By the Caribbean Journal staff

Carnival Cruise Line is planning what officials are calling a “mega” cruise port in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

The “Grand Port” project is slated for completion in late 2021. according to a statement from the government of The Bahamas.

It is expected to create at least 1,000 jobs during the construction process according to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

The port will be the largest Carnival Cruise Port in the world, Minnis said, part of a plan to make the Bahamas “one of the best cruise destinations in the Caribbean.”

“This ambitious port project represents one of the more significant opportunities for Grand Bahama in decades,” Minnis said. “What is being proposed will prove to be a significant catalyst for economic growth in Grand Bahama.”

Carnival executives explained their plans for the project during an “information meeting” in Grand Bahama this week.

The new cruise port could mean more than 1 million annual cruise passengers to Grand Bahama.

The project is expected to cost several hundred million dollars.

“The key will be for Grand Bahama to develop attractions and interesting excursions to draw the people out of the Port,” said Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar. “So, I’m challenging the residents of Grand Bahama to come up creative business ideas that will draw those people out of that port, spending money in our economy.”

— CJ