Carnival Corp. building private destination on Grand Bahama

Posted on 1 October, 2019 by Spacejunkie2

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Carnival Corp. and the Bahamas government signed development agreements that pave the way for a Carnival-run port destination on Grand Bahama and the expansion of the company’s private island Half Moon Cay.

Among other things, the agreements provide for the construction of a pier at Half Moon Cay, which until now has been a tender port.

Carnival said the Grand Bahama project will represent an investment of over $100 million, and the development on Little San Salvador, where Half Moon Cay is situated, will be an estimated $80 million investment over time.

Once environmental and other permitting processes are completed, construction for both projects is projected to start by mid-2020.

Carnival and the Bahamas said the projects are expected to play an important role in the country’s recovery from Hurricane Dorian. They said construction parameters will be designed to meet or exceed guidelines for “being able to mostly withstand the impact of a Category 5 hurricane.” Carnival’s plans for both projects were laid well before Dorian.

The Grand Bahama project is intended primarily for Carnival Cruise Line and will be its first dedicated private destination in the Bahamas.

Some Carnival Cruise Line ship call at Half Moon Cay, which is primarily used by Holland America Line.

Carnival Corp. said the current development on the western side of Little San Salvador covers less than 3% of the 2,400-acre island. The new addition will be on the northern part of the island and include a pier able to accommodate larger ships. The beaches of Half Moon Cay will continue to be the main attraction, Carnival said.

MSC Meraviglia Becomes Largest Ship to Call In Northern Ireland

Posted on 26 September, 2019 by Spacejunkie2

The MSC Meraviglia has made history, becoming the largest cruise ship ever to call in Northern Ireland as she docked today in Belfast Harbour.

Antonio Paradiso Managing Director, MSC Cruises UK and Ireland said: “It is a pleasure to be here in Belfast celebrating a milestone for both MSC Cruises and the Northern Irish cruise industry. Belfast Harbour is an institution to shipping and we are proud to continue to support the expansion of the cruise business with one of the largest ships in our fleet calling at the port. Today we have over 5,300 guests from more than 32 countries discovering the city and the surrounding areas, and we are delighted to be able to share such a beautiful part of the world with our guests.”

He added: “As well as bringing guests to visit Northern Ireland, in 2018 we carried a record number of Northern Irish passengers on our ships to destinations around the world with popular destinations including the Western Mediterranean and the Caribbean.”

Michael Robinson, Belfast Harbour’s Port Director added: “Belfast Harbour has a long-standing relationship with MSC Cruises, with the cruise line making its first call to the port in 2013. We’re thrilled to welcome MSC Meraviglia as the largest cruise ship to ever visit Northern Ireland and we look forward to MSC Cruises ships returning again next year. The trend in the northern European cruise market is for ever-larger vessels and Belfast Harbour has already created a deep-water cruise quay and has invested in the development of a cruise terminal building in partnership with Visit Belfast and Tourism NI.”

The ship has spent the summer season sailing Northern Europe from Kiel Germany and is visiting Belfast as part of a 17-night transatlantic cruise from Kiel to New York visiting ports including Copenhagen, Reykjavik and Halifax.

The MSC Meraviglia will then spend several weeks exploring ports in North America and Canada, before making her way to Miami, sailing in the Caribbean, where she will become the first ship to call at MSC Cruises new private island in the Bahamas, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.

When Dorian threatened, Royal Caribbean had a balloon to deal with

Posted on 24 September, 2019 by Spacejunkie2

AUSTIN, Texas — Royal Caribbean had a myriad of decisions to make before, during and after Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas.

And while it’s Up, Up and Away helium balloon at private island CocoCay was not at the top of the list, it was still something the company had to address. To deflate or not to deflate?

Royal Caribbean chairman Richard Fain talked about the balloon, and Royal’s other efforts surrounding Dorian, during a press breakfast last week at Signature Travel Network’s Owners’ Meeting at the Fairmont Hotel Austin.

At first glance, it seems like an easy decision to deflate the balloon and not risk hurricane damage. Giant custom helium balloons aren’t exactly for sale on Amazon.

However, deflating the balloon wasn’t a cheap option. The balloon takes over a week to inflate, and with a worldwide helium shortage, filling Up Up and Away costs around $350,000.

The company took the more conservative route and deflated it.

After the storm, a team of about 300 people were flown to a nearby island, then took boats to get to CocoCay. They worked to restore the island, and it has since reopened.

Fain confirmed that the Up Up and Away balloon is being reinflated.