Norwegian Cruise Line Invites Travelers to Escape to the Great Life

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) recently unveiled additional details for its transformed private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay, via a breakthrough integrated 360-campaign led by fast-growing indie creative advertising agency Super Nice. The campaign, titled 'Escape to the Great Life,' kicked off on July 29, 2025 and included a full-funnel strategy spanning TV, digital, OOH, experiential, and social — tapping into a cultural insight that deeply resonated: the universal need to break away from everyday life.

A Transformed Private Island & a Call to Escape

As part of a multi-year transformation, NCL is turning one of its most beloved private Caribbean destinations into an all-new island experience with soon-to-debut guest attractions and more family offerings, headlined by a nearly six-acre Great Tides Waterpark opening in summer 2026. The waterpark will include a 170-foot tower home to 8 thrilling waterslides, swim up bars, an 800-foot dynamic river and the industry’s first-ever cliff jumps at 10 and 15-feet high. The revitalised Great Stirrup Cay will also feature a new multi-ship pier, a 1.4-acre pool area featuring a 28,000-square-foot heated pool with swim-up bars and dedicated family splash zones, the adults-only Vibe Shore Club for a more elevated and exclusive experience, and so much more — all designed to give guests more variety, more fun, and more ways to relax.

“Super Nice didn’t just pitch ideas — they brought a bold vision for reimagining escape in a way that feels unforgettable,” said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line. “They helped us express escapism in a way that’s not only emotionally resonant, but also measurable. Great Stirrup Cay is one of our highest-rated destinations, and this is a milestone moment for us. Super Nice showed up with big thinking, cultural insight, and a deep understanding of how to connect with our guests on a meaningful level. They were true partners in bringing our vision to life and showcasing our island to the masses.”

The Campaign Ecosystem: A Creative Reset for the Cruise Category

At the heart of the campaign is the concept of the 'Escape Hatch' — brought to life across film, social, display, and an epic out-of-home blitz. From national TV to immersive city takeovers, Super Nice scaled the idea into a high-impact, cross-channel platform anchored in a simple, universal truth: everyone needs an escape. Literal and metaphorical Escape Hatch doors were scattered throughout the media mix — including more than 250 OOH placements and immersive social content which included a clever stop-your-scroll Instagram moment where a Hatch Door overtakes your feed.

Anchoring the campaign are seven custom Escape Hatch installations across NYC in Hudson Yards, Gansevoort Plaza, 54th Street in Times Square, Broadway and Broome, Grand Central Station, State Street in the Financial District, and on the Highline Sundeck on 14th Street. Each Escape Hatch led to chances to win one of 250 escapes to NCL’s private island in the Bahamas - Great Stirrup Cay, while one door actually opened up to an immersive three-day-only tropical hideaway in SoHo (July 29–31). This hidden pop-up experience was accessible only via one of the campaign’s Escape Hatch Doors, and was designed to bring NCL’s new island to life with over 200 feet of LED walls, real palm trees, scent-mapped breezes, steel drum music, and refreshments and merch — and was free and open to the public… if they could find the right door.

Throughout the month of August, three 'Escape Hatches' will also be hidden throughout Miami, NCL’s hometown — in Wynwood, on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, and at Bayside Marketplace in downtown — inviting the public to open the doors for a chance to win an escape to 'The Great Life' at Great Stirrup Cay.

Driving the narrative were three hero spots — Great Meeting, Great Dinner, and Great Ticket — which used levity and wit to show just how much we all need an escape. Each one follows a character in an everyday moment as the language around them transforms into 'island speak,' (i.e. pina colada, waterslides, etc) until a magical escape hatch appears and whisks them away to NCL’s reimagined Great Stirrup Cay. The spots aired across major platforms including Good Morning America, Netflix, and Peacock.

The Escape to the Great Life campaign exceeded anticipated campaign results across every touchpoint, from digital to real-world experiences. Web traffic to NCL.com/GSC surged on launch day breaking daily records. Immersive escape hatch activations in New York drew thousands of visitors, with lines around the block at the hidden Great Stirrup Cay island pop-up in Soho. Additionally, in Miami NCL activated at loanDepot Park, home to the Miami Marlins with three escape hatches at the stadium during the Marlins vs Yankees series where there was a record attendance of over 100,000 spectators across three days. The campaign generated thousands of sweepstakes entries and sparked massive social buzz, with the #EscapeToTheGreatLife hashtag driving millions of impressions. Out-of-home placements dominated high-traffic locations across NYC, amplifying the campaign’s bold creative and expanding NCL’s presence far beyond the coastline. The result: a wide-reaching awareness campaign that drove brand consideration, proving that the Great Life isn’t just a destination, it’s a movement.

“This was a dream brief for Super Nice. It’s not every day you get to launch an island. From day one, NCL came to us with a bold ambition, and the creative trust to match it,” said Jared Kozel, co-founder and chief creative officer at Super Nice. "The results affirm our belief that when you lead with cultural insight and audience understanding, creativity and performance fuel each other. Every decision — from the humour in the spots to the hidden Escape Hatches — tapped into the deep desire people have to disconnect and escape.”

The campaign's success furthers Super Nice's rapid momentum since its January 2025 founding. In addition to NCL, the agency’s growing client roster includes collaborations with Delta Air Lines, Wegmans, American Campus Communities, and SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young. The agency recently expanded its team with six new hires and opened a new HQ in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward.