A number of cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, and NCL have new port projects that are either under construction or planned to open over the next few years.
While cruise lines continue to build more ships with new features, they are also working on improving the port experience. This includes improvements to ports and building new ports for their ships to visit.
Here is a look at all of the new port projects in the Caribbean and Bahamas that you’ll soon be able to enjoy. They are listed by cruise line (alphabetically).
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line currently has two port projects underway, one on Grand Bahama Island (Celebration Key) and one at Half Moon Cay.
The first one to open will be Celebration Key and it will be the first cruise port built specifically for Carnival cruise ships.
When the port opens, there will be a pier that will be able to accommodate two of Carnival’s largest ships on the same day. A year later, a pier extension will be completed that will allow up to four ships to visit on the same day.
Celebration Key will have a mile long beach, the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean/Bahamas, adults only areas, shopping, and more.
It will be divided up into five different portals, offering a little of something for everyone.
Celebration Key is scheduled to open in the summer of 2025. However, the port will just be getting started then.
Phase 2 of the port is expected to be completed in 2027 and Carnival Cruise Line has previously mentioned plans to add a waterpark to the port that will be part of this next phase.
By 2028, Carnival Cruise Line is expecting up to four million of their guests to visit Celebration Key every year.
Around four years ago, Carnival announced plans to expand Half Moon Cay and build a pier on the island. Although the island is owned and operated by sister cruise line Holland America Line, many Carnival cruise ships also visit the popular private port.
The expansion plans include a completely new area on the island just for Carnival cruise ships, separate from the area that guests visit now.
Cruise Fever reached out to Carnival Cruise Line this week and asked if there was a date set on when they planned on opening this new area. A representative for Carnival responded, “No updates yet, but we’ll keep in touch on it”.
The global cruise shutdown in 2020/2021 delayed the project but Cruise Fever will have all updates on Half Moon Cay when they are announced.
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line’s second private destination in The Bahamas is scheduled to open in June 2024. Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point will be located on Eleuthera, not far from where Princess Cays is located.
The port will have a pier and pay a tribute to the beauty of nature. It will have the following amenities:
- Family beach
- Cultural center
- Play area with water slides
- Games and activities
- BBQ lunch
- Shopping
- Kid’s club
- Adults only beach
- 3 adult-exclusive watering holes
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean is building Beach Clubs in two different ports that will be exclusively for their guests.
Construction recently started on the first one in Nassau, Bahamas. It will be located on Paradise Island between the iconic lighthouse and the Atlantis Resort. It will be a 17 acre beach experience that will have everything from pools to private cabanas.
2,000 guests a day will be able to enjoy The Royal Beach Club Paradise Island. The cruise line will run a shuttle from the cruise pier right to the Beach Club.
A second Beach Club will be located in the popular port of Cozumel, Mexico. Almost all cruises to the Western Caribbean visit Cozumel.
Royal Beach Club Cozumel is scheduled to open in 2026 and feature the following amenities:
- Swim-up bars
- Multiple swimming pools
- Private cabanas
- Snorkeling
- Kayaking
- Street market
- Restaurants
- Cooking classes
- Bars
- And more
Royal Beach Club Cozumel will be located on the Western side of the island.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island in The Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay, will soon have a pier that will eliminate the need for tenders to visit the island.
NCL has been in talks to build a pier on Great Stirrup Cay for close to a year now and they finally announced it last month.
The pier will be able to accommodate two large ships at once and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025.
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