Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line is a cruise line that operates two-day voyages out of West Palm Beach, FL. As of September 2019, they offer cruises to Grand Bahama Island and Nassau. The company was founded in late 2014, and began operating its first cruises in February 2015 with the Grand Celebration.

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line
IndustryTransportation
Founded2014
HeadquartersDeerfield Beach, Florida, United States
Area served
The Bahamas
ProductsCruises
WebsiteBahamas Paradise Cruise

History

The cruise line was formed after Celebration Cruise Line ceased operations following a grounding incident that left its only ship, the Bahamas Celebration, damaged beyond repair.[1] Former Celebration Cruise Line executives formed Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line and purchased the Costa Celebration to take over the route formerly operated by the Bahamas Celebration.[2][3] The cruise line's first cruise was scheduled to depart on February 1, 2015. Due to technical difficulties, the voyage was cancelled. Repairs were made and the ship set sail on February 3.[4]

The company is currently majority-owned by the family of former Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Kevin Sheehan. [5]

On September 19, 2017 FEMA chartered the ship for a 90-day period through December 2017 to house the National Guard in St. Thomas, which was devastated by Hurricane Irma.[6] The ship returned to service on December 23, 2017.

It was announced in December 2017 that the cruise line purchased the former Costa ship neoClassica. It entered service on 13 April 2018 as the Grand Classica.[7]

Beginning in September 2019, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line began running Humanitarian missions to Grand Bahama Island in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. [8]

In November 2020, the cruise line sold Grand Celebration to an undisclosed buyer,[9] and in January 2021 she was beached for scrapping. [10]

Fleet
ShipClassBuiltIn ServiceCapacityTonnageFlagNotesImage
current fleet
Grand ClassicaClassica class19912018–present1,30852,926 GT PortugalLeft the Costa Cruises fleet in March 2018.[11] Originally Costa Classica.
former fleet
Grand Celebration Holiday class 1987 2015–2020 1,496 47,262 GT  Bahamas Previously was the Celebration for Carnival Cruise Lines, Grand Celebration for Ibero Cruises, and Costa Celebration for Costa Cruises. The ship was purchased on November 21, 2014, one day before she was to operate for Costa Cruises.[12] In November 2020, the company confirmed she had been sold to an undisclosed buyer,[9] and she was scrapped in January 2021.[10]

References
  1. "Celebration Cruise Line rebrands as Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line". 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  2. Susan Salisbury (30 January 2015). "Grand Celebration ship could launch in February - Protecting Your Pocket". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  3. South Florida Sun-Sentinel (24 December 2014). "Port of Palm Beach to get new cruise ship in February". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  4. Jamel Lanee (3 February 2015). "Grand Celebration to set sail Tuesday, cruise line says". WPTV. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  5. https://www.bahamasparadisecruise.com/press-room/bahamas-paradise-cruise-line-launches-hurricane-dorian-relief-effort/
  6. "FEMA Charters Grand Celebration to House National Guard in St. Thomas". Cruise Industry News. 19 February 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  7. "Bahamas Paradise: Ship Upgrades and New Vessel Named Grand Classica". Cruise Industry News. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  8. https://www.bahamasparadisecruise.com/press-room/bahamas-paradise-cruise-line-launches-hurricane-dorian-relief-effort/
  9. "Bahamas Paradise confirms the sale of Grand Celebration". seatrade-cruise.com. 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  10. Staff, C. I. N. "Another Cruise Ship Is Beached for Scrapping". www.cruiseindustrynews.com. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  11. "Costa Confirms: Victoria Back to Europe, neoClassica Sold". Cruise Industry News. 2 August 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  12. "Costa Celebration Moves Elsewhere". Cruise Industry News. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
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