Freeport development

[later]

How long do you think it will take Royal to develop the Freeport property and turn it into a resort type one day pass location?

 

-Tim-

Edited June 6, 2019 by later

[Biker19]

The initial announcement said about 2 years. 

[FLACRUISER99]

38 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

The initial announcement said about 2 years. 

Bahama Years.

[John&LaLa]

38 minutes ago, FLACRUISER99 said:

Bahama Years.

 

Coco Cay finished quicker than I guessed

[Biker19]

^ and the logistics of Freeport will be easier.

[Keasel]

https://www.bahamasparadisecruise.com/lighthouse-pointe-at-grand-lucayan.php

 

FWIW, the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line already uses Grand Lucayan as part of their Cruise and Stay program.

[Biker19]

Quote

Tribune 242 reports Michael Bayley spoke to members of the Bahamian press at an opening ceremony for Perfect Day at CocoCay, "telling members of the press his company was positioning itself to spearhead a multi-million dollar, multi-phased project on par with CocoCay in Freeport if negotiations with the government are successful." 

Mr. Bailey went on to say, “Just the fact that we are going to redevelop those hotels and beach, that whole area, it is going to be in the hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars. The amount of work that will be underway to regenerate that destination, it is going to be a few years, hundreds of millions of dollars, massive project work, and I think the economic impact is going to huge.” 

State Minister for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson said the joint venture between RCI and its investment partner, the ITM Group, will not only combine the redevelopment of the Freeport Harbor as a cruise port of choice but will also transform the Grand Lucayan resort into a theme park, featuring water-based family entertainment, with dining, gaming and entertainment options and five-star hotel accommodations. 

The development will take place over a 24-month period, with $65 million of the purchase price for the Grand Lucayan Resort. 

Mr. Bayley did note RCI’s full project specs could not be revealed publicly until a finished deal is worked out between the two sides, and there is another 30-40 days of negotiations remaining. 

Edited June 6, 2019 by Biker19

[gatour]

Interesting about RCCL buying the hotel(s).  A long time ago Carnival bought a hotel on Cable Beach outside of Nassau.  They eventually decided the hotel business wasn't for them and sold them.

[twangster]

Bayley has long talked about the concept of arriving on one ship, spending a night (or more) on an island and boarding another ship.  These little hints and sound bites were associated with CocoCay (or assumed to be). 

 

Freeport and the hotel has the potential to fit his concept better than CocoCay.  

[bobmacliberty]

I still can't wrap my mind around how spending a night and changing ships would work logistically.  I guess if they can schedule one cabin dropping off for every cabin picking up, it could work somehow.

[iWillSailAway]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

Bayley has long talked about the concept of arriving on one ship, spending a night (or more) on an island and boarding another ship.  These little hints and sound bites were associated with CocoCay (or assumed to be). 

 

Freeport and the hotel has the potential to fit his concept better than CocoCay.  

 

Sounds like Royal wants to get into the ferry business.  Imagine all the packing and unpacking involved.  😱

[sandebeach]

The former Discovery Day Cruises out of Ft. Lauderdale used to do this. 

[twangster]

19 minutes ago, iWillSailAway said:

 

Sounds like Royal wants to get into the ferry business.  Imagine all the packing and unpacking involved.  😱

 

No different than a land tour with an Alaskan cruise, just add another cruise before of after.

 

I fly to a hotel the night before my cruise.  Not much different.

 

Plus I bet you'll get C&A points like land tours.

Edited June 7, 2019 by twangster

[later]

Is it possible that Freeport becomes a home port for a ship along with port stop (day pass) for others?

[iWillSailAway]

20 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

No different than a land tour with an Alaskan cruise, just add another cruise before of after.

 

I fly to a hotel the night before my cruise.  Not much different.

 

Plus I bet you'll get C&A points like land tours.

 

Depending on the itinerary but multiple embarkations/disembarkations is a daunting thought.  

 

Why not just build up the island more and let the ships stay overnight?   Revenue should be equally good.  

Edited June 7, 2019 by iWillSailAway

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, later said:

Is it possible that Freeport becomes a home port for a ship along with port stop (day pass) for others?

Very unlikely, the air logistics volume is not there.

[twangster]

4 minutes ago, iWillSailAway said:

 

Depending on the itinerary but multiple embarkations/disembarkations is a daunting thought.  

 

Why not just build up the island more and let the ships stay overnight?   Revenue should be equally good.  

 

When I visit Europe by air I don't plant myself in one hotel and stay there for weeks, I spend a fews nights and move on.  I don't unpack at each hotel.  

