Day 7 , the final day of this Eastern Caribbean cruise on Carnival Celebration, was spent at Celebration Key, Carnival’s brand-new $600 million private destination on Grand Bahama Island. This place just opened a few weeks ago, and today was my first chance to see what all the hype has been about.
Before diving into today’s adventures, a quick reminder—since I’ve done multiple full day-by-day reviews of Carnival Celebration already, this week’s reports are focused more on highlights and lowlights rather than repeating the same deep dives. If you want those detailed play-by-plays from past cruises, check out the links below.
- Carnival Celebration Western Caribbean Cruise – April 2023
- Carnival Celebration Eastern Caribbean Cruise – June 2023
- Carnival Celebration Southern Caribbean Cruise – July 2023
- Carnival Celebration Eastern Caribbean Cruise – February 2024
- Carnival Celebration Western Caribbean Cruise – October 2024
- Carnival Celebration Eastern Caribbean Cruise – June 2025
Carnival announced Celebration Key a few years back, hyping it as their first exclusive, built-from-scratch private destination designed solely for Carnival guests. The investment is staggering—about $600 million has gone into phase one, with the pier currently able to accommodate two ships at a time. But construction is already underway on a second pier, which will eventually allow up to four ships to dock simultaneously.
Carnival hasn’t officially announced what other additions will come down the line, but let’s be real: Celebration Key is a money-making machine. Once the second pier is finished, the crowds will double, and you can bet there will be more cabanas, more bars, more paid experiences, and more ways for Carnival to keep the onboard Sail & Sign cards swiping all day long.
Getting Ashore at Celebration Key
Clearance to go ashore was given around 8am. I’ve seen a lot of people online complain about the walk from the ship to the entrance, but honestly, it’s not that bad. I timed it—about six minutes at a normal pace. For those with mobility issues (or who just don’t feel like walking), there are trams running from the ships all around the resort. There’s even a separate handicapped line, and priority is given to guests with accessibility needs.
Once you reach the entrance, you’re greeted by the Instagram-famous Celebration Key starburst arch—the “you’ve arrived” moment that everyone stops to photograph. Right behind it is the Disney-esque “SunCastle,” which houses the racing water slides. Yes, they look fun. Yes, they cost extra. It’s $15 per person for the day if you want to ride them—so keep in mind, even some of the attractions at Celebration Key are pay-to-play.
Real-Time Walk from Ship to Entrance
The Four Portals at Celebration Key
Celebration Key is divided into four “portals,” each with its own vibe. All areas around Celebration key have lockers for storing your stuff, and restroom facilities with showers.
Starfish Lagoon – The Family Zone
Turn left at the entrance, and you’re in Starfish Lagoon, the most family-friendly section of Celebration Key. This ended up being the least crowded area of the resort—both in the pool and on the beach. There were still plenty of lounge chairs available when I walked through, all set up in groups of four under one umbrella (though you can move them around if you want).
Starfish Lagoon has a lot going on for kids and families: a lagoon and beach, splash pad, aquabanas, shallow pool, and even game courts for basketball, volleyball, and pickleball. But it’s not just for the kids—there’s also the Parrotfish Swim-Up Bar in the middle of the lagoon, and Shoalmates Island Bar nearby (not a swim-up). So yes, parents, you’re covered.
On the dining side, there’s the Captain’s Galley food hall, plus plenty of food trucks and snack shacks scattered around. If you want something more private, cabanas around Starfish start at $599.
Calypso Lagoon – The Party Zone
Go right at the entrance, and you’ll find yourself at Calypso Lagoon, which I’d call the “party lagoon.” The energy is completely different here—upbeat, loud, and filled with a lot of activity.
The big draw is Mingo’s Tropical Bar & Kitchen, which has a swim-up bar and a DJ pumping music for the whole lagoon. Right in the lagoon itself is Long Necks, another swim-up bar. And if that’s not enough, you’ve got Sunshine Swings Bar, where the stools are replaced with swings. Cute idea, but here’s the problem: the swings hang low, so when you sit, the bar is basically at neck level. Instead of bellying up to the bar, you’re “chinning” up to it. Not the most practical setup.
Like Starfish, Calypso has plenty of loungers, food trucks, and additional bars and snack shacks. There are also courts for basketball and volleyball if you want a break from the pool. The beach runs the length of the resort, but be warned—it’s rocky. There are signs everywhere, so I recommend water shoes both in and out of the ocean.
Pearl Cove Beach Club – Adults Only (and Pay-to-Play)
Just off Calypso Lagoon is Pearl Cove Beach Club, which is Celebration Key’s upscale, adults-only area. Unlike the rest of the resort, this one requires an additional fee. You can buy a pass that just gets you access, or one that includes food and drinks throughout the day. Pearl Cove has its own private infinity pool, a separate beach, and exclusive bars and restaurants for those who splurge on entry. It’s designed to be the “luxury” experience for guests who want a quieter, more premium vibe.
