Carnival Corporation to develop new pier at Celebration Key in the Bahamas

Carnival Corporation has announced plans for a US $100 million pier extension that will double the arrival capacity of Celebration Key, its new exclusive destination for flagship brand Carnival Cruise Line.

The new destination is scheduled to open on Grand Bahama island in the summer of 2025. In addition to the two berths slated to be complete by 2025, the expansion will add two more berths, with all four capable of handling up to Carnival’s largest Excel class ships when complete in 2026.

Overall, the expanded cruise pier will accommodate up to four Excel-class ships simultaneously and is projected to welcome nearly 4 million guests annually to Celebration Key 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,” she added.

Designed specifically for Carnival Cruise Line guests, the Celebration Key footprint has been carefully planned with expansive spaces and abundant attractions to comfortably host the additional guests expected in 2027.

Featuring a mile-long, white sand beach, the largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean, and a range of dining, shopping and entertainment options, Celebration Key will include five distinct areas, known as portals, providing a variety of ways for guests to spread out, relax and enjoy their own kind of fun.

With a focus on curating a distinctly Bahamian dining, shopping, and entertainment scene, Carnival Corporation is working closely with Bahamian officials and community leaders to recruit local companies, excursion operators, construction workers and entrepreneurs for the many business and job opportunities the development will generate.

The company also has hired top Bahamian talent for strategic leadership roles in human resources, operations, and community affairs, and is actively recruiting to fill a number of additional senior positions in the coming months.

With the additional US $100 million pier extension investment, the now US $600 million flagship project remains the largest of its kind ever undertaken by Carnival Corporation.

The initial phase of the project, including the original two berths, is projected to help generate over 700 permanent jobs in the community – including approximately 300 Bahamians hired directly by Carnival Corporation to help welcome 2.2 million guests each year to Grand Bahama starting in 2025.

Once the additional two berths are delivered, Celebration Key is expected to bring up to 4 million guests annually to the Grand Bahama destination by 2028, creating over 2,500 direct Bahamian jobs, which will generate US $3.2 billion in incremental revenue for the government.