Grand Bahama Shipyard’s new floating drydock is now in service after arriving in the Bahamas in late 2025.

According to a report by Eyewitness News, the new East End drydock measures 357 meters in length and 70 meters in width.

The structure is engineered to lift up to 93,500 tons and features four modern cranes, as well as advanced control systems, the local news report said.

First announced in 2023, the East End was built at CSSC Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding in China before being commissioned in Freeport.

The shipyard underwent significant upgrades to welcome the new drydock, including the extension of one of its piers.

Grand Bahama Shipyard’s CEO Chris Earl was quoted as saying that “the arrival of the East End greatly enhances cruise docking and retrofit capability and expands our commercial docking capacity.”

“The East End operations commence in early 2026, and an even larger dock, the Lucayan, is expected later in the year,” he added.

“The transformation of Grand Bahama Shipyard represents a huge opportunity to create a world-class ship repair ecosystem here in the Bahamas, and we look forward to working with the community to make this significant investment a success.”

Operated as a joint venture between Carnival, Royal Caribbean and MSC, the shipyard is currently undergoing a $600 million upgrade project.

The first cruise ship to use the new East End drydock is the Carnival Elation, which was lifted by the structure earlier this month.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, the 1998-built vessel will spend three weeks at the yard before resuming service in Jacksonville on February 9, 2026.

Sailing from North Florida, the Elation offers a series of short cruises to the Bahamas that feature visits to Celebration Key, Princess Cays, Nassau, Half Moon Cay and more.