New Bahamas cruise port planned for island far from Nassau
- Nassau, Bahamas is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world, but many experienced cruisers choose to stay on the ship during port days to enjoy onboard activities.
With several cruise ships visiting each day, Nassau, Bahamas is one of the busiest cruise ports in the world. But since cruises visit Nassau so often, a significant number of passengers on board those ships have visited the port before and don't feel compelled to disembark there again. For many experienced cruisers, Nassau port days are days that they choose to stay on the ship to enjoy the pool and other onboard activities.
Although new Nassau attractions like Royal Caribbean's new Royal Beach Club Paradise Island are bringing new experiences to the port, cruise passengers are often drawn to itineraries that feature lesser-visited destinations to add something new to the cruise experience.
As Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines develop new private destination experiences to keep cruising to The Bahamas fresh and appealing, the Bahamian government is also moving forward with a new project to add a new cruise port on an island far from Nassau to expand cruise capacity and tourism in the region.
Doug Parker shared more details on the plans for the new Bahamas cruise port, as well as cruise news from Carnival and Holland America Line, on the Jan. 12 edition of Cruise News Today .
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New Bahamas cruise port planned for island of Mayaguana
Cruise News Today Transcript:
Cruise News Today with Doug Parker.
Good morning, here's your cruise news for Monday, January 12th.
Bahamas officials have announced plans for a new cruise port far away from Nassau.
Yeah, the proposed port would be built on Mayaguana, which is a remote island about 350 miles southeast of Nassau or 135 miles northwest of the Turks and Caicos.
Related: 3 things you have to do in Key West
Through a public-private partnership, the project would be developed in phases, including a cruise terminal and deep-water port facilities.
Government leaders say the port could boost jobs and economic activity in an often-overlooked region of The Bahamas. As of now, no timeline has been set.
Carnival Cruise Line ship sailing new series of adults-only cruises
And Carnival Cruise Line has launched a new round of adults-only sailings with the departure of Carnival Conquest from PortMiami earlier this month.
The cruises are part of Carnival's SEA program aimed at casino players. They feature expanded gambling, additional menus in the main dining room, themed parties, bingo, and adult-only events. More than 2,700 people are currently aboard Conquest. These cruises add additional blackjack tables and around 75 slot machines to keep up with demand.
The adult-only cruises are invitation-only and available exclusively through Carnival's casino offers. This according to Brand Ambassador John Heald.
Holland America Line launches two Grand Voyages
And Holland America Line has launched two extended Grand Voyages on two separate ships that will spend the next several months circling the globe.
Volendam departed Fort Lauderdale on a 133-day world cruise, visiting 51 ports across five continents. This is including South America, Antarctica, Asia, Alaska, and the Panama Canal. Meanwhile, Zaandam sailed from San Diego on a 93-day cruise through the South Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand.
The cruise line says the voyages show growing trends for slower, immersive travel.
Related: Holland America Line offers cruisers more time in bucket-list ports
And cruise stocks were mixed on Friday. Carnival Corporation: up 2%, 32.13. Royal Caribbean: up 11%, 311.50. Norwegian: up 8.6%, 24.53. And Viking: down, 171.95.
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Have yourself a great Monday. I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today.
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This story was originally published by TravelHost on Jan 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Come Cruise With Me section. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
