Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line will christen its second ship, Grand Classica, on April 13 in Palm Beach. The Grand Classica will join Grand Celebration on two-night cruises to Grand Bahama Island.
"At 52,900 gross-tons, Grand Classica complements Grand Celebration nicely. There are several additional public spaces, so we are excited to add some new offerings, as well as bring all the popular outlets that we have on Grand Celebration for consistency with our guests," Oneil Khosa, chief executive officer of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line said in a February announcement.
Launched in December 2016, BPCL is the only line that offers two-night cruises and cruise/resort stays year-round from the Port of Palm Beach. The company is majority-owned by former Norwegian Cruise Line president and CEO Kevin Sheehan. Sheehan serves as the line's president. Both he and Khosa will be on hand at the christening ceremony, along with officials from Palm Beach.
Grand Classica's passenger capacity is 1680, with a total of 658 staterooms. The ship includes a number of dining venues and lounges, a theater, two pools, four hot tubs, wellness center and spa and an outdoor jogging track.
The 1900-passenger Grand Celebration was chartered by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency in September of 2017. It was used to house first responders and National Guard members who were helping in recovery efforts on the U.S. Virgin Islands following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The ship re-entered service in time for the 2016-2017 holiday season.
The addition of Grand Classica will double BPCL's capacity. The company projects that it will carry more than 500,000 passengers annually, making it Grand Bahama Island's largest source of tourism.
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