Carnival’s Celebration Key Welcomes 1 Million Guests in Just Five Months
by Bruce Parkinson
The landscaping at Carnival’s Celebration Key is getting a coffee boost.
Carnival Cruise Line marked a milestone last week as it welcomed its one-millionth guest to Celebration Key just five months after the destination opened.
Carnival currently calls on Celebration Key with 20 ships from ten different U.S. homeports and has previously said it expects to welcome two million guests next year and four million guests by 2028, following the pier expansion that is set to open in summer 2026.
Celebration Key has generated more than 1,000 permanent local positions and has partnered with 58 Bahamian-owned companies that have business operations on-site.
Highlighting the impact of the destination on the island’s economy during an event on Grand Bahama Island on December 1, Pia Glover‑Rolle, Bahamas Minister of Labour and Public Service, praised Celebration Key for the permanent job creation and related economic development.
“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.
Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy, also spoke about the milestone. “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. 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 on July 19, Carnival has served more than 500,000 complimentary Island Eats meals, 600,000 beverages, and has offered guests 40 different types of offsite shore excursions – including a parasailing adventure where more than 3,600 guests have viewed Celebration Key from above the destination.
More than 49,000 guests have enjoyed the Suncastle water slides, and guests have also booked over 16,000 premium accommodations, such as private cabanas and super villas.
