This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the grand opening for Celebration Key, Carnival Cruise Line’s new private port in The Bahamas.
I joined a group of media and travel agents who flew in for the day so we can get a first hand look at what this new port has to offer.
We spent around five hours at Celebration Key, exploring every part of what this new $600 million port in The Bahamas.
Early feedback we’ve received from guests who have visited the port have been extremely positive. Also, reactions on Cruise Fever’s social media posts from our day at the port have exceeded our expectations. We posted a photo tour on our Facebook page and it has nearly 1.5 million views and counting at the time of press.
Note: I took many of these photos before passengers got off the ship so that is why there are no guests in most of them.
What’s so great about Celebration Key and why can’t cruisers get enough of this new port?
Here are reasons why you should visit Celebration Key and a look at how the port will expand in the future and offer guests even more options and activities.
Pools
The two main swimming pools, Starfish Lagoon and Calypso Lagoon, are the crown jewel of Celebration Key. They are separated by a walkway that leads through the 10-story sandcastle.
When I first saw the pools, I couldn’t believe how insanely large they were. They are a combined 550,000 square feet, or 12.6 acres in size. They hold 350 million gallons of water and the maximum depth of the pools is five feet. It’s mindboggling how large the pools are once you see them in person.
Starfish Lagoon pool at Celebration Key. The 10-story sandcastle in the background is in the middle of the two massive pools.
The pools are a combined 16.5 times larger than the freshwater pool at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in The Bahamas. They take up 20% of the current developed port area.
They have swim-up bars, cabanas to rent, and plenty of complimentary loungers and umbrellas.
Starfish Lagoon caters towards families while Calypso Lagoon is an adult-friendly area.
If you love to chill in a massive pool on hot, sunny day, then Celebration Key is for you.
There is a kids splashpad next to Starfish Lagoon and it’s one of the first things you see when you enter the port and look to the right.
There is also an 11,000 square foot infinity pool in the adults-only beach club, but more on that in a bit.
Beaches
There are three beaches at Celebration Key, although it’s really one large beach divided by the pier and a separate area for the Pearl Cove Beach Club.
The beaches are lined with complimentary loungers and umbrellas and were much quieter on my day there than the pools were.
Adults-Only Areas
A decent size part of the port is adults-only (18+), this includes Calypso Beach, areas of Calypso Lagoon, and the Pearl Cove Beach Club.
The Pearl Cove Beach Club, located at the western end of Celebration Key, has an infinity pool with views of the ship, and an elevated, private restaurant just for guests who purchase a day pass to the club.
The infinity pool has a swim-up bar and the Pearl Cove Beach Club is the largest adults-only area at any cruise destination.
I spent a couple hours in this area and it’s a great way to enjoy a premium day at Celebration Key.
I was also told that the Beach Club has room to expand when Carnival adds the pier extension to accommodate more ships.
Excursions
It is worth noting that Celebration Key is not a private island, but a dedicated private port area on Grand Bahama Island. It’s about a 40 minute drive away from the cruise port in Freeport.
Because you are on a large island, you can take excursions to experience local culture if you don’t want a beach/pool day.
Most of the excursions offered on cruises that stop in Freeport are also offered when you visit Celebration Key.
Facts about Celebration Key
Celebration Key features the world’s largest swim-up bar with 166 in-water seats.
The longest and largest swings bar is also here with nearly 50 swings.
The world’s first and largest 10-story sandcastle structure that has two 350-foot long water slides. Note, there is an extra charge for an all-day pass to use the slides.
The two largest freshwater lagoons are located at Celebration Key, each one 275,000 square feet in size.
There are eight types of villas, cabanas and daybeds that can be rented out. Many of them are right on the water.
There are nearly 30 food and beverage outlets with 14 of the dining options being complimentary.
A Junkanoo parade will take place twice at day (at 1pm and 3pm) weather permitting.
There are two basketball courts, a pickleball court, and beach games for families.
There is a pier at Celebration Key that can accommodate two ships so there is no need to tender. Work has already begun on adding an expansion to the pier so four ships can visit in one day.
Future Expansion
Celebration Key is not done yet, this is just Phase 1. Phase 2 will take place on the east side of the port and Carnival has previously talked about building a waterpark in this phase.
Now that the port is open, I’m hoping that we will hear more details from Carnival about Phase 2 or who knows, maybe even a Phase 3.
Why do I say Phase 3? The total area for the port is 369 acres and the first phase only used 68 acres. With 110 acres set aside for a wetlands preserve, that leaves another 154 acres that Carnival can develop at the port. They can triple the size of Celebration Key, if they choose to, with future expansions.
It’s going to be exciting to see what they do with these 154 acres of land.
Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, gave the following statement the day the port opened and talked about future expansion:
“Today marks an extraordinary milestone for Carnival as we open the first phase of our initial $600M investment, with more to come. Celebration Key is more than just a beautiful place; it’s a celebration of the Bahamian paradise our guests love, complemented by an impressive variety of incredible new experiences and offerings.
“We’ve built the ultimate beach day for our guests whether they crave fun in the sun or relaxation under a palm tree.”
Appeared first on: Cruisefever.net
