Celebration Key!! New Grand Bahama Island Port Name Announced

[CruiseAdict218]

Name has been revealed, cruises going to the port go on sale soon with first ships expected to arrive in July 2025. 
 

Further Details and Itineraries Open for Sale Coming in Late September
MIAMI, Aug. 28, 2023 – Cue the Junkanoo band, drumroll please… Carnival Cruise Line has announced that the name of its new destination in the Bahamas is… Celebration Key.
            As Carnival gets ready to open itineraries in late September for cruises that will call on its highly-anticipated exclusive cruise port destination on Grand Bahama, it revealed the name – Celebration Key – to guests, employees, travel advisors and Bahamian officials today. Celebration Key is the first port destination exclusively designed for Carnival Cruise Line guests and its name is based on the vision for the destination to be a celebration of all that Carnival and The Bahamas has to offer for a memorable vacation. Once complete, it will be capable of welcoming two million guests each year.
“We are working very closely with the Government of The Bahamas and the Grand Bahama Port Authority to ensure that we are highlighting the best of Grand Bahama and its culture, combined with fun like only Carnival can provide,” said Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy. “Invoking the natural beauty of Grand Bahama, every day at Celebration Key will be a celebration of our guests’ own making with a variety of experiences and something for everyone.”
Grand Bahama is a northern island of The Bahamas and is known its breathtaking beaches, lush vegetation, and friendly people. Celebration Key will offer a uniquely Bahamian experience with an abundance of features and amenities, including a one-mile stretch of white-sand beach, as well as Bahamian-operated retail, food and beverage options for Carnival guests to enjoy. For the ultimate convenience and maximum enjoyment time, the adjacent cruise pier will be able to accommodate up to two of Carnival’s Excel-class ships simultaneously to allow guests to walk off the ship and arrive at Celebration Key. A groundbreaking ceremony for the destination was held in May 2022 and design, engineering and construction work is now underway.
In late September, Carnival plans to announce further details of the destination, along with opening for sale the first itineraries on at least ten ships from multiple homeports that will include a visit to Celebration Key, with the first cruises calling on the destination in July 2025.

[CarnivalShips480]

The new Grand Bahamas port  will be called Celebration Key!

 

From Carnival Newsroom:

"Cue the Junkanoo band, drumroll please… Carnival Cruise Line has announced that the name of its new destination in the Bahamas is… Celebration Key™.

As Carnival gets ready to open itineraries in late September for cruises that will call on its highly-anticipated exclusive cruise port destination on Grand Bahama, it revealed the name – Celebration Key – to guests, employees, travel advisors and Bahamian officials today. Celebration Key is the first port destination exclusively designed for Carnival Cruise Line guests and its name is based on the vision for the destination to be a celebration of all that Carnival and The Bahamas has to offer for a memorable vacation. Once complete, it will be capable of welcoming two million guests each year.

“We are working very closely with the Government of The Bahamas and the Grand Bahama Port Authority to ensure that we are highlighting the best of Grand Bahama and its culture, combined with fun like only Carnival can provide,” said Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy. “Invoking the natural beauty of Grand Bahama, every day at Celebration Key will be a celebration of our guests’ own making with a variety of experiences and something for everyone.”

Grand Bahama is a northern island of The Bahamas and is known its breathtaking beaches, lush vegetation, and friendly people. Celebration Key will offer a uniquely Bahamian experience with an abundance of features and amenities, including a one-mile stretch of white-sand beach, as well as Bahamian-operated retail, food and beverage options for Carnival guests to enjoy. For the ultimate convenience and maximum enjoyment time, the adjacent cruise pier will be able to accommodate up to two of Carnival’s Excel-class ships simultaneously to allow guests to walk off the ship and arrive at Celebration Key. A groundbreaking ceremony for the destination was held in May 2022 and design, engineering and construction work is now underway.

In late September, Carnival plans to announce further details of the destination, along with opening for sale the first itineraries on at least ten ships from multiple homeports that will include a visit to Celebration Key, with the first cruises calling on the destination in July 2025."

 

 

Edited August 28, 2023 by CarnivalShips480

[CruiseHealing]

Here is where the new port will be located:

 

[jsglow]

Looking forward to visiting. 

[mz-s]

I'm glad this is actually happening. I was worried that it was going to be a casualty of the COVID shutdown like the pier at Half Moon Cay.

[ninjacat123]

So will my Thanksgiving cruise this year port at Celebration Cay instead of Freeport? Or Carnival Grand Port?  TIA!

