The Tribune

Carnival Corporation & plc has announced the completion of phase one of its “Plant a Tree” initiative on Grand Bahama, which saw the sourcing of 5,000 locally-grown saplings that will beautify its new flagship cruise port destination, Celebration Key. 

The young palm trees, currently in the process of being planted, were all grown in Grand Bahama from seed as part of Carnival Corporation’s efforts to beautify the property using indigenous flora. The initiative was designed to showcase the natural beauty of Grand Bahama to cruise guests from around the world, while fostering sustainable practices and supporting the local community of growers.

“We are so grateful and appreciative of the Grand Bahama community’s enthusiasm for this project,” said Renata Ribeiro, senior vice president of strategic operations for Carnival Corporation. 

“Celebration Key will be enhanced by the natural beauty of The Bahamas thanks to the efforts of local growers.

“These native-grown trees are the very first vegetation to be planted at the site. These trees, which are a testament to Carnival Corporation’s commitment to sustainability, will create the very first impression that our guests have of Celebration Key when disembarking from the ship.”

In April, Carnival Corporation celebrated the initiative’s top contributors in the areas of ‘Best Quality Plants’ and ‘Most Plants Provided.’ Winners were gifted project shirts and dinner vouchers and will be invited to visit Celebration Key once the port is open to see their efforts flourishing onsite.

Phase two of the initiative, which is already underway, is focused on sourcing from local growers an array of native plants, including Gumbo-Limbo, Seagrape, Silver and Green Buttonwood, Green Island Ficus and Bougainvillea of various colors. 

“We will continue to work with the local community to showcase the natural splendor of Grand Bahama to our guests, while also creating as many economic opportunities for Bahamians as possible,” Ribeiro said. “Our guests will also be able to enjoy authentic Bahamian cuisine and cultural products as part of the wide range of offerings at Celebration Key.”

With a $100m pier extension recently announced, the $600m project is set to generate over 700 permanent local jobs in Grand Bahama, including direct employment opportunities in the food and beverage, retail and transportation sectors. At least 75 percent of Celebration Key outlets will be owned and operated by Bahamians.