Disney Cruise Line has 3 massive new vessels in development, adding to the 4 ships the line already has. The new ships will be slightly bigger than the 2 largest in Disney’s fleet but feature roughly the same number of accommodations, with 1,250 each.
The newbuilds will allow the cruise company to expand to new ports but will mean more use of Port Canaveral terminal and Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay.
According to Bahamas newspaper Tribune 242, Disney Cruise Line is looking at 700-acre peninsula popular as Lighthouse Point, as a 2nd private port.
The cape is located on the southern end of the 110-mile-long Eleuthera Island, well known for its pink sand beaches. Off its northern shore is Egg Island, where the cruise line had expressed interest in a 2nd private port years ago, but following environmental studies in 2016 revealed the island wasn't suitable for large-scale development.
A spokesperson for Disney has confirmed that the line was interested in expanding investments in Bahamas, but has declined to provide further information.
Eleuthera locals have begun a campaign to block Lighthouse Point's development, citing concerns over how it could impact local ecology and the history of the island. Since the news has broken, McCarroll Real Estate, who had Lighthouse Point listed for US$20 million, has pulled mentions of the parcel.