Key Aspects:
- Carnival Corporation has doubled Celebration Key’s docking capacity from two ships to four with a new pier extension.
- The expansion will allow more than 13,000 guests a day and add roughly 700,000 annual visitors.
- Princess Cruises and AIDA Cruises will begin calling at the destination in fall 2026.
Celebration Key hasn’t even celebrated its first birthday, and Carnival Corporation is already making room for more visitors.
Less than a year after opening its newest exclusive destination on Grand Bahama Island in July 2025, the company has completed Phase 2, adding two new berths that double the number of ships Celebration Key can accommodate at one time.
The new pier extension brings the total to four and allowing more than 13,000 guests to visit in a single day. The project was completed ahead of schedule and is expected to add about 200 ship calls and 700,000 guest visits each year.
“Celebration Key is one of the centerpieces of our Paradise Collection – a bold destination built to redefine what a Caribbean vacation can feel like,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation.
The expansion comes as Celebration Key continues to see strong demand from Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet, with the destination already serving as a regular stop for 20 ships sailing from 10 US homeports. Beginning in September 2026, three- and four-ship days will become routine.
The additional capacity will also give the company more flexibility as other Carnival Corporation brands prepare to begin visiting later this year.
Weinstein says that finishing the pier extension ahead of schedule “gives us a real jump on meeting the extraordinary demand we’re seeing and allows us to bring even more guests to this unique Bahamian paradise sooner than expected.”
The completion of the project was also welcomed by Bahamian officials, who said the investment will continue to drive tourism and employment on Grand Bahama.
“Celebration Key’s expansion reflects continued confidence in Grand Bahama and in The Bahamas as a leading tourism destination,” said Glenys Hanna Martin, the Bahamas’ minister of tourism.
She added that the government’s priority is ensuring investments like Celebration Key create opportunities for local businesses, expand employment, and deliver lasting economic benefits.
Celebration Key to Welcome More Lines
The expanded pier won’t just allow Celebration Key to handle more Carnival Cruise Line ships. It also paves the way for the destination to welcome other Carnival Corporation brands for the first time.
Later this year, both Princess Cruises and AIDA Cruises will begin calling at Celebration Key, expanding the exclusive destination beyond Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet.
Princess Cruises will be the first of the two brands to arrive. The newly launched 177,800-gross-ton Star Princess is scheduled to visit Celebration Key on November 1, 2026, during a roundtrip Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale.
Caribbean Princess, Regal Princess, Sky Princess, and Sun Princess will also utilize the expanded piers, bringing passengers from Port Canaveral near Orlando and more from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.
Just over a week later, AIDA Cruises will make its debut at the destination when AIDAdiva arrives on November 9, 2026, during a Caribbean sailing from New York City. AIDAluna will also be arriving from New York City on November 16.
By the time Celebration Key marks its first anniversary on July 19, 2026, the cruise company expects the destination to have welcomed about 2.5 million guests. With the expanded pier now complete, that figure is projected to reach roughly 3.5 million during its second year.
