Is just a morning in Great Stirrup Caye worth it?

[mtrancher]

Our January 2022 cruise currently lists a stop at Great Stirrup Caye from 6:00am to 12:30pm.  My question to those of you who have been to the island is, given tender times and time of day, do you think it's worth bothering to get off the ship. I know we won't get up super early to go... so I would guess we could/would go 9:00am to whenever we had to come back.. (noon?).

[complawyer]

been there a couple of times, for me and wife, it's much ado about nothing. i'd rather stay on the ship when it's not crowded, then share the beach with a few thousand of my closest friends. also , since this is a "tender"port, sometimes the seas are rough and the ship doesnt even stop there.

 

having read a great number of these posts, i have noticed that many people love this port.

 

me, meh!

[HowardK]

It's really nice there because its a beach you can go to just brining your keycard and not worrying about anything. One of my best days was going there for a few hours and then getting back on the ship for a quick snack at O Shennans before heading to the pool

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, mtrancher said:

Our January 2022 cruise currently lists a stop at Great Stirrup Caye from 6:00am to 12:30pm.  My question to those of you who have been to the island is, given tender times and time of day, do you think it's worth bothering to get off the ship. I know we won't get up super early to go... so I would guess we could/would go 9:00am to whenever we had to come back.. (noon?).

It's a beach day. Beach. Loungers. Food. Drink. 

 

We normally go back to the ship after lunch when it gets hot, so a 1/2 day port call would not bother us. 

Edited January 15, 2021 by BirdTravels

[mtrancher]

45 minutes ago, HowardK said:

It's really nice there because its a beach you can go to just brining your keycard and not worrying about anything. One of my best days was going there for a few hours and then getting back on the ship for a quick snack at O Shennans before heading to the pool

Thanks for the response, how were your tender times? I've read various issues with tendering to the island.

[MsTabbyKats]

I also am not a fan.  Generally long lines waiting for the tender both ways.  I doubt they'd serve lunch to you based on your scheduled arrival and departure, but, if they do, again...always the lines.  And rows and rows of chairs....just not my kind of beach day.

 

When we go DH and I go "late" and come back "early" (maybe an hour on the island).

 

If we had your schedule, I'd stay onboard.  However,  since Montana is  a "beach deprived" area, going to the beach may be a treat and novelty.

[Named-Tawny]

Honestly, 3 hours in the late morning on a beach sounds like just about the ideal amount of time.

I've not been to Great Stirrup (when I do the Caribbean, I tend to do resorts) but I don't get the sense that there's lots to explore there beyond enjoying the beach and the bars?

[Trimone]

On our last cruise Feb 2020 a passenger got food poisoning from barbecue, was hospitalised.

[PTC DAWG]

6 hours ago, Trimone said:

On our last cruise Feb 2020 a passenger got food poisoning from barbecue, was hospitalised.

Only one? That seems almost impossible..

[All-ready2cruise]

Agreed.  Food poisoning is something which a lot of people would be suffering from if it's from a specific restaurant.  Certainly, when I've been to GSC, the lines have been quite long at the food stands so, if one person got FP, many others would as well. 

 

I'd guess that food allergies would seem more likely.  

 

JMO

Edited January 16, 2021 by All-ready2cruise

[CarolinaMamma]

17 hours ago, mtrancher said:

Our January 2022 cruise currently lists a stop at Great Stirrup Caye from 6:00am to 12:30pm.  My question to those of you who have been to the island is, given tender times and time of day, do you think it's worth bothering to get off the ship. I know we won't get up super early to go... so I would guess we could/would go 9:00am to whenever we had to come back.. (noon?).

Which cruise are you on?  We will be on Encore  1/16 and our time in GSC is listed as 7 am to 2 pm.  I’ve considered possibly booking something at the spa on GSC, since my husband likes to get a message the first day of the cruise, but I don’t think the cabana rentals would be worth it for half a day, given the tendering times.  On the other hand, we may just stay on the ship. I have teenagers who will probably want to sleep in. 

[Glitterbutton]

We loved Great Stirrup Caye. It rained the entire afternoon but we really enjoyed the 2 hours we had in the morning before the rain started. I am really looking forward to trying to return someday when, hopefully, the sun is out. We didn't have to wait in line for anything but this may have been because many people went back to the ship because of the weather. We walked to the far side of the island. It was a bit of a trek but it seemed quieter on that beach. The snorkeling wasn't great but is was easy and we did see a huge stingray and that was pretty awesome. I would say if you are a beach lover then it would be worth it but then I never turn a trip to the sand.

[Trimone]

1 hour ago, All-ready2cruise said:

Agreed.  Food poisoning is something which a lot of people would be suffering from if it's from a specific restaurant.  Certainly, when I've been to GSC, the lines have been quite long at the food stands so, if one person got FP, many others would as well. 