 

Plenty of people book side to side cruises, sometimes involving different ports.  I've sailed out of Miami, rented a car after debarking and boarded a ship in Port Canaveral the same day.  Ft Lauderdale on Indy with a flight to Tampa and boarded Brilliance.  Symphony in Miami to Serenade in Ft Lauderdale was even easier.  One Miami ship to another Miami ship would be easier still.  This?  This would be the best possible way to execute a side to side booking.  

 

The debark process would be easier than a FL port because the whole ship isn't debarking, just those booking a side to side.

 

CocoCay is a small island.  Scaling infrastructure would be challenging.  Water and waste water treatment for example.  Some staff live there now but scaling it to support guests overnight is vastly different.

 

Freeport has some history and infrastructure to support tourism beyond the cruise industry.  Granted a lot of that was diminished after Hurricane Mathew in 2016 but if the hotel makes a come back so will some of the related industry.  Plus I think Royal is partnering with another company in this venture so the property has use cases beyond the cruise industry.

[iWillSailAway]

4 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

When I visit Europe by air I don't plant myself in one hotel and stay there for weeks, I spend a fews nights and move on.  I don't unpack at each hotel.  

 

But that is the beauty of cruising.  You don’t have to move; the ship moves for you.  It would take away one of the best distinguishing aspect of cruising.  

 

4 minutes ago, twangster said:

Plenty of people book side to side cruises, sometimes involving different ports.  I've sailed out of Miami, rented a car after debarking and boarded a ship in Port Canaveral the same day.  Ft Lauderdale on Indy with a flight to Tampa and boarded Brilliance.  Symphony in Miami to Serenade in Ft Lauderdale was even easier.  One Miami ship to another Miami ship would be easier still.  This?  This would be the best possible way to execute a side to side booking.  

 

The debark process would be easier than a FL port because the whole ship isn't debarking, just those booking a side to side.

 

If it’s optional I suppose it is better.  Only those who want to change ships disembark and those don’t stay on.   Definitely more logistics and planning will be involved for both the cruise line and the pax.  

 

4 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

CocoCay is a small island.  Scaling infrastructure would be challenging.  Water and waste water treatment for example.  Some staff live there now but scaling it to support guests overnight is vastly different.

 

Freeport has some history and infrastructure to support tourism beyond the cruise industry.  Granted a lot of that was diminished after Hurricane Mathew in 2016 but if the hotel makes a come back so will some of the related industry.  Plus I think Royal is partnering with another company in this venture so the property has use cases beyond the cruise industry.

 

Overnight stay at a port is always a draw and I hope they have more itineraries with built-in overnight stays.   But I am just not seeing the advantage of changing ships.  More flexibility, I suppose? 

[twangster]

Just now, iWillSailAway said:

Overnight stay at a port is always a draw and I hope they have more itineraries with built-in overnight stays.   But I am just not seeing the advantage of changing ships.  More flexibility, I suppose? 

 

Side to side cruising isn't for everyone.  When Symphony arrived in Miami around 80 guests went to Mariner and 30 went to Serenade.  In terms of total ship guest count 110 is a pretty low percentage.

[iWillSailAway]

5 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Side to side cruising isn't for everyone.  When Symphony arrived in Miami around 80 guests went to Mariner and 30 went to Serenade.  In terms of total ship guest count 110 is a pretty low percentage.

 

Did a side 2 side from Empress to Symphony in Miami and it went very smoothly and it was great fun to experience two vastly different ships and cruises.  

 

But if the side 2 side happens in Freeport, technically Freeport is becoming a departure port, and the pax who change ships are essentially taking 2 one-way cruises, right?  Maybe they can even fly one way.  

[twangster]

1 minute ago, iWillSailAway said:

 

Did a side 2 side from Empress to Symphony in Miami and it went very smoothly and it was great fun to experience two vastly different ships and cruises.  

 

But if the side 2 side happens in Freeport, technically Freeport is becoming a departure port, and the pax who change ships are essentially taking 2 one-way cruises, right?  Maybe they can even fly one way.  

 

Bayley has only talked in terms of concept.  Lots of details to work out, but several years to do so.  

[Snit13]

3 hours ago, twangster said:

Bayley has long talked about the concept of arriving on one ship, spending a night (or more) on an island and boarding another ship.  These little hints and sound bites were associated with CocoCay (or assumed to be). 

 

Freeport and the hotel has the potential to fit his concept better than CocoCay.  

Now we know what they can do with Empress and maybe even Majesty.  Round trip them to Freeport.

[sandebeach]

2 hours ago, Snit13 said:

Now we know what they can do with Empress and maybe even Majesty.  Round trip them to Freeport.

Yup I was thinking the same thing!