Carnival Marks 50 Years in the Bahamas with Event

As Carnival Cruise Line continues its year-long 50th birthday festivities, the company marked 50 years of visiting the Bahamas with a celebration in Nassau today.

Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy was joined by Bahamas Prime Minister The most Honourable Philip Brave Davis; Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister The Honourable Chester Cooper; Miss Universe Bahamas Chantel O’Brian; along with Bahamas tourism industry leaders, Carnival leaders, and leaders from the local community.

The Royal Bahamas Defense Force Marching Band kicked off the event, followed by performances from Bahamian singer Simmone Bowe and spoken word artist Joinel Juene. The celebration culminated with the cutting of a 50th birthday cake for Carnival alongside the sounds of a traditional Bahamian Junkanoo Band.

“Carnival, the oceans have beckoned you these 50 years and you have answered the call by providing superior service; a few firsts, including the first three- and four-day Bahamas cruises; and fun and entertainment for the entire family on your signature ships,” said The Honourable Philip Davis, Prime Minister of the Bahamas. “Thank you for your continued partnership.”

Carnival is currently working with the Bahamian government to finalize needed permits and approvals to develop two major projects in cooperation with the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the government of the Bahamas.

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The first is a new cruise port destination, primarily for Carnival Cruise Line on Grand Bahama. The second project is on the island of Little San Salvador — also known as Half Moon Cay.

Over the years, Carnival has maintained a strong commitment to supporting the Bahamian community through hurricane relief efforts and initiatives such as Scholarships for Cadets. Through a partnership with the LJM Maritime Academy, Carnival provides scholarships for Bahamian cadets to obtain the education, skills, and experience to work onboard.

To mark today’s milestone, the cruise line presented a contribution of $50,000 to the LJM Maritime Academy for specialized equipment to support cadet education.

In addition to today’s event, Carnival’s year-long 50th birthday celebrations included 17 commemorative sailings that feature at-sea ship meetups, special entertainment and programming, special menu items, and more.

Carnival Cruise Line is now sailing from all of its year-round homeports, and is scheduled to have its entire fleet back in service by this summer.

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