NASSAU, The Bahamas – At the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Carnival Cruise Line’s sailing to The Bahamas, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation the Hon. Chester Cooper envisioned continued growth and economic opportunities for Bahamians.
He was addressing the milestone anniversary ceremony held Thursday, March 10, 2022 in Pompey Square, just opposite Nassau Harbour. The deputy prime minister underscored the importance of what the partnership means, not only for tourism and by extension the economy, but that Carnival has remained a committed loyal partner since the company was founded in 1972.
“One of the guiding mandates of this ‘New Day’ administration is the commitment to create more opportunities for entrepreneurship in the tourism sector for Bahamians,” he said. “Our partnership with Carnival will facilitate this goal as increased opportunities are made available for local businesses.
He added that the partnership will also facilitate individuals with a wide array of services, tours, and excursions and “we are calling today for an even deeper partnership with the Tourism Development Corporation as we seek to bring even more Bahamians into the tourism space as entrepreneurs.”
The event was also addressed by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis; and Christine Duffy, President, Carnival Cruise Line. A number of Government officials were in attendance along with executives of Carnival, and industry partners and stakeholders.
The speakers acknowledged that both have enjoyed “a valuable and long-standing partnership” that sees two million guests arrive annually at five ports of call in The Bahamas, including Nassau, Freeport, Half Moon Cay, Princess Cays and Bimini.
Carnival Cruise Line was founded in 1972, just one year prior to The Bahamas’ Independence on July 10, 1973. The Bahamas will mark its 50th Independence Anniversary in 2023.
Carnival is currently working in partnership with the government to finalize needed permits and approvals to develop two major projects in cooperation with the Grand Bahama Port Authority
The first, a new cruise port destination primarily for Carnival Cruise Line on Grand Bahama, will represent an investment of over $200 million. The second project, on Little San Salvador, home to Holland America Line’s award-winning Half Moon Cay port, will constitute an estimated $100 million investment, over time.
It was also acknowledged that over the years, Carnival has maintained a strong commitment to supporting the community through hurricane relief efforts and initiatives such as scholarships for Cadets.
Through an ongoing partnership with the LJM Maritime Academy, Carnival provides scholarships for Bahamian cadets to obtain the education, skills and experience to work onboard. And, to mark the 50 th milestone, Carnival presented a cheque of $50,000 to LJM Maritime Academy for specialized equipment to support cadet education. On hand to receive the donation was Dr. Brendamae Cleare, the Academy’s President.
The celebration was marked by entertainment including a Junkanoo rush-out, performance by the Royal Bahamas Defence Marching Band, poetry rendition by Joinel Jeune and the popular catchy tune “My Birthday Come Again,” a tribute to Carnival by local entertainer, “Puzzle”.
