Carnival Corporation Doubles Capacity at Celebration Key with $100M Pier Extension

Carnival Corporation is set to invest an additional $100 million to expand the pier at Celebration Key, its highly anticipated private destination on Grand Bahama, effectively doubling its arrival capacity. Scheduled to open in July 2025, the initial construction will feature two berths, with plans to add two more by 2026, allowing the pier to accommodate four of Carnival’s largest Excel class ships simultaneously. This expansion will elevate the total investment in Celebration Key to $600 million and is expected to significantly boost passenger traffic to the island.

Upon completion, the expanded pier is projected to bring 2.2 million passengers in the initial years, with expectations to welcome nearly 4 million travelers annually by 2028. Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, emphasized the grand vision for Celebration Key, indicating that the expansion is just the beginning of the development plans for Grand Bahama Island.

Celebration Key is designed to offer guests a seamless arrival experience, with a “Welcome Portal” leading to four distinct zones: the “Retail Portal,” the “Family-Friendly Portal,” the “Adult-Friendly Portal,” and the “Private Club Portal.” The destination will feature a mile-long white sand beach, large freshwater lagoons, shopping, dining, and entertainment options, all infused with Bahamian culture.

Carnival Corporation is committed to involving the Bahamian community in this project, hiring local professionals for key roles and partnering with Bahamian companies and entrepreneurs to ensure the destination not only caters to tourists but also benefits the local economy.

The construction of Celebration Key is expected to create over 700 permanent jobs, with 300 positions directly employed by Carnival Corporation. An economic impact study forecasts that over the next 20 years, Celebration Key will generate $3.2 billion in incremental revenue for the Bahamian government and contribute $9.7 billion to the Bahamas’ gross domestic product, creating 2,500 direct Bahamian jobs in the process.

Ginger Moxey, the minister for Grand Bahama, praised Carnival Corporation’s expanded investment in Celebration Key, highlighting the transformative potential for the Grand Bahama economy. The expansion signifies a new chapter for Grand Bahama, promising prosperity and numerous opportunities for residents and the wider Bahamian community.