Celebration Key Welcomes One Millionth Carnival Guest

Carnival Cruise Line has celebrated the arrival of its one millionth guest at Celebration Key, just five months after the new destination opened.

“Both local residents who have benefited from the job creation and our guests have embraced Celebration Key from the very first day, and this milestone underscores an exciting chapter for us in The Bahamas,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We’re proud to lay the foundation for long-term growth and a positive impact in the region, while creating something truly special for our guests.”

According to Carnival, Celebration Key has already created more than 1,000 permanent local jobs and partnered with 58 Bahamian-owned businesses operating onsite. During construction, Carnival worked with 29 Bahamian construction firms, and 96% of landside employees were Bahamian, providing broad employment opportunities throughout development.

“We look forward to the same results that Celebration Key has brought, which is more employment for more locals and the ability for family islanders to actually relocate and move back home so that they could have gainful employment in their places of domicile,” said Minister Glover-Rolle.

The one millionth visitor, Andrew Sexton, arrived with his wife Savannah, their three daughters and extended family from Knoxville, Tennessee. They were sailing on Carnival Vista—the same ship that made the inaugural call to Celebration Key in July. It was Andrew’s and the children’s first cruise. The milestone guest was greeted with a surprise celebration, including a Junkanoo band and a special package featuring a private cabana, food and drinks, and unlimited waterslide access.

Since opening on July 19, Celebration Key has served more than 500,000 complimentary Island Eats meals and 600,000 beverages. Guests have also had access to 40 offsite excursions, including parasailing, with more than 3,600 travelers experiencing aerial views of the destination. Over 49,000 guests have enjoyed the Suncastle water slides, and more than 16,000 premium accommodations—such as private cabanas and super villas—have been booked.

Carnival currently visits Celebration Key with 20 ships from ten U.S. homeports. The cruise line expects the destination to welcome two million visitors in 2026 and four million by 2028, supported by a pier expansion scheduled to open in summer 2026.