Norwegian Cruise Line Had an Overnight Call at Great Stirrup Cay

Norwegian Cruise Line had an overnight call at Great Stirrup Cay during a recent seven-night Caribbean sailing aboard Norwegian Encore.

The overnight was unexpected and followed a last-minute itinerary change that removed a scheduled stop in Costa Maya, Mexico, due to port availability. Instead of replacing that port with another standard daytime call, Norwegian extended its visit to Great Stirrup Cay into a two-day stop.

Norwegian Encore arrived at Great Stirrup Cay on January 22 and remained docked overnight at the island’s newly completed pier. Guests were allowed to stay on the island until midnight, with all passengers required to return to the ship overnight.

The evening activity was centered on the Great Life Lagoon, where Norwegian hosted a Glow Party and kept select bars and food venues open. Beach access was closed after sunset, consistent with the island’s standard safety protocols.

Guests returned the following morning ashore for a second full day at Great Stirrup Cay before the ship departed at 5:00 p.m. What is typically a single-day private island visit became a longer two-day visit.

To accommodate the overnight call, Norwegian made a small adjustment earlier in the itinerary, shortening its stop at Harvest Caye in Belize by roughly two hours. The cruise line said the change was made to better align with port logistics and sailing distances.

Reaction from guests was largely positive, especially from cruisers who appreciated having more time on the island without feeling rushed back to the ship. The overnight also highlighted how the completed pier has changed what is operationally possible at Great Stirrup Cay, allowing ships to remain docked longer than before.

Norwegian has not announced plans to add overnight calls to Great Stirrup Cay in future itineraries, and this appears to have been a one-off change rather than a new feature being rolled out.

While guests returned to the ship overnight, the extended call shows what could be possible at Great Stirrup Cay if overnight visits were ever considered again.

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