Carnival Cruise Line’s new private destination in Grand Bahama, Celebration Key, is the culmination of over two decades of planning, the company’s President Christine Duffy said during a Q&A session onboard the Carnival Vista.

Quoting Carnival Corporation’s Micky Arison, Duffy explained that the port of call has been in the making for the past 25 years.

Officially announced in 2023, the $600 million private area includes the largest freshwater lagoon in the Caribbean, as well as beach clubs, waterslides, a shopping area, and more.

Currently offering an eight-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean and the Bahamas, the Carnival Vista will be the first ship to visit Celebration Key on July 19, 2025.

“I remember going on a tour years ago, walking on the beach, and there was nothing,” she recalled, noting that the development is also significant for Grand Bahama’s community.

“After Hurricane Dorian, the island was devastated, and so many people left their homes. We’ve been able to hire 1,500 people who will be working on Celebration Key full-time. They were able to come back home,” she continued.

Duffy also said that other jobs are expected to be created around the destination, which is currently able to host two ships at the same time.

An expansion project is already underway, she continued, allowing Celebration Key to welcome four large vessels simultaneously.

“We’ll have 20 Carnival ships coming from ten different U.S. homeports visiting the port initially,” she continued.

Duffy highlighted that Carnival opened the new resort area to Bahamians, local authorities and officials, employees, and families before the official debut.

“They came and did a test run. We were told that everything worked just great,” she explained, adding that the first guests visiting the destination will be asked for feedback to allow for further improvements.