The opening to cruise passengers of the private island of MSC Cruises in the Bahamas – Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve – has been postponed by the company to next December 5th.
In the first instance, the opening of the island to guests was scheduled for November 9th. But in the last few days, the first three ship touches what will be a new fundamental destination for the routes of the MSC Cruises ships positioned in Miami and the Caribbean were cancelled, then also the sequent ones in November has suffered the same fate.
However, the cruise company has announced that the cruise passengers who had booked cruises with a stopover at Ocean Cay before December 5th will be eligible for a refund.
“This is an extremely complex project, as MSC Cruises has worked hard to develop the destination in the most ecological and sustainable way – the company said in an international press release – The company had planned the works so that the island could be ready to receive guests in mid-November, but in the final stages new adverse weather conditions took over and slowed the completion.”.
Work to reclaim the island – a former industrial site of sand extraction – and restore the natural habitat started more than three years ago, in 2016 and are nearing its conclusion.
But there was a first slowdown caused by hurricane Dorian in September. After the return to atmospheric stability, the island was on its way to being completed.
Unfortunately, however, new adverse weather conditions that brought strong winds and strong swell caused several days of interruptions and further delays and the strengthening of one of the beaches was also necessary.
The company has decided to postpone the opening of Ocean Cay to reach the landscape standards expected to be fully in line with the company’s environmental criteria, a level that was not possible to reach in the times previously communicated due to the need to complete the second breakwater and sand leveling in some areas of the island.
The company has decided to postpone the opening of Ocean Cay to reach the landscape standards expected to be fully in line with the company’s environmental criteria, a level that was not possible to reach in the times previously communicated due to the need to complete the second breakwater and sand leveling in some areas of the island.