Carnival’s New Grand Bahama Cruise Destination Just Topped 1 Million Visitors
Carnival Cruise Line says it reached a major benchmark in The Bahamas this month, welcoming its one-millionth guest to Celebration Key just five months after the private destination opened on Grand Bahama Island.
The milestone underscores the rapid uptake of Celebration Key among Carnival guests and highlights the expanding footprint of the cruise line in The Bahamas, along with the destination’s growing economic impact on Grand Bahama. Since opening on July 19, the destination has supported more than 1,000 permanent local jobs and partnered with 58 Bahamian-owned companies operating on site. During construction, Carnival hired 29 Bahamian construction firms, with ninety-six percent of landside employees drawn from the local workforce.
The economic impact was highlighted during an event on Grand Bahama Island on Dec. 1, where Bahamas Minister of Labour and Public Service Pia Glover-Rolle pointed to the role Celebration Key is playing in long-term employment and community stability. “We look forward to the same results that Celebration Key has brought, which is more employment for more locals and the ability for family islanders to actually relocate and move back home so that they could have gainful employment in their places of domicile,” Glover-Rolle said.
The one-millionth guest, Andrew Sexton of Knoxville, Tennessee, was greeted with a surprise celebration upon arriving ashore with his family while sailing aboard Carnival Vista. Sexton was traveling with his wife, Savannah, their three daughters, and extended family on a holiday trip gifted by grandparents. The visit also marked the first cruise for Sexton and his children. Carnival Vista holds special significance for the destination, having made the inaugural call to Celebration Key in July.
A Junkanoo band led the welcome for the family, and Carnival presented them with a package of experiences including a private cabana, food and beverages for the day, and unlimited access to the destination’s waterslides.
“Both local residents who have benefited from the job creation and our guests have embraced Celebration Key from the very first day, and this milestone underscores an exciting chapter for us in The Bahamas,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We’re proud to lay the foundation for long-term growth and a positive impact in the region, while creating something truly special for our guests.”
Since opening, Celebration Key has served more than 500,000 complimentary Island Eats meals and 600,000 beverages. Guests have booked more than 40 different off-site shore excursions, including parasailing experiences that have taken more than 3,600 visitors above the destination. More than 49,000 guests have used the Suncastle water slides, while over 16,000 premium accommodations, including private cabanas and super villas, have been booked.
Carnival currently calls at Celebration Key with 20 ships sailing from ten different U.S. homeports. The cruise line has previously said it expects to welcome two million guests next year and four million guests by 2028, following a pier expansion scheduled to open in summer 2026.
