Category Archives: Bahamas

Six maternal deaths since March 2020All delivery mothers on maternity ward confirmed COVID-positive

NASSAU, BAHAMAS As he underscored the challenges of pregnant women throughout the COVID-10 pandemic, former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said nearly 100 pregnant women contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic.

While appearing as a guest on The Hitback with Nahaja Black on Monday, Sands said that on one of the major maternity wards in the country, every single delivering mother was COVID-positive.

If you look at the national maternal mortality statistics, The Bahamas was doing relatively well with no more than three to four maternal deaths per year, he said.

Since the start of COVID, in the public service, weve had just shy of 100 pregnant COVID-positive mothers, and in the private sector maybe 25 or so.

[There have been] six maternal deaths already.

Last month, Bahamas Nurses Union (BNU) President Amancha Williams confirmed that a nurse from the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) maternity ward died of COVID.

At the time, Williams said: We cant say where she contracted it from, but most likely the area where she worked had an outbreak and thats the maternity ward.

Sands noted yesterday that as cases continue to rise, health officials are monitoring the situation closely and urging residents to get vaccinated.

We are watching hospitalizations, he said.

We are watching death of older people. We are now watching death of pregnant women. We are watching death of children.

Sands noted that in this third wave, there have been children who have been critically ill and in the Intensive Care Unit from COVID-19.

That is how bad this is and the message is get vaccinated and understand the role you need to play in terms of social distancing, mask-wearing and sanitization.

There were 121 new COVID-19 cases confirmed on Monday, taking the number of cases in the country to 15,915, with 2,546 active and 134 hospitalized.

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MATERNITY CHALLENGES: More than 100 pregnant women infected with COVID-19 since start of pandemic - EyeWitness News

By FELICITY DARVILLE

IN a world where more and more people are getting sick and the cost of imports are steadily rising, the chairman of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC), Bishop Gregory Anthony Collie, is calling on Bahamians to invest in farming as one of the keys to a healthier, wealthier future for the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had many effects, among them, a rise in cottage industry, as more people are becoming entrepreneurs and coming up with innovative ways to provide goods and services necessary for the new normal.

In this way, BAIC should be considered one of the vital government agencies for people to connect with. It is mandated to stimulate, facilitate and encourage the development of agriculture in The Bahamas; to process the produce of agriculture; and to market the produce of agriculture within or outside the country. Bahamians seem to be responding well to the times. The produce exchange located at BAIC Headquarters on Old Trail Road, and the Farmers Market of Gladstone Road have seen a good increase in patrons looking for fresh, home grown produce.

The next step, according to Bishop Collie, is for a major increase in Bahamians adopting the farming lifestyle as a means of self-sustenance. As for him, agriculture is in the blood. His maternal grandparents, Earnest Brice of Long Island and Beatrice Brice of Exuma. made their home in Mount Thompson, Exuma where they created a thriving onion farm. The young Gregory grew up with opportunities to spend time in Exuma with his grandparents, learning how to farm and appreciating the value of what can come from the ground.

In those days, he said, Exuma was the onion capital of The Bahamas, and many families grew onions on a scale large enough for export to the United States and other parts of the region. Back then, he said, different Bahamian islands would specialize in a specific agricultural product for export. Eleuthera was known for pineapples, for example, and Cat Island for tomatoes. He recalls learning that Sir Sidney Poitiers parents, farmers from Cat Island, gained exposure to the United States because they were not only exporting tomatoes there, but visiting there as well.

Many opportunities abound from investing in agriculture, he said, and it would be good to see even more Bahamians take on the challenge to farm on a commercial level.

Today, you dont even have to spend all day in the sun to farm, Bishop Collie urged.

There are new, innovative and technologically advanced ways of farming including greenhouses, container farming and so much more. This allows you to provide more produce locally and even provide them outside of their regular season.

As current chairman of BAIC, he said: I love the challenge of helping to reduce The Bahamas import bill. There are so many things that we import that we can grow. In the past, we have paid a disservice to agriculture, but the recent pandemic has brought it home. It has given us all the time to reflect, and to consider how we would sustain ourselves in the event we could not import.

