CELEBRATION Key has partnered with local first responders to strengthen emergency readiness at Carnival Corporation’s new $600m cruise port in East Grand Bahama.

The training efforts come as the destination, which opened last month, has already seen thousands of daily visitors — and two recent drowning incidents involving American cruise passengers.

The Celebration Key Fire Response Team recently completed two joint training exercises with the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s Grand Bahama Fire Services Department. The sessions, held in July and August, featured classroom instruction and hands-on drills covering fire science, hose handling, fire truck operations, and advanced firefighting techniques.

“This collaborative effort not only sharpened our response capabilities but also strengthened our partnership with local emergency services,” said Garelle Hudson, Health, Environmental, Safety and Sustainability (HESS) manager for Celebration Key. “We’re grateful to the Grand Bahama Fire Services for sharing their expertise. Our fire response team is now better equipped to manage any fire-related threats we may encounter in our day-to-day operations.”

The training series will conclude with a third exercise in September. Grand Bahama Fire Services Administrative Sergeant Narron Rolle praised the effort, noting: “Celebration Key is a major project for Grand Bahama, with thousands of guests and local service providers to keep safe. We commend Carnival Corporation and Celebration Key for their proactive approach to fire safety.”

Police said a 79-year-old American man drowned last Friday while snorkelling off the beach, followed shortly by the death of a 74-year-old American woman who drowned while swimming in a pool. Carnival confirmed both incidents, saying lifeguards and medical teams responded immediately but were unable to save the passengers.

About 700 Bahamians are employed at Celebration Key, including 400 hired directly by Carnival.