Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas completes maiden voyage in Bahamas

Bahamas: The Utopia of the Seas, the Bahamian registered vessel began its inaugural cruise from Port Canaveral on July 19 and arrived at the Nassau Cruise Port on Sunday. Royal Caribbean's vessel is anticipated to bring new opportunities for the Bahamians.

This magnificent ship is the newest addition to the Royal Caribbean fleet of cruise lines and is nearly 1200 feet long and almost 200 feet wide. The Utopia of the Seas features 18 decks and has the capacity to host almost 6000 guests.

One of the notable features of this ship is that it is larger than its sister, the wonder of the seas, making it among the largest ship in the world.

As the vessel commenced its operations, the Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Chester Cooper, said that the long-standing relationship between the cruise company Royal Caribbean and the Bahamas has been fruitful.

He also said that he is looking forward to more success as the company embarks on this all-Bahamian cruise.

It is to be noted that the Utopia of the Seas adds a considerable number of visitors to the island's shores who will be visiting perfect day at Nassau and Cococay.

Meanwhile, Minister Cooper also encouraged the tourism professionals to capitalize on several new opportunities and urged more citizens of the island to buy in.

"I continued to call on Bahamians to invest downtown, particularly on the east end of Bay Street. We should see some new developments happening there," said the Tourism Minister.

This voyage is historic for several reasons, but most significantly, it is the first time that a Bahamian woman is serving as a first officer on board a Royal Caribbean vessel. 

The 32-year-old Ivanna Seymour said that the journey was very challenging, but it was worth it as she continued to follow her dreams and make the most of the opportunities. 

While saying that she is grateful for it, Seymour noted, "I know when I first started, not much did it, so I'm happy to see that it's progressing in the way it is."