Big changes are happening in Nassau -- the capital city of
The Bahamas -- with the city’s cruise port area currently undergoing a transformation
that started while the cruise industry was paused due to COVID.
When our ship -- the MSC Meraviglia -- docked at the port in August of 2021,
we were shocked to see the construction progress that was made
since our last visit, 20 months earlier, in December of 2019.
We were also a bit surprised by exactly how much COVID had impacted local businesses.
In this video, we’ll provide an overview of the Nassau cruise port area construction
and we’ll provide an update on the effects of COVID
on one of the city’s popular destinations for cruisers: Bay Street and the surrounding area.
One of the first things we noticed as we walked along the pier from our ship to the city
was that the old cruise port terminal building -- and many
of the surrounding structures -- were completely demolished.
Piles of sand and construction equipment
were in its place and temporary facilities were added to handle cruise guests.
Additionally, the expansion of the port area’s berthing capacity was also underway.
When the expansion and dredging is complete,
the port will be able to accommodate more ships -- and more larger ships -- than before.
According to the Nassau Cruise Port website, the sand being dredged during the construction
will be used to create new land that will be home to a marketplace and plaza
featuring vendors, retail stores, food and beverage facilities, and entertainment spaces.
In addition to the cruise port terminal building being demolished,
all of the vendors selling souvenirs, local goods,
hair braiding, and more -- both inside and outside of the terminal building -- were relocated.
The hair braiding was moved to a designated area near the port area exit.
And the other vendors were moved to Rawson Square, which is located a minute or so
along Parliament Street just outside of the port area.
The horse and carriage rides that used to be available
just outside the gates of the cruise port area were nowhere to be seen.
The area where the horses used to be hitched was converted into a covered walkway
and we were still a bit careful when walking in this area
because we could still see some horse “markings” on the pavement.
Also just outside the gates of the cruise port area, a new taxi stand with some shade
covering was constructed and the area was much less congested compared to previous visits
as tourism continues to recover in Nassau.
Another area of Nassau that was only showing small signs of recovery from COVID was Bay Street.
Prior to the pandemic,
the street was bustling with cruise passengers visiting various shops and restaurants.
However, during our visit, there were still many businesses that were closed,
including two popular destinations: the colorful Nassau Straw Market
and Señor Frogs.
And among the shops and restaurants that were open,
many of the shops were the chain stores you would expect to find in most cruise ports.
The effects of COVID on Nassau’s economy were clearly visible during our visit,
but one thing that had not changed was the friendliness of the locals we encountered.
Everyone we spoke with was clearly excited about the efforts being made
to transform the port area and what that could mean for their economy.
If you’re interested in what the future holds for the cruise port area and Bay Street,
the Nassau Cruise Port website features a video with 3D renderings of the vision.
We’ve linked to the cruise port’s website,
which also has a ship schedule, in the description below.