Nassau Cruise Port Limited’s (NCP) berths will be fully booked when its pier extension is completed by December, with cruise port executives expecting passenger counts to be in the area of 250,000, the company’s Chief Executive Officer Mike Maura told Guardian Business yesterday.

The redevelopment of Nassau’s cruise port has now reached a stage where land is being created at the wharf’s edge to bring to life the world-class port, that will feature an amphitheater, extensive green space, shops, restaurants, a marina and a Junkanoo museum.

Thousands of cubic yards of sand are currently being piped into the area of Prince George Wharf where ferries and excursion operators once picked up passengers. The sand is being repurposed from the dredging operations that are being undertaken to allow the port to accommodate the world’s largest cruise ships.

The port is making quick progress on the pier extension to the east, that will allow the port to house three Oasis-class ships at one time. According to Maura, that pier extension is 50 percent complete.

With the onset of home porting by two cruise lines and the restart of cruising from Florida cruise ports, NCP is picking up the pace of cruise ship handling month over month, after the COVID-19 pandemic stopped cruise ship operations for more than 14 months.

“Our communication with our team is that in August they are going to see approximately 120,000 passengers and then they’re going to see that climb to 160,000 passengers in September. Then they’re going to see it climb to 180,000 or 190,000 in October and it’s climbing right up to about 250,000 by the time we get to December,” Maura said.

“It’s all moving in the right direction.”

He explained that the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection approved NCP’s dredging plan, which will also increase the water depth in the area near the new pier in order to allow mega yachts to make their way safely to Bay Street Marina, as well as allow mega yachts to berth at the cruise port itself.

When the cruise port’s three Oasis-class berths are in operation, they will each be able to accommodate almost 9,000 passengers and crew.

“What this all does is it takes our passenger capacity in a given day up to over 33,000 passengers from the historical 20,000. So what this dredging is going to do from a berth and marine perspective is it will add 50 percent more passengers to the daily limit,” Maura stated.

After his final collegiate year at St. Francis Xavier University (SFX) was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it did not stop Azaro ‘Big Z’ Roker from realizing his dream of playing basketball professionally. He signed a contract this past Monday to play for the Acunsa Gipuzkoa Basket in Liga Española de Baloncesto (LEB Oro) league in Spain.

The team is based in San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain and plays in the Donostia Arena. The LEB Oro is the second highest league in Spain. Only the Liga ACB, better known as Liga Endesa, is higher.

“I managed to defy the odds and make what seemed to be impossible possible,” Roker said. “I believe that this could only be possible with God’s grace and the favor he’s placed on my life. Growing up as a kid in Nassau, The Bahamas, I dreamed of this day and now I’ve made this dream a reality through hard work and dedication.”

Roker signed with Helping Baller Management back in May of this year, on Mother’s Day. It is one of the leading sports management agencies in Europe.

He is grateful for the opportunity to make the jump from playing collegiately in Canada to now playing in the second best league in Spain.

“Not only did I manage to land an incredible situation coming out of a Canadian university, but I continued to defy the odds, which was the ability to leave university and make the jump to a top Spanish league. I was told that it was going to be tough landing good opportunities coming out of a Canadian university and not playing the previous basketball season. There were a number of other people in pro leagues, G-league and college that could’ve been placed in this position ahead of me, but I was chosen instead,” Roker said.

Roker, a five-year player for the SFX X-Men in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, developed into one of the top young collegiate players in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) in U Sports (national sport governing body of university sport in Canada) in his final two years with the X-Men. He started all but one game in his final two seasons and averaged 17.6 points, 13.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 58.6 percent from the field in his final season.

Roker played high school basketball with national team player for The Bahamas Dominick Bridgewater at Anatol Rodgers Senior High School in New Providence.

Gipuzkoa got demoted last season from Liga Endesa, the highest level of basketball in Spain. They finished the season with a 7-29 win/loss record to finish at the bottom of the barrel in 19th position.

HEALTH Minister Renward Wells has said the government is currently not considering making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for healthcare workers even though recommendations have been put forward as vaccine hesitancy among the group remains a challenge.

