Grand Bahama Shipyard has been shuttered since Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Bahamas last Sunday but should be back in business this week, chief executive David Skentelberry said.
The Category 5 storm descended upon Grand Bahama Island with winds reaching nearly 300 km per hour, leaving a wasteland without power in its wake before heading up the US east coast.
"There's no significant damage to the yard, but there's a lot of damage to the island," Skentelberry told TradeWinds Monday from the island on a mobile phone with spotty reception.
"We're getting the yard up and running again and should be open in the next two days."
The yard has supplied generators and water for basic operations and its 600 workers, none of whom were injured as a result of the hurricane, he said.
The facility cleared two ships in drydock and one coming in for work before the storm came in and expects its first vessel to return Wednesday. It has 29 dry-dockings slated for this year.
"We want to get the yard up and running again because it's important to the economy of the island," he said.
Meanwhile, damage to the Carnival Corp-owned islands of Princess Cays and Half Moon Cays was “limited”, said Carnival spokesman Roger Frizzell.
"We are continuing our sailings there with Carnival Cruise Line in September, and Holland America," he told TradeWinds.
He said no Carnival employees were hurt as a result of the hurricane.
An email to Royal Caribbean Cruises was not immediately returned.
The hurricane comes five months after a construction crane collapsed upon Royal Caribbean's 5,400-berth Oasis of the Seas (built 2009) while undergoing routine maintenance.
Eight workers were injured in that 1 April incident, currently under investigation by the Bahamas Maritime Authority.
