First Look: We Tested Norwegian’s New Private Island Waterpark. Here’s the Good, the Bad and the Wet

The newest entrant into the Cruise Lines’ Private Island Sweepstakes is Norwegian Cruise Line’s Great Tides Waterpark. Located on NCL’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay, the waterpark has slides that range from tame to thrilling, a lazy river that glides past a swim-up bar and an amped-up splash zone for littles. Here, a veteran cruiser and waterpark fan shares everything you need to know about a day at Great Tides Waterpark.

Highlights

• Waterslides fast enough to give adrenaline junkies a rush.
• Plenty of loungers, but a limited number in the shade.
• Food trucks that deliver tasty treats for an upcharge and a buffet that’s included with the day pass price.

Editor’s Note: The writer was hosted.

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Cruise Lines’ Private Islands

For years, the cruise lines that sail through the Caribbean have been developing their own private islands in The Bahamas. It’s a way to give cruisers a beachy island experience without the challenges that sometimes accompany a port call at a traditional Caribbean island. That includes locals hustling cruisers to buy their trinkets, hire their cab or take their tour.

On a private island, the cruise company controls the experience. Workers stream off the ship in the morning, setting up food offerings, running excursions and taking care of the passengers.

Each company offers a little something different:

NCL’s Private Island: Great Stirrup Cay

The 270-acre Great Stirrup Cay, the industry’s first private island, has a beachy vibe. There’s a calm bay with warm Caribbean waters perfect for whiling away the day, plenty of blue lounge chairs, a buffet lunch served by NCL employees and bars for passengers who bought the drink package.

It offers beautiful beaches and:

• Great Life Lagoon, an expansive pool area with two swim-up bars
• Splash Harbor, a splash pad for the littles
• Vibe Shore Club, the adults-only beach area with premium loungers and a dedicated bar
• Silver Cove, which has air-conditioned villas and the Silver Cove Spa

And, starting Sept. 4, 2026, Great Tides Waterpark. The addition of the waterpark puts NCL’s private island experience on par with Royal Caribbean’s waterpark experience at Coco Cay, the island right next to Great Stirrup Cay.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Even with the waterpark, NCL has developed only 36 percent of the island, leading to speculation that more features are in the planning stages. NCL executives weren’t forthcoming about details, but it sounds as though a wave pool might be on the agenda.

What’s Available at Great Tides Waterpark?

• 19 waterslides, 8 of which are little-kid friendly
• A lazy river, called the Wandering River, that runs through a dark tunnel with glow-in-the-dark multimedia figures “swimming” across the ceiling and walls and connects to a swim-up bar
• A “cliff jump” feature with two different height levels from which to jump into the deep pool below
• Splash Cay, the splash-pad-on-steroids for little kids
• The Fearless Falls slide where you can race the kids to the bottom
• Tidal Tower, the centerpiece of the park that houses eight of the thrill rides, including one of the tallest waterslides in the Caribbean.

What Do I Need to Know about Great Tides Waterpark?

• While access to Great Stirrup Cay is included in the cruise prices, a day pass to Great Tides Waterpark is an upcharge that varies depending on the cruise. Children ages 3 and under get in free.
• Food is available inside the waterpark. There is a buffet included in the day pass price and food trucks sell specialty items for an additional charge.
• There are height and weight limits for the biggest slides. Minimum heights range from 36 to 48 inches. The weight requirement for two riders combined ranges from a minimum of 110 pounds to a maximum of 40o. The maximum weight for the four-rider slide is 800 pounds. And, yes, you need to get on a scale as a group and wait for a green light before you’re allowed to join the line and ride the slide.
• Towels, life vests and lockers are available inside the waterpark and are included in the day pass price.
• You can walk from the ship to the waterpark or ride the free tram that runs throughout the day.
• If you bought the drinks package, it works at the two bars inside the waterpark.
• The wifi works inside the waterpark too.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Get there when the park opens and stake out a lounge chair with an umbrella. Shade is a rare commodity at the waterpark.

