On Thursday, February 22, 2024, Carnival Corporation announced plans for a $100 million pier extension at Celebration Key, the cruise line’s private destination on Grand Bahama Island that is expected to open in the summer of 2025.
Celebration Key has two berths that will open in 2025, and the extension will add two more berths. Once completed in 2026, all four of the berths will be able to handle Carnival’s Excel-class ships simultaneously, the largest ships in the fleet. The expansion is projected to allow Celebration Key to welcome about 4 million guests annually by 2028.
“As is fitting for our plans for Grand Bahama island, our vision for Celebration Key is quite grand, and we’re already thinking about the next phase of expansion and development,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Building the second pier now allows us to implement growth plans and build itineraries with certainty, and signals to the local community just how important this development is to Carnival Cruise Line and the future of the island.”
Making the announcement at the 25th Annual Grand Bahama Business Outlook, The Honorable I. Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation in The Bahamas said, “This is a momentous day for Grand Bahama and bodes extremely well for its future. The incredible level of new investment on the pier extension highlights the partnership between The Bahamas and Carnival Corporation and demonstrates the popularity of The Bahamas as a destination. Celebration Key will play a vital role in supporting the future prosperity of Grand Bahama and the country at large.”
Carnival Corporation has carefully planned Celebration Key with a growth mindset. Its footprint was carefully planned to include expansive spaces and numerous attractions in order to accommodate the large number of guests the cruise line is expecting. Carnival Corporation is focusing on creating a distinct Bahamian experience and is therefore working closely with Bahamian officials and leaders to employ local companies, excursion operators, construction workers and entrepreneurs for the many job opportunities Celebration Key is generating.
The first construction phase of Celebration Key is projected to bring over 700 permanent jobs to the Bahamian community, including about 300 Bahamians being directly employed by Carnival Corporation. One economic study conducted by Tourism Economics has estimated that Celebration Key “will create over 2,500 direct Bahamian jobs, generate $3.2 billion in incremental revenue to the government, and contribute $9.7 billion in economic impact to the Bahamas GDP.”
“Carnival Corporation’s dedication to our island’s growth is both commendable and inspiring – we applaud their expanded investment in Celebration Key in Grand Bahama and welcome the imminent exponential boost to the Grand Bahama economy,” said Minister for Grand Bahama The Honourable Ginger Moxey M.P. “We are on the brink of an exciting chapter for Grand Bahama, with Carnival Corporation’s expansion opening doors to unprecedented possibilities for our residents. Let us collectively gear up for this transformative journey, as the spin-off opportunities are bound to bring about a wave of prosperity touching every corner of our beloved island.”