He also has heritage from Acklins Island and there, a thriving cascarilla project The Pine Islands Project stands as a beacon of the kind of agricultural industry and commerce that can be repeated throughout the country.

His grandfather Theo Collie, and grandmother Anita Heastie, relied on the land and sea, enjoying the quintessential Bahamian lifestyle. His father, Henry Collie, was born in Morant Bay, Acklins, where he lived before moving to Nassau where he met Lean Brice, Gregorys mother. Even though he grew up on Quintine Alley just off East Street, the values of his grandparents on both sides and their love for the land have inspired him to promote agriculture, which he continues to do today. His cousin Anita is one of those leading the charge for the Pine Islands Project in Acklins. He pointed out that major global companies like Campari and Mary Kay cosmetics rely on the cascarilla plant as one of the raw materials for their products. With the implementation of the project, Bishop Collie says Acklins Islanders will have an opportunity to create by-products instead of just selling the raw material, which they have done for decades.

On June 18 Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Michael Pintard announced that the Government had approved the grant of 105 acres of land to the Acklins Islanders Cooperative Society to be used to grow cascarilla trees and to construct a processing plant for the extraction of essential cascarilla oil.

One hundred acres of the land is in Hard Hill and another five acres is located in Spring Point. This land acquisition is part of the component of the Pine Islands Project which is focused on Sustainable Livelihoods for cascarilla bark cultivation and processing of cascarilla oil in Acklins and Crooked Islands.

This is one of six activities in the cultivation and processing of the cascarilla bark in the Development and Promotion of Sustainable harvesting of cascarilla The Pine Islands Project is funded through the Global Environment Facility of the United Nations along with the Government of the Bahamas and in-kind contributions from various agencies.

In addition to agriculture, industry is also a vital part of the BAIC mandate. The corporation seeks to assist in the creation and development of commerce and industry in The Bahamas; and to expand and create opportunities for Bahamians to participate in the economic development of the country. BAIC is a one-stop-shop agency, ready to assist small business persons with business plans, research, sourcing funding, business advice/counseling, implementation and follow-up. As an encouragement for the development of business in the Family Islands, start-up capital through small business window loans from The Bahamas Development Bank (BDB), The Bahamas Entrepreneurial Venture Fund, and the grant of Crown Land are available to Bahamians.

Bishop Collie is encouraged by the Blue Project, presented by BAIC General Manager Rocky Nesbitt. The BLUE Project stands for: Building a Lean Uniformed Economic Network. The plan, amongst other things, includes the introduction of KPI software to ensure the corporation is able to track, analyze and create timely reports within the Agri-business and Industrial sectors. This part of the project is already underway.

The increase in entrepreneurship in The Bahamas is also encouraging for Bishop Collie, who took the same path in his youth and maintained a successful business for some time. After graduating from Highbury High, the young Gregory got a job in a company then known as the House of Sales.

He started out cleaning the floors at that company, and worked his way up to management. For some, that would have been good enough, but his ambitious drive and entrepreneurial spirit made him push all the way to owning one of their retail outlets.

You have to be focused and know what you want out of life, he advised.

Decide your goals and set your plan. As a young person, I did my best to stay out of bad company and away from negative influences. Your circumstances do not have to define your level of success. Look at where I grew up. Choose to stay focused on your dreams, and attach yourself to the right people. As a young person you have to be willing to take good advice from those who have made it where you want to go.

Be teachable, be trainable, be diligent and stay focused.

All while climbing up the ranks of the House of Sales, Gregory sought higher education. He earned an Associate of Arts in History, but he also took up studies in education as he was training to be a teacher.

After earning his degree at the College of The Bahamas, he eventually went on to earn a certificate of higher learning in Law from the University of Huddersfield, a certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the University of Windsor, Canada, as well as a certificate in Paralegal Legal Studies from the Institute of Legal Executives.

