By: Staff Writer
September 3, 2021
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) is heating up its bullying campaign against a local entrepreneur over disputed crown land on Paradise Island, The Bahamas.
Jay Schneider, chief product and innovation officer at RCCL, in a strongly worded letter to Bahamian entrepreneur Toby Smith- the developer of the Paradise Island Lighthouse & Beach Club (PILH)- that he “does not” need the latter’s permission to develop the land which was controversially granted to RCCL.
Mr Schneider’s email reads: “Please note that Royal Caribbean possesses a valid Crown Land Lease in respect to the demised premises contained therein which premises are subject to ongoing due diligence work. Royal Caribbean was not involved in your dealings with the Government and will continue to abide by the terms and conditions of its lease of the demised premises. Royal Caribbean does not require your consent to access the demised premises.”
Mr Schneider’s email stems from a writ filed in The Bahamas Supreme Court that seeks a determine if the government was in breach of contract with Mr Smith for granting him the same crown land that it granted to RCCL and essentially determining who is the rightful developers of the disputed parcel of land, which was reportedly granted to Mr Smith for this PILH development months before the government went ahead and granted the same parcel of crown land to RCCL for their development.
Mr Smith, in a statement to the media, said in response to Mr Schneider and RCCL, “This flagrant arrogance of a foreign entity coming to our Bahamian shores and telling Bahamians where they can and cannot go while we have a valid lease is a slap in the face to all Bahamians. Furthermore, this Minnis ‘lead’ government is complicit in the actions of stampeding over a Bahamians project on Bahamian Crown Land.
“Those that acted in cahoots with failed Prime Minister Minnis should be ashamed of themselves.”
Mr Smith then names several public officials that was involved with the granting of crown lands in The Bahamas along with Prime Minister Minnis, who being in charge of granting crown land as the crown land department comes under the portfolio of the Office of the Prime Minister.
Mr Smith also said: “PILH is in its tenth year of pushing the government of the day to receive all the approvals to launch their project and create employment and opportunities for Bahamians and these ‘sell-outs’ are cowering to RCCL, begging like jonsers, taking their crumbs as a kick back to the people of the Bahamas in the form of a donation to the Bahamas Feeding Network while RCCL has been exploiting the Bahamas for more than fifty years.”
RCCL also owns and operates its own private island in The Bahamas, CocoCay where they employ a number of Bahamians. The cruise giant also has the government over the barrel with another proposed project on the island of Grand Bahama that they are in partnership with the ITM Group.
The project has been stuttering and sputtering for the past three years since it was first announced, with RCCL dragging out negotiations for added concessions for the purchase and operation of the Grand Lucayan hotel on Grand Bahama. Insiders who have dealt directly with the matter have told Caribbean Magazine Plus that clearly the government had been taken advantage of by RCCL as it was way in over its head in negotiating with the cruise giant.
All of this led to speculation that the addition of the granting of Paradise Island crown land lease to RCCL was a sweetener to have the group finalize the purchase of the Grand Lucayan Hotel for their convention centre and water theme park.
The Grand Lucayan deal is marred with added controversy as the lead negotiator for the sale and former chairman for the Hotel Corporation and the Grand Lucayan Hotel, Michael Scott, upon bringing the deal this far said that it was a “bad deal” for Bahamians.
However, the minister for tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar who had first announced the final sale in late 2019, which has yet to close, is now saying that RCCL wants more concessions.
Mr D’Aguilar in a recent interview with the Tribune newspaper, said it was “extremely frustrating” that the Grand Lucayan’s sale continues to be delayed by the protracted wait for ITM/Royal Caribbean to close their separate deal with Freeport Harbour Company.
He further told the Tribune that concluding negotiations over Freeport Harbour’s redevelopment – including the addition of new cruise berths – was a “condition precedent” that must be satisfied before the joint venture will acquire the resort from the government.
Suggesting that the government nevertheless “remains optimistic” that the Grand Lucayan’s sale will eventually get over the line, he said he had been “advised” that an agreement between ITM/Royal Caribbean’s Holistica joint venture and Freeport Harbour Company – the latter which is 50/50 owned by Hutchison Whampoa and the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), the former having management control – was “imminent”.
Mr Smith also said: “While RCCL wish to also exploit pie in the sky numbers, what they don’t come clean on and publicly disclose is how much of the revenue generated in the Bahamas (their number one destination) is exported directly out of the country. While Bahamians get the short end of the stick, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines are continuing their effort to even take the stick and the land it’s on!
“Enough is enough. Why is it Bahamians must apply, ask, beg, kiss butt and then take the government to court to have their lease honoured. My case is not unique this is shared by many Bahamians day in and day out; while they pander to foreigners and give them everything including our kitchen sink they look down their noses at Bahamians bathing in tin tub!
“Prime Minister MInnis wants to post up in every photo opportunity he can yet he doesn’t have the balls to stand up as a man and have a public debate, he cowers behind his goons, he hides in the bathroom of House of Assembly, he refuses to meet, he’s running scared that he is going to loose this election and I look forward to him vacating office. He is scared to face the music and doubles down by then announcing he wants a “Cruise Ship Encouragement Act” which undoubtedly will only leave Bahamians in a worse off position, an even greater disparity of wealth, only having jobs serving others and these elected officials continuing to sell us out.
“So shame on RCCL; your offers to the Bahamas Feeding network are taken in the light that we are not afforded the same access and able to have the opportunities that foreigners are given and that is why we are hungry and having to beg for food. It is the likes of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines taking the whole loaf out of the country; which leaves Bahamians fighting amongst ourselves for the crumbs on the floor. The only reason there’s even crumbs is the politicians haven’t snapped them up, taxed them out our hands or imposed a law preventing us from picking them up.