 

I'd guess that food allergies would seem more likely.  

 

JMO

The poor lad was a Crohns sufferer ended up in hospital on ship, transferred to hospital in Mexico had operation, ended up with a colostomy bag. About $15,000 with for operation and hotels for parents 

[All-ready2cruise]

8 hours ago, Trimone said:

a passenger got food poisoning from barbecue

Well, of course I feel badly for him, however, the fact that he got ill was not due to food poisoning, right? Those suffering from Crohns disease are prone many different reactions for food. 

 

"This is even more important when you have a flare-up of your Crohn’s symptoms. Spicy or greasy foods, whole grains, high-fiber fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, caffeine, and alcohol can all be harder on your body during a flare-up."

^^^^

Taken from this link: https://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/crohns-disease/creating-a-crohns-disease-diet-plan

[Trimone]

I have suffered from Crohns for 25 years, i to have had the misfortune of eating not fully cooked food, it hospitalised me with campylobacter, I personally never eat of the ship and very rarely in the buffet.

We had a fantastic cruise and didn’t realise the family’s holiday had been ruined until we met at LAX to fly home.

[Trimone]

I may add that NCL took full responsibility for the food at GSC and didn’t charge for the medical facilities on the ship 

[complawyer]

how benevolent of them.  the poor folks still had to shell out $15000 out of their own pocket. and a  surgery in a mexican hospital.. OMG!!!!!

 

hope the people sued ncl

[mtrancher]

4 hours ago, CarolinaMamma said:

Which cruise are you on?  We will be on Encore  1/16 and our time in GSC is listed as 7 am to 2 pm.  I’ve considered possibly booking something at the spa on GSC, since my husband likes to get a message the first day of the cruise, but I don’t think the cabana rentals would be worth it for half a day, given the tendering times.  On the other hand, we may just stay on the ship. I have teenagers who will probably want to sleep in. 

We're on the Getaway outta Miami on the 19th.

I agree Cabana rentals won't be worth it given the short stop.

LIkely have to wait and see how the tender times are looking given the weather. Plus... how late we are up our 1st night out.

If it was a full day I think I'd be way more excited to go see it. It looks nice and having the ship card work  everywhere would be great. Of course I've never been a huge fan of tender ports.

[Sand and Seas]

Just today, I noticed that our Getaway cruise on  January 5th 2022 has removed Great Stirrup Cay off the itinerary and changed it to Nassau.   We haven't received notice of change yet. 

 

I did see that the other two 9 day cruises that had our original itinerary (Jan 19 and Feb 2 2022) still show GSC today.   Not sure why they would be changing it for our cruise .

[mtrancher]

1 hour ago, Sand and Seas said:

Just today, I noticed that our Getaway cruise on  January 5th 2022 has removed Great Stirrup Cay off the itinerary and changed it to Nassau.   We haven't received notice of change yet. 

 

I did see that the other two 9 day cruises that had our original itinerary (Jan 19 and Feb 2 2022) still show GSC today.   Not sure why they would be changing it for our cruise .

Yet still the same time in port! I wonder if a couple other ships are going to Great Stirrup Caye that day?

[complawyer]

that would make the answer even easier. sure, there's nothing i enjoy better than sharing a beach, and fighting for a chair, with a few thousand other close friends, even better with more than 1 ship in port.

 

imagine all the fun you'll have waiting for the tenders to dock and return to the ship. have  FUN.

 

if i never see gsc again i wont be the least bit upset, and i'd much rather stay onthe ship and drink mojito's .and dont even ask me about the cabana's, what a rip off!!!!!

[Sand and Seas]

2 hours ago, mtrancher said:

Yet still the same time in port! I wonder if a couple other ships are going to Great Stirrup Caye that day?

Very strange!  I wonder what other ship(s) would 'bump' Getaway out of GSC. 

 

I wouldn't bother to get off the ship in Nassau.  For GSC, I'd have to think about it for just a few hours in the morning.  We like to sleep late🌞

[KeepCalmBearOn]

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. I would be on the first tender out, get a nice swim in first thing, catch a little nap in the sun, read my book, snack a little and love my time there. That may not work for you. It depends on your likes and personality. Even if you didn't do any of the things I do, a change of routine and a stroll might be nice.

[BirdTravels]

Never seen these swings. 

 

We have never “fought for chairs” or had to stand in line for tenders (other than the next one to be loaded). But we are smart enough not to wait until the last tender of the day. GSC has always been a great beach day. 

[HowardK]

On 1/15/2021 at 6:06 PM, mtrancher said:

Thanks for the response, how were your tender times? I've read various issues with tendering to the island.

I remember I opted for a later one and an earlier one coming back. This way I missed the rush out and the rush back.