With this experience, Bishop Collie served as President and Secretary of The Public Managers Union. He is also a former Assistant General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress, a member of the Bahamas Real Estate Association and he is a licensed Broker/ Appraiser. He is most notably the former Senior Manager of Compliance at the National Insurance Board, where he was employed for 26 years.

Bishop Collie is also a singer/songwriter and former lead vocalist of the Soulmakers group. Although now defunct, the Soulmakers were once a hit, having travelled not only through The Bahamas, but also throughout the United States with a steady following.

Today, Bishop Collie, a husband, father and Justice of the Peace, is the Senior Pastor and Bishop of First Holiness Church of God, located in Bamboo Town and Young Husband Avenue, Freeport Grand Bahama.

This, he considers his highest calling, and one which allows him to inspire, encourage, and uplift lives through the word of God.

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FACE TO FACE: Striving for a healthier future in our own back yard - Bahamas Tribune

The IU basketball program has announced the tip-times for their two foreign tour games in the Bahamas next month.

The Hoosiers will battle BC Mega, a professional basketball club based in Belgrade, Serbia, in two contests in the Bahamas on Friday, August 13 and Sunday, August 15. The contests will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday in the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis Paradise Island. Neither game will be televised.

Indiana will be seriously tested against a high-end European professional team that includes NBA-bound talent.

BC Mega plays in the ABA League First Division which is the 1st-tier regional mens professional basketball league that originally featured clubs from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia). They were 18-15 last year.

I think this opportunity will be extremely beneficial to the young men in our program, said IU Coach Mike Woodson in a release by the school. Theyve worked extremely hard this summer and to have the chance to test yourselves against professional basketball players is invaluable. Well be able to learn a lot about ourselves and well use that to our advantage as we prepare for our official practices to start in late September and games in early November.

BC Mega shooting guard Nikola Jovic is a projected lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He is 6-10, just turned 18 and averaged 15.8 points last season.

BC Mega point guard Dayshon Scoochie Smith played at Dayton from 2013-17 under former IU head coach Archie Miller. Smith averaged 13.8 points as a senior and had 498 career assists for the Flyers.

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IU basketball announces start times for August games in the Bahamas - The Daily Hoosier

Good morning, Coug fans!

I know Im fast forwarding and leaping beyond seasons with this one, but the momentum keeps pushing forward for your Washington State Womens Basketball team. It was announced that our Cougs will be getting some work done in a typical vacation spot, Ill let you guess...

Thats right- WSU Womens Hoops are headed to the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship in the beautiful Bahamas. Lets take a peak into what that tournament will look like, just to get you geared up.

The event will take place in Nassau, and runs from November 22nd through the 27th. I know football will still hold focus during that time, but if its looking like another ignore the Apple Cup season, at least well all have something to look forward to! (She says in jest, we all make those jokes).

Washington State will face off against The University of Miami on November 25th, and while I did just limit football mention, whenever there is mention of UMiami, I am reminded of another face off from 2015- Sun Bowl turned Snow Bowl, anybody? Cougs beat Miami 20-14, and my dad and I happened to be there. Perhaps an omen that he and I should head to the Bahamas? Wishful thinking perhaps.

Saturday November 27th the Cougs and the North Carolina State wolfpack will square up. And we know biologically speaking, a cougar always beats a wolf.

For more information about the tournament, click here! This tournament will be the largest early season event for college basketball, which will be an honor.

Im looking forward to seeing what our Cougs can do down in the Bahamas, and forever glad I can root for both WBB and football in tandem this year. After the past week, we could all use a sports win right about now.

I hope everyone is staying safe and hydrated. Keep your eyes out for more WSU WBB updates, go Cougs!

