Carnival Cruise Line claims to have become the first in the industry to carry 100 million passengers since its first sailing.
The milestone was marked in Miami where the company was founded in 1972.
It came ahead of ex-Costa ship Carnival Venezia joining the fleet in May to run year-round sailings from New York.
Carnival Jubilee, a third sister ship to Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration, is due to join the fleet later in the year to sail from Galveston in Texas.
Carnival Venezia’s sister ship, Carnival Firenze, will begin running year-round cruises from Long Beach, California, in spring 2024.
Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy said: “We’re the first cruise line to meet this incredible mark of 100 million guests and I believe it is a testament to the fun, inclusive atmosphere our valued guests and our extraordinary team members have created together on board our ships for the past 51 years.
“There is certainly much more fun to come. We’re continuing to grow our operations at a rapid pace – with three ships joining our fleet by the spring of next year.”