By Matt Maura
NASSAU, The Bahamas – Royal Caribbean International’s “newly minted” Symphony of the Seas completed its inaugural voyage to The Bahamas with a call on the Port of Nassau Wednesday (November 14, 2018).
Senior government officials, led by Minister of Tourism and Aviation, the Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar, officials of the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, and tourism industry stakeholders and partners, were among those on-hand to welcome the Symphony of the Seas to the Port of Nassau.
Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Duane Sands, Minister of Housing and the Environment, the Hon. Romauld Ferreira, and Minister of the Public Service and National Insurance, the Hon. Brensil Rolle, were among the senior government officials in attendance.
The latest addition to Royal Caribbean International’s fleet of cruise vessels, the Symphony of the Seas is being hailed as the largest cruise ship on record, with the capacity to accommodate a whopping 6,680 guests.
Tourism officials say the presence of this “new, recording-breaking vessel” in the Port of Nassau speaks to the depth and quality of relationship between the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and Royal Caribbean International, one of the world’s leading cruise lines.
More than 25 million people, globally, took cruises in 2017. Forecasts call for continued, healthy, growth in cruise tourism.
In 2017, The Bahamas welcomed a total of 6.1 million visitors — air and sea visitors combined. RCI vessels and others brought 4.6 million guests to the country’s shores, a figure that represents 70% of total visitor count. Statistics indicate that cruise tourism annually makes an economic impact of over $400 million in the destination. The cruise industry accounts for some 9,000 jobs in The Bahamas.
Industry officials say the Islands of The Bahamas provide the perfect playground as the backdrop to a Royal Caribbean Cruise Vacation: a stunning bevy of islands, 700 to be exact, scattered over 100,000 square miles of pristine, cerulean seas; year-round sunshine, attractive tourism-centred infrastructure on many of the islands; the warm hospitality of the Bahamian people and a national Government that is committed to enhancing the vacation experience of the cruise visitors to the Islands of The Bahamas.
