Disney Cruise Line shares construction updates for new Bahamas site Lookout Cay
With three months out before the first visitors will be welcomed to Disney’s new Bahamas destination, Disney Cruise Line showed off some photos of construction updates.
Opening in June, Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point at the southern end of Eleuthera is the cruise line’s second private port of call in the Bahamas adding to Castaway Cay.
On an update to the Disney Parks Blog, the line showed off three images including an aerial shot of the colorful line of the Mabrika Cove Cabanas that would be one of the first things approaching visitors would see as cruise ships approach the dock.
“Mabrika” the Taino word for “welcome.” Disney said Taino was spoken by native Lucayans.
Also shared were images of the shell-themed architecture that acts as shade covering over pavilions designed to look like seashells scattered along the coastline offering up seating for the free on-shore True-True Too BBQ dining option for visitors.
The pavilions will feature art inspired by coral, seashells, fish and flowers of Eleuthera.
A final images shows a tram stop where Bahamas-themed vendors will be based offering up merchandise and hair braiding among other things, according to the post.
Previous details shared about Lookout Cay detailed other areas of the site that will embrace Bahamian culture. Central to the welcome area is the Goombay Cultural Center tied to the Bahamian carnival-esque festival Junkanoo, with a parade on tap during ships’ visits. Also on site will be Triton’s Trumpet Stage, a gazebo named after a common Bahamian spiraled seashell that doubles as a reference to King Triton from “The Little Mermaid.”
The 700-acre site, of which Disney plans to only develop 16%, will also feature retail shops with Bahamian gifts and crafts called Treasures of Eleuthera, part of the line’s promise to benefit the local economy.
Among the developed space will be an adults-only area called Serenity Bay similar to Castaway Cay, featuring its own beach and dining areas plus private cabanas.
Disney has promised to set aside at least 190 acres to be given back to the Bahamian government including the southernmost point of the land, which is expected to become a national park.
The second Bahamas site for the cruise line has been in the works since it won approval from the government to purchase the land in 2019, but it has faced delays because of the COVID pandemic, hurricanes as well as going through an environmental assessment. It began operating Castaway Cay in 1998 with the debut of its first ship.
It falls in line with the expanding fleet for DCL, which welcomed its fifth ship Disney Wish in 2022 sailing out of Port Canaveral and will bring on its sister ship Disney Treasure this December. The line has plans to grow to eight ships by the end of 2025.
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Previous statements from Disney Cruise Line have said the plan for Lighthouse Point would see similar traffic as Castaway Cay, between three and five weekly visits from cruise ships year-round.
First sailings this summer will come mostly from Port Everglades, but that will expand to regular visits from Port Canaveral-based ships in the fall.
The site also includes a main beach, family beach, gaming pavilion, market-style dining, water play area with two slides, water drums, fountains and dedicated space for toddlers, a club for children age 3-12 that has its own splash pad themed to “The Little Mermaid” and dedicated dining area.
Recreation options on the site include a covered gaming pavilion, volleyball court, gaga ball pit, watercraft and bike rentals as well as nature trails for hiking and biking. The line is working with local tour operators as well for a lineup to explore beyond the resort.
Details about the site can be found at lighthousepointbahamas.com.