Washington State receiver/returner Travell Harris named to watch list for Hornung Award | Washington State University | nbcrightnow.comWashington State's top offensive weapon from last season has once again been named to the watch list for the Paul Hornung Award, which is presented annually to the most versatile

Olympic Roundup | Sports | dnews.comTRACK AND FIELD

A Grip on Sports: Today will be a big day for a couple Zags and maybe a couple more | The Spokesman-ReviewA GRIP ON SPORTS Today is a day that will change a life or two. Either for better or worse. Which is an appropriate term considering a couple of former Gonzaga standouts are about to be married to an NBA franchise.

WSU alum wins gold at Olympics - KXLY

What Makes the Delta Variant of Covid-19 So Dangerous for Unvaccinated People - WSJA unique combination of mutations has led to this more infectious version of the coronavirus, prompting revised mask guidelines.

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WSU Womens Basketball headed to the Bahamas - CougCenter

TOKYO (AP) The scrapes on her knee, stomach and forearms have long since healed. Well worth the price for that 400-meter gold medal.

The last time everyone saw Shaunae Miller-Uibo on the Olympic stage, the sprinter from the Bahamas was diving across the finish line.

It was a memorable moment from Rio.

In Tokyo, shes trying to make her mark in another way with the possibility of a difficult double. Miller-Uibo is chasing after the 200 gold and depending on how shes feeling defending her 400 crown. That would require four races spread over two days, including the first round of the 400 meters and the 200 final 12 hours apart on Tuesday.

Thats a lot of work. But shes game.

Whats a little pain for gold, right? After all, she flew over the line with her arms spread out to edge Allyson Felix by 0.07 seconds in Rio.

Miller-Uibo felt those aches for days and days after the race.

But it was all worth it, Miller-Uibo told The Associated Press. I wouldnt trade those moments nor the aches and pains that came with it for the world.

That stumble across the line, Miller-Uibo maintained, wasnt on purpose. She was just so exhausted and with about 50 meters left, my engine lights went on, she explained.

I couldnt really feel my legs anymore, Miller-Uibo added. I just remember wanting it so bad that I started leaning early for the line. I felt my legs go from under me and next being on the ground with a win to my name.

Miller-Uibos success that day was a tough blow over a difficult 2016 Olympic season for Felix. The International Olympic Committee had arranged the track schedule to give her an opportunity to run the 200-400 double that year without any overlap. But Felix didnt qualify in the shorter race, then settled for silver in the 400.

Miller-Uibo didnt receive that sort of treatment for her endeavor. Shes giving it a go.

Thats the plan as of now, anyway. It could change depending on fatigue.

The 200 remains the priority, simply because its her first race on the schedule. She has the first round and the semis on Monday.

The difficult day will be Tuesday, with round one of the 400 at 9:45 a.m. local time and the 200 final shes among the favorites at 9:50 p.m.

Im feeling great, 27-year-old Miller-Uibo said.

The most memorable 200-400 double was turned in by Michael Johnson, who put on quite a show while winning both races at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

On the womens side, its been attempted a few times. Olympic historian Bill Mallon said one of the more notable tries was from Cathy Freeman, the Australian sprinter who won the the 400 meters and made the final of the 200 taking sixth at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Miller-Uibos not the only member of her family going for gold in Tokyo. Theres also her husband, Estonian decathlete Maicel Uibo. The two met as freshmen at the University of Georgia when they had a few classes together. They also trained at the same time.

We would always see each other, Miller-Uibo said. We became really good friends and the story goes on from there.

It was a silver showing for the couple at the 2019 world championships in Doha. They are hoping to upgrade in Tokyo.

Miller-Uibo finished runner-up in the 400 that night in Doha behind Bahrain sprinter Salwa Eid Naser, who won in a time of 48.14 seconds the fastest time since 1985.

Naser wont be in Tokyo.

She recently had a two-year ban upheld following three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period.

The 200-meter field is stacked. Heading the list is Gabby Thomas, the Harvard grad who went 21.61 to become the second-fastest woman ever behind the late Florence Griffith Joyner (21.34). Theres also the Jamaican trio of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah.

Thats only a few.

Just as loaded is the 400, where theres the 35-year-old Felix, who qualified for her fifth Olympics. Felix was second at the U.S. trials behind Quanera Hayes. The other top contender is Stephenie-Ann McPherson of Jamaica.

