Royal Caribbean follows Carnival with new island development move
A long-overlooked Bahamian island is ready for its turn to shine.
Attracted by its natural island beauty and proximity to Florida ports, The Bahamas has long held the eye of cruise lines.
Some Bahamian islands have received much more attention than others, however.
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Until now, Royal Caribbean’s investments in The Bahamas have mainly focused on its private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, which the cruise line upgraded with a $250 million transformation in 2019, as well as popular Paradise Island, near Nassau, where the cruise line is developing its first Royal Beach Club.
But as Royal Caribbean Group expands its fleet across all three of its cruise brands — Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises — its need for more Bahamian destinations that can accommodate more ships and offer passengers more exclusive vacation experiences is growing, too.
But rather than develop another private island (like MSC Cruises plans to do near its existing private island, Ocean Cay), Royal Caribbean is now taking steps to join Carnival in developing a new private beach resort experience on a somewhat overlooked cruise destination — Grand Bahama Island.
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Both Royal Caribbean, Carnival invest in Grand Bahama
In July, Carnival Cruise Line will open Celebration Key, its new flagship cruise destination in Grand Bahama, a $600 million investment that’s been in the works for several years.
Although Grand Bahama’s Freeport cruise port is regularly visited by Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Margaritaville at Sea cruise ships, the port hasn’t been a huge draw for cruisers, mainly because of its distance from the island’s beaches.
Celebration Key is located in a secluded area on the south side of Grand Bahama, about 20 miles from the Freeport cruise port. The new cruise destination is set to bring considerable attention to Grand Bahama’s pristine, lesser-known beaches.
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Royal Caribbean has also recognized the opportunity that Grand Bahama’s beaches present, and it recently obtained approval from the Bahamian government to acquire a 40-acre Grand Bahama resort property, according to a local Tribune Business media report.
A $348 million investment, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises received government permission to proceed with the acquisition of “40 acres of privately-owned land for the development of recreational and entertainment facilities.”
Iconic Grand Bahama resort may become Celebrity Cruises destination
Tribune Business reports that multiple sources confirmed the site is Freeport’s long-closed Xanadu Beach Hotel and surrounding land, which is intended to be developed into a private destination for Celebrity Cruises. Neither Royal Caribbean Group nor Celebrity Cruises has made any formal announcement about the plan yet.
The Xanadu, an iconic beachfront hotel that once hosted legendary entertainers like the Rat Pack, has been on Royal Caribbean’s radar for some time. Once redeveloped by Royal Caribbean, the site could become the first-ever exclusive private beach destination for Celebrity Cruises — perhaps a Celebrity Cruises take on the new Royal Beach Club Collection.
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This is not the first investment Royal Caribbean has made in Grand Bahama, either. Royal Caribbean is also involved in a project with MSC Cruises to develop a new cruise port and water park at the Freeport Harbour.
MSC Cruises also recently made a move to join Royal Caribbean and Carnival in their joint venture that’s currently expanding the Grand Bahama Shipyard to support cruise ship maintenance and repair, according to another Tribune Business report.
All of these new developments combined are to set bring new energy and economic growth to Grand Bahama while putting the island on the map as a top cruise destination in the Caribbean.
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