Almost 25,000 visitors brought ashore.
Downtown Nassau bustled with commerce October 27, when the port made history by hosting seven cruise ships at once for the first time.
The seven ships is a record for the recently-revamped port. The ships brought in almost 25,000 visitors – 17,762 vacationers and 6,935 crew members. Reports confirmed that the large number of guests kept small business operators in the downtown and nearby areas occupied throughout the day.
Shops were filled with visitors searching for souvenirs. Meanwhile, restaurant operators reported that the large number of ships in port kept a steady stream of traffic coming to their establishments. Ground transportation providers for the cruise industry were also fully engaged, said Carla Stuart, director of Cruise Development in Ministry of Tourism & Aviation.
“All the taxis downtown at Festival Place were fully engaged,” she said. “Additional cabs had to be called from various hotels to meet the demand at the cruise ships. So this was definitely a banner day for the businesses that cater in large part to our cruise visitors.”
Ms. Stuart said it was especially beneficial since four of the seven ships stayed in port over night. This allowed passengers to explore more of the city and enjoy various entertainment options for a longer time, she said. The Carnival Glory spent an especially long time in port, arriving on the morning of October 27 and leaving in the evening of October 28.
Minister of Tourism & Aviation Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace gave a special commendation to Captain Eugene Munroe, the tugboat captain who along with his team safely navigated the record-setting seventh ship into port. Minister Vanderpool-Wallace pointed out that the team’s extensive experience and seafaring knowledge allowed him to engineer the operation that brought a financial boom to the downtown area.
The day brought in $319, 716 in passenger head taxes and it is estimated that the guests spent about $1.18 million while in port.
