The excitement surrounding Carnival's new island destination, Celebration Key (which is scheduled to officially open in July of 2025), has been building up for months! Carnival has slowly been releasing details surrounding the various features and of course as your friendly neighborhood agent who specializes in cruises, I'm keeping tabs on things!
Plus, we have our first ever Girls Cruise coming up August 3-9, 2025 on the Celebration (one of the ports of call being Celebration Key) so I'm even more invested than usual (which is saying a lot). If you're a lady and you know other ladies (of all ages) that you'd love to cruise with, come join our group! We have some great perks including on board credit, welcome aboard gift, and more!
***Ladies, Click Here To Join Our Facebook Group and Get More Info!***
Anywho... Back to "business"... Let's talk about everything we know so far about the latest exciting destination in the Carnival lineup!
The first thing that I think is going to be very important for you to know is that Celebration Key is divided into 5 different Portals.
What The Heck Are "Portals?" On Celebration Key?
Great question. Let's dig in!
The Portals of Celebration Key are areas of the island (which is on the south side of Grand Bahama Island, to be exact) with different themes and accessibility. Some areas are family friendly, others are adults-only, etc. Let's do a quick overview of each one and what we know about it so far!
***Please keep in mind that Celebration Key is still being built so the images Carnival allows me to share are artist renderings, not real-life photos***
1. Paradise Plaza- The Welcome Portal
Paradise plaza is the very first portal you'll see because it is the entrance to Celebration Key. You can not miss it. This is where you can meet your excursion group (or sign up for one--- the excursion desk and Guest services will be located here), rent a cabana if there are any available, and more. Because of it's location which is right as you get to the island and very central to the other portals, I would consider this to be a hub of sorts... A place to stop and make a game plan with your crew if you don't already have one. There is going to be a Bahamian-inspired fountain here, which I'm sure will be a very neat feature and Carnival also advises to keep your ears open for some live music in this area as well.
The focal point is the giant sandcastle, which they have named the Suncastle which has racing waterslides that end in the family friendly portal, Starfish Lagoon!
Some examples of excursions you may be interested in booking are the dolphin encounter, kayaking, snorkeling, and more!
2. Calypso Lagoon
Remember how I said Celebration Key was going to have an area just for adults? You'll find that area here... in Calypso Lagoon!
This portal is broken down into two parts. One part is "adult FRIENDLY"... which I am assuming is for all guests but completely geared toward adults 18+. I say that because there is also an "adults ONLY" section which is exclusively for ages 18+.
At the Adults ONLY section, you will find a swim-up bar with live music/ D.J. as well as exclusive beach area access, loungers, etc.
At the Adult FRIENDLY section, there is a freshwater lagoon with a bar which is not a swim up but the seats are actually swings so that's pretty awesome in my opinion!
Calypso Lagoon will also feature two full service restaurants (I'll get into those details in another section) for you to enjoy.
You can rent cabanas, water daybeds, super villas, etc... here for groups ranging in size from 2 guests to 10, and prices vary quite widely depending on your selection. You can rent a water daybed for 2 for $119.99 or at the higher end, an over-the-lagoon super villa for 10 guests will run you $1999.99 or more. The cost will just depend on what you are looking for. Plus, you do not have to rent anything, as there will be places to sit that are complimentary.
3. Starfish Lagoon
Okay--- first of all, how cute is the name "Starfish Lagoon"? It makes me feel happy and warm and full of adventure!
But all happy feelings aside, Starfish Lagoon is a family friendly portal which is jam packed with fun things for guests of all ages! Everyone from toddlers to grandparents will find something here! There will be a game pavilion with volleyball, pickleball, basketball, and more which I *KNOW* my family will love (we've got some sporty kids in this house!). There will be a splash pad (which is called Guppy Grotto, by the way... another happy sounding name) for the little ones, a freshwater lagoon to swim and float in, a swim up bar, and cabanas for rent as well!
There are cabanas and aquabanas for 2-8 guests available to rent here. You can rent them in advance the same way you'd book an excursion. Prices range depending on type and size, but starting price is currently $149.99 and the highest price I'm seeing is $899.99.
This portal will also having a variety of dining options as well as an ice cream spot to grab a cold treat on a hot day!
For Guppy Grotto as well as the other pools or lagoons, I am wondering if there will be a rule against children wearing swim diapers. On Carnival ships and their currently operational private islands, children can not wear swim diapers in the pools or splash parks (They MUST be potty trained) so I am curious to see if that rule goes for this island as well. I'm going to guess that is a rule that will be in place here, as well. I will update once I know for sure!
