The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Nassau Cruise Port’s top executive yesterday said it has seen no reason to adjust projections of a near-one million increase in passenger arrivals to seven million in 2026 despite the current global economic turmoil.

Michael Maura, the Prince George Wharf operator’s chief executive and director, told Tribune Business that the cruise industry is “more resilient to recessions and tariffs” than most other tourism niches because its “value proposition” enables passengers to enjoy multiple destinations at “a fraction of the price” of higher-spending stopover visitors.

Speaking as uncertainty over Donald Trump’s stop/start tariff policy continues to provoke global stock market and economic upheaval, he added that Nassau Cruise Port’s passenger volumes have suffered no fall-out yet with current predictions that this year’s total 6.1m passengers will grow by 14.8 percent year-over-year to hit the seven million mark in 2026.

“Nassau continues to see very strong demand and that is driven by continued strong growth in the industry,” Mr Maura told this newspaper. “Our numbers for 2025 have us at 1,600 calls, and that transitions to approximately 6.1m passengers.

“Then, for 2026, we have well over 1,700 calls... actually, we have well over 1,800 calls and approximately seven million [passengers]. Demand is very, very strong for Nassau.” Asked whether Nassau Cruise Port has sensed or felt any negative impact from the fall-out over Mr Trump’s constantly-changing economic, trade and tariff policies, he replied: “We haven’t seen it yet.

“What has continued to support the growth of the cruise industry is the value proposition of cruise. It’s the least expensive way for an individual, for a family, for a couple to vacation and visit multiple destinations and, in many cases, eat better than they do at home and at a fraction of the price they would pay for an airline ticket and stay at a hotel.

“The space that Nassau Cruise Port operates within is more resilient from a recession and tariff impact perspective. I’m not saying we’re immune, but we are more resilient than a land-based vacation.” However, Kerry Fountain, the Bahama Out Island Promotion Board’s executive director, yesterday voiced concern that the very same cruise industry “value proposition” is sucking away higher-spending stopover visitors.

Given that this effect is likely to become more pronounced if global economic turmoil is prolonged, he asserted that The Bahamas must prioritise “fixing the product” and especially Nassau/Paradise Island, which he described as this nation’s equivalent of Macy’s flagship New York store given the sheer volume of both stopover and cruise visitors that vacation here.

“What we are seeing with those floating resorts is that we are seeing a lot of air stopovers being converted to cruise visitors,” Mr Fountain told Tribune Business.”If the price for land-based vacations is going to be increasing, and they can go to The Bahamas on a cruise and think they’ve seen The Bahamas once they’ve seen Nassau and a private island, it certainly does impact travel to The Bahamas for land-based tourism.”

Suggesting that research has shown six out of every ten cruise passenger visitors to The Bahamas want to return as land-based tourists, Mr Fountain added: “We need to fix the product, and need to especially fix Nassau and Paradise Island because that’s our Macy’s and Fourth and Seventh Avenue.

“If those folks coming to Nassau and Paradise Island have a good time, they will say they want to come back and ask if there are any other islands to see. We need to fix the product, and work with the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) and other promotion boards.... We have got to fix the product for them to come back as land-based vacationers.”

Mr Maura, meanwhile, who was attending Seatrade, arguably the cruise industry’s largest annual conference, said the likes of Carnival and Royal Caribbean are continuing to invest significant sums in this nation - and especially their private island destinations - because The Bahamas’ location and multi-island make-up gives it “an advantage over any other jurisdiction given that the industry can do so much”.

And, with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) just opening what it has described as the world’s largest cruise passenger terminal in Miami, the Nassau Cruise Port chief said such investments can only benefit The Bahamas. “It’s not to say 100 percent of the ships will come to The Bahamas, but the overwhelming majority will touch The Bahamas,” he added

“The Bahamas’ value proposition is that we provide the industry with multiple destinations with one head tax, and they save a ton of money on fuel. And there’s opportunities to assist the industry’s sustainability goals when they call on The Bahamas with shore power.

“We are extremely well-positioned. The industry, if you were to call each of the lines, they would undoubtedly share with you that The Bahamas is essentially strategic to their growth plans. The Bahamas is very well positioned. From a short cruise perspective, The Bahamas is very strong.”

Mr Maura said the turbines and liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tanks, which the Island Power Producers consortium will employ to supply cheaper, cleaner and environmentally-friendly power to vessels docked at Nassau Cruise Port from an Arawak Cay-based power plant, are likely to arrive in Nassau during the 2026 first quarter.

“There’s been a lot of interest in shore power when the ships come in and connect,” he added. “We’re in the process of getting details for access points on vessels so that the infrastructure put on the pier aligns with the ships and where we will be running the shore power.

“At Nassau Cruise Port we are also looking at additional investment to support the growth of passenger volumes in terms of getting them off the ships and into taxis, buses and other marine vessels to explore New Providence and the surrounding cays. 

“We have been working closely with the Tourism Development Corporation (TDC) on how we can assist in the intended improvements in the downtown area, and our involvement in that will be funding entertainment and experiences in partnership with the TDC. We do believe that music and entertainment does serve to implant memories of Nassau.”

Given that Nassau receives many “repeat visitors” who have cruised to the city and wider Bahamas before, Mr Maura repeated his previous call for Bahamian entrepreneurs to develop new, innovative tours, activities and excursions in a bid to increase passenger spend and entice them off the ship.