Key Aspects:
- Norwegian Encore was unable to call at Costa Maya, Mexico, on January 21 due to port availability.
- Instead, the ship will turn its call to Great Stirrup Cay into an overnight visit starting on January 22.
- This is the first time NCL has ever hosted an overnight call at its private destination.
A last-minute itinerary change is usually considered bad news. But for current guests of Norwegian Encore, the change means they get to experience something that no other NCL passengers have ever gotten to do.
The Norwegian Cruise Line ship embarked on a 7-night Caribbean and Bahamas itinerary in Miami, Florida, on January 17, 2026.
The sailing was supposed to visit Roatan, Honduras; Harvest Caye, NCL’s private island in Belize; Costa Maya, Mexico; and Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.
But due to changes in port availability, the call to Costa Maya on January 21 was cancelled.
This was most likely related to ongoing construction, as Royal Caribbean is currently in the process of turning Costa Maya into Perfect Day Mexico. The new resort is expected to open in the fall of 2027.
Royal Caribbean officially took possession of Costa Maya in the summer of 2025 and has vowed to keep the port open to all cruise lines, but construction needs may be creating a temporary barrier to accessibility.
An Exciting Replacement
In liu of Costa Maya, the up to 3,958 guests onboard will get to be the first to experience an overnight call to Great Stirrup Cay. This is exciting as the cruise line has not previously offered overnight visits at their private destination in the Bahamas.
Read Also: Great Stirrup Cay – A Full Overview of NCL’s Private Island
“We’re thrilled to introduce an extraordinary, first-of-its-kind experience, an overnight stay at our private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay. This will mark the first overnight visit offered to Norwegian Cruise Line guests,” NCL wrote to current passengers.
“This moment gives you the rare opportunity to be among the first guests to experience Great Stirrup Cay after dark, truly making cruise history,” the cruise line continued.
Instead of arriving at the island on the morning of January 23, the Breakaway Plus-class ship will dock at the newly completed pier at 4 p.m. on January 22.
Guests will have until midnight to enjoy the island, and are invited to participate in a Glow Party under the stars from 9 p.m. until 11 p.m. The next day, passengers will be able to return to the island for fun under the sun until the ship departs at 5 p.m.
One More Slight Change
In order to accommodate this new plan, the call to Harvest Caye, Belize, on January 20 also had to be adjusted.
“We’ve adjusted the timing of our visit to Harvest Caye, Belize to better align with port logistics,” Norwegian Cruise Line noted.
Instead of visiting the private destination from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the 169,116-gross ton ship was in the port from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This ultimately equated to about two hours less in the port for guests, but gave the ship more time to cover the approximately 1,400 nautical miles between the two destinations.
Guests Excited By the Change
Cruisers onboard and cruise fans following along on social media seem to unanimously agree that this change was made for the better. Many felt that having extra time in the port would cause less stress and make them worry less about missing their ship.
“Omg. I’d love to overnight and not worry about getting back in time,” one cruise fan reacted.
Other cruisers simply prefer Great Stirrup Cay to Costa Maya and would be happy to have more time at the private destination.
“Costa Maya is an overpriced tourist trap anyways. I would definitely not be complaining about an overnight in the Bahamas,” another chimed in.
A third subset were also excited by the idea of a beach party under the stars.
One cruiser exclaimed: “An evening beach party sounds wonderful!!”
“I prefer the beach at night so it sounds cool,” another agreed.
Assuming this call is a success, it’s quite possible that more overnights could make their way onto future itineraries, especially as NCL has invested around $150 million into making Great Stirrup Cay more desirable.
Overnights could join the list of enhancements that have been or are being made on the island, such as the newly completed Great Life Lagoon pool area and the upcoming Great Tides Waterpark.
Itinerary Change Leads to Chance to Make History for NCL Guests
