by Sharon Quercioli
On Wednesday, October 17, the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce Small Business Advisory Council held its quarterly CEO Connection with Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line CEO as host and guest speaker. The well attended event featured a delicious onboard lunch and tour of the beautiful BP Classica at the Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach. BP Cruise Line CEO Oneil Khosa gave an inspiring and often humorous story of how he rose through the ranks of the cruise line industry.
About Oneil
- Entrepreneur, Banker & Licensed Merchant Marine Officer with a maritime industry focus.
- Presently CEO and part owner of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line.
- Previously, Founder CEO of Blue Ocean Cruises in India. Company was sold in 2009 to a local buyer.
- Investment Banker – DVB Bank – one of the largest lenders for the Transportation industry globally. Developed and managed the cruise industry asset related debt portfolio of $ 1.5 billion at DVB Bank; Managed a $150M Private Equity Fund for investments into the cruise & yachting industry. Managed financing for Super-yachts. Worked with DVB Bank in London and Amsterdam for 5 years.
- 1st Officer on the world’s largest cruise ship in the year 2000 with Royal Caribbean Cruises. 1st Officer on the “Semester at Sea” ship that carries students around the World.
- Master’s Degree – Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Netherlands. Received University scholarship.
- Merchant Marine Academy Graduate.
- 44 years old, married 15 years; 2 kids
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line is the only provider of two-night cruises and cruise & resort stays to Grand Bahama Island year-round from the Port of Palm Beach. Majority owned by the family of former Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Kevin Sheehan since December 2016, the company now operates Grand Celebration and Grand Classica as of April 2018. The addition of a second ship doubles the Line’s capacity, and, with both ships sailing to Grand Bahama Island, the company is projected to carry more than 500,000 passengers annually and become the largest contributor to tourism in Grand Bahama Island. For more information on the features and amenities of the cruise line or to book a cruise, visit the company’s website: www.BahamasParadiseCruise.com or call (800) 995-3201. Follow the company on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line is unique in what it does: short cruises that are great for last-minute getaways, charters, groups, weddings, corporate functions, etc. Also, BP is the only cruise line operating out of the Port of Palm Beach.
For more information about the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce, please visit www.pbnchamber.com.