Private port could replace Freeport

[simplyben]

Looks like they are wanting to replace stops in Freeport with their own private port according to a proposal they sent to the Bahamian govt.

 

http://cruisefever.net/08251-carnival-cruise-line-looking-to-add-private-port-in-the-bahamas/

[BallFour4]

Somewhat like Costa Maya. Good idea!

 

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Edited August 25, 2015 by BallFour4

[Cruiseaholichal]

Good idea ??

[cheewiee]

Carnival has been investing in private ports for some time... The Cruise terminal at Grand Turk, Amber Cove.... Doing something similar on Grand Bahama makes sense to me, especially since then they control security....

 

 

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[hartsnvt]

I would rather they replace nassau 1st.

[singbluesilver1]

Good Freeport is awful

[EdmundXXIII]

Good.

 

Freeport is a lousy port as is. Unless you're booking an excursion or plan to pay for a taxi to get you a good distance away from where the ship docks, there's hardly any reason to bother getting off.

 

A private port that could both provide a pleasant experience walking off the ship, better views than an industrial area, and still be a gateway to the island for excursions sounds fabulous.

 

This wouldn't necessarily work as well in places like Sint Maarten or Bermuda, where the existing ports are already in appealing areas. But for Freeport, I can definitely see why they'd want to do this!

Edited August 25, 2015 by EdmundXXIII

[Fitzget]

Somewhat like Costa Maya. Good idea!

 

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Costa Maya is not their private port stop.

[BallFour4]

Costa Maya is not their private port stop.

 

I know that, it's a joint venture between the cruise industry and the Mexican government. Hence, I said "somewhat like Costa Maya."

 

We've been there on three different Royal Caribbean ships.

 

Just (re)read the post.

 

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Edited August 25, 2015 by BallFour4

[nybumpkin]

As long as they make it easy enough to get somewhere else on the island and not jump through hoops to go someplace else it's fine with me. Roatan has become a pain if you're not staying at the port beach or taking a cruise line excursion.

[sanmarcosman]

Sounds like a plan, Carnival only stops at Freeport to make Nassau look good anyway ;)

[Leasmanjr]

The port that you stop at in cozumel is owned by csrnival though if I'm not mistaken... Everyone seemed to be somehow csrnival employed when we asked a vendor why they couldn't haggle he said the had no room to price drop because they had to pay for their spot at the dock.. Again just could have been a tactic to keep prices up

[csharp419]

Any idea when this will happen?

[thomarvin]

Evan worse about Freeport is the time you are there. 7-1. Not much to do unless you get up early.

[BenjiRodney]

Looks like they are wanting to replace stops in Freeport with their own private port according to a proposal they sent to the Bahamian govt.

 

http://cruisefever.net/08251-carnival-cruise-line-looking-to-add-private-port-in-the-bahamas/

 

I would rather they replace Nassau.

[evandbob]

Carnival's model port looks like a sanitized shopping corral with limited access to the island or country it is situated on. The same chain stores at each for jewelry, bars, restaurants and clothing trinkets. The money will flow from the cruise pax to the store and back to Carnival, as the stores pay both rent and a sales % to CCL. Carnival's shopping talk will still scare pax from going outside the shopping corral.

 

Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan, Amber Cove and now Grand Bahama will be designed to maximize revenue to CCL and the first time cruiser that CCL depends on for its existence won't know what happened to him/her.

 

Once the cruise ship leaves the dock, the shopping corral shuts down tight, since it exists only to benefit the cruiseline.

[jdcml]

This article is confusing... Isn't Half Moon a private island for them? I guess the article goes on to say that some ships stop there but they don't own it.

 

Anyway, it looks like they are talking about something other than the shopping malls we have become accustomed. It seems like it is looking to be a full port as opposed to just a shopping district. Of course they will have that same shopping district on this potential island too.

 

We tend to avoid cruises to the Bahamas but would reconsider it with a full port with beach, etc. Having stopped at Half Moon in the past, the private cabana was an experience I would certainly repeat!

[love my grandkids]

Sounds like a plan, Carnival only stops at Freeport to make Nassau look good anyway ;)

 

Went to Freeport once and so far have managed to not go back.