[mz-s]

3 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

So will my Thanksgiving cruise this year port at Celebration Cay instead of Freeport? Or Carnival Grand Port?  TIA!

 

The new port doesn't open until 2025 I believe.

[ninjacat123]

25 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

The new port doesn't open until 2025 I believe.

Oops!  Didn't see that last line.  Thx!!

[Host Kat]

Article from Cruise Critic: Everything we Know About Celebration Key, Carnival's Grand Bahama Cruise Port

 

[BlerkOne]

3 hours ago, mz-s said:

I'm glad this is actually happening. I was worried that it was going to be a casualty of the COVID shutdown like the pier at Half Moon Cay.

Hurricane Dorian in 2019, a Cat 5 storm, caused massive destruction and some delay. We were there is 2022 and drove past the port construction. It's going to be something.

[groundloop]

38 minutes ago, Host Kat said:

Article from Cruise Critic: Everything we Know About Celebration Key, Carnival's Grand Bahama Cruise Port

 

Check your link, that just loops back to this thread.  

[mz-s]

28 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Hurricane Dorian in 2019, a Cat 5 storm, caused massive destruction and some delay. We were there is 2022 and drove past the port construction. It's going to be something.

 

It is going to be massive for sure, to be able to accommodate 12,000 guests plus crew.

[CruiseHealing]

Here is the Site Plan of what it will look like.  Remember this was drawn up before Covid so it may changed quite a bit since then.  Note the Cabana areas on the right side and at the bottom left of the Site Plan.

 

 

Edited August 28, 2023 by CruiseHealing

[CruiseHealing]

Here is a video of the ground breaking for the Carnival Grand Port.  
 

 

[stingray310]

On 8/28/2023 at 12:21 PM, mz-s said:

I'm glad this is actually happening. I was worried that it was going to be a casualty of the COVID shutdown like the pier at Half Moon Cay.

Has anyone heard about the status of the improvements at Half Moon Cay?. Has it just been cancelled permanently or has it just been put on hold. It seems odd that they would start this one and not continue with the plans at HMC.

[staceyglow]

1 hour ago, stingray310 said:

Has anyone heard about the status of the improvements at Half Moon Cay?. Has it just been cancelled permanently or has it just been put on hold. It seems odd that they would start this one and not continue with the plans at HMC.

Why not? If they build Celebration Key first, they have an additional port to add to their itinerary. If they improve HMC first, they don't. It's not like HMC is run down. 

Edited August 29, 2023 by staceyglow

[mz-s]

2 hours ago, stingray310 said:

Has anyone heard about the status of the improvements at Half Moon Cay?. Has it just been cancelled permanently or has it just been put on hold. It seems odd that they would start this one and not continue with the plans at HMC.

 

I haven't heard a peep since the initial announcement.

[CruiseHealing]

HMC Pier will be done, but for now dollars are earmarked to complete Carnival Grand Port. This will show an immediate return on their investment, whereas HMC Pier will help lower operating cost, as well as increase passenger traffic.

Edited August 29, 2023 by CruiseHealing

[BlerkOne]

Two different cruise lines - HMC is Holland America and Celebration Key is Carnival Cruise Line.

[mz-s]

I wonder if the plan for HMC is to expand the amenities so the island can accommodate Excel class vessels. That would mean a major renovation of nearly everything there.

[CruiseHealing]

2 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Two different cruise lines - HMC is Holland America and Celebration Key is Carnival Cruise Line.

True but HAL is owned by Carnival. Here are the cruise lines owned by Carnival corp AIDA, Carnival, Costa, Cunard, HAL, P&O, Princess, Seabourn. All of have access to HMC.

 

 

 

[CruiseHealing]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

I wonder if the plan for HMC is to expand the amenities so the island can accommodate Excel class vessels. That would mean a major renovation of nearly everything there.

To my understanding the pier project must accommodate the Excel ship and its guests.  But to handle more than one Excel ship would require a larger investment, which would include a major overhaul of its current facilities.

[BlerkOne]

13 minutes ago, CruiseHealing said:

True but HAL is owned by Carnival. Here are the cruise lines owned by Carnival corp AIDA, Carnival, Costa, Cunard, HAL, P&O, Princess, Seabourn. All of have access to HMC.

 

 

 

Each cruise line has a budget with money supplied by corporate. They are run as separate businesses. Corporate is expecting a defined ROI from each line.