The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Royal Caribbean executives yesterday pledged their Paradise Island project will set "the gold standard" for environmental sustainability, adding that Atlantis and others should feel "comfortable" their concerns will be resolved.

Michael Bayley, the cruise giant's president and chief executive, told Tribune Business that all questions and criticisms surrounding the Royal Beach Club will be addressed but the project first has to pass through the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) approvals process before details can be shared with the public.

Promising that the 17-acre development will employ "a very sophisticated waste water management system", which is one of Atlantis' major concerns, Mr Bayley and Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean's chief product and innovation officer, also said there was no basis to another of the Paradise Island mega resort's fears that tidal flow around the island and New Providence's northern shore.

They told this newspaper that "no structures", such as piers, docks and cabanas, will be constructed on the water to cause such interruption. Mr Bayley, meanwhile, said "there may be things big resorts can learn" from the technology that Royal Caribbean has introduced on its ships to deal with waste management, recycling and developing a more environmentally sustainable footprint.

Revealing that the cruise giant expects to be "pretty close to completion" on design work, and obtaining the necessary environmental approvals and other permits by year-end 2022, so it can begin Royal Beach Club construction early in the New Year, Mr Bayley said "nothing surprises me any more" when asked of he was taken aback by Atlantis voicing its concerns so publicly.

"One thing I will say about the environmental concerns is that we've been on an environmental journey for many decades at Royal Caribbean," he explained. "We have some very advanced technology as it relates to waste management. Once we've gone through the process with the DEPP - we want to be respectful and mindful of that process - but once we've gone through that process we will share everything we plan for the environmental management space.

"It's fair to say we think it will be the gold standard, and we encourage and invite other businesses to follow that lead." Pointing to Royal Caribbean's newly-opened terminal in Galveston, Texas, which is the first to be powered by solar energy, Mr Bayley added: "We're completing a $20m investment in a waste management system at Coco Cay that allows us to process all the waste through a three-step process and use that as fertilizer....

"Where we are in terms of our focus on environmental technology and management, we believe, is a very good place. I would also say that if cities, towns and villages operate at the same level as an Oasis class ship, people will be very proud and employees will be very proud in how we manage the environment. There may be things big resorts can learn from this technology."

Asked about the concerns voiced by Atlantis and environmental activists over how the Royal Beach Club's solid and waste water will be handled, especially as the site has no road access, Mr Bayley replied: "They're entitled to ask the question. We're going to have a very sophisticated waste water management system.

"I think, as time will tell, they should feel comfortable we've addressed those questions but we need to go through the process with the DEPP before we start sharing this information. There are no structures on the water. There are no overwater cabanas. There's nothing like that planned.

"Everybody's entitled to voice their concerns and raise the question. We have no issue with that. We just believe we need to go through the process and will share all the relevant information when the timing is right.... We think by the end of the year we should be pretty close to completion with all different elements of the process including design. By the end of the year we will have that complete and will start construction in early 2024."

Mr Bayley confirmed that Royal Caribbean had met with Audrey Oswell, Atlantis' president and managing director, and Vaughn Roberts, the resort's senior vice-president of government affairs and special projects, earlier this year to show them the Royal Beach Club's plans and visit the proposed site on western Paradise Island's Colonial Beach area.

The two sides exchanged views, and the cruise giant promised to address the resort's concerns and "come back to them". Asked if he was surprised that Atlantis had gone public when that process was still ongoing, Mr Bayley replied: "We do projects all over the world and operate all over the world, so nothing surprises me any more."

Royal Caribbean's executives spoke out as Bahamian environmental activists yesterday hit out at what they branded as "a lack of transparency" surrounding the Royal Beach Club's public consultation and approvals process. Those signing a public letter included ex-Bahamas National Trust (BNT) chief, Eric Carey; Save the Bays chief, Joe Darville; reEarth president, Sam Duncombe; EarthCare's Gail Woon; Rashema Ingraham, executive director, Waterkeepers; and Casuarina McKinney, executive director, Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF).

They demanded "a thorough, transparent review of the environmental, economic and cultural impacts of Royal Caribbean’s proposed beach project on Paradise Island", and said: "To-date there has been a lack of transparency, with little or no opportunity for public input or dialogue. Critical questions posed to Royal Caribbean and government agencies have gone unanswered.

"Our concerns include, but are not limited to, the threats of the proposed development on the fragile coastline of Paradise Island, the pollution of our waters, the safety and traffic in our harbour, the negative economic impact of having thousands of cruise line passengers bypass our capital’s downtown, and the future and unforeseen consequences of selling out our natural resources and heritage to a foreign entity with no real/substantive return for the Bahamian people."

The group called for "responses and mitigation plans related to the beach project submitted to the government by Royal Caribbean", plus "Royal Caribbean written responses to numerous unanswered questions shared by The Bahamas’ business and environmental communities regarding the impact of its proposed project".