Topic: $20m Extreme makeover: NCL's private island is due to get much more than a facelift

NCL announced today that have plans to give their private island - Great Stirrup Cay, an overhaul - from top to bottom.

Speaking at the Cruise Shipping Miami convention, CEO Kevin Sheehan said "This is a very, very significant investment for our company," noting the huge expense of the project. But "this was critical to us to improve the customer experience."

Plans include a new marina, expanded beach front area, a new children's area, extra dining options, private beach-side cabanas, a bandstand, straw market, beach volleyball courts and more.

Optional shore excursions will also be added to new attractions such as a floating Aqua Park with water toys, wave runners, kayak tours through man-made rivers and stingray encounters.

NCL have owned Great Stirrup Cay since 1977 and were the first cruiseline to offer passengers exclusive access to an uninhabited tropical island.



Have you been to Great Stirrup Cay? What do you think of NCL's plans?
Do you approve, or do you think they should try to preserve the islands natural, unspoilt beauty?

Looks like they're going to dig a big hole in the ground
to make that cruise-ship marina!

QUOTE:

What do you think of NCL's plans? ===> Great!

Here's what shows on Google Earth --see attachment below

Looks like a lovely unspoiled island paradise is about to become a theme park, some might say the bad side of capitalism.

It's a glorified sand-bar with sparse scrubby vegetation on it!

Turtles probably nest there, but it's not like NCL is taking over the whole islet..
just a small portion of its North coast.


Mankind is going to have his impact on this global environment.
Look what they did to Eire -to Albion -to Hispaniola -to Barbados!
.

are there any images of the side of the outside 2/3 cabins please?

meant outside cabins

We did not stop there 2 years ago because the weather was rough they said

QUOTE:

We did not stop there 2 years ago
-because the weather was rough they said

Not difficult to believe!

I had a good look at Great Stirrup Cay on Google Earth last night
and it's very close to Great Bahama Canyon or Tongue of The Ocean as it's called
-an area of deep ocean that penetrates into the Bahamas shallows!
Have a look yourself.

Even before reading this
I was thinking that the location seemed almost wide-open to weather problems
and no doubt that's why they're making themselves a protected marina
with a deliberately-kinked entrance to foil swells trying to force their way in.

A bit of tricky Nav. for the Captains,mind you
but I imagine the dimensions of the channel and characteristics of the kink
will be all figured out for vessels of that size.


Looking closely at the island itself
it appears there's already a depression or quarry of some sort
right where the marina is planned
so some of the excavation work may be already done, for them!
.

I went there last year and I think that it could do with a bit of updating and anything they can do to enhance and enlarge the beach area would be very welcome in my opinion