Saturday, June 7, 2025, Carnival Cruise Line celebrated its 35th anniversary sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida. Carnival Cruise Line was the first major cruise line to sail from Port Canaveral in 1990, and has since grown to homeport more ships than any other cruise line and embark more than 1.2 million passengers from the port annually.
Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, stated, “Port Canaveral has been a cornerstone of Carnival’s success for 35 years. We’re proud to celebrate this incredible milestone alongside the community that has been such an essential part of our growth.”
The celebration, which took place aboard Mardi Gras while she was in port, welcomed members of the Canaveral Port Authority, the United States Coast Guard, and Brevard County. Commemorating the anniversary and their longstanding partnership, Port Canaveral’s Vice President of Cruise Business Development, David German, presented Carnival with a framed Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners proclamation, which documented the economic growth the 35-year partnership has created. Carnival has about 300 departures annually from Port Canaveral, and its guests contribute about $450 million in revenue to the area before and after those cruises.
Speaking at the celebration, Captain John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO, said, “We are proud to celebrate Carnival Cruise Line’s 35th anniversary of sailing from Port Canaveral and humbled by what this milestone represents. From the inaugural sailing of Carnivale in 1990 to having five year-round and seasonal vessels in their homeported fleet today, Carnival Cruise Line is our longest continuous cruise business relationship, contributing economic value over the decades for our Port community, the Central Florida region and our state.”
The cruise line also donated a hybrid pickup truck to help support the work of Keep Brevard Beautiful, an organization dedicated to protecting the environment. The donation, which was made the same weekend as World Ocean Day, further supports Carnival’s commitment to preserving the environment.
Port Canaveral is currently home to Mardi Gras, Carnival Vista, Carnival Freedom, and Carnival Glory year-round, with Carnival Venezia calling the port home seasonally. The cruise line recently announced that the new Excel-class Carnival Festivale, which is currently under construction, will also deploy from the port when it debuts in 2027.
Duffy also spoke of the continued growth of the cruise line with the opening of Celebration Key in July 2025. Carnival Vista, which is homeported in Port Canaveral, will make the cruise line’s first official visit to the exclusive destination to celebrate its grand opening. After the grand opening, all Carnival ships that embark from Port Canaveral will offer itineraries that call on Celebration Key on Grand Bahama.
With cruising being such a popular option for vacations, the partnership between Port Canaveral and Carnival Cruise Line looks to continue for a very long time.