The redesigned and expanded Nassau Cruise Port (Bahamas, New Providence Island) officially has a grand opening date, ~4 years after construction started back in 2019.
Prime Minister Philip Davis toured the nearly-complete facilities, after which Mike Maura (Port's Director) provided an update. Maura said they had a meeting with the Prime Minister and it was agreed that the grand opening would be the last weekend of May.
"We had looked at having it earlier in May but King Charles decided to be coronated around May 5 or May 6 and that meant the Prime Minister would be away and we wanted to be sure that the Prime Minister is here for that grand opening.”
Currently, there are ~300 people working on the port project, 50% of whom are Bahamian. Once finished, the port will be able to accommodate 6 cruise ships at once, including 3 of the world’s largest cruise vessels from RCI-Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class. The additional berth is Prince George Wharf, which was repaired and expanded as part of the overall renovation of the port.
The passenger capacity of the port will increase from 20,000 to ~33000 people daily once the project is finished.
The initial investment estimated for the redesign of port Nassau was US$250 million. However, that cost went up significantly, something Maura attributed to material cost increases due to “the pandemic and so forth.”
The new port area has a new terminal building, and event and entertainment spaces such as a living coral exhibit, a 3,500-person amphitheater, and locally-owned bars, restaurants, and shops. It is intended to be enjoyed by locals/visitors alike.
By the end of this current year, the Nassau Cruise Port is expected to have welcomed 3.2 million passengers. 4+ million are expected in 2023, and ~4.5 million in 2024.
In 2023, the port expects to welcome a total of 1260 cruise ship calls, and the number is due to increase to 1300+ in 2024.