Cruise Line Private Islands and Destinations

Above, at the jet ski dock at Great Stirrup Cay.

Until a friend and I took a cruise to the Bahamas last August, I was unaware that our cruise company, Norwegian Cruise Lines, had their own private island. It is called Great Stirrup Cay.

It was one of our stops and we went jet skiing while there. But they have available other activities for cruise passengers such as swimming with pigs. 

Above, the Norwegian Sky with a tender boat at Great Stirrup Cay. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Cruise Hive posted an article on these private islands and destinations. Great Stirrup Cay is mentioned in it. 

It begins with:

There are some destinations and islands that are nearly synonymous with the cruising industry. Hundreds or even more than a thousand cruise ships can visit places like the Bahamas or the US Virgin Islands each year.

However, these top spots aren’t the only cruise line favorites. Industry-wide, cruise lines have begun crafting their own private destinations, where cruisers can enjoy carefully curated experiences and amenities, matching the cruise line’s branding and overall vibes.

Here are the cruise line private islands and destinations that you need to know about.

To read more, go here. 

Norwegian Cruise Line's Great Stirrup Cay Pier Buildout

Above, the Norwegian Sky and tender boat. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in August, a friend and I took a cruise to the Bahamas with Norwegian Cruise Line. One of the cruise's stops was at Great Stirrup Cay, an island owned by the cruise company.

When we arrived, our ship, Norwegian Sky, anchored offshore and we were transported by tender boats. During our visit to Great Stirrup Cay, we did some jet skiing.

Above, the tender boat docked at the Norwegian Sky. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO says the plan is to have a pier built that can service two ships by late 2025. That would be more efficient that the current use of tender boats.

According to an article in Travel Weekly:

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Harry Sommer said he feels "really comfortable" the company can unveil the new pier at Great Stirrup Cay in late 2025, which will be key to better utilization of the company's original private island.

And he said he expects to nearly double the number of visitors to Great Stirrup Cay in 2026.

The company expects to host around 700,000 guests at the Bahamian island in 2026 due to increased deployment.

That's a slightly more ambitious increase than Sommer's original projection in April of welcoming around 600,000 guests. This year, 400,000 guests will have visited the island.  

To read more, go here.