Caribbean News
Grand Turk Welcomes Carnival Celebration on Its Inaugural Voyage, TODAY
#TurksandCaicos, November 23, 2022 – On 23rd November, the Grand Turk Carnival Cruise Center, and its residents, will welcome the brand new and recently named Carnival Celebration Cruise Liner.
Carnival Celebration as part of its inaugural Caribbean season will dock at the Grand Turk Cruise Port as its first stop and then on to Amber Cove, Dominican Republic and Nassau, Bahamas. 
Honorable Josephine Connolly, Minister of Tourism and Honorable Otis Morris, Minister for Home Affairs, participated in the naming ceremony of the vessel on Sunday 20th November. Both Ministers commented on how excited they were to be a part of this historic occasion.
The 180,800 gross-tons cruise ship is the sister ship to Mardi, Gras. It houses a whopping five thousand, two hundred and eight two (5,282) passengers and one thousand, seven hundred and forty-five (1,745) crew members, with numerous entertainment facilities and dining options. She is Carnival’s second vessel of the fleet’s excel class, a subclass of the Excellence class and the largest ship in Carnival’s fleet.
We are excited to bring our new flagship Carnival Celebration to Grand Turk and allow our guests to experience the beauty of the island,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We are grateful for the Turks and Caicos Islands Government for its ongoing support and partnership, and look forward to many more visits from Celebration to Grand Turk in the weeks and months ahead!”
Both Ministers shared similar sentiments and welcomed Carnival Celebration to the Turks and Caicos Islands and to Grand Turk in particular.
Honorable Connolly, Minister of Tourism, noted that the cruise industry is a very important one for the people of Grand Turk, she stated; ‘We are happy to welcome Carnival Celebration. The experience of being a part of this inaugural journey and experiencing first-hand the top-class amenities and hospitality was excellent. This journey allowed me to see Grand Turk through the eyes of the visitors and of course to sell my island to as many visitors as possible.” Honorable Connolly went on to note that, ‘My Government have many projects in store for Grand Turk, aimed at rebuilding our product and ensuring that as a cruise destination, Grand Turk remains among the top.’
An exchange of plaque ceremony will take place this morning at 8:00 a.m. on arrival into the Grand Turk Cruise Port.