Adventure of the Seas, the fifteen-deck Voyager-class cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International, arrived in Nassau on June 8.
The ship will operate from Nassau Cruise Port, which is operating as a homeport for the first time. The 3,807-passenger ship entered the harbor with crew members on board but no passengers. It was escorted into the harbor with a grand water salute, courtesy of the Nassau Harbour Pilots Association.
Adventure of the Seas will operate a series of seven-night "Bahamas & Perfect Day" cruises starting June 12 at reduced occupancy. The cruises will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, the line's private island, for two days, and also visit Grand Bahama Island and Cozumel, Mexico.
"We couldn't be happier," said Mike Maura, CEO of Nassau Cruise Port. "This vessel and all the hope that this first voyage will carry out to sea on Saturday have been a long time in the making. We are very appreciative that Royal Caribbean has chosen to partner with us, with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, and all our industry partners to make this homeport launch from Nassau possible. As you can imagine, we are all extremely excited and working overtime to ensure that this launch is successful."
Passengers will be greeted to a Bahamian "Party In da Backyard" upon arrival at the port on Saturday. The party will include ice-cold Kaliks, the "Beer of the Bahamas," courtesy of Commonwealth Brewery, as well as live music, Junkanoo performances, drills by the students of the LJM Maritime Academy, and more. The event will be streamed live on the Nassau Cruise Port Facebook account beginning at noon Eastern time June 12.
In addition to the economic benefits that The Bahamas will experience as the industry rebounds, Maura noted that Bahamians can also participate in this exciting venture in a new way - by starting a cruise vacation in Nassau instead of flying abroad for the first time.
"I've heard of a few Bahamians who will be sailing aboard Adventure of the Seas on this trip, and I'm sure there will be many more of us who will take advantage of this incredible opportunity," Maura said. "This is our time to shine and to put Nassau on the map as a homeporting destination of choice. We will do so with immense pride, making the Bahamian people proud and making our guests and cruise line partners excited that they chose to start and end their cruise in Nassau. This is the beginning of an incredible voyage for us all."
Nassau Cruise Port Ltd. (NCPL) is in the midst of transforming Nassau Cruise Port, the cruise gateway of New Providence, into a great waterfront facility. The company manages the cruise port and is currently redeveloping the port facility to enhance the passenger experience and increase business opportunities for Bahamians. The project will include construction of a new terminal building, the creation of an event and entertainment area, investments in retail facilities, and the design and construction of new food and beverage facilities.
The cruise facility will integrate the port into Bay Street with the expectation that it will serve as a catalyst for the wider development of the downtown core. Construction is anticipated to be completed by summer 2022.
NCPL, a Bahamian company, began operations in October 2019 as part of a consortium comprising Global Ports Holding Plc, the Bahamas Investment Fund (BIF) and the Yes Foundation. For more information on the project, click here.
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