MSC Cruises to develop private island for $200million

MSC Cruises are planning on opening their own private island by December 2017.

The company are investing $200 million dollars into the Bahamian island which will is billed as the biggest island development by any cruise line. MSC Cruises have signed a 100-year lease with the Bahamas for the island. Approximately 240 local residents will be employed when it is completed.

Ocean Cay will be 95 acres with 11,400 feet of prime beachfront, situated approximately 65 miles from Miami – making it a perfect port of call on MSC Cruise itineraries. The company plans to break ground on the development in March 2016 – when completed it will feature a 2,000-seat amphitheatre with restaurants, bars, live music, an event pavilion, an inland lagoon and like other islands – a zip wire across the island!

Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Royal Caribbean are amongst the other cruise lines that already have their own private islands or ports which only their ships call it. The advantages to the cruise lines are quite obvious, with little to no port fees, extra revenue-generating activities for cruise passengers and a self-contained experience to match the brand of the cruise line.

The first ship to call at the new resort will be the new MSC Seaside which launches in December 2017.