Everything... Great Stirrup Cay - Silver Cove (Villa's, Lagoon, Spa, etc)

[FreestyleNovice]

This thread is for all that are looking for information on the new Silver Cove area on Great Stirrup Cay! With all of us contributing and reporting back we can keep this thread as a great resource for those who will stay there.

 

The Silver Cove area is a fenced off area of GSC, there have been renders and plans in the past and hopefully this thread will answer any questions!

 

There are three sorts of Villa's (hopefully no errors on my side);

Studio (30 units),

1 Bedroom (6 units)

and 2 Bedroom (2 units)

 

 I made the following map for the Villa's:

 

 

The following things I noticed: there is no 2 story Silver Palm restaurant yet, the bay is opened up to allow seawater flow in so there's a tide but it's roped off and there are/is a lifeguard. The some 75 pax private room for rent is also non existent. Both the restaurant and private room where spoken about in a NCL press release once. One of the renders showed a bridge walkway to an island in the middle of the lagoon, also not there yet. Press release stated floating island, where you could have a spa massage etc if I recall correctly.

 

When we were at Silver Cove the 1 and 2 bedroom Villas were just opened up, I think we were 2nd or 3rd to use them. The small round champagne branded bar in the lower left corner was not open yet, making beverage service a bit hard for the staff from the buffet's bar (rolling up and down the path with a kitchen trolley, being overloaded with new orders before they could deliver their current ones, thanks PBP...). The last row of Studio's were still being finished and so was the pavilion thing on the far end.

[worktocruise610]

this thread is a great idea - thanks Freestyle!

I am curious (I've read different things since the start of this build) why do they have bedrooms? Are people able to rent them outside of the cruise? 

I really enjoy GSC & hope to get back there soon (last one was a miss) thanks for the info, always look forward to learning from your knowledge (helped so much on the Encore thread!)

[FreestyleNovice]

7 minutes ago, worktocruise610 said:

this thread is a great idea - thanks Freestyle!

I am curious (I've read different things since the start of this build) why do they have bedrooms? Are people able to rent them outside of the cruise? 

I really enjoy GSC & hope to get back there soon (last one was a miss) thanks for the info, always look forward to learning from your knowledge (helped so much on the Encore thread!)

 

 I think I've once read for overnight stays but that would really require a pier to guarantee departure. I talked to a stateroom attendant on the complex and currently 7 stateroom attendants are full time on the island for (I assume) the Villa's and the Silver Cove complex.

We had the opportunity to rent a 1BR Villa for some 270 USD (after Lattitude shorex discount) for the day, could not pass on that.  The bedroom Villa's sure do look like they can cater to overnight stays, garden lights on the terrace, full size bed with second on demand television and plenty fire alarms around in the Villa (to meet an overnight standard?). The curtains in the bedroom were the only thing not tailored for a future good night of sleep with just sheer curtains.

[FreestyleNovice]

User CruiseMaven25 did a great job on posting extensive Villa photos;

 

 

I will add some more photos later on, the ones I have at hand are almost identical to CruiseMaven's! 

 

The 1BR has 2 loungers and also has a dining table and 4 chairs on the terrace where the Studio has just two loungers. The 2BR is a whole different story, see for yourselves ;

 

 

[Chesneygirl]

Great thread idea! 

We have a villa reserved at Silver Cove for our upcoming cruise.  When I reserved it there were no options to pick a studio, one bedroom, etc.  -  I just assumed they were all the same. The price was also one rate. 

 

How would we know which one we are getting? 

[FreestyleNovice]

4 minutes ago, Chesneygirl said:

Great thread idea! 

We have a villa reserved at Silver Cove for our upcoming cruise.  When I reserved it there were no options to pick a studio, one bedroom, etc.  -  I just assumed they were all the same. The price was also one rate. 

 

How would we know which one we are getting? 

 

Good point! In my last post it got a little lost in translation, there was indeed only one Villa option among the shorex; https://www.ncl.com/fr/en/shore-excursions/NPI_45/Oceanview-Villa-at-Silver-Cove

 

There was a larger group in one of the 2BR perhaps NCL combined them, at NCL's discretion or they paid the extra fee for the 7th and 8th guest ($25 per extra person), couldn't really tell how many they persons they had. And to make things more strange, the first few Studios closest to the Cabana's were not in use, they had no loungers and some also seemed to lack furniture inside.

 

So all I can guess is that it is currently at the discretion of NCL or some first come or perhaps even laste come serve basis, we booked the Villa (got #101, your shorex ticket in the stateroom on embarkation will show the Villa number) 8 days before setting sail. Or we had the luck of some overflow buffer?

