PLACE

We aim to be a force for good in the communities we visit. We stimulate the local economy by procuring food and beverage items for our ships. Our guests contribute too when they buy excursions, meals or souvenirs from local vendors.

 

In popular destinations, we typically work with tour providers who employ locally and support them as they build their business. This helps to generate jobs and engage with the local community to create shared value.

When we develop our private island destinations, including the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Portuguese Island and Pomene, we always give a strong preference to employing local staff to build and maintain shore operations.

 

 

 

In December 2019, MSC Cruises’ welcomed its first guests to Ocean Cay in The Bahamas, a stunning tropical island destination created from a former industrial sand excavation site. The vision for the development of Ocean Cay was to restore the island’s original ecosystem and re-establish its pristine state. This involved cleaning up the industrial waste on and around the island, and providing a safe, natural habit for marine life and seabirds.

These activities have been carried out together with an extensive number of stakeholders and partners, including environmental and nature conservancy specialists, marine biologists, coral reef experts, academics and consultants, and Bahamian government agencies.

In 2019, the Government of The Bahamas committed to protecting 64 square miles of waters around Ocean Cay by designating it as a Marine Protected Area (MPA). This means the area will be subject to special management of its marine resources. Its fisheries will come under more restrictive controls to preserve and nurture marine life and eco-systems like coral reefs and seagrass beds.

Find out more about Ocean Cay here.