NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Carnival Cruise Lines yesterday broke ground on its $200 million cruise port on Grand Bahama, a development that is expected to create hundreds of construction jobs during the build-out phase and 1,000 permanent jobs.
Prime Minister Philip Davis said yesterday during the groundbreaking ceremony that “the magic is returning to the Magic City”, with Carnival’s cruise port to play a pivotal role in the reemergence of the Grand Bahama economy.
The cruise line’s groundbreaking came on the heels of the announcement a day prior, that the government had selected the Electra America Hospitality Group as the preferred purchaser of the Grand Lucayan resort.
“I truly believe that the best is yet to come for Grand Bahama,” Davis continued.
“It begins with the number one industry of tourism and will expand beyond into the orange, blue and green economies.”
The prime minister noted that the cruise port development will create 1,000 permanent jobs for Bahamians.
“That is not counting the many hundreds of construction jobs which will be available during the building phase,” he added.
The port is expected to open in 2024.
Carnival Corporation President and CEO Arnold Donald said that the organization has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in The Bahamas over the past 50 years and will continue to do so well into the future.
Arnold noted that earlier this week the company signed an agreement to build two new dry docks at the Grand Bahama shipyard which should be operational by 2024.
“They will be among the largest dry docks ever built,” said Arnold.
Carnival Cruise Line CEO Christine Duffy said that the new cruise port will open the doors for a new era of cruising in The Bahamas.
