Norwegian to Open Water Park at Great Stirrup Cay in September
Norwegian Cruise Line has been busy creating excitement around the newest addition to its private island, Great Tides Waterpark. While we’ve seen renderings of the water park since July of last year, it only had an expected opening date of “Summer 2026.” Now, we have the answer, and while it technically falls under “summer,” it’s probably quite a bit later than some would have liked.
Great Tides Waterpark Opens September 4, 2026
Today, Norwegian announced that Great Tides Waterpark will open on September 4, 2026. The water park is an additional fee and requires guests to purchase access.
Norwegian is also offering the ability to reserve one of ten private cabanas for up to 6 guests. These cabanas include admission to the water park and a shaded place to relax right by the waterslides.
Passes Go on Sale May 28
Guests on sailings that visit Great Stirrup Cay on or after September 4 can pre-purchase passes to Great Tides Waterpark starting May 28. At the time of publication, Norwegian has not released how much it will cost. In a webinar for travel agents, John Chernesky, senior vice president of North American sales, indicated that pricing will be dynamic and vary from sailing to sailing, but over time, “we’ll have general trends” for pricing.
Passes include access to the waterpark, access to lounge chairs and umbrellas (based on availability), towels, and complimentary lockers.
What’s in Great Tides Waterpark
Great Tides Waterpark is nearly 6 acres and designed to offer a full day of water fun for the whole family.
- 19 total slides
- Tidal Tower, a 170-foot slide tower
- Breakaway Blasters, water coasters with downhill drops and uphill blasts
- Whitewater Dash, two body slides
- Rapid Mat Racers, featuring head-first racing fun
- 2 inner tube nautilus slides
- An 828-foot-long “dynamic” river with multimedia effects and swim-up bar
- A 9,000-square-foot kids’ splash zone with 9 slides and an oversized tipping bucket
- Cliff jumping areas
- The Grotto Bar, a hidden cave bar beneath the family slide
The area will also have three all-new food trucks, so you don’t have to leave the park midday to grab a bite between all the slides.
Comparing Norwegian and Royal Caribbean’s Water Parks
It’s hard to talk about Norwegian’s new water park without talking about Royal Caribbean’s Thrill Waterpark at Perfect Day at CocoCay, especially because you can literally see one while standing in the other.
Norwegian’s overall water park footprint is smaller, coming in at nearly 6 acres compared to Royal Caribbean’s 9 acres. But Norwegian does have more slides, with 19 versus 14 at Thrill Waterpark. Norwegian’s slide tower also takes the crown, pun intended, from Royal Caribbean. The 170-foot Tidal Tower is taller than Royal Caribbean’s Daredevil’s Peak, which stands at 135 feet.
There are a few other differences. While Royal Caribbean’s Thrill Waterpark has a wave pool, Norwegian instead has an 800-foot-long dynamic river. Great Tides Waterpark is also has the highest cliff jumping platforms in the Caribbean where guests can try 10- and 15-foot plunges. The area also features 8 children’s slides in the splash area, while Royal Caribbean’s Thrill Waterpark does not really focus on younger kids. Instead, Royal Caribbean offers two complimentary kids’ splash areas elsewhere on the island.
With pricing still unknown, the big question will be whether Great Tides Waterpark feels like a worthwhile add-on once guests are already on Great Stirrup Cay. But on paper, Norwegian is clearly trying to go head-to-head with Royal Caribbean’s Thrill Waterpark, and in a few areas, it may even have the edge.
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