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Ivanna Seymour, top-ranked Mariner sets sights on becoming first Bahamian captain of a Royal Caribbean ship

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#TheBahamas, May 29, 2021 – As a toddler, Ivanna Seymour’s mother called her a ‘water baby.’ As a mature mariner, Seymour hopes crew aboard a Royal Caribbean ship will one day call her captain.  

If she makes that rank – and she is working toward it, she’s now the fifth-highest ranking bridge officer in a crew of 1,200 on Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas – Seymour will become the first Bahamian female to captain a cruise ship of that magnitude with responsibility for anywhere between 1,200 and 2,500 other crew members in addition to up to 6,800 guests.  

It’s a career she has been preparing for since she first went to sea, crewing on the Dean’s Shipping mailboat, MV Legend. At 18 and fresh out of St. Augustine’s College, she spent a year working on the ship making regular hops between West Palm Beach, Green Turtle Cay and Marsh Harbour in the Abacos and Nassau. She also crewed on its frequent charters to islands throughout The Bahamas.  

Seymour’s love of math, her determination to learn celestial navigation and her instinctual understanding of ship stability and loading factors drove her to go further at sea. She did what few females have ever done – becoming one woman among an all-male crew aboard a cargo ship, sometimes out to sea for months. The job was through Bahamas-based Campbell Shipping. The voyages were worldwide.  

“We went all over, one day we’d be doing China to Vancouver and the next we’d be doing South America to Europe,” says Seymour, now 29. Back then, in her early 20s, often with crew who hailed from India, she drew on every ounce of mental strength she had. It wasn’t just the obvious concern about being the only female in a crew of 24 in an isolated world. The worst part was the daily treatment.  

“In the beginning, I was assigned jobs every day like chipping, painting and mopping when I really wanted to be on the bridge, learning everything I could,” she said. Refusing to break under the gender prejudice, Seymour took it upon herself to learn on her own what she could about cargo loading, ship husbandry, meteorology and celestial navigation. Finally, on her second contract with the company, a new captain recognized her commitment and took the time to teach her.  

She remained with Campbell Shipping for six and half years, working on bulk carriers, spending Christmases and birthdays thousands of miles from home. Contracts were seven months on, two months off. During the off-time, she studied. She earned licenses from South Tyneside College in the U.K. and elsewhere.  

Today, Seymour holds the highest certification earned by a Bahamian female, Chief Officer Unlimited and she is close to earning her Master Mariner license.     

Her most frightening moment came during a freak storm.  

“We were a few miles off the coast of China on our way to Canada when we were hit by a typhoon,” she recalled. “We were literally ‘dancing’ on the bridge. I was sitting in a chair and the rogue wave came up and flung the chair. I slid from the port side all the way to the starboard.” The storm blew up so suddenly, crew members had no time to tie themselves to lifelines. Not worried that she could have been tossed overboard, she was fearful that the 189-meter ship (620 feet long) would capsize.  

“I think people think the life aboard cargo ships is easy, but it is much more difficult,” says Seymour. “You are very isolated, you have to be very strong-willed. You are all alone for long periods of time.”  

With certifications and licenses in hand, Seymour left the cargo world, took a chance and applied online for a position at Royal Caribbean.  

In March 2019, she landed the job and is now second officer in charge of all life-saving and firefighting equipment and appliances and keeping navigational watch on the 3,800-passemger, 1,020-foot-long Navigator of the Seas. She had one good year before the pandemic hit, leading to the ship being at anchor for 14 months.    

“I love it,” she said. “Coming from cargo ships to passenger ships, it was like starting life over, going from isolation to being with people who are having fun and thoroughly enjoy their job. And I love the atmosphere at Royal Caribbean. They are always encouraging you to learn more, study more, take this training, do that so you can move up within the company. It’s a great atmosphere.”  

If Seymour gets her wish to captain a Royal Caribbean Group ship, she will be the first Bahamian, but not the first female. In 2007, Royal Caribbean named Swedish mariner Karin Stahre-Janson captain of Monarch of the Seas and in 2015, Kate McCue, 43, became the first American female captain when she took the helm of Royal Caribbean Group’s Celebrity Summit. Today, McCue is captain of the luxury cruise line’s newest ship, Celebrity Edge.  

Seymour may not have a quarter million Instagram followers like McCue just yet, but she has a family that is continually amazed by and proud of her.  

“I set out a goal and I am accomplishing it. One day, I will be the first female Bahamian captain on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. One day in the next eight to 10 years.”  