My Day at Great Tides Waterpark

I was among the travel media invited to a preview of the waterpark in the week before it opened to NCL cruisers.

I’m a sucker for a great waterpark. And Great Tides is a great waterpark.

It’s small enough to be manageable in a day, but big enough to offer a variety of water slide options.

There really is a feature for everyone, from the Wandering River lazy river for people who don’t like the rides, to Splash Cay, the splash pad for little ones, to the Great Slide that lets a family of four slide down together.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Definitely pack a waterproof case for your cell phone so you can get photos and video throughout the day. I have this one.

The Water Slides at Great Tides Waterpark

Since my husband’s love for thrill rides is limited, I was riding the big rides alone. So I was disappointed to learn that only double riders can ride the Breakwater Blasters – power slides that use high-pressure water jets to propel riders in inner tubes uphill and through steep drops.

But I had plenty of fun on the Tropic Spiral (where a single rider sits in the front of the double inner tube). I spent most of the exhilarating slide riding backwards after the first spiral turn spun me around. I loved that one so much that I rode it twice.

The Fearless Falls, which I rode lying on my back, feet crossed at the ankles and arms crossed across my chest, ends in a five-foot drop into the water. I got a snoot-full of water on the way in and came up laughing to hear another woman exclaim, “I just got the ultimate wedgie!”

I’m not a fan of heights, so I didn’t try the Cliffside Leap. That’s what NCL says is “the industry’s first-ever and the Caribbean’s tallest cliff jumps at 10 and 15 feet high.” I did climb the stairs to have a look and joined the lifeguard in encouraging another woman to take the leap from 15 feet. She didn’t.

Throughout the day, we returned to the Wandering River again and again. It was a great way to chill mentally and physically as we dipped our toes into the cool water and floated around the 800-foot loop and through the multimedia tunnel. (The chill ended when we tried to disembark the inner tubes. There simply is no way to do that gracefully!)

How Much Does It Cost to Spend a Day at Great Tides Waterpark?

Norwegian Cruise Lines is tight-lipped about the cost of a day at the waterpark. While spending a day on the beach at Great Stirrup Cay is included on cruises that stop at the island, spending a day at the waterpark is an upcharge.

The website says only that pricing is dynamic – it depends on the cruise. I did talk with a woman who booked a cruise in October that stops at Great Stirrup Cay. The waterpark price for her cruise is $99 per person.

Another option is to book a cabana at the waterpark. It can accommodate up to six people and includes waterpark admission for those six people. Cabanas cost $1099 for the day. The big advantage: comfy loungers and shade all day. Neither is guaranteed if you don’t have a cabana.

Royal Caribbean’s Thrill Waterpark on its private island also uses dynamic pricing that changes by sailing. It doesn’t list prices on its website either, but AI reports that a day pass ranges from $49 to $189 per person. That waterpark has 14 water slides, including Daredevil’s Peak, which Royal says is the tallest water slide in North America, and the Caribbean’s largest wave pool.

Is Great Tides Waterpark Worth It?

You won’t know how much the day pass will cost until you book a cruise. It will be offered as one of the excursions, which are available to book up to one year ahead of your cruise. But, If, like me, you are a waterpark fan, then, yes, Great Tides Waterpark is worth the price of admission.

Whether you’re cruising with teens or toddlers, or you’re an adrenaline junkie yourself, the waterpark has plenty of water features to keep everyone busy for the day.

The waterpark can accommodate 1,800 people, but NCL currently is limiting capacity to 1,200. When I visited, there were about 1,000 guests and it never felt crowded. The only time I waited in line was to ride the Tropic Spiral and the wait was less than 10 minutes.

My recommendation: Spend the morning at the waterpark riding as many times as you can, have lunch, then head to the beach for a relaxing afternoon before returning to the ship.

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