Something to celebrate
Carnival's new ‘Celebration Key’ a delightful destination
Before we ever boarded the Carnival Sunrise ship in Miami, I asked our friends and seasoned Carnival cruisers, “What is Celebration Key? Where is it?” No one seemed to quite know all of the answers, but everyone in our group was excited to find out the answers.
In July, Carnival Cruise Line officially unlocked its newest destination in paradise as it opened Celebration Key – the cruise line’s beautiful new exclusive destination on Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas. This is the same large island that is home to Freeport and the Freeport cruise terminal on the other side of the island, where Carnival used to dock its ships. That terminal is still going strong for other cruise lines, but Carnival took a different angle: What if we built our own cruise port, pier and destination on the southern side of the island for our guests only? The answer is now called Celebration Key, and it is spectacular.
Five areas to explore
Let’s start with the basics: This is more than just a beach area, although you can park yourself on one of hundreds of beach chaises and umbrellas for free as soon as you walk off the ship. There is also a tram service for those who can’t or don’t want to make the walk along the pier.
The great news is that you can walk off the ship anytime you want rather than having to wait your turn for a tender to shore or back. You’ll already be mesmerized by the aqua blue ocean water color as you walk along the boardwalk, but you’ll really be wowed once you reach the colorful gate to Celebration Key framed by a giant “sandcastle” that houses two racing waterslides. There, you can choose to hit the beach or set up shop in one of five areas:
Paradise Plaza – The central location where guests are welcomed inside Celebration Key with live music.
Starfish Lagoon – A fun-filled area for families that features one of the two largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean, with 275,000 square feet. Families will also enjoy a splash pad with a shallow pool, sports courts and the Suncastle’s body slides that wind through 350 feet of turns and sudden drops. The beach in this area is lined with loungers and cabanas for those looking to relax.
Calypso Lagoon – This adult-friendly area features an equally large, 275,000-square-foot lagoon as well as a dedicated area for adults only, a DJ Island, where guests can enjoy music and drinks at the world’s largest swim-up bar with 166 in-water seats. Nearby is the Sunshine Swings Bar with nearly 50 swings offering a fun spot to enjoy cocktails while staying cool.
Pearl Cove Beach Club – The largest adults-only retreat at any cruise destination, this private club features an 11,000-square-foot infinity pool overlooking a white sand beach, alongside loungers, cabanas and supervillas. Guests will also find elevated dining and beverage options as well as a swim-up bar.
Lokono Cove – The island’s retail village offers shopping and showcases authentic Bahamian culture through vibrant murals and local art, as well as handmade goods.
You’ll find more than 30 food and beverage venues across the destination and will be treated to a variety of live entertainment that includes Junkanoo parades, roaming rake-and-scrape musicians, DJs and all-day beach games. For private relaxation, a wide variety of cabanas, daybeds and villas are available for rent, and one mile of pristine, white sand beach overlooking the beautiful Bahamian water awaits.
Why build it?
Why did Carnival undertake the expense and effort to create Celebration Key when the cruise line already has its own private island in Half Moon Cay? It’s all about offering guests more ways to enjoy their cruise vacation with both destinations offering something different. While Half Moon Cay is all about the beach, Celebration Key gives cruisers more shore options. “Celebration Key represents a new era for Carnival Cruise Line. It’s an exclusive destination specifically designed for Carnival Cruise Line guests offering 65 acres of standout experiences including the two largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean, a 1.5-mile stretch of pristine beach and endless options of fun for all ages and interests,” explains Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy. “At Celebration Key, we offer five distinct portals for every type of cruiser, so whether a guest wants to have a lively experience at the world’s largest swim-up bar or have a more relaxing and elevated experience at Pearl Cove Beach Club, there is something for everyone.”
Celebration Key will initially bring more than two million guests a year to Grand Bahama. By 2028, that number is expected to grow to four million. The economic impact for Grand Bahama is substantial, with hundreds of long-term jobs created by daily operations. The port can already welcome two ships per day, and construction on an extension to the pier is underway to accommodate two additional ships.
Where to start
The wonderful thing about this port is that you don’t have to pre-book or pre-plan anything if you don’t want to. In fact, I recommend you don’t.
While our friends were up and out early to stake out tables and set up shop at a couple of the shaded swim-up bar tables at the adults-friendly Calypso Lagoon, the place didn’t really get hopping and full of guests until around 11 a.m. Even then, there was still plenty of space in the shade, out in the full sun in the pool beside the DJ and in the sprawling rows of chaise loungers and umbrellas. There’s plenty of room for thousands of guests, and it appears Carnival did a good job planning to accommodate as many as 9,000 guests daily when two of the huge ships are docked at the same time.
Even though two ships were in port this day, it never felt crowded to me. The bar and restaurant staff were plentiful, and the drinks were delicious. The only slightly disappointing aspect here is the food offered by the food stands (which provide one meal per day included in your cruise here). You can dine at one of the sit-down spots for 25% off as well, and I may do that next time, as the fritters were not great and the wait was too long.
Outside of the marginal snacks, I have nothing but glowing comments for our first visit to Celebration Key, other than I wish we had more time there to enjoy both the beach and the saltwater lagoons on more than just one day. There’s always next time!