Great Stirrup Cay
- Lauren
- Feb 28, 2024
- 2 min read
January 2024
Great Stirrup Cay is Norwegian Cruise Line's private island located in the Berry Island Chain of the Bahamas.
We took a tender boat to get ashore. Then spent the morning wandering and playing various games including a small mini golf (like a putting green), ping pong, and bean bags. We did not do the giant zip line from the top of the light house but we did swim a bit and enjoyed some fun views of the ship. There were a few other ships on the island at the same time but the beach areas didn't seem overly crowded.
There were food trucks and stations set up with several options for food. We all enjoyed our barbecue lunch by the water then wandered around a bit more. When we felt we had seen all we wanted to see we took the tender boat back to the ship.
Pros
The tender process from the ship to the island seemed smooth without long wait times.
It was a very relaxed atmosphere with plenty of options. We could do or not do as much as we wanted.
The staff were friendly and professional.
The island is gorgeous with well-maintained white sand beaches!
Cons
I would have liked a little more explanation on a few things. Ex: I sat in a chair near an umbrella and didn't know you have to pay extra for them, the ship information said there would be a "local straw market" with souvenirs but no one on the island had heard of that, etc. They didn't have any paper maps or brochures that explained what was available (so I took a picture of one of the signs on my phone).
Lines for food were long and lines for drinks were REALLY long. For the one drink we did get, we felt more pressure to leave higher tips than on the ship even though we already pre-paid gratuities. Staff rang a bell and celebrated tips and we heard them grumbling about people who didn't.
There wasn't a huge selection in the gift shop and what they did have seemed very high priced. (No postcards!)
Tips
Make a tender boat reservation if you want to be one of the first ashore. We did it on the TV in our stateroom.
Get towels from the ship (none on the island) and remember to return them at the end of the day so you don't get charged extra.
If you have a beverage package, it works on the island so you don't need to pay extra for any food or drinks.
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