Miller-Uibo has the top time in the world this season at 49.08, which she ran in April.

One things for sure: She will be easy to spot on the track. She likes to mix up her hair color.

Growing up Ive always had a love for colors, and I always loved seeing women be bold and rock whatever color they wanted while not caring about how others felt about it, Miller-Uibo said. One of those women (is) my mom. Every time she did her hair she would put a streak of color through it and it always put a smile on my face. I couldnt wait until I got to the age to do the same with my hair and now its a part of who I am.

Any particular color choice in Tokyo?

Just expect a variety, Miller-Uibo said.

___

More AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/2020-tokyo-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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Diving in: Miller-Uibo will run 200, may defend 400 title - Associated Press

With the July 30 release of season two of Outer Banks on Netflix, we can't blame you for wanting to join the Pogues and the Kooks on their adventures. Although the series centers on a group of teens in North Carolina, filming for the first and second seasons primarily took place in Charleston, SC. This was due to North Carolina's anti-LGBTQ bathroom bill, which was passed in March 2016. While filming for the second season also took place in Charleston, because of the first season cliffhanger ending for John B and Sarah Cameron, the Outer Banks cast also got to spend some time in the Caribbean. Although John B and Sarah end up in the Bahamas at the end of season one, those scenes were actually shot in Barbados.

Following COVID protocols, season two began filming in Charleston in September 2020 before wrapping in January 2021 and moving on to Barbados. Filming in Barbados wrapped in April 2021, with the cast and crew sharing photos from the shoot. "Goodbye Barbados," Jonathan Daviss, who plays Pope Heyward, captioned a photo of the sunset on April 3. "That's a wrap on @obx season 2!!! I've absolutely fallen in love with this beautiful country. Can't wait for you guys to see the amazing work our entire cast and crew did this season." It's unclear why Outer Banks used Barbados as a stand-in for the Bahamas, but this isn't their first time making one location look like another. You can see the locations in action for yourself as Outer Banks is currently streaming on Netflix.

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The Pogues Might Be Going to the Bahamas, but Outer Banks Season 2 Wasn't Filmed There - POPSUGAR

NC State is headed to the Bahamas to play in the Pink Flamingo Championship over Thanksgiving, which is a pretty good vacation idea if you ask me. Its a star-studded event, too.

The Wolfpack will face Marylanddefinitely a preseason top-10 teamon Thanksgiving day, and will play Washington State two days later. Indiana and Stanford are also participating; the Hoosiers reached the Elite Eight last season, though I totally forget how, and Stanford won the title.

Its not a tournament (there are only seven teams involved) but rather just a showcase for these teams to pick up some good non-conference games. The Wolfpack is trying to secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs for the second straight year, and beating Maryland early would go a long way in helping it do that.

NC State also will host South Carolina this season, and Im assuming there will be a Big Ten/ACC Challenge game announced at some point. Should be a strong schedule.

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NC State womens hoops is headed to the Bahamas for Thanksgiving - Backing The Pack

6-Banner Sunday is Inside the Halls weekly newsletter in partnership withThe Assembly Call. Nearly 8,000 Indiana fans receive the newsletter each week. In addition to appearing each week on the site, you can also opt to receive 6-Banner Sunday by email. A form to subscribe via email is available at the bottom of this weeks 6-Banner Sunday.

Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production betweenThe Assembly CallandInside the Hallwhere we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.

As the offseason rolls on, several news items came out this week with the top story being the demise of the Crossroads Classic.

Besides that, another non-conference game is known, details of the upcoming Bahamas trip are more clear and some info on a future and past Hoosier. As usual 6-Banner will conclude with a look at happenings in other IU Sports.

