Last updated: September 2026 Source: NCLH press release, 2026-09-02
Norwegian Cruise Line opened Great Tides Waterpark on Great Stirrup Cay on September 4, 2026 — 19 waterslides across roughly six acres, anchored by a 170-foot Tidal Tower and an 800-foot lazy river. The one detail worth reading twice: waterpark admission is a separate purchase, bought through your myNCL account, not included in your cruise fare.
This is the item families have been asking me about since the preview photos went out, usually phrased as some version of: is a cruise with a waterpark island now a better family deal than a week at Beaches?
It is a fair question, and the honest answer depends almost entirely on a line item most people do not price until they are already on board. Here is what Norwegian actually built, and what it costs you.
What opened, by the numbers
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Total waterslides | 19 |
| Tidal Tower height | 170 feet, with 8 slides |
| Wandering River | More than 800 feet |
| Splash Cay (young children) | 9,000 sq ft, 8 mini-slides, 300-gallon tipping bucket |
| Cliffside Cove jumps | 10 feet and 15 feet |
| The Great Slide capacity | 4 guests at once |
| Great Stirrup Cay island size | 270 acres |
| New pier capacity | Two large ships simultaneously |
| Norwegian contemporary fleet | 21 ships |
| Preview event / grand opening | September 1 / September 4, 2026 |
Norwegian Luna made the arrival that marked the official opening on September 4.
The pier is the quieter story
The waterpark gets the photographs, but the pier expansion is what changes the economics. Great Stirrup Cay can now berth two large ships at the same time, which means Norwegian can route far more passengers through the island than it could when guests had to be tendered ashore.
Tendering is the single biggest source of wasted hours on a private-island day. Removing it turns a half-day into a full one, and it is the reason the whole investment makes sense.
The part that changes the family math
Waterpark admission is not included in your cruise fare. Norwegian’s own release says guests “may purchase a pass” through their myNCL account. That is an add-on, per person, on top of everything else you have already paid.
This is where the comparison with an all-inclusive family resort gets interesting rather than obvious.
At Beaches Turks & Caicos, the Pirates Island waterpark is included — slides, surf simulator, lazy river, the lot — along with every meal, every drink, the kids’ camps and the water sports. There is no gate to pay at. A family of four walks in on day one and walks in again on day six without a second transaction.
On a cruise, the waterpark is one paid day. A good one, on a genuinely impressive piece of engineering — but one day, once, with a separate charge for each person who wants through the gate.
Neither model is automatically better. A seven-night Caribbean cruise visiting four islands is a fundamentally different holiday from a week on one beach, and plenty of families want the four islands. But if your reason for choosing the cruise is the kids will love the waterpark, it is worth pricing the passes for your actual party before you decide the cruise is the cheaper option.
Where the private-island arms race is heading
Great Tides lands in the middle of a broader shift. Cruise lines have worked out that a controlled, high-amenity beach day they own outright is more profitable and more popular than a fourth port call, and they are building accordingly.
The same week Norwegian opened Great Tides, Princess Cruises confirmed it is dropping Princess Cays from its itineraries from November 2026 after 34 years, redirecting calls to Carnival Corporation properties instead. The private-island map is being redrawn on both sides at once.
Where this leaves you
If you are weighing a Caribbean cruise against a week at an all-inclusive this winter, the honest comparison is not brochure against brochure. It is your real party, your real dates, and the landed total after the add-ons that only show up once you are aboard.
That is a comparison we will run for you for free. Our advisors at Pixie Vacations book both — the cruise lines and the all-inclusives — so there is no thumb on the scale, and there is never a planning fee. Send us your dates and party size and we will price both and tell you plainly which one wins.
Related reading
- The Pirates Island waterpark at Beaches Turks & Caicos: a full guide
- Beaches Negril vs Beaches Turks & Caicos: which is best for your family
- Pixie Honeymoons — for the adults-only version of this decision
- Griz All Inclusive on YouTube — full walkthroughs of the Beaches waterparks
Sources: Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings press release, September 2, 2026; Travel Weekly — Princess Cruises to drop Princess Cays, September 3, 2026. All read September 8, 2026.
