Norwegian Cruise Line has bought up 75 acres of land in Southern Belize as it continues plans to build a cruise destination on two connected islands.

As well as creating a port destination, the $50 million project will include a marina, water sports facilities, an island village and a beach area in which guests can unwind.

"As our fleet continues to grow to a total of 15 ships by 2017, we expect to double the number of guests sailing on our Western Caribbean itineraries," said Kevin Sheehan, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. "Once this new destination is complete, [we will] bring four times as many guests to Belize as we do today."

The project had faced serious criticism from the local community, but a memorandum of understanding between the operator and the Belize Government was signed in August.