Forget Nassau, Royal Caribbean, Carnival find new island homes
This island has a lot to offer as a cruise destination, but it hasn’t gotten the attention that others have — until now.
As a long-time cruiser and Florida resident, I’ve visited my fair share of Bahamas cruise ports — from multiple private cruise line destinations to the busy Nassau cruise hub.
Although I’m very familiar with The Bahamas and what its beautiful islands offer to visitors, one Bahamian cruise destination really took me by surprise when I visited for the first time last spring.
Related: Carnival and Royal Caribbean both have this surprising extra charge
Like Nassau, this cruise port has gotten a bad rap – mostly because it’s not the kind of Bahamian port where you can walk off the ship and right onto a beach.
The island is home to a number of stunning beaches, however. You just need transportation to get to them from the port.
To improve your overall cruise port experience in this Bahamian destination, booking a shore excursion is a good call — whether you’re looking for a relaxing resort-style beach day or an adventure to explore the wonders of the island’s impressive national park.
But with a burst of new development projects aimed at attracting more cruise passengers to this underrated Bahamian island, experiencing the charms of the destination is about to get much easier.
Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise.
Cruise lines are investing in Grand Bahama
Carnival Cruise Line was the first to recognize Grand Bahama’s potential as a cruise destination, signing an agreement with the island’s government back in 2017 to build its flagship cruise destination there.
It took quite a while for the cruise line’s vision for the destination to come to life, however. The highly anticipated new $600 million cruise destination, Celebration Key, finally opens this July.
Although it’s intended to feel like a cruise line private island, Celebration Key is located in a secluded part of Grand Bahama, about 20 miles from the island’s existing Freeport cruise port.
Royal Caribbean has long been interested in Grand Bahama, too, but past plans to develop a resort-style cruise destination on the island fell through.
Related: Royal Caribbean makes big move to invest in new cruise destination
But finally this April, Royal Caribbean Group moved forward with a new plan to acquire a 40-acre Grand Bahama resort property with intentions to develop it into a private destination for Celebrity Cruises, according to local Tribune Business media reports.
Also in the plans for Grand Bahama is a project that will build a new cruise port and water park at the Freeport Harbour, developed as a partnership between Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises.
First announced in 2020, that port project once included plans for Royal Caribbean to purchase a Bahamian government-owned resort property, but the deal later fell through due to government concerns about the timeline and terms.
Developer to transform Grand Bahama resort into cruise destination
Now, years later, the Bahamian government finally reached a deal to sell that Grand Bahama resort property to be developed into a cruise destination, just not by Royal Caribbean.
On May 15, Concord Wilshire Capital signed a deal with the Bahamian government to acquire Grand Bahama’s Grand Lucayan Resort, a 56-acre beachfront resort and 160-acre Reef Golf Course, for $120 million.
The Miami-based developer will invest a total of $827 million to transform the property into a 36-acre cruise ship destination resort with a capacity of 10,000 passengers per day.
Related: Royal Caribbean unveils its biggest and boldest innovation yet
Expected to be completed in 2028, the new cruise destination will be open to all cruise lines, resort guests, and local residents. It will feature much of what cruise passengers can find at an exclusive cruise line destination like a water park, adult lagoon, private club with premium amenities, dining options, beach access, water activities, entertainment venues, and more.
The new Grand Lucayan Resort will also include a free-standing, indoor and poolside casino, a branded hotel and residential resort, a new Greg Norman Championship Signature Golf Course, and a mega-yacht marina.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
