Norwegian Cruise Line giving Great Stirrup Cay a big upgrade

Great Stirrup Cay will have a new air-conditioned reception area.

VANCOUVER — Norwegian Cruise Line outlined plans to upgrade facilities at its Great Stirrup Cay private island in the Bahamas.

Norwegian will increase dining capacity by 50%, spend $1 million on new landscaping, and create 100,000 square feet of new pathways, including a new boardwalk along the beach.

Other features include a pair of parallel zip lines that will be 1,000 feet long and elevated 100 feet in the air, and a new air conditioned reception area where guests can get oriented, change clothes and make reservations.

New family activities will be available, including an underwater sculpture trail for snorkelers.

Great Stirrup Cay will have villas in its exclusive Lagoon Retreat area.

There will be a new lounge area with bar service in the center of the island, a new Landshark Bar & Grill and an Abaco Taco bar, as well as a redesigned buffet.

The amount of shaded area will be increased and more restrooms will be built.

A Lagoon Retreat aimed at high-end guests staying in Haven and Suite accommodations will have the Silver Palm restaurant, a private party room that can be reserved for groups of up to 75 and 22 air-conditioned villas (studio, one bedroom and two bedroom) for rent. A Mandara spa will be on site.

The Lagoon Retreat will be reserved for Haven guests, anyone who books a spa treatment and a limited number of guests on each cruise who will pay extra.

A posh Mandara Spa will have four treatment rooms.

At a press conference at CLIA's Cruise360 conference, Norwegian president Andy Stuart said the features were not designed after MSC Cruises announced an island with similar amenities in Bimini last year. “We’ve had plans in place for a number of years,” Stuart said.

He declined to say what Norwegian will spend on the upgrades, other than to say it was part of Norwegian’s $400 million Norwegian Edge initiative.

The upgrades at Great Stirrup Cay are expected to be in place by spring 2017, except for the cabanas, which will open in the summer, Norwegian said.