Cruise & Ferry
Carnival Marks Celebration Key Milestone With 9,000 Guests in One Day
Carnival Cruise Line marked another major milestone last week at its all-new private destination, Celebration Key, as two of its ships, Mardi Gras and Carnival Pride, docked side by side, bringing a combined 9,000 guests to experience the newly opened resort on Grand Bahama Island.
This moment comes just days after Celebration Key officially welcomed its first guests on opening day, Saturday, July 19.
The milestone visit featured Mardi Gras, Carnival’s first Excel-class ship, arriving as part of a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise that departed from Port Canaveral.
Carnival Pride, on a week-long Bahamas sailing from Baltimore that began July 20, also made its inaugural stop at the new destination.
Celebration Key Resort
Spanning 65 acres on Grand Bahama Island, Celebration Key is quickly redefining the cruise port experience with its vibrant mix of relaxation, adventure, and signature Carnival fun.
The destination features five themed “portals,” a 1.5-mile white-sand beach, and several record-breaking attractions, including the Caribbean’s largest 350 million-gallon freshwater lagoon, the world’s biggest swim-up and swings bars, and the largest private beach club at any cruise port.
With over 30 food and drink options, guests can enjoy everything from casual beach bites and food trucks to full-service restaurants offering Caribbean-inspired dishes and tropical cocktails. Each visitor receives a complimentary meal at select fast-casual spots or discounts at participating restaurants.
For adults, the exclusive Pearl Cove Beach Club offers an elevated, 18+ experience complete with a private beach, infinity pool, swim-up bar, and refined dining, with optional upgrades for open bar and all-inclusive access.
“We’re immensely proud and grateful for the great reaction from our guests visiting Celebration Key throughout this first week,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “The world’s newest cruise destination is already a success and delivering more fun to 9,000 visitors in one day is a great testament to that.”
20 Ships Will Call to Celebration Key
Celebration Key is currently featured on itineraries for 20 Carnival ships departing from 10 U.S. homeports. Through the rest of the year, there will only be a couple of days when Celebration Key won’t have a cruise ship in port.
Frank M
Frank is a seasoned travel journalist with over a decade of experience covering hospitality, cruise, and air travel.
He has traveled extensively by land, sea, and air, collaborating with industry giants like Marriott, Hyatt, Disney, and Carnival Corp. His work has been featured in major international and industry publications across four continents.
Villa Vie Residences is set to make its debut in Asia and the Far East in August, as the Odyssey crosses the Pacific for the first time.
The residential ship is currently cruising to Hakodate, following the completion of its Alaska program in late July.
Following 11 days at sea, the 650-guest ship is set to arrive at the Japanese port on August 7, 2025.
The Odyssey then kicks off a series of visits to destinations in Japan and South Korea, including Sendai, Shizuoka, Kochi, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Fukuoka and Jeju.
Highlights of this segment of the itinerary include a four-day visit to Yokohama, from which guests will be able to visit Tokyo, as well as a three-day visit to Kobe, which serves as a getaway to Osaka and Kyoto.
After sailing to Amami, Ishigaki, and Naha, the Odyssey completes its schedule in Japan in early September.
The ship then heads south for visits to destinations in Taiwan and the Philippines, including Keelung, Anping, Subic Bay, Manila, Boracay Island and Puerto Princesa.
Continuing its deployment in Asia, the vessel is scheduled to visit ports in Guam, Micronesia, Palau, Indonesia, Australia, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Papua New Guinea through December.
The itinerary also features visits to Wallis and Futuna, Samoa, American Samoa and French Polynesia before the end of the year.
The Odyssey will continue to sail in the South Pacific in early 2026, visiting additional destinations in Australia, as well as New Caledonia, Tonga, the Cook Islands and more.
Villa Vie recently celebrated another milestone after sailing to its 100th port since launching service in late 2024.
According to the company, the breakthrough was reached during a visit to the port of Icy Strait Point in Alaska.
Before arriving in Asia, the Villa Vie Odyssey visited destinations in Africa, the Atlantic, the Caribbean, South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
The ship then sailed to Hawaii and the Mexican Riviera, in addition to the U.S. West Coast and Alaska before repositioning to the Far East.
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