 

There was no temporary construction fence after the Silver Cove reception which I did saw in the few Youtube videos available so the newer part we stayed in is open though.

 

The zipline was also nearing it's final construction, a worker said it would be finished in November if I understood correctly. So perhaps any specific Villa options will go live with the zipline excursions (if any.. never been to Harvest Caye?).

 

Another new for me was the food truck near the cabanas:

 

[cloudsail]

Does the food truck cost extra?

[Gershep]

Great thread.

[FreestyleNovice]

5 hours ago, cloudsail said:

Does the food truck cost extra?

No prices on the menu and saw no keycards going to the staff so I think not. It was open before the Silver Cove buffet was but it’s outside the complex.

[amygutman]

Thank you for this thread!

 

Having fallen in love with the villas last June, I was waiting to see what this new area looked like. Its certainly interesting to have bedrooms - a nice feature if you want to have a nap on the beach, but for 300-500$/ day, I want to nap ON the beach!!! The bathrooms look as wonderful as the studio villas - as a mom, having a clean place to wash up both you and your kiddo without mucking about on a dubiously clean concrete floor is a huge bonus. 

 

I wonder how the water is in the lagoon? Does it appear to be constantly circulating with the ocean, or is it more stagnant? 

 

Having spent many days at CocoCay this past September, it has a very different feel than GSC - more water park / theme-park than beach resort (though, admittedly, there were some gorgeous beaches - one with a great view of....Great Stirrup Cay!). NCL appears to be going more for a "luxury resort feel" plus great beach options - when the additions of a pool and actual resort features plus the pier do (hopefully) materialize, it will be interesting to compare the two islands and their 180 degree different approach to private island excursions. 

 

Can't wait to hear more! Amy

[GA Dave]

15 hours ago, worktocruise610 said:

this thread is a great idea - thanks Freestyle!

I am curious (I've read different things since the start of this build) why do they have bedrooms? Are people able to rent them outside of the cruise? 

I really enjoy GSC & hope to get back there soon (last one was a miss) thanks for the info, always look forward to learning from your knowledge (helped so much on the Encore thread!)

If they offered overnight/multiple night stays for non-cruise guests, I would definitely be interested.  Most of the islands in the Caribbean have become so overtouristed (is that a word??) that it is hard to "get away from it all" any more.  Once the dock is built, they could even offer floatplane service to the island from Nassau or Freeport for non-cruise guests.  For now, maybe they could offer a smaller tender-type boat or ferry-boat service.

[CruiseMaven25]

Here is a video tour as well from 2 days ago.  We had booked a studio villa and were offered a free upgrade to the 1 bedroom.  So peaceful and great service.  Only 4 villas were in use.  The restaurant is shared by the silver cove and lagoon villas.  It’s a Buffett with the usual suspects.   Although the jumbo shrimp ceviche was an upgrade I imagine.  There was soooo many staff.  All in all a great day.  

 

[worktocruise610]

2 hours ago, GA Dave said:

If they offered overnight/multiple night stays for non-cruise guests, I would definitely be interested.  Most of the islands in the Caribbean have become so overtouristed (is that a word??) that it is hard to "get away from it all" any more.  Once the dock is built, they could even offer floatplane service to the island from Nassau or Freeport for non-cruise guests.  For now, maybe they could offer a smaller tender-type boat or ferry-boat service.

I agree about the Caribbean being overtouristed (if not a word, it is now lol) and an overnight/multiple stay in these would interest me also. But as Freestyle mentioned, with it being a tender no guarantee you'd make it there. Maybe one day they will build a dock and your floatplane sounds like a great idea also. Spending a few days on that island in those villas would not be a bad way to spend vacation for sure

[omarchs]

Thanks for all the info everyone!

 

i thought at one time the lagoon area was going to be for Haven guests, but others could buy day passes. Is this no longer true and this area is only available for those booking cabanas?

[CruiseMaven25]

I am currently on the Joy and a Haven guest.  However, I’m not sure if they will be limited to the Haven.  But the area, lagoon and restaurant will be limited to Villa guests. You had check in at the villa desk upon debarkation and be driven to the area where they checked you in. 

[FreestyleNovice]

11 hours ago, amygutman said:

I wonder how the water is in the lagoon? Does it appear to be constantly circulating with the ocean, or is it more stagnant? 

 

The lagoon is tidal, very clear water, not much to see (yet?). There's a sandbar that stops the lagoon from going empty at low tide.

