Norwegian Cruise Line Sets 2026 Great Tides Waterpark Opening

Norwegian Cruise Line will open Great Tides Waterpark at Great Stirrup Cay on Sept. 4, 2026, setting the launch date for a nearly six-acre paid attraction at its Bahamas private island. Day-pass sales and cabana reservations open May 28 for guests booked on sailings calling at Great Stirrup Cay on or after the opening date.

The first ship call will come during Norwegian Luna’s seven-day Caribbean sailing from Miami, departing Aug. 29, 2026. The waterpark is part of a redevelopment of NCL’s roughly 270-acre Berry Islands destination, which has been in the company’s portfolio since 1977.

Sales open ahead of Norwegian Luna call

Marc Kazlauskas, president of Norwegian Cruise Line, said Great Stirrup Cay “continues to evolve as the premier private island destination in the Bahamas.”

Private cabanas will be available for groups of up to six guests, with admission to the waterpark included in the rental. NCL did not publish a fixed price schedule. The company said tickets and pricing will vary by season and availability.

Guests will be able to buy passes through their myNCL account after completing a cruise reservation. Norwegian Luna’s opening sailing is scheduled to call at Puerto Plata, St. Thomas and Tortola before visiting Great Stirrup Cay.

What NCL is adding at Great Tides

Great Tides Waterpark will include 19 waterslides anchored by the 170-foot Tidal Tower. NCL’s planned slide mix includes Breakwater Blasters water coasters, Whitewater Dash body slides, Rapid Mat Racers, Tropic Storm and Tropic Spiral tube slides, and Fearless Falls racing slides.

The park will also include Splash Cay, a 9,000-square-foot children’s zone, and the Wandering River, an active river attraction of more than 800 feet. Other planned features include Cliffside Cove with cliff jumps, The Great Slide four-person body slide, a Grotto Bar beneath the slide complex and three new food trucks.

The waterpark follows recent additions at Great Stirrup Cay including Great Life Lagoon, a 1.4-acre pool area with bars, as well as the adults-only Vibe Shore Club, Splash Harbor and an updated tram system. NCL is also constructing a two-ship pier intended to eliminate tendering at the island.

Private-island revenue context

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings executives had already tied the late-summer opening to the company’s Caribbean performance. Earlier in May, John Chidsey, chairperson and CEO, said Great Tides “will be a demand driver moving into 2027.”

Chief Financial Officer Mark Kempa told investors that the island’s “primary monetizing events or activities” were still to open and said the company expected them to “generate incremental yields” from both on-island spending and premiums on itineraries that call at Great Stirrup Cay.

In its May earnings update, NCLH said it expected net yields to decline 3% to 5%, with fourth-quarter improvement supported in part by the Great Tides opening by the end of the third quarter.

Beyond the launch voyage, NCL sells Great Stirrup Cay calls year-round, with seasonal departures from New York, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Tampa, Port Canaveral and Miami. Norwegian Getaway is scheduled to offer three- and four-night Bahamas sailings from Miami through October 2026.