The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

Carnival Cruise Lines is still looking to develop a Bahamas-based property of its own to diversify passenger experiences, its chief executive yesterday telling Tribune Business this destination was important to the cruise line’s future.

Arnold Donald, in an interview with Tribune Business, said the $3.6 billion Miami-based cruise operator was looking at a number of possible development opportunities in the Bahamas, although such plans were still at an early stage.

Mr Donald, who took over as head of Carnival last year when long-time chief executive and Miami Heat owner, Micky Arison, stepped down, said the cruise operator was looking to diversify its guest experience.

“We are looking at a number of different possible developments They are at an early stage and we are not at a point where we can expose any real details. I’m very pleased with our legacy and our history here, and we look to expand that. We are working very closely with the Government to do that,” said Mr Donald.

He added: “I don’t think it’s a big secret that we have been looking to develop a property here ourselves for a number of years. We are still in pursuit of that.

“We have made investments here and will continue to make investments. We have Half Moon Cay and we have Princess Cay. We like those developments; they are a great experience for our guests as part of the Bahamas’ experience, and not the only Bahamas experience for our guests.

“We look to develop one or two additional opportunities like that for our guests, which will bring jobs and economic multipliers for the Bahamas.”

Mr Donald emphasised that the Bahamas remained important to Carnival’s overall business. “We have almost seven of our nine lines frequent the Bahamas,” he said.

“We bring over three million port calls a year across our various brands. That’s a lot of our guests experiencing the Bahamas. We feel we are a guest here. We feel welcomed, we want our guests to feel welcomed. We also feel that we are partners in helping to improve the quality of life for Bahamians.”

Mr Donald added: “One of my reasons for being here is to show how important the Bahamas is to us, and also to show that we really want to continue to be a part of what makes the Bahamas great and continue to improve the quality of life or all Bahamians. The Bahamas is a very important part of our legacy, our history and it’s a very important part of our future.”