Crossroads Classic comes to an end after this year Hoosiers add a non-conference opponent and ITH previews the known preseason games More info released on the Bahamas trip Kaleb Banks summer highlights Former Hoosier Jerome Hunter speaks up Hoosier Roundup

The fate of the Crossroads Classic was hanging in the balance after this years game against Notre Dame. Now we know the games are no more. News broke this last week from the Lafayette Journal & Couriers Mike Carmin that the four-team event featuring IU, Purdue, Notre Dame and Butler is done.

Greg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star wrote a column about the cancellation and Zach Osterman broke down the reasons for the demise.

With the season fast approaching, IU announced a Nov 12 date with Northern Illinois to fill out another piece of the preseason puzzle.

Inside The Hall also took the time this week to do a detailed preview of some of the non-conference opponents. The series right now has previews ofMerrimack, St. Johns, Marshall and Louisiana-Lafayette

While it has been known for a while that the Hoosiers would travel to the Bahamas in August more info was released about the trip this week.

The exhibition games against professional team BC Mega will take place Friday, August 13 at 7:30pm and Sunday, August 15 at 1pm in the Imperial Ballroom at the Paradise Atlantis. The contests will be open to the public for those willing to vacation and travel to paradise, but as of now no TV or radio will be available for those who stay back.

As reported late last week, the Hoosiers picked up their second commit of the 2022 class when Fayetteville Georgias Kaleb Banks pulled the trigger for the Hoosiers.

Banks is a four-star recruit ranked no. 123 in his class, and this week Inside The Hall found and posted a four minute highlight video of his time on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit where he has starred this summer.

Former IU forward Jerome Hunter transferred to Xavier this summer. Before he begins his time with the Musketeers though the Columbus Dispatchs Adam Jardy wrote about him.

What should be of most interest to Hoosier fans is an actual concrete diagnosis of the leg injury that kept Hunter out his entire freshmen year. While rumors have circulated, the article confirms that Hunter indeed had surgery on a blood clot in his knee that caused him to miss the season.

Lots of Olympic news this week regarding current and former Hoosiers. Zach Apple and Blake Pieroni won a gold medal in the 400 meter relay and Lily King won a bronze medal in the 100 meter breaststroke. King and Annie Lazor also medaled in the 200 meter breaststroke. Several divers also won medals in a couple events.

More Football players were put on Preseason Watch Lists.

Womens Golf added a member to its coaching staff.

Womens Basketball announced a tournament in the Bahamas over Thanksgiving.

Mens Soccer lost a legend.

Baseballs Drew Ashley was named an Academic All-American.

Wrestling had a signee named a high school All-American.

Thanks for your continued support for The Assembly Call. Well be back next weekend with a new roundup.

Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.

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6-Banner Sunday: Crossroads Classic coming to an end after 11 years - Inside the Hall

Crystal Cruises has added Miami as a third embarkation point for its Bahamas cruises aboard Crystal Serenity, making it easier for Americans to get onboard.

The seven-day roundtrip Luxury Bahamas Escapeshave been extended into early November and will now offer three embarkation ports: Nassau on Saturdays, Bimini on Sundays, and Miami on Mondays.

The Serenity will depart Nassau on August 7, making its first stop at PortMiami on August 9. New guests will be able to get onboard and those who embarked in Nassau and Bimini can explore the city.

In addition, the line has added a new four-night getaway round-trip from Miami departing November 15, with visits to San Salvador and Exuma plus a day at sea.

By adding Port of Miami, we are giving travelers another convenient way to join these popular Bahamas cruises that provide vacation escapes both close to home and yet a world away, said Crystal President Jack Anderson.

Reports suggest Crystal made the decision to add Miami because of a lack of airlift into the Bahamas and the desire of Americans to board ships without flying to another country.

READ MORE: 9 Reasons To Cruise Crystal Serenity

Adding the Florida port means Crystal Cruises has to adjust its rules, as state law prohibits requiring proof of vaccination. Crystals restart protocols to date have required that all guests over the age of 12 must be fully vaccinated.

Following in the footsteps of sister brand Royal Caribbean, Crystal now highly recommends but does not require vaccination for guests departing from Miami.

