As Norwegian Cruise Line focuses on delivering more to its passengers with its new brand positioning, “Experience More,” the cruise line is making a major investment that’s expected to provide a big return in terms of passenger satisfaction.
The cruise line started 2025 with the rollout of an upgraded cruise package offering passengers “More at Sea,” and it’s hoping to end the year with another big change that passengers will surely celebrate, too.
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With More At Sea, passengers get onboard perks like more premium beverage choices and more specialty dining meals. The cruise line is also working to deliver more on board through entertainment that offers more variety in programming both inside and outside the main theater.
Beyond offering passengers more through recent enhancements to its onboard experience, Norwegian Cruise Line is also set to deliver more at its private island in The Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay, by the end of 2025.
Construction of a cruise ship pier is underway on the island, and it’s expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year.
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Image source: Norwegian Cruise Line
Great Stirrup Cay’s new pier will have a big impact on passenger experience
The new pier, a $150 million investment, will accommodate two large cruise ships simultaneously. It will significantly improve access to the island for all three of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ cruise brands: Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Norwegian Cruise Line has owned Great Stirrup Cay since 1977 and was the first cruise line to offer its passengers a private island experience, but it hasn’t developed Great Stirrup Cay as extensively as the other cruise line destinations that have come after it.
Until now, the island has lacked a cruise ship pier, making it necessary for passengers to be shuttled to the island via tender boats. Once completed, the new cruise ship pier will make access to the island much more reliable. The destination is regularly missed as a tender port since rough seas often make tendering unsafe.
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Missing a port of call is always a disappointing experience for passengers, so being able to take more passengers to Great Stirrup Cay more often will no doubt mean many more satisfied Norwegian cruise guests.
Following the pier completion, Norwegian plans to invest in additional enhancements to Great Stirrup Cay to further elevate the passenger experience as the cruise line increases calls to the destination. Norwegian expects to welcome more than one million passengers to the island in 2026, up from about 400,000 in 2024.
Recent passenger experiences demonstrate the need for the pier
The critical need for a pier at Great Stirrup Cay was underscored by a recent passenger discussion in the NCL community on Reddit.
“Escape is skipping GSC this week. We were supposed to be there Tuesday 3/11, Captain cancelled it today due to winds. For our troubles, we get an overnight in Port Canaveral,” Reddit user Different-Motor144 wrote.
Other passengers reported similar experiences on recent sailings.
“I’m on the Jade now, we were supposed to go to GSC on the 6th and they said that too,” Low_Permission7278 chimed in.
Even those who did make it to the island reported frustrating experiences due to long waits for tender boats.
Related: Norwegian Cruise Line passengers reveal why they’re loyal to NCL
“We went on 3/8 and it was a sucky nightmare. Hours and hours for tenders. You didn’t miss much,” HufflePharm noted.
Another passenger’s experience revealed just how dangerous and scary it can be to operate tender boats in rough seas.
“I’m sorry this happened but I know they don’t make this decision lightly. We were on the island on a beautiful sunny day. The winds came up unexpectedly and we had to be evacuated. Getting the tenders to the ship in the wind and waves was terrifying,” BethABoo65 explained. “I hope the pier is the game changer they said it will be. The island is beautiful and I would have liked to try it out.”
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