We wouldn’t be surprised, Ivanna, if it came sooner than that.      

Bahamian Ivanna Seymour worked on a mailboat, then spent nearly seven years on bulk carriers, isolated from the outside world for months at a time before joining Royal Caribbean in 2019 and taking on the highest post of a Bahamian female, second officer. She hopes one day to become the first Bahamian female captain of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. Royal Caribbean Group named its first female captain in 2007 and eight years later, its first American woman to take the helm of one of its Celebrity Cruises ships.     

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Walker Confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas: A Partner in America’s Extended Family

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By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media

 

The United States and The Bahamas share more than proximity — they share a bond of history, trade, and culture that Washington’s newest diplomat calls “part of America’s extended community.”

Now, for the first time in 14 years, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau will again be led by a Senate-confirmed ambassador. Herschel Walker, the Heisman-winning football legend turned entrepreneur, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as America’s official envoy to The Bahamas.

Walker, who will oversee one of the Caribbean’s most strategically positioned U.S. missions, told senators during his confirmation hearing that The Bahamas will play a key role in upcoming U.S. 250th Independence celebrations. “The Bahamian people,” he said, “will be included in this milestone year, because our stories are intertwined — through family, trade, and friendship.”

While his nomination was unconventional, his priorities are anything but vague. Walker vowed to counter growing Chinese influence in the Caribbean, calling Beijing’s investments in Bahamian deep-water ports “a direct threat to U.S. national security.” He pledged to work closely with Bahamian authorities to ensure American interests remain the region’s cornerstone.

“There’s a rise in drug smuggling in The Bahamas, and this is a real danger to the United States,” Walker said, referring to the Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) partnership. He promised to strengthen intelligence sharing, joint patrols, and law enforcement coordination to disrupt trafficking routes that have grown increasingly sophisticated.

But Walker also emphasized opportunity over fear — signaling that his ambassadorship will not only focus on security, but on strengthening The Bahamas as a gateway for U.S. investment, trade, and tourism.

“I will advise the American business community of the vast investment opportunities that exist in The Bahamas,” he said. “And I will make sure the Bahamian government maintains an environment where U.S. companies can invest confidently — because America must prove it is still great as an investor.”

For a small island nation sitting less than 50 miles off the coast of Florida, this renewed diplomatic attention carries weight. Since 2011, the post of U.S. ambassador had remained vacant — a gap that many observers say weakened direct ties, delayed joint security initiatives, and allowed other powers to move in.

Walker’s confirmation — approved 51 to 47 — ends that silence. And with it comes the expectation that this former Olympian and business owner will translate his discipline, charisma, and resilience into diplomatic results.

Critics question his lack of foreign policy experience, but Walker counters with confidence: “Throughout my life, people have underestimated me. I’ve always proved them wrong — by outworking everyone.”

As he prepares to take up residence in Nassau, Walker says his mission is simple: rebuild trust, deepen cooperation, and remind both nations that their futures are tied not just by geography — but by shared purpose, mutual respect, and the enduring ties of community.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

 

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PAY STANDOFF: Prime Minister Cancels Talks as Unions Warn of More Protests

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By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media

Monday, October 13, 2025 — Nassau, The Bahamas – What began as a calm holiday meeting has spiraled into a full-blown standoff between The Bahamas Government and two of the country’s most powerful public sector unions — the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) and the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) — after the Prime Minister abruptly cancelled follow-up talks set for Tuesday, blaming public comments made by union leaders.

The announcement of the cancelled meeting came late Monday, just hours after a tense sit-down at the Office of the Prime Minister, held on National Heroes Day, where both BUT President Belinda Wilson and BPSU President Kimsley Ferguson accused the government of dragging its feet on salary increases and retroactive pay owed to thousands of public officers.

Wilson, never one to mince words, said the Prime Minister’s “technical officers” — the very people responsible for executing his instructions — were failing to carry out his directives regarding payment timelines.

“The Prime Minister’s issue,” Wilson said, “is that he has persons working for him who are not following his instructions. If those officers would follow through on what he told them to do, we wouldn’t be here today.”

Wilson added that the BUT and other unions are demanding retroactive pay dating back to September 2024, and that all increases be applied and paid by the October payday, not December as previously stated by the Prime Minister.

“Senior civil servants already received their retroactive pay — thousands of dollars — backdated to September of last year,” Wilson charged. “We’re saying the small man deserves the same. This isn’t a gift. It’s money already earned.”

