All aboard for a private island playground
Carnival Cruise Line is set open its exclusive Bahamas destination next summer
MIAMI BEACH, FLA. Carnival Cruise Line has released another round of updates on what travellers can expect when its new private destination Grand Bahama Celebration Key opens.
Debuting in summer 2025, the port of call will be welcoming ships from Florida ports Port Canaveral, PortMiami, Tampa and Jacksonville as well as six other U.S. ports.
The 369-acre site less than 32 kilometres east of Freeport will be the first dedicated to Carnival Cruise Line, although Carnival ships have used sister line destinations Princess Cays and Half Moon Cay for years. The largest port construction project in the line’s history will be carved into five segments the company calls portals, and Carnival released details about the third one tied to retail, an artisan village called Lokono Cove. Named in deference to the native Lucayan language, “lokono” means “the people.”
Lokono Cove will have kiosks and stores alongside “an authentic Bahamian artisan market” showcasing local craftsmanship, according to Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy. Beyond the items for sale, the space will have music and murals and local food.
“Lokono Cove will be a treasure trove — a place for our guests to immerse themselves in the spirit of the Bahamas and find locally inspired keepsakes, symbols of paradise they can share with loved ones, or cherish for themselves for years to come,” said Duffy. “Honouring the beauty and culture of the Bahamas is integral to our plans for Celebration Key, and that will be on display throughout Lokono Cove.”
The space also will be the excursion gateway for visitors to explore Grand Bahama.
It’s the third name drop by Carnival following the reveal of welcome area Paradise Plaza and adultfriendly area Calypso Lagoon. The final two space names and details, which will be a family-friendly area and an adults-only private area, will be revealed later.
The site will also have a southfacing mile-long beachfront expanse and massive freshwater inland lagoon the line says is the largest in the Bahamas and Caribbean.
Paradise Plaza features a rainbowcoloured walkway through a sunshine entranceway with a 10-storey “Suncastle” as a centrepiece. The welcome area is the place to book the day’s activities including cabanas, water sports and shore excursions. The area will also feature a Bahamian-themed fountain and ice cream shop.
Calypso Cove is the name of an adult-friendly area coming to Carnival’s Celebration Key on Grand Bahama island when it opens in summer 2026.
Calypso Lagoon falls just to the west, home to the sport court and freshwater lagoon and lounging options galore. It’s home to a bar with 50 swings that let visitors dip their feet into the water, and just one of many bars serving the space and two full-service restaurants and other casual snack shacks. An adults-only area of the portal will feature a swim-up bar with a DJ, food trucks and more lounging options.
Future expansion will build beyond the five portals including the construction of a water park.
The port of call will open with one dock capable of handling its largest ships, the 6,000-passenger Excel class, including Port Canaveralbased Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration out of Miami.
The line announced this year a $100-million plan to expand that with a second dock so that it could handle up to four such ships beginning in 2026. That expansion, which grows the line’s investment to $600 million so far, means it expects nearly 4 million passengers to visit the site annually by 2028, an average of 11,000 visitors every day. For now, it has more than 500 itineraries planned among 18 ships available to book. Other U.S. ports visiting the new site are Galveston, Texas; Baltimore; Norfolk, Virginia; Mobile, Ala., Charleston, S.C., and New Orleans.
“As is fitting for our plans for Grand Bahama island, our vision for Celebration Key is quite grand, and we’re already thinking about the next phase of expansion and development,” said Duffy when the pier expansion was announced. “Building the second pier now allows us to implement growth plans and build itineraries with certainty, and signals to the local community just how important this development is to Carnival Cruise Line and the future of the island.”