NCL Restores Drink Packages as Great Stirrup Cay Gears Up for 2027

Norwegian Cruise Line’s buildout of its private Bahamian island, Great Stirrup Cay, is converging with a key onboard perk reversal, as the company prepares for a busy 2027 schedule featuring expanded facilities and restored drink package privileges ashore.

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Island Redevelopment Sets Stage for Heavier 2027 Traffic

Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian Cruise Line’s long-running private destination in the Bahamas, is in the midst of a multi-year transformation that is reshaping how future itineraries will use the island. Publicly available investor materials and cruise industry coverage describe a phased program that began with a two-ship pier opening at the end of 2025, intended to reduce weather-related tender cancellations and support more frequent calls.

Subsequent phases are adding new pools, dining and bar options, and expanded activity zones, reflecting a strategy to handle significantly higher passenger volumes through 2026 and 2027. Cruise-focused publications report projections of roughly one million or more guests visiting the island in 2026, with traffic expected to climb further as additional ships are scheduled to include Great Stirrup Cay on Caribbean itineraries into late 2027.

Schedules highlighted in trade coverage show newer vessels such as Norwegian Aqua and Norwegian Luna heavily featuring Great Stirrup Cay on seven-night Caribbean sailings from Florida through at least October 2027. That long deployment window has placed extra attention on how the island’s upgraded infrastructure and guest policies, including beverage access, will function once the redevelopment is fully online.

Great Life Lagoon, Vibe Shore Club and Waterpark Anchor the Upgrades

Core to the island plan is a cluster of new and reimagined venues designed to disperse crowds and encourage guests to spend more time ashore. Company press statements and travel industry reports point to the Great Life Lagoon, a heated, 1.4-acre lagoon-style pool that opened in early 2026, as one of the centerpiece additions, bringing a resort-style pool complex and two swim-up bars to the island.

Alongside the lagoon, Great Stirrup Cay has introduced an adults-focused Vibe Shore Club, echoing a popular concept already found across several Norwegian Cruise Line ships. Access-controlled and positioned for quieter, more premium experiences, it adds another tier of offerings as the line courts travelers seeking upgraded spaces away from the busiest beaches and family areas.

The redevelopment also includes an island-wide tram system, a refreshed welcome area and new family splash zones. These elements are intended to improve guest flow from the pier and to link existing beaches with the new lagoon and club venues. Observers note that the changes collectively shift Great Stirrup Cay closer to the style of purpose-built private destinations that emphasize varied zones and longer dwell times.

Looking slightly further ahead, the island’s expansion program features the Great Tides Waterpark, slated to open in summer 2026. According to cruise industry reports, this nearly six-acre complex will feature 19 waterslides, a tall slide tower, a dynamic river and a dedicated children’s area, reinforcing Great Stirrup Cay’s position as a major day-at-sea alternative on short and weeklong Caribbean routes by the time 2027 sailings are fully underway.

Drink Package Policy U-Turn Reshapes On-Island Value Perception

While construction news has drawn attention, a separate policy shift around beverages on Great Stirrup Cay has been equally closely watched by frequent Norwegian guests. In late 2025, widely shared communications described plans for shipboard drink packages, including the line’s Free at Sea and More at Sea offerings, to stop covering beverages purchased on the island from March 2026, with a revised date later cited as March 31.

That change, which would have required separate on-island purchases or upgraded packages for mixed drinks and other alcoholic beverages, quickly became a point of contention in online cruise communities. Commenters pointed out that many guests had booked 2026 and 2027 voyages under the assumption that their standard beverage packages would apply both onboard and at Great Stirrup Cay, as they traditionally had.

In March 2026, however, user-shared notices and trade coverage indicated that Norwegian Cruise Line reversed course, stating that existing beverage packages would once again be honored on Great Stirrup Cay for the foreseeable future. Posts summarizing the updated guidance describe the reinstatement as indefinite rather than tied to a short-dated extension, easing concerns for travelers with sailings booked into 2027.

The reversal is being interpreted by many observers as a response to guest feedback at a moment when private destinations are central to Caribbean deployment strategies. With Great Stirrup Cay expected to host steadily increasing passenger numbers once work on its major new attractions is complete, restoring drink package acceptance reshapes the perceived value of a day on the island for upcoming seasons.

Implications for 2027 Itineraries and Competitive Positioning

By 2027, Norwegian’s network of Caribbean sailings is projected to feature Great Stirrup Cay on a wide range of itineraries from multiple homeports, including Miami and central Florida. Published schedules and cruise industry analysis indicate that the island will be a recurring highlight on seven-night voyages operated by newer ships, and on select shorter sailings that use the destination as a marquee beach day.

With the pier operational, the Great Life Lagoon and Vibe Shore Club open, and the Great Tides Waterpark expected to be in full swing, 2027 passengers are likely to encounter a notably different Great Stirrup Cay than travelers did only a few years prior. The island’s mix of large-scale pools, water attractions, beach zones and adults-only areas positions it to accommodate both high-volume family demand and more premium segments on the same call day.

Against that backdrop, the decision to again recognize Free at Sea and More at Sea beverage packages ashore may help align Great Stirrup Cay with competing private islands where inclusive or semi-inclusive drinks are a core part of the experience for guests on bundled fares. Analysts following cruise product trends suggest that such inclusions can influence itinerary choice, particularly among repeat Caribbean cruisers who compare private destinations across brands.

As Norwegian Cruise Line heads toward the second half of the decade, the combination of substantial capital investment at Great Stirrup Cay and the drink package policy reversal appears set to play a significant role in shaping consumer perceptions of the brand’s Bahamas and Caribbean offerings on 2027 sailings and beyond.