For years, there really wasn’t much of a debate between Norwegian Cruise Line’s Great Stirrup Cay and Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay.
CocoCay had a pier, a huge pool, a legitimate waterpark, multiple beaches, beach clubs, restaurants, bars and enough extra-charge options to keep your credit card busy all day.
Great Stirrup Cay was a beach day that started and ended with a tender ride.
That didn’t make it bad. Great Stirrup Cay has always had a nice beach, clear water and plenty of space to do absolutely nothing, which is exactly what some people want from a private-island stop. But compared with what Royal Caribbean built at CocoCay, it felt dated and underdeveloped.
NCL has released the first images and full details for Great Tides Waterpark, the centerpiece of its redevelopment of Great Stirrup Cay. The new park will cover 5.6 acres and include 19 waterslides, cliff jumps, a winding river and a separate area for younger children.
Add the recently opened pier, the new Great Life Lagoon pool and the adults-only Vibe Shore Club, and Great Stirrup Cay is becoming something very different from the island many longtime NCL cruisers remember.
The question is whether it’s now enough to compete with CocoCay.
Norwegian Cruise Line Starts Rolling Out Great Stirrup Cay Upgrades
Great Tides Has More Slides
Norwegian is going to make a big deal out of the number 19.
Great Tides will have 19 waterslides. Thrill Waterpark at CocoCay has 14.
That sounds like an easy win for NCL, but waterslide count isn’t the same as waterpark quality. CocoCay still has Daredevil’s Peak, the 135-foot slide that towers over the island and remains the park’s headline attraction.
Great Tides will one-up that with it’s Tidal Tower standing 170-feet tall.
There will be dueling water coaster-style slides that use water jets to push riders uphill, along with racing slides, family slides and 10-foot and 15-foot cliff jumps.
The cliff jumps will probably get plenty of attention because they’re something CocoCay doesn’t offer.
The Wandering River May Be NCL’s Best Move
The most interesting part of Great Tides may not be one of the slides.
Norwegian is building what it calls the Wandering River, which will pass through a tunnel with lighting and water effects. It will also include access to a swim-up bar.
CocoCay has a large wave pool, but it doesn’t have a river attraction inside Thrill Waterpark.
That gives the two parks a real point of difference.
CocoCay may appeal more to families looking for a traditional waterpark with a giant wave pool and a very tall signature slide. Great Tides may appeal more to people who want a mix of slides and something they can actually relax in for more than 30 seconds.
A winding river with a swim-up bar sounds much more useful to me than another staircase leading to another slide.
The New Pier Is a Bigger Deal Than the Waterpark
The waterpark is getting the headlines, but the new pier may be the most important improvement at Great Stirrup Cay.
Previously, passengers had to tender from the ship to the island. That meant waiting for a boat, loading everyone aboard and hoping the sea conditions were calm enough for the stop to happen at all.
CocoCay already had a pier, which made the arrival process much easier.
Now Great Stirrup Cay has one too.
That change affects every passenger, not just those buying waterpark admission. Even cruisers who plan to find a chair and stay there all day benefit from being able to walk directly ashore.
It also removes one of the biggest disadvantages Great Stirrup Cay had compared with CocoCay.
NCL Finally Has a Real Pool
Great Stirrup Cay has also added Great Life Lagoon, a 28,000-square-foot heated pool with two swim-up bars, cabanas and a beach-style entrance.
CocoCay still has more pools and more variety overall, but this was something Great Stirrup Cay badly needed.
Not everyone wants to spend the entire day at the beach, especially when the water is rough, the wind picks up or the sand begins showing up in places sand was never meant to be.
A large complimentary pool gives NCL passengers another option without forcing them to buy waterpark admission.
CocoCay Still Offers More
Even after Great Tides opens, CocoCay will still be the more developed destination.
Royal Caribbean has more pools, more beaches, more dining options and more distinct areas. It has Coco Beach Club, the adults-only Hideaway Beach, a zip line, the helium balloon and years of experience moving thousands of passengers around the island.
Great Stirrup Cay is improving quickly, but it still has some catching up to do.
It does have Silver Cove, which offers air-conditioned villas, a private beach and pool, food and drink delivery and other upgraded amenities. For larger families or groups, those villas may be more practical than CocoCay’s overwater cabanas.
But neither cruise line built these premium areas for anyone watching the vacation budget.
Which One Is Better?
CocoCay is still the better all-around private-island destination.
It has more to do, more places to go and a waterpark that has already been operating long enough for Royal Caribbean to know where the problems are.
Great Stirrup Cay may end up having the more interesting waterpark.
It will have more slides, cliff jumps, water coaster-style attractions and the Wandering River. It also may retain more of a traditional private-island feel, although that will become harder as NCL continues building.
The difference is that cruisers can finally compare the two without the answer being obvious.
Royal Caribbean still has the lead, but NCL has fixed several of Great Stirrup Cay’s biggest weaknesses. The tenders are gone, there is now a major pool, and a real waterpark is on the way.
Great Stirrup Cay no longer looks like the private island Norwegian forgot.
And for passengers choosing between an NCL itinerary and a Royal Caribbean itinerary, that makes the decision much more interesting.