Mr Wells made the assertion after Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan told reporters at a Ministry of Health press conference on Friday that mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers was under consideration due to vaccine hesitancy. #She said because of the significant role medical workers play in the fight against COVID-19, officials recognise the need for more personnel to get vaccinated to help contain the pandemic. #The suggestion, however, has received much pushback in the medical community – with Bahamas Nurses Union president Amancha Williams recently telling The Tribune the decision to take the jab should be a personal choice. #Yesterday, Mr Wells sought to alleviate worker’s concerns, insisting it was just a recommendation. #He said while no final decision has been made on the matter, making vaccines mandatory for healthcare workers is not the current position of the government. #“That is not the current position of the government of the Bahamas. Let me state that emphatically – it is not the current position of the government of the Bahamas,” Mr Wells said before going to a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. #“This was a recommendation made by the health professionals in The Bahamas, in the Ministry of Health to the government as a way for us to be able to help arrest and deal with the spread of COVID.” #“But the government of the Bahamas has not made a decision as have others around the globe to move in the direction of a mandatory requirement for healthcare workers.” #Several countries have since implemented the mandatory vaccination policies for frontline workers in recent months. Among those include Italy France and Greece.

Mr Wells made the assertion after Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan told reporters at a Ministry of Health press conference on Friday that mandatory vaccinations for healthcare workers was under consideration due to vaccine hesitancy.

She said because of the significant role medical workers play in the fight against COVID-19, officials recognise the need for more personnel to get vaccinated to help contain the pandemic.

The suggestion, however, has received much pushback in the medical community – with Bahamas Nurses Union president Amancha Williams recently telling The Tribune the decision to take the jab should be a personal choice.

Yesterday, Mr Wells sought to alleviate worker’s concerns, insisting it was just a recommendation.

He said while no final decision has been made on the matter, making vaccines mandatory for healthcare workers is not the current position of the government.

“That is not the current position of the government of the Bahamas. Let me state that emphatically – it is not the current position of the government of the Bahamas,” Mr Wells said before going to a Cabinet meeting Tuesday.

“This was a recommendation made by the health professionals in The Bahamas, in the Ministry of Health to the government as a way for us to be able to help arrest and deal with the spread of COVID.”

“But the government of the Bahamas has not made a decision as have others around the globe to move in the direction of a mandatory requirement for healthcare workers.”

Several countries have since implemented the mandatory vaccination policies for frontline workers in recent months. Among those include Italy France and Greece.

NINETEEN migrants found onboard a vessel at sea were charged with illegal embarkation in the Freeport Magistrate's Court this week.

Haitians Josue Franceau, 41; Ginius Dieunicol, 59; Wadelove Gurrier, 26; Viviane Lazarre Evariste, 56; Judith Bein Aime, 35; Sgerlanda Darisma, 26; Maxeny Alce, 42; Stevens Michel, 25; Richemona Henry, 28; Bernadette Lubin, 36; Louisemene Elie Bell, 32; Veline Jacksaint, 26; Brazilians Cristiam Sairon Oliveria Souza, 30; and Silezio Pereira Ramos, 41; and Ecuadorian Pablo Eduardo Fajardo, 29, appeared in Court Four before Magistrate Simone Brown. #They all pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal embarkation. #According to the particulars, the group of migrants left Grand Bahama without leave of an immigration officer and were discovered on Thursday, July 22, on a vessel in waters off the coast of Florida. #Magistrate Brown ordered the migrants to pay a fine of $300 each or in default serve six months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDOCS), The 19 migrants were also ordered deported on payment of the fines or upon completion of serving their custodial sentences. #All the accused paid their fines and were turned over to the Immigration Department for transport to New Providence where they will be detained at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre until deportation to their country of origin.

Haitians Josue Franceau, 41; Ginius Dieunicol, 59; Wadelove Gurrier, 26; Viviane Lazarre Evariste, 56; Judith Bein Aime, 35; Sgerlanda Darisma, 26; Maxeny Alce, 42; Stevens Michel, 25; Richemona Henry, 28; Bernadette Lubin, 36; Louisemene Elie Bell, 32; Veline Jacksaint, 26; Brazilians Cristiam Sairon Oliveria Souza, 30; and Silezio Pereira Ramos, 41; and Ecuadorian Pablo Eduardo Fajardo, 29, appeared in Court Four before Magistrate Simone Brown.

They all pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal embarkation.

According to the particulars, the group of migrants left Grand Bahama without leave of an immigration officer and were discovered on Thursday, July 22, on a vessel in waters off the coast of Florida.

Magistrate Brown ordered the migrants to pay a fine of $300 each or in default serve six months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDOCS), The 19 migrants were also ordered deported on payment of the fines or upon completion of serving their custodial sentences.

All the accused paid their fines and were turned over to the Immigration Department for transport to New Providence where they will be detained at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre until deportation to their country of origin.