By
Laura Hyde |
Carnival Corporation has completed a pier expansion at Celebration Key on Grand Bahama Island in The Bahamas ahead of schedule. The private destination can now accommodate up to four cruise ships simultaneously to welcome over 13,000 guests each day.
The destination opened in July 2025 with two berths, but the two new additions will double the arrival capacity, facilitating roughly 200 more ship calls and 700,000 additional guest arrivals each year. Currently, 20 Carnival Cruise Line ships feature Celebration Key on their itineraries, and from September 2026, three- and four-ship days will be routine at the destination.
“Celebration Key is one of the centerpieces of our Paradise Collection – a bold destination built to redefine what a Caribbean vacation can feel like,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “From a mile of white sand beach to the Caribbean’s largest freshwater lagoons and five distinct experience portals, every part of Celebration Key was designed to deliver something unforgettable. Finishing the pier extension ahead of schedule gives us a real jump on meeting the extraordinary demand we’re seeing and allows us to bring even more guests to this unique Bahamian paradise sooner than expected.”
When Celebration Key marks the first anniversary of its opening on 19 July 2026, it is expected to have welcomed approximately 2.5 million guests. Carnival Corporation predicts the pier expansion will increase that number to 3.5 million by the second anniversary.
“Celebration Key's expansion reflects continued confidence in Grand Bahama and in The Bahamas as a leading tourism destination,” said Glenys Hanna Martin, minister of tourism for The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. “Our priority is to ensure that investments of this scale create meaningful opportunities for Bahamian businesses, expand employment and deliver lasting economic benefits to our people.”
Later this year, Carnival Corporation-owned brands Princess Cruises and AIDA Cruises will also sail itineraries calling at Celebration Key.