Norwegian Cruise Line Opens Great Tides Waterpark at Great Stirrup Cay

Norwegian Cruise Line is making a major addition to its private island in The Bahamas, and this one is all about making a day at Great Stirrup Cay even bigger.

The cruise line has officially unveiled Great Tides Waterpark, a nearly six-acre waterpark packed with slides, cliff jumps, a massive river, family play areas, food and plenty of places to grab a drink. The new waterpark officially opens to guests on September 4, 2026, when Norwegian Luna visits Great Stirrup Cay.

NCL recently hosted a special preview of the park for media, travel partners, content creators and special guests, giving them the first chance to experience many of the new attractions.

And there’s quite a bit packed into this new addition.

Tidal Tower Brings Eight New Slides

The centerpiece of Great Tides Waterpark is hard to miss.

Standing 170 feet tall, Tidal Tower features eight different waterslides, including a few experiences NCL says you won’t find anywhere else.

Highlights include:

• Tropic Spiral, the world’s first Nautilus slide, featuring large spirals that send riders spinning in different directions.
• Breakwater Blasters, the first dueling Master Blaster slides in the Caribbean, using high-pressure water jets to propel riders uphill before sending them through drops and turns.
• Six additional slides offering different levels of thrills.

At 170 feet tall, Tidal Tower should also make quite the impression when you’re approaching Great Stirrup Cay from the ship.

You Can Jump Off a Cliff at Cliffside Cove

One of the additions we’re most curious to try is Cliffside Cove, especially if you’re looking for something a little more adventurous than a traditional waterslide.

The area features Cliffside Leap, which NCL calls the industry’s first cliff-jumping experience of its kind and the tallest in the Caribbean, with jumps from 10 and 15 feet.

Cliffside Cove also includes:

• The Great Slide, a family slide that accommodates four guests at once.
• Fearless Falls, which drops riders from five feet above the water.

It’s definitely a different type of attraction for a cruise line private island, and we like that Great Tides isn’t relying entirely on traditional slide towers.

Wandering River Is More Than a Lazy River

For those of us who prefer relaxing with a drink instead of repeatedly climbing 170-foot slide towers, there’s Wandering River.

The river stretches more than 800 feet through Great Tides Waterpark and features what NCL calls the industry’s first immersive tunnel experience of its kind.

Even better, there’s a swim-up bar.

Floataway Bar sits alongside Wandering River, making this one of those attractions where we could probably spend a significant portion of our Great Stirrup Cay day.

Splash Cay Is Built for Families

Younger cruisers get their own massive area with Splash Cay, featuring more than 9,000 square feet of water play.

The area includes:

• Eight mini-slides
• Interactive water features
• A giant tipping bucket holding 300 gallons of water

Between Splash Cay and the more adventurous slides at Tidal Tower and Cliffside Cove, NCL seems to have intentionally built Great Tides so families don’t have to split up to find something appropriate for different age groups.

There’s Plenty to Eat, Too

Of course, a full day at a waterpark requires food.

Great Tides introduces three new food trucks:

• Low Tide Smoke, serving barbecue
• Catch of the Cay, featuring seafood favorites
• Tidal Treats, serving handcrafted ice cream and soft serve

During the preview event, NCL also brought in beverage partners Aperol, Casamigos, Coca-Cola and Hampton Water for special activations throughout the park.

Great Stirrup Cay Is Getting a Major Upgrade

Great Tides Waterpark is only one piece of a much larger investment happening at Great Stirrup Cay.

The 270-acre private island also features the new Great Life Lagoon, which includes two swim-up bars, private cabanas and complimentary loungers and umbrellas. Families can visit the complimentary Splash Harbor splash pad, while adults looking for something quieter can purchase access to Vibe Shore Club.

There’s also Silver Cove, where guests can rent an air-conditioned villa, purchase a day pass or book a treatment at Silver Cove Spa. Beaches, snorkeling, paddleboarding and the island’s Flighthouse zipline round out the options.

That’s what makes Great Tides particularly interesting to us. NCL isn’t simply adding another attraction to the island. It’s creating more ways to build completely different Great Stirrup Cay days depending on whether you want slides and cliff jumps, pools and drinks, or just a chair on the beach.

When Does Great Tides Waterpark Open?

Great Tides Waterpark officially opens to Norwegian Cruise Line guests on September 4, 2026, coinciding with a visit from Norwegian Luna.

Access to the waterpark is an additional purchase. Guests with an eligible cruise reservation can purchase a Great Tides Waterpark pass through their myNCL account.

We’re definitely interested to see how Great Tides changes the overall Great Stirrup Cay experience. Between the massive slide tower, cliff jumps and a river with a swim-up bar, NCL is giving guests quite a few more reasons to get off the ship when they arrive at the island.

Janine Kiray

Janine is a theme park and pop culture nerd from an early age. Since 1994, she’s been traversing the theme park world and has enjoyed all things from Halloween events to new ride releases and beyond. When she’s not at a theme park, she’s probably at a concert or doing something fun with her kiddo.