Her comments came after the government publicly insisted that the salary adjustments would be implemented by December 2025, just ahead of Christmas — a timeline unions flatly reject as too slow.

Ferguson: ‘No More Excuses’

Following Wilson, BPSU President Kimsley Ferguson delivered a fiery statement of his own, telling reporters the unions would no longer tolerate delays or mixed messages from the Davis administration.

“The Prime Minister was receptive — but we’re not accepting excuses,” Ferguson said. “If the Prime Minister’s having a memory lapse, we have the Hansard from Parliament to remind him exactly what he promised public officers.”

Ferguson went further, warning that if Tuesday’s meeting failed to produce results, unions would “visit the House of Assembly” and intensify their campaign for immediate payment.

“Public servants, ready yourselves,” he declared. “We are prepared to stand together — all across The Bahamas — until our needs are met.”

Now, with the Prime Minister cancelling tomorrow’s talks altogether, that threat appears closer to becoming reality.

Government Bungles Response

Observers say the administration’s handling of the matter has been confused and contradictory, with conflicting statements on payment timelines and poor communication fueling frustration among teachers, nurses, and general public officers.

The government has maintained that the funds are allocated and will be disbursed before year’s end, but unionists insist they’ve heard it all before — and this time they want results, not promises.

The Prime Minister’s decision to cancel the meeting, rather than clarify or de-escalate tensions, has drawn sharp criticism across social media and among rank-and-file civil servants who see the move as punitive and dismissive.

Slowdown and the Threat of Another Mass Protest

Across several ministries, departments, and schools, reports are already surfacing of a go-slow in the public service, as workers express solidarity with the unions’ demands.

Many believe another mass demonstration is imminent, similar to the one staged last week Tuesday when thousands of workers gathered outside the House of Assembly on Bay Street as Parliament reopened after summer recess.

That protest brought parts of downtown Nassau to a standstill as union members sang, marched, and even sat in the street — a powerful show of defiance that now threatens to repeat itself unless the government moves quickly to resolve the impasse.

A Political Flashpoint

What began as a straightforward salary dispute has now evolved into a test of credibility and competence for the Davis administration. With a restless public sector, rising inflation, and unions unified across professions, the government risks not only another protest — but a full-blown industrial crisis heading into the year’s end.

For now, the unions are standing firm: they want retroactive pay from September 2024 and full salary adjustments by this October. Anything less, they warn, could push the country’s workforce from a slowdown into open confrontation.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Nassau Cruise Port Marks Sixth Anniversary with Exciting New Additions for Visitors and The community

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[Nassau, Bahamas, October 8, 2025] Nassau Cruise Port (NCP) proudly celebrates its sixth corporate anniversary by unveiling a series of transformative additions that further enhance the guest and community experience. The anniversary comes at a pivotal moment in the growth of the port, with the opening of a new swimming pool, an expanded marina, and a state-of-the-art ferry terminal that will support transfers to the Royal Beach Club, which is currently under construction on Paradise Island.

Since its $300 million redevelopment, Nassau Cruise Port – the largest transit cruise port in the world – has welcomed millions of visitors and become one of the most vibrant cruise destinations in the world. This anniversary not only reflects its commitment to delivering world-class facilities, but also its dedication to creating meaningful connections between visitors and the Bahamian community.

“This milestone represents much more than the passage of time,” said Mike Maura, Jr., CEO and Director of Nassau Cruise Port. “It reflects our promise to continually elevate the guest experience, contribute to the local economy, and provide opportunities for Bahamians. During our first year (2019) of operating the Nassau Cruise Port, Nassau welcomed approximately. 3.85 million cruise guests, and 2025 will see well over 6 million cruise visitors visit Nassau. Our focus on driving cruise tourism and the $350 million investment in our downtown waterfront is a testament to our vision of making Nassau a premier cruise and leisure destination.”

The new pool offers a refreshing retreat for visitors enjoying Nassau’s waterfront, while the expanded marina will accommodate additional yachts, boosting tourism and local commerce. The ferry terminal expansion enhances passenger flow and supports convenient, seamless transfers to the Royal Beach Club, strengthening Nassau’s position as a hub for Caribbean cruising and leisure.

As part of its anniversary celebrations, NCP will host a series of internal and external activities to celebrate its team and to highlight its ongoing investments in the Bahamian economy, including job creation, local vendor opportunities, and cultural showcases at the port.

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