The Tribune

TODAY all hands will be on deck to ensure the Grand Bahama economy benefits from Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s homeporting initiative during scheduled stops to Freeport.

A Homeport Procurement Workshop — an informational webinar — is set for 1pm today by the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, Grand Bahama Port Authority and the Royal Caribbean Group, along with government officials.

During the event, business licensees will learn how they can become suppliers for the ship.

Royal Caribbean plans to make 26 scheduled visits to Freeport over six months. During those stops, the ship will need to refuel, as well as procure provisions to feed its passengers and crew, and to restock the gift stores onboard the vessel.

Mick Holding of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce believes this would be a tremendous benefit to Grand Bahama and the local business community.

“While this might only be a six-month initial programme, the 26 visits to Grand Bahama for them to supply three and a half to 4,000 passengers and crew is a huge opportunity,” he said.

“At the webinar, there will be representatives from the Chamber, Port Authority, government representatives, but more importantly, the people from Royal Caribbean who will (share) what they are looking for and how businesses can apply to become suppliers to Royal Caribbean,” Mr Holding said.

Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas will begin sailing in June.

According to Mr Holding, all passengers and crew must be vaccinated and will have COVID-19 tests on arrival in The Bahamas.

He said: “In terms of The Bahamas, yes, people will be allowed off the vessel and they will be allowed to visit facilities here whether they be tours, or kayaking, or zipline, or whatever activities they wish to participate in – they will able to do that.”

Grand Bahama Port Authority President Ian Rolle also thinks that RCCL homeporting will significantly stimulate the local economy.

He indicated that all the entities involved in the event are working together to ensure the island and its people can benefit from the many opportunities that exist.

“We believe that together we can make it better for the people in Grand Bahama – the government, the Chamber, and the GB Port Authority felt that way, and what we want is for that same spirit of working together to flow down into licensees because this is so big that it is important to know that one entity may not be able to meet the capacity of this vessel.

“We are talking about a seven-day type cruise. Although they are coming here once a week, that ship has to make access over to provisions every single day. It has to feed persons every single day, and it has put certain artefacts or gifts in the shops every single day. So, this is a tremendous opportunity for us to work together,” Mr Rolle said.