The Margaritaville at Sea Islander made its inaugural call to Freeport Harbour this week, marking another addition to Grand Bahama’s growing cruise activity.

The visit was recognized with a traditional plaque exchange between officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, the Freeport Harbour Company, and executives from Margaritaville at Sea.

The vessel arrived with approximately 2,100 passengers on board and has a total capacity of 2,680, delivering a measurable increase in visitor volume to the island during the call.

Tourism officials pointed to strong participation from local businesses during the visit, including artisans, craft vendors, taxi drivers, and tour operators operating in and around the port area.

“This looks like something that will be phenomenal for the Grand Bahama island,” said Karenda Rolle, senior manager of guest services and training at the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation.

Margaritaville at Sea also framed the call as part of a longer-term partnership with the destination.

“It’s a great deal for us. Every new port marks a new beginning, and we are pleased to be here with you and to do business with you,” said Theodore Mitropoulos, fleet captain for Margaritaville at Sea. “This partnership will bring prosperity to your people and to our company as well. We take seriously the opportunity to call at your port.”

The inaugural visit reflects continued interest from cruise lines in expanding calls to Grand Bahama, particularly as Freeport works to increase frequency and consistency of ship arrivals.

That momentum comes as the island continues to position itself for larger-scale cruise growth, anchored by projects like the MSC cruise terminal development in Freeport and the ongoing expansion of Celebration Key, Carnival Corporation’s private destination on the island. Both projects are expected to significantly increase passenger throughput in the coming years and are central to Grand Bahama’s effort to secure a larger share of regional cruise traffic.

While Nassau remains the dominant cruise hub in The Bahamas, additional calls like this point to a broader effort to reestablish Grand Bahama as a regular stop on regional itineraries.