Massive Fire Rips Through Major Cruise Destination

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A major fire broke out on the evening of Thursday, 25th April, just steps from the Nassau Cruise Port in the Bahamas, devastating several buildings and displacing residents in the heart of the capital’s tourist and residential district.

The blaze began shortly after 7 pm local time at the Victoria Court building, a multi-storey structure along Bay Street, and rapidly spread to neighbouring buildings throughout the densely packed area.

Nassau port fire
Credit: Paradise Island Cam

Eyewitness reports described hearing a series of loud explosions as the fire advanced, destroying at least a dozen apartment-style homes.

East Bay Street, the main thoroughfare where cruise passengers disembark, lies less than 900 feet (approximately 275 metres) from the site of the fire.

Photos and video footage shared by local news outlet Our News Bahamas and the Facebook page of Manila Grill, a popular eatery frequented by cruise ship crew, showed bright orange flames consuming buildings while thick smoke clouded the surrounding area.

The fire reportedly continued into the early hours of Friday morning as local firefighters struggled to contain the flames.

Nassau was said to be operating with reduced resources at the time, having redirected some of its fire-fighting equipment to Freeport on Grand Bahama to assist with bushfires earlier in April.

As of now, Bahamian authorities have not released any official cause for the blaze, and there have been no confirmed reports of injuries.

Impact on Cruise Operations Unclear

With over 22,000 cruise passengers expected in Nassau today from five visiting ships – Disney Dream, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Celebration, MSC Seascape, and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas – questions remain as to whether the fire and emergency response efforts will affect port operations.

At the time of writing, four of those ships had docked at Nassau and Carnival Freedom was still scheduled to visit.

The fire’s proximity to Prince George Wharf, Nassau’s cruise terminal, is a cause for concern.

However, neither cruise lines nor Bahamian officials have issued public updates regarding any changes to schedules or shore excursion activities at the time of publication.

Nassau is one of the busiest cruise destinations in the Caribbean and a staple port of call for many major cruise lines.

Any long-term disruption could have wide-reaching effects on itineraries and the local economy, which heavily relies on tourism. But it seems, for now, that cruise ships are continuing to call at the island.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

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