Cruise passenger dies at Norwegian's Great Stirrup Cay
Every day thousands of cruise passengers arrive at cruise line private islands in The Bahamas ready for a picture-perfect beach day. For the vast majority of cruise vacationers, days at private islands are indeed perfect days full of fun in the sun framed by the natural beauty of The Bahamas.
Occasionally though, beach days at cruise line private islands and exclusive destinations can be marred by tragedy, just like drownings and accidents can happen anywhere else in the world where people enjoy swimming and water sports. One of those types of incidents sadly occurred on May 3 at Norwegian Cruise Line's Great Stirrup Cay, while Norwegian Getaway passengers were enjoying the island on a weekend cruise from Miami.
At Great Stirrup Cay and other cruise line private islands, cruise vacationers can swim, snorkel, and participate in other water activities along the beach, but it's important to keep in mind that although generally safe, those activities come with inherent risks common to ocean environments.
Doug Parker shared more details on the cruise passenger death at Great Stirrup Cay, as well as cruise news from Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line, on the May 5 edition of Cruise News Today.
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Cruise passenger dies while snorkeling at Norwegian Cruise Line's Great Stirrup Cay
Cruise News Today Transcript:
Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here's your cruise news for Tuesday, May 5th. Happy Cinco de Mayo.
Police in The Bahamas are investigating the suspected drowning of an 83-year-old American man on Norwegian Cruise Line's Great Stirrup Cay on Sunday afternoon.
Related: Inside Norwegian Cruise Line's Great Stirrup Cay renovations
Authorities say the man was snorkeling with his son when he became unresponsive in the water. He was brought to a medical facility on the island where he was pronounced dead.
Police say lifeguards and medical personnel responded and an investigation is now underway. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
Royal Caribbean opens Royal Beach Club Santorini
Royal Caribbean has opened its first beach club in Europe. Royal Caribbean says the Royal Beach Club Santorini has officially welcomed its first guests on the Greek island.
The excursion includes transportation to the island with stops in destinations like Oia and Fira. At the beach club guests have access to loungers, WiFi, unlimited Greek food and drinks, and live entertainment.
The opening is the company's second beach club following the recent launch in The Bahamas with more locations planned in Mexico and in the South Pacific.
And in case you're wondering on costs, it'll average around $200 to $250 per person depending on when you purchase.
Disney Cruise Line and Port of San Diego ink deal for more sailings
And San Diego is expanding its role in the cruise industry with a long-term deal with Disney Cruise Line. The Port of San Diego says the agreement runs through at least 2031 and will nearly double the Disney cruise departures from the city with more than one million passengers.
Now two ships will be based here in San Diego for the '26-27 season. The Disney Magic arrives in October for short sailings before a Panama Canal cruise, while Disney Wonder will operate trips through April of next year. Disney calls San Diego a key part of its West Coast operations.
Related: Disney Cruise Line offering money-saving deal for families
And cruise stocks were down Monday. Carnival Corporation: down 4%, 25.67. Royal Caribbean: down 2.3%, 259.48. Norwegian: down 9%, 17.20. And Viking: down 3%, 79.03.
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Here in San Diego one last time, I'm Doug Parker for Cruise News Today. Have yourself a great Tuesday.
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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 8:35 AM.