Carnival Corporation has signed an agreement with the Bahamian government for two major port developments.

The first is for a new cruise port, primarily for Carnival Cruise Line, on Grand Bahama, worth in excess of £80 million, while the second concerns the expansion of Carnival’s base on Little San Salvador – home to Holland America Line’s Half Moon Cay port – worth an estimated £65 million.

Bahamian prime minister Hubert Minnis said: “We are very pleased to announce that Carnival Corporation’s projects in the Bahamas are full speed ahead. These developments and the significant investment in world-class tourism and hospitality operations are such a boon for our initiatives for national prosperity and economic stability.”

Construction for both projects is expected to start in 2020, following necessary environmental checks. Both developments will be built to withstand the force of a category five hurricane.

The Grand Bahama destination will be developed on the south side of the island in cooperation with the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the government. The Little San Salvador operation will take place on the north of the island with Half Moon Cay’s beaches remaining its key attraction, Carnival added.

Carnival’s senior vice-president of global port and destination Giora Israel said: “This is an exciting day for all of us involved with these two extraordinary development projects.

“We have been working with the prime minister and his staff for some time with a shared vision for our design plans and we want to extend our sincere gratitude for their collaboration and partnership. Our collective goal is to maintain the reputation of the Bahamas as one of our most popular and welcoming destinations for years to come, and it is very rewarding to see our joint vision finalised with today’s agreement.

“In the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, there is poignancy with the timing of today’s agreement, and as we prepare for the pre-construction phase of these projects to begin early next year, they will provide jobs and a major boost to the recovery and rebuilding effort.”

The two developments will allow Grand Bahama and Little San Salvador to welcome guests from larger ships, such as Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras, which launches in August 2020. Holland America Line also has more than 40 scheduled calls to the Bahamas through the end of 2019.