Carnival Cruise Line welcomed the first 5,000 guests to its East Grand Bahama, Celebration Key destination amidst great fanfare on Saturday, creating what is expected to be endless opportunities for the cruise line and the island. The guests sailed aboard the Carnival Vista. Twice daily Ports-of-Call will be made to the destination.
The $600 million-dollar investment in Celebration Key by the Miami-based company, is being hailed as a game-changer not just for the Carnival brand, but also for the residents, business-owners, and entrepreneurs of Grand Bahama, many of whom are still recovering from the devastating infrastructural and economic ravages caused by Hurricane Dorian almost six years ago, and also in the aftermath of the COVID 19 Pandemic.
The company has employed 1,200 Bahamians, including those Grand Bahamians who would have left the island to seek employment elsewhere in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. Dozens more Grand Bahamians are expected to benefit from entrepreneurial opportunities, onsite, and in the wider Grand Bahama community.
Carnival Cruise Line President, Christine Duffy, said the road to the grand opening “has been an incredible journey.”
“It really has been an incredible journey because obviously we started working on this many years ago and then when the pandemic happened everything stopped and so the restart, coming back stronger, better than ever and I think people really appreciate the value and fun you have on a cruise and a carnival cruise to be able to bring people here,” Duffy said.
“All of us at Carnival are very proud that we have hired more than 1,200 Bahamians to help build, and now operate, Celebration Key; and remember many of these people are coming back home after Hurricane Dorian in 2019 that really ravaged this island. So the fact that they are able to come back home means so much to them, and to all of us, because supporting the local community, creating jobs, giving people opportunities to build their businesses here in Grand Bahama was an important objective to us in this development project.
“I have had the chance to meet many of them who have said this has given them the opportunity to come back home. We are very proud of that. We are very proud of the partnership and collaboration that we have had with the government and the community and this is only Phase One, and so this will continue to grow.”
Duffy said the Grand Opening was “truly just the beginning.” Company officials are estimating that the destination will welcome a whopping “2 million guests this year alone.” Almost 25 years in the making, the destination is expected to be supported by access to a fleet of 20 Carnival Cruise Ships from 10 different US homeports.
“We believe this is really a game-changer for our brand,” Duffy said. “The fact that we are able to bring 20 ships here from 10 different homeports will expose and provide the opportunity that we have already seen with the $600 million-dollar investment in Grand Bahama Island. You can imagine the resources and support it took to bring this property to life.”
The company is promising fun, fun, fun at Celebration Key and has engaged former NBA legend and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall-of-Famer (NBA Hall-of-Fame) Shaquille O’Neal, as its Brand’s ‘Chief Fun Officer.’ O’Neal was present for Saturday’s Grand Opening.
Duffy said further investments in the ongoing development of Celebration Key, along with additional investments in Half Moon Cay, will diversify the company’s Bahamas product even more.
“In Phase One, we’ve got two berths that can accommodate our largest vessels today and also the largest vessel we will have in the future, coming in 2029.
“In Phase Two of this project we will add an additional two berths (June, 2026) which are already under construction, and more things for our guests to enjoy.
“We are also investing in our island, Half Moon Cay so I think that as I say game-changer, an itinerary that enables us to have people call at Celebration Key as well as relax away at Half Moon, and remember because we are here at Grand Bahama Island guests also have the ability to leave here if they want to go do a shore excursion, or if they want to go rent a boat, or go shopping in Freeport and so it really opens up a lot of new opportunities for innovation and we think it is really a fantastic collaboration.”
General Manager of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Grand Bahama, Nuvolari Chotoosingh, called the opening of Celebration Key a “huge opportunity for Grand Bahamians and Grand Bahamian entrepreneurs in general.” Chotoosingh applauded the government for “doing all it could to ensure a smooth development of this project.”
“This is a fantastic product. I have walked around, I have seen the visitors enjoying themselves taking in the Bahamian product, but what I found most exciting was some of those visitors actually getting on the tour buses and going out to explore the rest of the island and what we have to offer in terms of our product. We want them to engage with our local people and experience the Bahamian spirit, the Bahamian camaraderie and enjoy some of the other products that we have and hopefully come back again and again either as cruise or hotel guests. That is something that is very important to us.
“That represents a huge economic impact, and because of what Carnival’s investment means to Grand Bahama it’s certainly going to have a major impact on the economy not just for Grand Bahama, but the entire country, and so we look forward to continuing to work closely with Carnival. The Bahamas government has done all it can to ensure a smooth development of this project. Hats off to the government and hats off to Carnival,” Mr. Chotoosingh added.
From: Bahamas Information Services
