The BMA joins the cruise community at Seatrade Cruise Global Fort Lauderdale

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) once again welcomed the opportunity to engage with industry partners and stakeholders from across the passenger cruise sector at Seatrade Cruise Global 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The BMA delegation to the event, which ran from the 27^th – 30^th  of March, was led by BMA Board Chairman, Jacqueline M. Simmons, who was joined by BMA Board Deputy Chairman Peter John Goulandris and BMA Board Directors Dario Lundy-Mortimer, LaMarque Drew and V. Moreno Hamilton. Representatives from The BMA’s regional offices included Deputy Director, Stephen Keenan and Technical & Compliance Officer, Frank McNulty, both from the BMA’s London-based Inspections and Survey Team, BMA Head of Nassau Office, Katie Clarke, BMA New York Registrar, Felicia Alleyne, and BMA Marketing Manager, Charlotte Ward.

The BMA demonstrated its continued support to the cruise community and reinforced its position as the market leader for passenger ships by once more partnering with the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) at its ‘Business on the Beach’ reception. The event was a huge success, and The BMA, along with The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, was proud to share the renowned Bahamian hospitality and culture, showcasing Bahamian food, drinks and vibrant entertainment, as well as facilitating important networking for the more than 800 attendees, 300 of whom were senior executives from the leading Global Cruise Lines.  

The importance of the passenger ship to The Bahamas at a national level was evident by the attendance of a high-level government delegation led by The Hon. I. Chester Cooper, who is both The Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister and its Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation (MoTIA). Also in attendance from MoTIA were: Parliamentary Secretary, Hon. John H. W. Pinder; Senator, Hon. Randy Rolle; Director General, Mrs. Latia Duncombe; Deputy Director General, Dr. Kenneth Romer as well as other representatives from the MoTIA team.

The event provided the perfect occasion for The BMA to thank important clients and engage in mutually beneficial discussions with our strategic partners including representatives from The Bahamas recognised classification societies, Bureau Veritas (BV), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Lloyds Register (LR) and Registro Italiano Navale (RINA), as well as the US Coast Guard.

Throughout the week The BMA delegation held a number of high-level meetings with executives from the cruise line owners and operators, highlighting the importance of The Bahamas as a premier flag state and elevating long-standing partnerships further.  Digitalisation and decarbonisation were at the forefront of all discussions, along with a continued commitment to assisting with national capacity building through training and employment of Bahamians where possible.

The various activities enabled The BMA to once again extend our appreciation to the cruise community for entrusting The BMA with their ships and allowing us to continue to provide a quality registration service. It was extremely rewarding to meet with everyone face to face with The Bahamas remaining a primary destination and flag of choice!