MSC joins Grand Bahama Shipyard as third investor
MSC Cruises joins other cruise giants Carnival and Royal Caribbean (Source: Grand Bahama Shipyard)
Grand Bahama Shipyard (GBS) will welcome MSC Cruises as a new investor alongside Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Group, in a move set to expand the yard’s capacity with two new drydocks. The announcement was made on July 1st by Grand Bahama’s Minister, Ginger Moxey.
The first dock, named East End, will be 357m long with a 93,500-tonne lift and four cranes. It is due to arrive from China in November and will begin operations in January 2026. A second, larger dock named Lucayan is also in development. The total investment is reported to exceed USD 665 million.
The yard has operated at limited capacity since 2019 when its main drydock was damaged during a lift of Oasis of the Seas. Since then, the largest cruise ships have had to travel to Europe for maintenance, disrupting schedules and inflating costs.
GBS previously handled 85 to 100 drydockings per year. Once restored, it aims to exceed this number, supporting both cruise and commercial shipping during the off-season.
Leading the relaunch is new chief executive officer Chris Earl, a retired Rear Admiral of the Royal Canadian Navy. He replaces David Skentelbery who retired earlier this year.
