Carnival Cruise Line's Exclusive Destination Celebrates One Year of Creating Memorable Guest Experiences and Lasting Impact in Grand Bahama

MIAMI, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebration Key, Carnival Cruise Line's exclusive destination on Grand Bahama celebrated its first anniversary Sunday, July 19, 2026, after welcoming 2.4 million guests since opening on July 19, 2025. Designed to celebrate the natural beauty of Grand Bahama and the culture of The Bahamas, the destination offers guests the opportunity to connect with the island's unique spirit while enjoying the signature fun Carnival is known for. The milestone marks a successful inaugural year defined by unforgettable guest experiences, meaningful community partnerships and economic opportunity for Grand Bahama.

Celebration Key turns one and hosts special Junkanoo performance

In just one year of operation, Celebration Key has delivered incredible guest experiences and cultural immersion memories across its shores:

500,000+ thrill-seekers raced down the destination's signature waterslides.
400,000+ sweet treats were served by Mini Donut King, a popular Bahamian-owned food truck.
100,000+ refreshing Piña Coladas were enjoyed by guests across the island.
Hundreds of lively Junkanoo parades brought the vibrant energy and music of The Bahamas directly to travelers.

Celebration Key also achieved a historic milestone by becoming the world's first cruise destination to earn Sensory Inclusive Certification through the partnership with KultureCity, reinforcing Carnival's commitment to providing welcoming and accessible experiences for all guests.

"We've built something special here at Celebration Key," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "Our goal is to create unforgettable memories for our guests, and in its first year, the destination has done exactly that for more than 2 million people. We're proud to be part of those moments while also creating real, lasting impact in the local community. As we look ahead, we're excited to continue building on this momentum, creating new experiences for our guests and deepening our commitment to Grand Bahama and its people."

Beyond the guest experience, Celebration Key has delivered meaningful economic opportunities for Grand Bahama. The destination supports approximately 1,000 year-round local jobs and continues to prioritize partnerships with Bahamian entrepreneurs and businesses. Today, more than 80 percent of Celebration Key's food and retail operators are locally owned, including Bahama Mama Seafood Pit, Flipping Fritters and Mini Donut King.

The destination's milestone was celebrated with a day of special festivities for guests visiting aboard Carnival Conquest and Carnival Freedom. From a special birthday-inspired Junkanoo performance to interactive scavenger hunts and a giant birthday cake displayed at the entrance to welcome guests and mark the occasion, the festivities reflected the energy, fun and Bahamian spirit that have defined Celebration Key's first year.

The anniversary also coincides with Carnival Corporation's expansion of its Less Left Over food waste reduction strategy to The Bahamas, where Carnival Cruise Line ships Carnival Freedom and Carnival Conquest made the program's first surplus meal donation in the country, redirecting prepared, unserved meals to local community organizations on Grand Bahama.

For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a cruise vacation, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit carnival.com, or contact your favorite travel advisor or online travel site.

ABOUT CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE

Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation (NYSE:CCL), the world's largest cruise company with a portfolio of cruise lines operating in over 800 ports & destinations worldwide – and is proud to be known as America's Cruise Line and for carrying more Americans and serving more U.S. homeports than any other. Carnival sails more than six million guests annually and in 2023 was the first cruise line to sail more than 100 million guests in total. Operating from 13 U.S. and two Australian homeports, as well as seasonally from Europe, Carnival hosts more than 95,000 guests on its ships every day of the year and employs more than 50,000 team members, representing 120 nationalities.

Since its founding in 1972, Carnival has continually revolutionized the cruise industry and popularized the cruise vacation as an affordable and fun travel option. Carnival's fleet of 29 ships reflects an exciting period of growth that continues with the addition of five ships through 2033: a fourth and fifth Excel class ship scheduled for 2027 and 2028 respectively; followed by three additional new ships from an innovative new class currently under development. Carnival's newest guest offering is its all-new exclusive destination, Celebration Key on Grand Bahama, which debuted in 2025 to join the company's Paradise Collection of Caribbean gems.

Guests greeted with birthday inspired Junkanoo performance as they arrive to Celebration Key

Team celebrates Celebration Key's first year anniversary

Celebration Key turns one

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SOURCE Carnival Cruise Line