The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Nassau Cruise Port is targeting a further 600,000 passenger increase to 6.2m for the 2025 full-year, it was revealed yesterday, with visitor volumes for January to-date up 5 percent year-over-year.

Michael Maura, Nassau Cruise Port’s chief executive, told Tribune Business that “the future looks bright even beyond” the forecast 10.7 percent jump in passenger arrivals compared to last year’s 5.6m record due to the anticipated completion of Royal Caribbean’s Paradise Island beach club later this year.

With that cruise line alone projecting it will steadily increase passenger volumes to three million in the coming years, and the number of visitors to the Royal Beach Club set to be capped at a daily limit of around 2,700, he asserted that more than half of Royal Caribbean’s customers will be left to explore New Providence seeking alternative experiences.

As a result, Mr Maura reiterated to this newspaper that The Bahamas needs to continually refresh its offering and assess how its product can be made “more attractive” to the extent that 6.2m cruise visitors have “a story to tell” when they go home.

He pledged that Nassau Cruise Port will assist this objective via ongoing talks with the Ministry of Tourism and Downtown Nassau Partnership (DNP) to “bring spots of music into the downtown area” to help energise Bay Street and provide an improved atmosphere for visitors who are either shopping or eating at restaurants.

And Mr Maura also confirmed that an operator for the “signature” two-storey restaurant that will be located at the cruise port’s western end, overlooking the marina and Margaritaville Beach Resort, has been identified and started to “outfit” the space ahead of an anticipated 2026 first quarter opening.

“It all looks good to us,” the Nassau Cruise Port chief told Tribune Business of 2025’s start. “It’s January 27, and we’re running about 5 percent ahead of the same period in January 2024. We’re headed in the right direction.

“Last year we would have welcomed 1,440 ships, and then this year we’ll welcome over 1,600. That will translate into about 6.2m passengers. We’re running about 5 percent ahead for the same number of days to January 27. Barring any storms and those kinds of things that can disrupt schedules, it’s all looking food and the future even beyond 2025 and 2026 looks very promising.”

Mr Maura attributed this assessment to Royal Caribbean’s Royal Beach Club project on Paradise Island, which is set for completion and opening in December 2025. He added that the project will “drive additional volume to Nassau”, with passenger numbers set to continue increasing from 2026 onwards.

“I believe they’ve said they plan on bringing, based off the information I’ve received and they’ve provided to the Ministry of Tourism, they’re looking to exceed three million passengers by themselves,” Mr Maura said. “Based off of the investment they’re making, the reality is that project has a population cap, a visitor cap.

“So when they speak of 2.6m, 2.7m, climbing to three million passengers, a huge percentage of that number are not going to be visiting Royal Beach Club but exploring New Providence. That site does not have the means to welcome three million people as I understand it.

“Just to put every passenger on their Royal Beach Club, they would have to land 8,000-plus of their passengers each day. More than half of their business is going to be looking for things to do in and around Nassau and New Providence. It’s going to have a tremendous impact on the city of Nassau and the whole of New Providence.”

Mr Maura said Nassau Cruise Port is reviewing the concerts, events and experiences that it offers “in and around” its facilities, and pledged that there will be an “uptick” in its offerings to cruise passengers as well as Bahamians. “It has taken on a life of its own and brought energy into the downtown area,” he added.

“We have begun discussions, which I would say started in earnest a couple of months ago, with the Ministry of Tourism and Downtown Nassau Partnership (DNP), around music experiences including for downtown proper, to energise portions of Bay Street so they end up with more than what they do presently.

“A commercial area with retail suppliers, food and beverage, but looking at bringing spots of music into the downtown area so people enjoy shopping, the restaurants on Bay Street, but they also enjoy that music,” Mr Maura continued.

“We need to look at how to make our Bahamian product more attractive to 6.2m people coming in 2025. We need to continue to invest in experiences, excursions, retail and food and beverage to give those people a story to tell when they go home and authentic handicraft products they are able to pick up when they visit Nassau.”

Besides concerts and events, Mr Maura said Nassau Cruise Port’s “signature” restaurant - located at the western end of its facility - will be open early next year. “The operator has begun to do the outfit of the space, which is a two-storey restaurant with an elevator, and it’s going to have a phenomenal view in the afternoon with the sun setting and be open not just to cruise tourists but overnighters and Bahamians,” he added.

As for the $150m project to supply cruise ships docked in Nassau with 60 mega watts (MW) of shore power fuelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG), Mr Maura said two turbine engines and LNG holding tanks have already been ordered by Island Power Producers.

These assets are expected to arrive in Nassau in the 2026 first quarter, and likely be commissioned in the second quarter, Mr Maura said. He added that Siemens, which is supplying the turbines, will be responsible for their operation, management and maintenance.

“Money is being spent, invested, in this state-of-the-art power plant, and it will supply not only the cruise port but Nassau Container Port,” the Nassau Cruise Port chief said. “Royal Caribbean just two weeks ago inquired about the power that will be produced from Arawak Cay because they’re looking forward to connecting their ships to it. We’re headed in the right direction.”

Tribune Business previously revealed that both Nassau Cruise Port and BISX-listed Arawak Port Development Company (APD) are part of the Island Power Producers consortium. The remaining partners are all overseas and international firms.

Crowley, the shipping company, will be responsible for transporting the LNG fuel to Arawak Cay and its subsequent offloading. Siemens will supply the generation equipment and manage/operate the plant, while Watts Marine, a specialist in shore power solutions, will deal with the hook-ups for all cruise vessels capable of connecting to it. An Indian company, Intertec, is providing engineering services.

The power plant facility will “abut” Arawak Port Development Company’s (APD) Nassau Container Port. The LNG will be offloaded at Nassau Container Port and transported to Island Power Producers’ generation plant via a pipeline running underneath the port’s property.

Island Power Producers, on its website confirmed that it aims to develop a 60 MW natural gas combined cycle power plant. “Island Power Producers was established to build and operate a state-of-the-art natural gas power plant to provide shore power to cruise ships docked at the Nassau Cruise Port and to supply any excess power to Bahamas Power & Light,” it added.