NCL Passenger Dies While Snorkeling at Great Stirrup Cay

An 83-year-old American passenger died Sunday while snorkeling during Norwegian Getaway’s call at Norwegian Cruise Line’s Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. The incident occurred between 2 and 3 p.m. on May 3 at the line’s private island in the Berry Islands, and Bahamian authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of death.

The death occurred during a short Miami-based sailing, with Norwegian Getaway the only cruise ship visiting Great Stirrup Cay that day. The ship departed Miami on May 1 for a three-day cruise, called at Nassau on May 2 and returned to Miami on May 4. Authorities had not released the man’s identity.

Passenger was snorkeling with his son

The man’s son was snorkeling with him along the beach after they entered the water at about 2 p.m. Near the end of the outing, the son found his father unresponsive and without a mask.

Officers from Bullocks Harbor and a local doctor were alerted shortly after 3 p.m. and confirmed the man had died. No cause of death had been released.

Great Stirrup Cay is an NCL-only destination

Great Stirrup Cay sits about 20 miles north of Nassau and covers roughly 268 acres. NCL purchased the island in 1977 and developed it for cruise guests; only NCL ships visit the destination.

The island has long functioned as a beach-day call for NCL itineraries. Access had typically been by tender boat, though NCL opened a pier in late 2025 to make ship-to-shore movement easier.

The incident follows NCL’s April 2026 settlement with the Shin family after passenger Hyon Duk Shin drowned in March 2024 while rescuing a child at Horseshoe Bay in Bermuda during a Norwegian Getaway-related voyage.

Norwegian Cruise Line had not provided a public statement in the initial account of the May 3 incident. The investigation remained open, with authorities still to release the passenger’s name and cause of death.