The Tribune

• Top executive pledges only focused ‘on big boys’

• Sets rates at ‘highest level of all area marinas’

• Traffic plan to give 1m ‘sight of New Providence’

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Nassau Cruise Port’s top executive has sought to reassure New Providence marina operators that it will not “cannibalise” their business through its plan to offer mega yacht docking facilities.

Michael Maura, revealing the intention for Prince George Wharf’s $250m transformation to be more than just a cruise port, told Tribune Business docking fees will be set “at the highest level of all marinas in the area” to ensure it only attracts “the big boys” and does not steal business from existing operators.

Speaking during a tour of Nassau Cruise Port’s construction site, Mr Maura said the company and its Global Ports Holding parent remain adamant their investment is not designed to produce a “wealth transfer” from downtown Nassau and other local businesses.

Speaking after executives revealed plans to provide mega yacht berths on the southern side of the northernmost pier, which is now being extended to accommodate two Oasis-class cruise ships when that industry returns in earnest from its COVID-19 shutdown, he added that Nassau Cruise Port aims to become “a maritime transportation centre” or “maritime commercial centre”.

“What we did when we looked at mega yachts was all along our plan and objective has been to complement downtown, and not be in the business of transferring wealth from one downtown pocket to another downtown pocket,” Mr Maura told Tribune Business.

“So when we looked at the mega yacht business we reached out to the various marinas to get a sense of what they were charging for dockage per linear foot. Our rate is $7 per linear foot plus $100 per day on top of the $7. That’s the rate we charge.

“We set our price at the highest level of marinas in the area because we’re not looking to cannibalise any of the marina operators in New Providence. We’re looking at these yachts because of their size; we’re looking for the big boys.”

Mr Maura said the Nassau Cruise Port had already had success in attracting its target high-end mega yacht clientele, having accommodated vessels owned by Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, as well as Dallas Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones.

“Relatively speaking, we’re not a convenient mega yacht facility; we’re a secure mega yacht facility,” he explained. “People will be spending higher rates for dockage because of the extra security and identification checks” to access Prince George Wharf and the vessels.

“We’re looking for people who want that additional security and are willing to pay for it,” Mr Maura reiterated. The Nassau Cruise Port is also currently constructing a “dock master” facility that will facilitate tour and excursion operators coming in to pick up cruise passengers and transport them to their activities.

However, when these vessels return they will have to disembark passengers on the western side of Nassau Cruise Port - a design move that its chief executive says is intended to ensure some one million annual excursion participants also get to patronise Bahamian-owned businesses.

“Pre-project, the water tours and other ferries used to pick up close to one million people annually coming off the cruise ships, and then go directly to their destinations whether it was to Atlantis, Blue Lagoon, Pearl Island,” Mr Maura explained, “and come back directly to the same pier with persons going to the ship.

“We had 28 percent of the cruise visitors coming to New Providence never really seeing the island. As part of our traffic management, those vessel operators will be able to pick up passengers, as they have done in the past, from our modern facility on the eastern side and return them on the western side.

“This says that on your return we’re going to require you to move through downtown, Woodes Rogers Walk or the attractions and amenities of the cruise port itself. We’re going to put those one million people into traffic lanes so at least they run into some traffic lanes. When all is said and done this is going to be something special.”

Nassau Cruise Port is also installing more covered areas, and resurfacing every surface within its facilities, as part of the $250m transformation. “One of the biggest concerns we had when we took over was operator in October 2019 were the slips and falls,” Mr Maura said, as the cruise port moves to smoother surfaces and doing away with curbs.