Larger cruise ships have become destinations as you are essentially sailing around the ocean on a ship that is the equivalent of a large resort casino in Las Vegas. This is a must, as once ships reach a certain size, they cannot dock at many ports.
And while these mega-ships have more to do than you can fit into a week-long cruise, passengers still want to make stops. This is a challenge since only ports like Nassau and Cozumel—destinations for which many frequent cruisers stay on ships—can accommodate many large ships at once.
Royal Caribbean International (RCL) , which has the world’s largest cruise ship in the Wonder of the Seas, as well as many other massive ships in its Oasis class, has partially solved the port problem by making its private island CocoCay a desirable location . Before Royal Caribbean renovated CocoCay, the cruise line’s private islands were pretty much beaches with bars and barbecues.
That changed when Royal Caribbean built Perfect Day at CocoCay, a reimagining of the private island experience. CocoCay added a large swimming pool, multiple beach experiences, an additional fee water park and an additional cost beach club. The revised island also has a variety of dining options and add-ons (which also cost extra) like zip lines, a tethered hot air balloon and more.
The changes turned CocoCay from a “meh” stop into one that passengers booked trips to so they could experience it. It’s a model Royal Caribbean aims to replicate with its upcoming Royal Beach Club. Now, Royal Caribbean isn’t the only company building its own destinations for its ships — Carnival has a plan to do the same.
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Carnival has a harbor plan similar to the private island
Carnival has an agreement to create a private island-like cruise port in Grand Bahama. The port will include shops, a large swimming pool and restaurants. The cruise line plans to integrate him into the local community.
“The Grand Harbor project will be located on the Sharp Rock site, providing convenient transportation between the cruise port and Grand Bahama’s main population center, which is only minutes away,” Carnival shared. “The project will be designed and maintained to showcase the island’s natural beauty and culture. It will reinvent Grand Bahama as a destination.”
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Carnival shared more details on a website dedicated to the project.
“Offering experiences for all tastes, from laid-back beach relaxation to high-adrenaline water and adventure amenities, as well as a wide range of dining options ranging from fine dining to beachfront dining. The Square of Bahamian City and the Festival Walkway will connect the port’s various amenities with beautifully maintained grounds surrounded by local flora. This point will also serve as a venue for a presentation of Junkanoo culture,” the company added.
The new port will be able to host two of the cruise line’s largest ships at a time — which can bring approximately 12,000 guests to Grand Bahama.
Royal Caribbean has plans for Nassau
Nassau can accommodate many large cruise ships. This makes it an easy destination for both Royal Caribbean and Carnival to stop over, but this convenience means that many cruise passengers have visited the island before.
This makes Nassau a less than special destination because many passengers have been there before (some many times). Royal Caribbean plans to change that by building a CocoCay-like “Royal Beach Club” on a 13-acre site on Paradise Island (about a 15-20 minute ride from the cruise port) that would have a variety of amenities for visitors.
Royal Caribbean has not shared details on whether the new “club” would be an included stopover or cost an additional fee (or some combination of the two). She announced that the $50 million project, which was interrupted during the pandemic, has moved forward.
The new private area will have a “26,000 square foot swimming pool; 4,000 square feet of ‘sprinklers’ for children; 14 beach bars; restrooms and cabanas; and supporting infrastructure including a reverse osmosis plant, wastewater plant, waste management, storage building, and fuel storage all contained on two acres,” reported the Royal Caribbean Blog.
In addition, the site will offer two 35,000-square-foot dining pavilions, capable of accommodating 1,500 passengers each.
