The Nassau Cruise Port officially reopened in late May and surpassed its 2019 passenger count in June. According to the port’s chief executive, Mike Maura, Jr. the port has welcomed 2.2 million cruise passengers through June 30, 2022.
“Occupancy remains strong at 109 percent and bookings for the remainder of 2023 forecast a strong year end result,” reported Maura Jr.
Since the reopening of the Nassau Cruise Port, it has been a flurry of activity showcasing its new 11-acre entertainment and authentic Bahamian complex.
The port redevelopment project—totaling about $300 million—added a new berth and repaired all the existing piers allowing the port to accommodate six cruise ships daily, which can include three Icon or Oasis-class ships.
Before the grand reopening, the Port of Nassau had already broken its own single day passenger record on three occasions this year—twice in January and then again in February. On the record breaking day in February, the first and third largest cruise ships were in port, Wonder of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas. Looking ahead it is possible the one day record could once again be broken with the largest ships from multiple cruise lines scheduled to port in Nassau throughout the remainder of this year.
During the official reopening of the Nassau Cruise Port, Maura, Jr. said, “We anticipate our traffic numbers for 2023 to exceed pre-pandemic levels with about 4.2 million visitors. In 2019, which was the busiest year for us to date, we had 3.85 million visitors. For 2024, we already have 4.5 million confirmations.”
Of course these numbers are dependent on double occupancy of scheduled ships and no disruptions or cancellations throughout hurricane season. Regardless, it is obvious the Nassau Cruise Port is busier than ever accommodating more and larger ships, and welcoming more guests each day.