However, unvaccinated guests will face quite a few hurdles to cruise on Serenity. They will be put on a waitlist initially and limited numbers will be allowed onboard. They also must provide proof of valid travel insurance and face multiple testing requirements.

Those who are unvaccinated or refuse to disclose their vaccinated status will be identified by a red bracelet, while vaccinated guests will have green ones. Red bracelet wearers will have to wear masks in all public areas except when eating or drinking, and will be barred from some specialty restaurants and nightclubs, as well as the spa and fitness facilities. They also may not be able to go ashore in certain ports based on local protocols.

Crystal Serenity began its Bahamas series from Nassau on July 3. When reservations opened back in March, the line reported its biggest single day of bookings in company history. Nearly 4,000 travelers reserved staterooms or suites within the first 24 hours, representing about 25 percent of capacity for the initial series.

The Luxury Bahamas Escapes explore the Bahamas Family Islands with calls in Great Exuma, San Salvador, and Long Island. Before adding the Miami stop, the Serenity also visited Spanish Wells, but that has been dropped from the new itinerary.

Crystal guests will enjoy clear blue water, pink and white-sand beaches, and opportunities to join the swimming pigs of Exuma or snorkel around colorful reefs. The addition of Miami, with its vibrant nightlife, busy beaches, and atmospheric neighborhoods adds a new urban element to the itinerary.

READ NEXT: Bimini Cruise Port: Everything You Need To Know

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Miami Added as Embarkation Port For Bahamas Cruises - Cruise Radio

Steam locomotive 45596 Bahamas will be back in steam on the mainline and visit Plymouth this Sunday, 1st August 2021.

The Jubilee class locomotive is hauling a railtour from Slough to Par between Taunton and Plymouth.

The train will depart Slough diesel hauled at 08:46 and will then pass through Twyford (08:59), Reading (09:06), Theale (09:16), Newbury (09:28), Bedwyn (09:48), Westbury (10:13), Castle Cary (10:35) and Taunton, where 45596 Bahamas is added to the train, at 11:01. Once Bahamas is attached, the train will then pass through Tiverton Parkway (11:45), Exeter St Davids (12:20), Dawlish (12:33), Newton Abbot (12:41), Totnes (12:53), Ivybridge (13:08) and Plymouth at 13:22.

Here, a diesel locomotive takes over.

Departing Plymouth at 14:06, the train will pass through Saltash (14:15), Liskeard (14:32), Lostwithiel (14:46) and Par at 14:53.

The return trip will depart diesel hauled from Par at 17:38 and will pass through St Germans (18:08) to get to Plymouth at 18:23, where Bahamas is re-attached to the train.

Departing Plymouth at 18:54, the steam train will pass through Ivybridge (19:09), Totnes (19:21), Newton Abbot (19:33), Dawlish Warren (19:43), Exeter St Davids (19:55), Tiverton Parkway (20:28), Taunton (Bahamas is set to detach here at 21:20), Castle Cary (21:46), Westbury (22:06), Newbury (22:59), Reading (23:23), Maidenhead (23:37) and Slough at 23:43.

These above timings in brackets are approximate; please click the links below, which tracks the train throughout the day to keep you up to date on when it will pass through your local station.

Please follow all UK wide and local restrictions regarding Coronavirus.If you have felt unwell or have any symptoms, please self-isolate at home, and DO NOT head out to see this movement.

For timings on these movements, please click the links below:

If you do go out and see 45596 Bahamas on the tour, why not share your pictures to LocoStop, our railway community. Click here for more details.

As always, please respect the dangers of the railway. Please do not trespass on the railway to see this iconic locomotive stay to public access spots!

RailAdvent PlusGet image downloads, Prints and Streaming VideoRailAdvent NewsThe latest railway newsRailAdvent ShopRailway Prints, DVDs / Blu-Rays and moreLocoStop CommunityCome and share your railway picturesMainline UK Steam InfoUpcoming mainline steam tours/loco movements

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Bahamas steam locomotive to visit Plymouth this Sunday - RailAdvent - Railway News