By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Nassau Cruise Port is projecting a 62.5 percent in monthly cruise ship calls between September and December 2021, it was revealed yesterday, with demand exceeding available berths in the Christmas run-up.

Michael Maura, the Prince George Wharf operator’s chief executive, told Tribune Business that it was having to carefully manage demand on the Saturdays leading up to Christmas given that seven ships were seeking to be accommodated at just six berths.

“The demand for our berths remains very strong,” he revealed. “We have a number of Saturdays in December where we have seven requests but only six berths. We’re working through this and managing the allocations of berths.

“In some cases, it’s as easy as asking if a particular cruise line can call on Nassau on Friday or Sunday, and their private island on Saturday. We don’t want to lose the business, and are very fortunate these cruise lines have private islands so that they can shuffle between them and Nassau because we’re just in such high demand.”

Mr Maura said Nassau Cruise Port’s berth bookings forecast suggested The Bahamas’ cruise tourism sector was set for a steady rebound over the remainder of 2021. While the industry’s June return saw just six cruise lines call on Nassau that month, those numbers rose to 25 in July and 44 for August.

For September, 80 cruise ship calls from Florida and US-based vessels are forecast, with that number increasing progressively throughout the remainder of 2021 with 110 such calls on the books for October, the same number in November, and 130 visits booked for December.

“With US ports opening up we are seeing a faster transition from home porting back to transit calls [from Florida and other US ports],” Mr Maura said. “It is less expensive for the price-sensitive passenger to drive to Miami to board the ship versus flying to Nassau.

“What provides me with comfort and confidence is that it’s growing and has been growing,” he continued of the cruise recovery. I believe we will continue to be ahead of the rest of the region in terms of growth. Every month we’re getting a few more ships on top of the ships that came in the prior month. 

“In October, Disney will start calling, and we will also see Norwegian. By October we will have all the cruise lines back, and based on conversations I have had with executives from each of the lines they expect to be at 90 percent-plus in terms of the ships in this region that will be deployed by the end of the year.”

As for Crystal Cruises, which is continuing with its own Bahamas home porting, he added: “Crystal Cruises caters to higher income clientele who use the cruise as part of a larger vacation experience to include a few nights in Nassau.”

The Nassau Cruise Port chief said Carnival’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered vessel, the Mardi Gras, was visiting Nassau “every other week” with between 3,800 to 4,200 passengers. “The demand is there and Nassau is going to be the envy of the region from the perspective of having three berths handling Oasis class and Mardi Gras vessels, and three berths for Dream Class vessels,” he told Tribune Business.

“It will also have a brand new waterfront with a focus on entertainment and food and beverage. The beauty of our project is that it is open to guests from Atlantis, visitors from Baha Mar and, as Bahamians, we get to use it, too.”