A sea dive and snorkel centre, additional food and drink outlets and other facilities are being added to MSC Cruises’ Bahamas private island resort.
Excursion centres to support water sports activities and island tours will be built on Ocean Cay, a former industrial sand excavation site which was opened by the cruise line in 2019.
A marine conservation centre will be constructed as a base for biologists, coral reef experts and students.
The building will house interactive pavilions, a lecture hall and coral exhibition tanks to offer passengers educational opportunities about the importance of the marine ecosystem and the need to protect the world’s oceans.
The island is home to the MSC Foundation’s super coral programme, considered to be a critical contribution in the understanding of coral reef resilience throughout the region.
New accommodation will provide new amenities for island staff, with employee numbers almost doubling to 280.
A third solar farm is being installed as part of a bid to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions for Ocean Cay, together with an advanced wastewater treatment plant and a landscaping plan.
Five ships – MSC Divina, MSC Magnifica, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Seascape and MSC Seashore – are scheduled to call at Ocean Cay on itineraries from the US this winter.