Carnival Cruise Line unveils Celebration Key destination for Jacksonville travelers (Courtesy of the Jacksonville Business Journal) — Jacksonville cruise ship travelers can soon arrive at Carnival Cruise Line’s first exclusive destination.
Carnival Elation is set to sail to the cruise line’s Celebration Key, a private getaway in the Bahamas, this Saturday.
The location includes family-friendly and adults only amenities with splash pads, water slides, swim-up bars and a variety of shops and kiosks.
The cruise line anticipates bringing nearly 55,000 passengers through Jacksonville’s cruise terminal this summer, pumping an estimated $21 million into the local economy during the peak travel season.
Jacksonville is a small piece of Carnival’s national footprint, but the local spending from cruise passengers is a boon across industries. The estimated $21 million in pre- and post-cruise spending spans hotel stays, dining, transportation and retail — dollars spent in the region before travelers even board the ship.
Carnival is seeing a nationwide surge in summer cruise travel with the company set to serve close to two million guests across its 29 ships and 13 U.S. homeports.