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Carnival Vista Becomes First Ship to Arrive in Celebration Key

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Carnival Vista Becomes First Ship to Arrive in Celebration Key

The Carnival Vista arrived in Celebration Key on Saturday morning, July 19, becoming the first cruise ship to visit Carnival’s new private island destination in Grand Bahama.

The 4,000-guest vessel docked at the new port as part of an eight-night cruise that sailed from Port Canaveral on July 12, 2025.

To mark the debut of the new private destination, Carnival held an opening ceremony attended by local authorities, travel advisors, media and partners, as well as Carnival Vista’s officers and guests.

Also present were Carnival Cruise Line’s President Cristine Duffy, who was joined by Carnival Corporation’s CEO Josh Weinstein and other members of the company’s global executive leadership team, as well as its global port destination development team led by Chief Maritime Officer Lars Loen.

“You can imagine the resources and support that it took to bring this property to life,” Duffy said, noting that the project was completed on time and on budget.

Duffy highlighted team support from both Carnival and Carnival Corporation, as well as the features of the $600 million destination, which will see further investments in the future.

Now officially opened, Celebration Key is set to welcome 20 Carnival ships sailing from 20 homeports in the United States.

The port of call was designed to host two of the company’s large ships simultaneously (and soon four) and will be able to welcome Carnival’s new Ace Class ships starting in 2029.

One million guests are expected to visit Celebration Key in 2025, Duffy said, adding that the destination will serve as an economic asset for the island of Grand Bahama.

“All of us at Carnival are proud to have hired over 1,200 Bahamians to help build and now operate Celebration Key,” she said.

Features of the private destination include the largest freshwater lagoon in the Caribbean, the largest sandcastle in the world, as well as beach clubs, bars, restaurants, and waterslides.

Work Begins on New Royal Caribbean Cruise Terminal in PortMiami

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Work Begins on New Royal Caribbean Cruise Terminal in PortMiami

Work has begun on the new cruise terminal being developed by the Royal Caribbean Group in PortMiami.

According to The Next Miami, the new facility will replace the current Terminal G as part of a $345 million project.

The first stage of the development project includes the demolition of the structures of the current terminal building, which first opened in 1999.

Targeting a LEED Silver certification, the new single-berth facility will be able to host up to 7,000 passengers per call.

In addition to a new building for guest operations, the project also includes the construction of a multi-story parking garage with ground-level bus parking and designated passenger drop-off areas.

According to the NV2A Group, which is working on the construction in a joint venture with Lemartec, the main building features a design that strategically separates passenger flow by floor, optimising circulation and reducing congestion throughout embarkation and disembarkation.

“This approach minimises wait times, eliminates bottlenecks and ensures a streamlined process for cruise passengers, crew and transportation services,” the company stated.

The terminal is also said to feature an architectural design aimed at contributing to the evolving skyline of PortMiami.

“The project adds significant value to the port’s existing terminal infrastructure and delivers a product that inspires civic pride and strengthens Miami’s position as a premier cruise capital,” the NV2A Group added.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, the new cruise terminal will be able to accommodate Icon-class vessels and is set to open by the fall of 2027.

Royal Caribbean also operates PortMiami’s Terminal A, which was built by the company and opened in late 2018.

The facility currently hosts the company’s largest vessels, including Oasis- and Icon-class ships, welcoming over 10,000 guests per call.

In related news, Royal Caribbean is also building a new ten-story office campus at PortMiami as part of a deal that was first announced in 2019.

Located near the company’s current headquarters on Dodge Island, the new office buildings are expected to be completed by 2026.

Carnival Breeze Cruises Cancelled Due to Drydock Change

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Carnival Breeze Cruises Cancelled Due to Drydock Change

Carnival Cruise Line is cancelling five cruises onboard the Carnival Breeze that were scheduled to take place in January and March 2027.

According to a statement sent to booked guests, the sailings will no longer go ahead due to a change in the ship’s maintenance plans.

Sailing from Galveston, the Carnival Breeze was set to offer short four- and five-night itineraries to the Western Caribbean and Mexico.

Affected sailings include the cruises set to depart on Jan. 11, Mar. 5, Mar. 13, Mar. 18, and Mar. 22, 2027.

The changes come after a short-term alteration in itinerary and drydock plans for the Carnival Breeze during the specific timeframe, Carnival explained.

“We sincerely apologise for this change and thank you for your understanding,” the company continued.

According to the letter, guests will be offered the option to either reschedule their bookings or receive a full refund of the fare paid for the original sailing.

“We have a variety of alternatives and are confident that you will find another Carnival Cruise that is filled with an equal amount of fun,” Carnival said.

Guests who opt to reschedule their reservations will have their cruise rate protected on a comparable sailing in similar accommodations.

Additionally, Carnival is also offering an onboard credit based on the duration of the cancelled voyage, which will be automatically posted to guests’ onboard accounts.

Passengers who were originally set to embark on Jan. 11, 2027, and from Mar. 17, 2027, through Mar. 22, 2027, will receive $25 per person, up to a maximum of $50 per cabin.

For guests who were sailing on the Mar. 5, 2027, departure, Carnival is offering a $50 onboard credit per person, up to $100 per stateroom.

Passengers who opt not to reschedule their cruises will be automatically refunded after July 21, 2025.

Refunds could take up to three weeks to be processed, the company said.