Nassau Cruise Port to Receive Major Transformation

The cruise port in Nassau, Bahamas is going to be receiving a major overhaul in the near future.

Global Ports Holding Limited, which operates different ports around the world, was chosen as the preferred bidder to redevelop Nassau’s controversial cruise port. The project is estimated at $250 million and will include two more berths to accommodate the world’s largest cruise ships.

Instead of just being another common stop on Bahamas and Caribbean cruises, the goal of the project is to make Nassau a port that cruisers actually look forward to visiting. Upon arriving, passengers will be able to wander a modern waterfront that rivals any other Caribbean cruise port.

In a video from Global Ports Holding showing the company’s plans for the port, it says “The minute they arrive they’ll know this is a port unlike any other. All retail, restaurant and other vendors in the port area will be Bahamian-owned, and it will feature a Junkanoo museum to showcase this nation’s culture and history.”  The project will also include an auditorium that can hold up to 10,000 people for concerts, shows, and special events, as well as an outdoor movie theater. Open, upscale restaurants will invite guests to sit back and relax in the Bahamian breeze. At night, laser shows will light up the sky along with illuminated sculptures and walkways.

The Minister of Tourism in the Bahamas noted that the project will help eliminate the “harassing type environment” that many visitors face when they stop in Nassau.

Nassau Cruise Port Ltd. will manage the port, with Global Ports Holding possessing 49 percent of its equity under the current model. Another 49 percent will be owned by the Bahamas Investment Fund, a vehicle that will pool investments from thousands of Bahamians. The remaining two percent will be controlled by the YES Foundation, which will be established to fund youth, educational, and sporting activities.

A timeline for construction of the reimagined port hasn’t been released yet.

Info: Tribune 242 and Cruise Fever