Great Stirrup Cay

More than you'd think. All three beaches, complimentary chairs and umbrellas (first-come, first-served), the new Great Life Lagoon pool complex, tram service for guests with limited mobility, and the full BBQ buffet — Jumbey Beach Grill serves burgers, chicken, corn, rice, and fruit; Abaco Taco serves tacos; food trucks and hot dog carts work the paths. Live music plays at the main beach. None of it costs anything beyond your cruise fare.

Snorkel gear rental runs about $35, stand-up paddleboards about $45, a private shade structure $50, six-person cabanas from about $450/day and eight-person from about $475, ziplines from about $110/adult, and swim-with-pigs excursions over $200/adult. Cocktails are about $15 each without a drink package. Almost all of this is cheaper booked through Cruise Planner before you sail than at the kiosk on the cay.

Silver Cove is the upscale enclave: private reception, private infinity pool, private lagoon beach, a Mandara Spa, the Moet Bar, and an upgraded buffet that swaps the standard BBQ for shrimp ceviche, salads, and dessert spreads. It's open to Haven guests, anyone who books a villa, and anyone with a Mandara Spa treatment that day. Six-guest ocean villas start around $660/day. If you're already in The Haven it's effectively included; otherwise it's a real outlay for a quieter beach.

Not for the whole year. Great Tides — 19 slides, a lazy river, cliff jumps, kids' play areas — is scheduled to open later in 2026. Sailings before the opening get the lagoon pool but no waterpark; sailings after get both. If a slide-heavy day is what you're booking the cruise for, check the opening date against your specific departure before you commit.

Like every cruise-line private island: your room key/keycard is your wallet. There's no town, no ATM, no independent vendor. Every charge — cabana, drink, paddleboard, spa treatment — bills back to your stateroom folio in U.S. dollars. Bring sunscreen, a reef-safe one if you can, and nothing else.

With the new pier in service, weather cancellations should drop sharply compared to the tender era — but Bahamian winter fronts still happen, and any pre-booked excursions, cabana, or Silver Cove villa is refunded to your shipboard account if the captain skips the call. There's no alternate attempt later in the day; once the call is off, the ship moves on.