4. Pearl Cove Beach Club
This is another area designed just for adults! This exclusive adults only area is designed with relaxation and luxury in mind! This is a place where you can unwind and forget all of your cares from the sound of it!
There is a private beach with loungers and umbrellas, an incredible infinity pool, and luxury experiences including beachfront and poolside dining service. There is also a sit down restaurant that you can dine at if you'd rather not eat or have your drinks by the pool or the ocean.
It is important to note that there is an additional cost to access this area of the island. You can reserve your access the same way you'd purchase an excursion which means you can do it in advance (and you should, because availability may be limited). Here is the price breakdown that I found:
Club Access + Welcome Drink = $99.99
Club Access + Up to 10 Drinks (Open Bar) = $139.99
Club Access + Up to 10 Drinks (Open Bar) + Food From The Restaurant = $179.99
5. Lokono Cove
Last but not least, our 5th portal is Locono Cove... the Retail Portal! This area is located on the other side of the Suncastle (You'll walk through the castle and this will be what you find on the other side).
Here you will find tons of souvenirs and handmade crafts to buy in shops and a Bahamian straw market. I absolutely have to find a Christmas ornament every time I go somewhere and I am betting that this will be the place to make my selection(s).
If you have an interest in the local artistry and culture you can learn about Bahamian ceramics here at Lokono Cove.
Another very important topic to discuss... Here is what we know about eats and drinks around Celebration Key:
What Is There To Eat?? And... What Is Included In My Cruise Fare??
Carnival **just** revealed that this new vacation destination will offer an array of more than 30 food and beverage venues serving authentic Bahamian specialties, fresh seafood, beachside bites, tropical drinks, and so much more!
Check out the venue menu (hey, that's fun to say!) and then we will go into the few details we know so far. Be sure to check back here for updates which I will add as more information makes it's way to me!
That all sounds delicious, but what is included and what is going to cost me extra money?
Well, here is what we know. Carnival is rolling out a new thing called "Island Eats" and here is what they have to say about it:
"With Island Eats*, inclusive menu options are available at many venues during your day in paradise. Use your Sail & Sign card to enjoy one inclusive meal per person at a fast casual venue, or 25% off one entrée per person at full-service restaurants."
So, judging by this alone (because nothing else has been said yet), it sounds like each guest will be able to get 1 meal at any of the "Fast Casual" places such as Captain's Galley Food Hall and Mingo's Express or at any food truck or snack shack included in their cruise fare. Or they can opt to forgo the complimentary meal and get 25% off of a meal at the Full Service places (Gill's Grill and Mingo's Tropical Bar and Kitchen). In the image above, you see the Island Eats places are marked with a little yellow and red hibiscus flower.
The way it reads, it sounds like you only get one complimentary meal per person TOTAL, so if you eat at Mingo's Express for free, you will have to pay for anything else you eat at other venues.
This news is very new, but already there are a number of disappointed guests. I understand it, but I also want to point out that if you are hungry and have already used your one complimentary meal on the island and you do not want to spend any more money, you can always walk to the ship because there are tons of complimentary options there. It's not a super far walk. If anything changes with this, I will update as needed.
Drink Packages: CHEERS! and Bubbles drink packages are NOT able to be used on the island. This is... annoying to be honest. But it is what it is. And, if you've cruised on Carnival ships before and had the drink package you may have noticed that the package couldn't be used at Princess Cays, Amber Cove, etc... either, so it is not a new thing for them and probably doesn't come as a shock to you.
Are There Excursions Available Here?
You betcha!
You can swim with the dolphins, enjoy an afternoon snorkel, visit a brewery, and some other really fun things here at Celebration Key (on Grand Bahama Island).
***You can view a full list of excursions and other optional addons here! ***
Ready To Schedule Your Visit To Celebration Key?
I'm here to help you make that happen! As a travel agent, I am ready to help you find the perfect cruise for you and your family and friends! Please reach out to me today via email (crissandra@ckgetaways.com) or telephone ((574) 279-5779)!
Make sure to bookmark this page or save it to your Pinterest, etc so you can come back and check for updates, too!
Starfish Lagoon looks like a great place to spend time with the grandkids! And a food truck plaza? That’s awesome!
I agree! I think Autumn and I will spend a good portion of our time there at Starfish Lagoon, especially at the volleyball court and waterslides! I can’t wait to see it completely built, I think it is going to be so nice!