 

1st pic, the view from beach closest to the buffet & bar and the 2nd is taken near the spa, looking at the passage and the sandbar.

 

Edited October 30, 2019 by FreestyleNovice

[FreestyleNovice]

Regarding the speculation for non-cruise guests, that's in my view not happening in the foreseeable future. The current bar, buffet/kitchen setup can cater perfectly to beach/cruise fare with quick buffet food but full service hotel hospitality is another level which Silver Cove is not up to as it is now. Perhaps the once named 2 story Silver Palm Restaurant could manage it as indoor dining venue when it's built. The buffet and bar do seem to have spare space for future development or perhaps that's storage room for the complex at full capacity during the day but any overnights will surely be cruises by NCL. The cruises calling next day at GSC would also be a factor vs check out time, ditto for a pier and a calling cruise ship. Don't see it happening despite the appealing idea! 

[FreestyleNovice]

This is the gate at the end of the Small Cabanas, #23 is right next to it.

 

From the Cabanas and the other side, staff will open and close it for you:

 

[Angela2017]

I wasn't even aware that the villas were an option yet for our December cruise!  All the pictures posted have sold me on booking it.

 

Does anyone know if there is priority tendering with the villa reservation?  Last time we were on GSC we had to wait close to an hour to get off the ship and be tendered to shore... 

[FreestyleNovice]

1 minute ago, Angela2017 said:

I wasn't even aware that the villas were an option yet for our December cruise!  All the pictures posted have sold me on booking it.

 

Does anyone know if there is priority tendering with the villa reservation?  Last time we were on GSC we had to wait close to an hour to get off the ship and be tendered to shore... 

 

Priority yes but along with all your new friends who also booked a shore excursion but you should be out on the 1st or 2nd tender without any problem! 

 

Did you had a studio/1BR/2BR choice or option when booking it?

[FreestyleNovice]

Inside the the Silver Cove reception building:

 

 

[callmebetty]

Forgive me...I am so confused! I have a Silver Cove Villa booked for April. Does this come with lagoon access or not? It ran us $500 before latitudes discount if that helps determine what we booked. No one on the phone has any idea what I am talking about with the lagoon! Either way I'm happy, just need to know what to tell DH when I tell him what I booked!

[GA Dave]

1 hour ago, FreestyleNovice said:

Regarding the speculation for non-cruise guests, that's in my view not happening in the foreseeable future. The current bar, buffet/kitchen setup can cater perfectly to beach/cruise fare with quick buffet food but full service hotel hospitality is another level which Silver Cove is not up to as it is now. Perhaps the once named 2 story Silver Palm Restaurant could manage it as indoor dining venue when it's built. The buffet and bar do seem to have spare space for future development or perhaps that's storage room for the complex at full capacity during the day but any overnights will surely be cruises by NCL. The cruises calling next day at GSC would also be a factor vs check out time, ditto for a pier and a calling cruise ship. Don't see it happening despite the appealing idea! 

That is a shame.  Oh well, may have to just go here instead.  Gladden

[Chesneygirl]

5 minutes ago, callmebetty said:

Forgive me...I am so confused! I have a Silver Cove Villa booked for April. Does this come with lagoon access or not? It ran us $500 before latitudes discount if that helps determine what we booked. No one on the phone has any idea what I am talking about with the lagoon! Either way I'm happy, just need to know what to tell DH when I tell him what I booked!

 

You should have beach access based on the description below.

Oceanview Villa at Silver Cove 

DETAILS

• All Day
•  
•  
  Family Recommended

 

The Oceanview Villa at Silver Cove is ideal for couples and single families. Situated on its private beach with unobstructed ocean views it is the perfect way to spend a sultry day in the comfort of one of our ultra-modern air-conditioned retreats that comfortably house up to six guests. 

 

Each Villa offers A/C, in villa TV with complimentary on-demand movies, full private restroom, a retractable glass wall providing unobstructed views and access to the beach. To make your day complete we provide you with a beach umbrella and two lounge chairs next to the water’s edge and admission to the upscale Silver Cove buffet. Reserve a villa and you’ll have everything you need to enjoy a great day on the Cay.

[erdoran]

Slight hijack—for those who want this type of island experience, I am a huge fan of Tradewinds Cruise Club, who offer shared catamaran charters for a week, or land/see split weeks.  They have them in Tonga and either Mayreaux or Canouan, I forget which.  Email me at doraner at comcast dot net if you want to know more.  I am a very happy tradewinds owner and can give you a referral, and pricing is NOT outrageous.