Carnival Cruise Line recently celebrated a 20-year milestone with Jacksonville. Over the last two decades, the cruise line’s year-round sailings have welcomed three million guests through the Florida home port.
Last Thursday’s festivities honored local veterans onboard Carnival Elation in anticipation of Veterans Day on November 11, providing a timely tribute to those who have served.
The company acknowledged the contributions of active-duty and retired military members and recognized every branch of the country’s armed forces.
Local leaders attended the festivities as special guests. Meanwhile, K9s for Warriors CEO Daniel Bean introduced Jackson, the canine companion of a local veteran and one of the dogs trained by the nonprofit as a service animal.
David Candib, Carnival’s Vice President of Port Operations, respected the Jacksonville port. “Carnival Elation is the perfect backdrop for this celebration because we’re elated to recognize the true success of this 20-year partnership,” Candib began. “We greatly appreciate the tremendous relationships we’ve built together over the years throughout the Jacksonville community.”
JAXPORT CEO Eric Green acknowledged Carnival’s local impact. He declared, “More than three million people have set sail from JAXPORT aboard a Carnival ship over the last two decades and on behalf of those families, thank you, Carnival, for the memories and the fun.”
“And even more importantly, thank you for supporting the veterans who have given so much for all of us,” Green added.
According to the cruise line, Carnival hosts more military members than other cruise brands.
Going Strong in Jacksonville
Carnival welcomes 150,000 passengers at Jacksonville annually. Its main vessel at the port, Carnival Elation, offers four- to seven-day cruises throughout the year to the Eastern Caribbean and The Bahamas. In 2025, Carnival’s Jacksonville itineraries will include the newly opened Celebration Key.
The cruise line has already signed an agreement that commits to a continued partnership until 2026, with an option to renew until 2030.
Norwegian Cruise Line will also start sailing from the Florida cruise port in 2025 through Norwegian Gem.
