, making it difficult to go back to my stateroom midday.

• There’s nowhere to really stroll or hike. I wanted to get my jog on, but the only real path is not that long (and often busy with people). If you want to get a run in, stick to the treadmill on the ship.

But this year, GSC is about to undergo some improvements of its own that will bring it back up to par with other private islands owned by cruise lines — and make it perhaps one of the best beach destinations you can visit on a NCL sailing.

Ships heading to Great Stirrup Cay currently use tenders, which are smaller boats used to ferry passengers from ship to shore. It’s not the worst experience, but boarding a small boat adds significant slowdown (easily a half hour each way) versus walking off the ship at your own pace.

Depending on the sailing, you may have to prebook your tender time, and the process can make it difficult to return to the ship midday. You may have to wait even longer midday for enough guests to come to fill up the tender boat before it departs back to the ship.

The new pier, projected for completion by the end of 2025, will add more convenience and flexibility by letting guests walk straight off the ship.

Here’s a map of the island provided by NCL, divided into what’s there now and what’s coming.

While many activities cost extra, it’s entirely possible to spend a day at Great Stirrup Cay without spending any money (beyond what you paid for cruise fare).

GSC has three beaches filled with chairs and umbrellas, which are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Food at GSC

Food at GSC is all-you-can-eat and included with your cruise fare.

The main restaurant, Jumbey Beach Grill, serves island-style picnic fare like burgers, chicken, corn, rice and fruit.

Tucked away at the end of the beach, there’s Abaco Taco, another free dining spot. It's often overlooked because of its semi-hidden location.

A food truck serves similar picnic fare like pulled pork sandwiches, while hot dog carts roam the island, too.

Drinks at GSC

Multiple bars sprinkled throughout the island serve soda and island-inspired alcoholic drinks like frozen daiquiris and mojitos.

Other than water, juice and coffee served at the restaurants, drinks are not included. However, NCL’s More At Sea package, which offers unlimited open bar access, extends from your ship to GSC.

Without the package, cocktails average about $15. Since the More At Sea package costs $39 per person per day, you easily break even after three cocktails (and that doesn’t account for other More At Sea benefits like specialty dining).

Other GSC activities

Photo opps: There’s a swing near the water that’s a perfect place to snap photos.

Shopping: A small market area sells the usual souvenirs like hats, shirts and trinkets. Browsing is free, but you’ll pay for what you buy.

Snorkeling: Snorkelers typically swim out to an underwater sculpture garden at the main beach. Besides that, GSC’s snorkeling is not great, with few tropical fish due to coral reef decline. Snorkeling gear rentals cost about $35, but you can use your own.

Entertainment: Live music or DJs typically play music by the main beach.

At Great Stirrup Cay, you can pay extra for certain excursions and add-ons. Prices vary by sailing, but here’s a rough estimate.

Equipment rentals: Rental options include stand-up paddle boards (about $45) and clam shell shade structures (about $50).

Zipline: A zipline runs from the lighthouse across much of the island. There are a few types of zipline tours, which start at about $110 for adults.

Swim with pigs: Excursions to a neighboring island called Treasure Island allow you to swim with pigs or stingrays. Those start at more than $200 per adult.

The spa: Spa treatments are available within an exclusive area called Silver Cove (more on that later).

Cabanas: Cabanas offer private space, shade and power outlets. These start at about $450 for a six-person cabana per day. Larger, more expensive cabanas accommodate more people.

Villas: For an even fancier experience, book a villa. These small homes sit in an exclusive area called Silver Cove, which is a portion of GSC that launched in 2019 with its own beach, restaurant and pool. It's only accessible to people who book a villa or spa treatment.

The smallest, six-person villas start at about $660 per day. Instead of the open-air, hut-style cabana, villas are an entire tiny, air-conditioned house with a living room and restroom. Larger villas have full bedrooms with actual beds.

A buffet exclusive to Silver Cove guests is slightly fancier, with more grilled veggies and desserts like pineapple upside-down cake and coconut rice pudding.

Much of GSC is under construction, with several welcome additions expected to arrive by the end of 2025.

NCL invited NerdWallet on a behind-the-scenes construction tour in April 2025.

Multi-ship pier

Construction on the pier broke ground in summer 2024, with an investment of approximately $150 million. The pier will accommodate two cruise ships at a time.

Once it opens, guests will be able to walk straight off the ship, avoiding potentially long waits for tenders. A limited tram service will drive guests with limited mobility down the pier.

The improvements should save guests both time and money in the sense that they may be able to avoid certain upcharges. People who might have previously booked a cabana for shade and air conditioning will soon be able to easily return to the ship midday for a beach break.

Pool complex

A new heated pool will open alongside a splash zone with water play features for children. The pool will feature a swim-up bar, which is included with the More At Sea package.

Standard beach chairs will be free. NCL will also add 33 cabanas along the perimeter.

But even with all of these improvements, there are still no plans to add Wi-Fi to the island.

 (Top photo by Sally French)