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Great Stirrup Cay in the midst of a major spruce-up

(Photos: Norwegian Cruise Line - center images top and bottom. Others: Anne Kalosh)
Great Stirrup Cay - more lounge chairs, better food and drink service including a complimentary taco bar (bottom center). Carlos González, upper right, is overseeing the upgrades for NCLH
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' Great Stirrup Cay now offers more shade and cushioned lounge chairs, faster food and drink service, a complimentary taco bar and an underwater sculpture garden. A new jetty calms beach erosion, and fresh sand has a powdery feel against bare feet, unlike the previous rocky surfaces.

Still to come: a new VIP lagoon area with luxury villas, a restaurant and swim-up bar.

NCLH continues to invest in its 268-acre cay in the Bahamas' Berry Islands, acquired in 1977 and developed as cruising's first private island. Seventy-two acres are guest-facing.

Great Stirrup Cay lacks the amusement-park feel of some private destinations; there are no water slides or zip lines (yet). Passengers can rent Wave Runners, but the vibe overall is relaxed.

'This is our beach day,' said Jennifer Marmanillo, director of itinerary planning, NCLH. Other Bahamas stops, Nassau and, just 62 nautical miles away, Freeport, are better known for tours and shopping.

'This is quiet, not overwhelmed with tourists, which is why we have only one ship at a time,' she said.

Norwegian Cruise Line's Breakaway-class vessels are the largest to call. In winter, there's a ship every day. During summer the line's smallest vessel, Norwegian Sky, visits twice a week, including on its Cuba itinerary. Sister brands Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises call, too.

Work to upgrade Great Stirrup Cay has been going on since last year, with the goal to complete everything in 2017. Hurricane Matthew last October set back some of the improvements but there's no visible storm damage now.

The overall thrust is providing a more comfortable, resort-like atmosphere. Pathways are being paved to make it easier to get around and reduce sand in the buildings, and landscaping is being added.

Now there are more than 3,000 lounge chairs, up from 1,200. A pavilion in an elevated area provides a shaded place to lounge.

Food and beverage offerings have been added or improved. 'It's not like just a picnic on the beach. You're on vacation. You're in a wonderful place,' said Carlos González, director, out island projects, NCLH, who's in charge of the island-wide upgrades.

Adding more places to eat and drink, redesigning for efficiency and installing frozen drinks machines in the bars have reduced wait times.

The goal is that nobody waits more than 10 minutes.

The large Jumby Beach Grill was expanded with a deck in front to make a patio-style cafe. Some ships will offer cocktail service there. Food service lines were doubled to four, and two satellite bars were added. Melamine plates have replaced paper.

Pizza ovens were installed and a better food selection is provided. The menu includes pasta salad with barbecued chicken, chorizo and sun-dried tomatoes; Bahamian ginger and lime couscous, herb vegetable salad, cole slaw, grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, Jamaican jerk chicken, barbecue beans and corn on the cob. Among the desserts are brownies, rum pineapple coffee cake, coconut macaroons and white and dark chocolate Rice Krispie bars.

'We're generating our own ice now. The quality and freshness of the food is much better. We're able to supply all the bars,' González said.

A new snack spot, Abaco Taco, serves complimentary chicken, fish and steak tacos. A roof covers the seating area, creating a space where people can hang out.

Bertram Bar and, specializing in margaritas, the Patrón Bar, have been enhanced. The Bacardí Bar, for Cuba libres, mojitos, daiquiris and piña coladas, added 15 high-top tables and umbrellas. Thanks to the shade, it's more of a destination bar now.

At the farthest end from the tender landing, the Lighthouse Beach Bar is tranquil and provides great views. 'This feels like the tropical island,' González said of Lighthouse Beach. 'That,' he added, motioning toward the main beach, 'feels like you're at a big party.'

Twenty-two rental cabanas are reached by climbing individual boardwalk-style paths. The airy cabanas, open on three sides, with curtains for shade/privacy, have premium lounge furniture and a small refrigerator. Day rental of a large cabana for up to eight people is $319, while a smaller cabana for up to six costs $299; each additional person pays $26.

Great Stirrup Cay is about to open a first-aid center with five treatment rooms offering IVs, medical gases and oxygen. It will be staffed by a nurse who'll live on the island, supplemented by medical personnel from the ship and with access to Cleveland Clinic tele-med consultations. 'Nobody else has anything like this,' according to González. 'If you're traveling and diabetic or have special needs, this is the right place to come.'

The first-aid center will be able to treat most issues that arise on a beach day and alleviate the need to transfer people to Nassau while keeping families together, he added.

In other changes, a stretch of beach provides an underwater sculpture garden with 30 new sculptures flagged by buoys.

At the nearby snorkel center visitors can rent full snorkel gear for the day ($29), clam shells ($29), floating mats ($15), stand-up paddle boards ($25 for 40 minutes) and Wave Runners ($99 for the driver). Other options include kayaking ($55 for a one-hour tour), a stingray city tour ($69), pedal boats and parasailing.

The straw market, with its 10 stalls that are owned and operated by locals, will be expanded and paved, with shade added.

Beyond Lighthouse Beach, NCLH is building public restrooms including two family/ADA-compliant stalls.

The next construction phase, a major one, will develop the lagoon area. This exclusive zone—included for guests of The Haven and those who book a Mandara Spa treatment on the island, with a small number of passes available for purchase—will have 38 new private villas for rental, ranging from 22 studios to two-bedroom units on the lagoon plus 16 studios on the oceanfront. All are air conditioned and have bathrooms. Other lagoon amenities will be a two-story restaurant and air-conditioned reception/lounge area. Air-conditioned shuttles will transfer people from the tender landing.

'It's really impressive for a private island,' said Michael Consoli, a Cruise Planners/American Express agent in Roswell, Georgia, who visited on Norwegian Sky's inaugural Cuba cruise last week.

'The extension of The Haven on board to here makes the full experience. It completes the ship-within-a-ship concept,' Consoli said, noting this is particularly welcome since his clientele are upscale.

All the Great Stirrup Cay work is due for completion by year's end. González said disruption to passengers is avoided because 'We work really hard when ships are not here.'