FREEPORT, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas — Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey announced on Monday, August 28, 2023 that the new Grand Bahama Carnival Cruise Port will be called ‘Celebration Key.’
Minister Moxey said she received the information from Carnival early Monday morning and was excited about the proposed name.
“I think this is big for the island of Grand Bahama, because remember, the vision for Grand Bahama is for it to become the home of events and entertainment. What an appropriate name – Celebration Key. The key can mean it’s the key to celebrations. So, we would [like] people to bring their respective celebrations to Grand Bahama Island.
“I think that the name is fitting and ties into the vision we have for the island.”
Minister Moxey is excited about the fact that the $200 million cruise port will go a long way in helping to stimulate the economy of Grand Bahama. With over two million passengers expected to pass through the new cruise port every year, she expects that a cross section of Grand Bahamians will benefit from the new venture.
“That is going to spill over into all segments of our community,” she explained. “It will benefit the taxi drivers, tour operators, the straw vendors, food vendors and even will benefit businesses and facilities outside of the cruise port.
“I try to encourage Grand Bahamians to get their business ideas together and be prepared to take advantage of this opportunity. Try to come up with authentic Bahamian products, because I believe that now is the time that Grand Bahama is going to take off and Carnival Cruise Port is a way that the island will grow economically.”
Potential vendors can go on Carnival’s website, where request for proposal is listed. Minister Moxey said that there have been one-on-one meetings with some of the potential vendors. She said that it is important to ensure that Bahamians have every opportunity to be a part of the new cruise port venture.
The proposed date of completion for the new cruise port, which will be located at Sharp Rock in East Grand Bahama, is expected to be in the summer of 2025. Minister Moxey pointed out that a lot of the dredging work has been completed and the landside development expected to happen shortly. Because of this, she said that employment numbers on the island will increase, as the Port begins to hire construction workers, builders, electricians, plumbers.
“There have been many meetings between Carnival, local retailers and [they] will soon begin meetings with food and beverage operators,” said Minister Moxey. “Grand Bahama is headed in the right direction when it comes to the new experiences and new developments that will happen on the island.”
The project is expected to be one of the world’s largest cruise ports, with the capacity to accommodate two of Carnival’s largest ships, the Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration, which each carries up to 6,000 guests.
