The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

CARNIVAL Cruise Line unveiled its $600m Celebration Key to more than 8,000 Bahamians this weekend, offering a first look at what is expected to become one of the region’s most visited cruise destinations and a powerful economic engine for Grand Bahama.

More than 500 people are employed at Celebration Key, with more than 95 percent being Bahamian and over 70 percent from Grand Bahama. Mr Fernandez noted additional jobs are being created through third-party operators, retailers, and off-site excursions.

Despite rainy weather and long queues at shuttle points, locals turned out in droves to preview the sprawling port, built over three years and billed as Carnival’s largest development in its corporate history.

“Celebration Key is our marquee destination,” said Juan Fernandez, vice president of port operations at Carnival Corporation. “This is by far our largest development in the history of Carnival Corporation.”

Located on the island’s eastern end, Celebration Key will welcome its first ship on July 19, carrying nearly 10,000 passengers. The completed first pier has two berths capable of docking Carnival’s largest XL-class ships. A second pier is already under construction and will double capacity to four ships at once.

The site features seven acres of lagoons, beachside and poolside cabanas, 20+ food outlets, local retailers, a panoramic water slide, and an adults-only retreat called Pearl Cove.

“This is a critical project for Carnival Corporation,” Mr Fernandez said. “In our first year of operation, we expect to bring two million passengers and we really hoping that will grow.”

Carnival hosted nearly 3,000 family and friends of employees last week in a soft opening, followed by Friday’s test run with 7,000 to 8,000 partners and stakeholders. Mr Fernandez said the dry runs were crucial to evaluating food service, lifeguards, retail operations, and transport logistics.

Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper hailed the project as “transformational for the island of Grand Bahama”, predicting it would soon host up to four million passengers annually. “This excites me,” he said. “We build foreign direct investments really for the benefit of Bahamians, and I hope this will accrue positively to the empowerment of Bahamians.”

Carnival initially committed $200m to the port under a 2019 Heads of Agreement signed with the Minnis Administration. The investment rose to $600m after Hurricane Dorian to ensure the facility’s hurricane resilience. The PLP administration, upon taking office, expedited final approvals to move the project forward.

Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey said the government is working to ensure locals can create authentic tourism products through the Tourism Development Corporation and Innovate 242.

Minister of Social Services Myles Laroda called the port “a shot in the arm” for Grand Bahama’s economy. Opposition leader Michael Pintard, East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson, and MP Iram Lewis also praised the project as a major milestone for the island.

It is estimated that over 20 years, Celebration Key will generate more than 2,500 direct Bahamian jobs, $3.2bn in incremental government revenue, and $9.7bn in total economic impact to The Bahamas.