Carnival’s New Grand Bahama Cruise Destination Is Planning a July Opening 

Gold Rock Beach. The Port Lucaya Marketplace. The conch salad. Dinner at Flying Fish.

Travelers are increasingly hip to the renaissance of Grand Bahama, which has several new projects underway including a new Six Senses. 

But the biggest infusion into the island is coming this summer, when Carnival opens its highly-anticipated new destination: Celebration Key, which now has an opening date. 

The new Celebration Key will be officially opening on July 19, according to Carnival Corporation. 

It will be a multifaceted, wide-ranging destination, including some special adults-only offerings. That includes the Pearl Cove Beach Club, which has its own infinity pool and cabanas and Calypso Lagoon, which has a DJ island and a swim-up bar.

That’s along with a retail shopping village called Lokono Cove and a broad water park called Suncastle.

Celebration Key will have what Carnival Cruise Line bills as the largest freshwater lagoon in the Caribbean, something the company hopes will provide unforgettable experiences, at least based on the marketing so far.

The site will include a range of recreational activities tailor-made for cruise vacations, such as snorkeling, kayaking, and ATV excursions, as well as an area for swimming with dolphins. Visitors seeking a quieter experience have access to private cabanas, canopied daybeds, and villas, which accommodate groups of various sizes.

While it’s not a private island, it is a private destination, with the development featuring more than 30 dining and bar options, offering a mix of Bahamian and international cuisine. Dining ranges from full-service restaurants to quick-service locations.

Another tour, called “Three Bahamian Villages: Foody Tour by Open Tram,” takes guests through Smith’s Point, William’s Town, and Pinder’s Point, with stops for local dishes such as conch salad and guava duff. Celebration Key is one of several private destinations cruise lines have developed in the region in recent years.

The new destination is a “new chapter for Carnival,” says Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. It’s also the latest private destination for parent company Carnival Corporation, which also has the private port of Princess Cays in Eleuthera (not a private island either).

 “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.”

So what about prices? You can find a three-day Carnival Cruise heading to The Bahamas that also stops at Celebration Key on the Carnival Conquest cruise ship (one of several fun ships heading to the destination) this summer, with rates starting at $579 per person. That gets you an interior stateroom. For an ocean-view, it’s $835 per person, and $835 if you want a balcony depending on the sailing dates.

So which other ships are heading to Celebration Key? Right now you can find sailings on Carnival Conquest cruise ship out of PortMiami; Carnival Sunrise (Miami), Carnival Glory (out of Port Canaveral). Everything on the Carnival Cruise Line site suggests 3-night and four-night cruise vacations right now, part of a bigger trend targeting shorter Caribbean cruise itineraries that’s becoming very popular within the cruise industry (and some of Carnival’s competitors like Royal Caribbean).