Sarah Bretz, ContributorThe countdown is officially on for the opening of Carnival Cruise Line’s brand-new private destination in the Bahamas, Celebration Key. To kick off the countdown, Carnival Corporation’s CEO Josh Weinstein and Chief Maritime Officer Lars Ljoen joined Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy for a behind the scenes look at Celebration Key as construction enters its final phases.
In a nod to the maritime tradition of a keel laying for a new ship, they placed commemorative keys into Celebration Key’s signature Suncastle, the sandcastle-esque centerpiece of the sunny destination.
The Suncastle is 10 stories tall, standing near the first portal guests encounter when they arrive at Celebration Key, called Paradise Plaza. The Suncastle is home to racing waterslides which are part of the family-focused portal, Starfish Lagoon. Other portals include the adult-focused portal Calypso Lagoon, a premium beach club called Pearl Cove, and an artisan retail village called Lokono Cove.
During their tour, the Carnival leaders joined team members planting palm trees from the “Plant a Tree” community engagement program that launched last year as part of a broad preservation initiative. It has involved replanting of thousands of native trees across the property. About 1,000 sabal palms were saved and replanted across Celebration Key.
Duffy also participated in the ceremonial filling of one of two expansive freshwater lagoons that will be sustained by Celebration Key’s desalination system that converts seawater into freshwater. The lagoons span over seven acres and hold about seven million gallons of water.
“Celebration Key represents a new chapter for Carnival and its construction builds on our close partnership with The Bahamas, so seeing it transform from vision to reality is incredible,” said Duffy. “We broke ground on this site less than three years ago, and now in five short months we’ll see our first guests enjoy the many experiences we created just for them to celebrate and enjoy this gorgeous place on Grand Bahama.”
About 500 workers are on site daily as construction continues to prepare Celebration Key for its summer opening. To date, 28 Bahamian companies have contributed to the project. Carnival Vista is slated to be the first ship to stop there on July 19th.
“This destination will serve as a tribute to the rich Bahamian culture and Grand Bahama’s natural environment,” said Weinstein. “It’s clear Celebration Key will be a game-changer for our flagship brand and its loyal guests, with endless options for relaxation and recreation, but it’s also truly great to see firsthand how we’re implementing our company’s robust sustainability initiatives on land.”
Celebration Key is a featured destination on hundreds of Carnival itineraries across 20 ships sailing from 10 U.S. homeports into 2027. It’s the first destination that’s exclusively for Carnival Cruise Line ships. Half Moon Cay, another private destination in the Bahamas, is shared between Carnival and her sister brand Holland America Line.
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