Lokono Cove – Shopping
Finally, there’s Lokono Cove, Celebration Key’s shopping district. Not all the storefronts are filled yet, but there are already a few souvenir shops and, of course, an Effy jewelry store. (Because what Caribbean destination would be complete without Effy, right?)
This area is also home to local artist exhibits, a mural wall, live music performances, and vendors selling Bahamian-made goods. Between Lokono Cove and the entrance at Paradise Plaza, is where you’ll also catch the Junkanoo Parade.
Food at Celebration Key
Here’s the first thing to know: the food and beverage operations here are not run by Carnival employees. Instead, Carnival struck a deal with the Bahamian government to staff Celebration Key with locals. The trade-off for being able to build this $600 million destination was to provide jobs for the community, so when you order a conch fritter, you’re supporting Bahamian-run businesses under Carnival’s umbrella.
Every guest gets one complimentary meal from any of the Island Eats fast casual venues (look for the logo on signs). These include food trucks, snack shacks, and the big Captain’s Galley food hall in Starfish Lagoon. Once you redeem your one meal entitlement, everything else is pay-as-you-go at the posted menu prices.
That means if you grab your included chicken fingers and fries at a snack shack but later spot a doughnut or a hot dog at another stand… that second indulgence is coming out of your pocket.
Don’t want snack shack food? You can choose instead to head into one of the full-service restaurants like Gill’s Grill (seafood), Mingo’s Tropical Bar & Kitchen, or Surf N’ Sauce BBQ & Brews. Your Sail & Sign card will get you 25% off one entrée per person.
It’s an interesting system: Carnival covers the basics so nobody goes hungry, but anything beyond your single “Island Eats” allowance becomes a money-maker for the resort.
So what’s on the menu at the full-service restaurants? Check out some of the highlights from the posted menus:
Gill’s Grill (Seafood)
- Peel-and-eat shrimp: $19.99
- Grilled Caribbean lobster: $39.99
- Blackened mahi mahi: $25.99
- Gill’s Seafood Favorites platter (to share): $44.99
Surf N’ Sauce BBQ & Brews
- Baby back ribs: $21.99
- Roasted half chicken: $21.99
- Sampler platter (feeds 2+): $34.99
- Pulled pork, brisket, and Bahama Mama burger all around $15–$18
Mingo’s Tropical Bar & Kitchen
- Conch fritters: $19.99
- Buffalo chicken sandwich: $16.99
- Caribbean grilled lobster: $38.99
- Coconut curry chicken: $21.99
For desserts you’ll see things like mango coconut pudding, peach cobbler, or Key lime pie — all running around $9.99–$19.99.
Make no mistake: this is not an all-inclusive private island experience. Your food budget can rack up quickly, especially if you’re eyeing up a lot of food and snacks for the family.
Where to Eat at Celebration Key
- Starfish Lagoon: Captain’s Galley food hall, snack shacks, and food trucks (these are Island Eats spots, included for one meal).
- Calypso Lagoon: Mingo’s, Surf N’ Sauce BBQ, Beach Side Burgers, more food trucks and snack shacks.
- Pearl Cove Beach Club: Has its own private restaurant & bar for guests with access passes.
- Lokono Cove: A handful of snack shacks plus Suncastle Grounds Coffee.
Island Eats keeps things simple if you’re not looking to spend, but the restaurants are clearly designed to entice you to spend some cash.
Drinks at Celebration Key
If you’re used to sailing with Carnival’s Cheers! Beverage Package and enjoying your cocktails without worrying about the bill, brace yourself. The package does not work at Celebration Key. Every drink you order here is out-of-pocket, and it’s not just the base price you’re paying. On top of the listed cost, there’s the standard 18% gratuity plus Bahamas VAT — so that $12.50 piña colada ends up creeping toward $15 pretty quickly.
You can pay for drinks two ways:
- Sail & Sign card – just like onboard, charges go to your account.
- Credit/debit card – swipe it like you would anywhere else on land.
A lot of chatter online has been about whether drinks bought at Celebration Key count toward Carnival’s 15-drink daily limit for those on Cheers. The good news? They don’t. This has been confirmed by multiple crew members onboard. So yes, you’re paying extra, but at least your Key cocktails don’t chip away at your daily limit.
Bars are sprinkled throughout the resort, so you’re never far from a cold one:
- Starfish Lagoon – Parrotfish Swim-Up Bar and Shoalmates Island Bar.
- Calypso Lagoon – Long Necks Swim-Up Bar and Sunshine Swings Bar (the bar with actual swings instead of stools… though as I mentioned earlier, the design makes it more “chin up to the bar” than “belly up”).
- Pearl Cove Beach Club – an exclusive bar for those who paid for access to this adults-only section.
- Lokono Cove – head here if you’re craving coffee instead of cocktails; SunCastle Grounds Coffee is your spot.
Here’s a taste of what you’ll pay based on the posted menu:
- Classic cocktails (margarita, daiquiri, mojito, piña colada, etc.) – $12.50 each
- Beer – $7 for local brews like Sands or High Rock Light; $9 for “premium (really)” like Corona or Michelob Ultra
- Beer buckets (6 cans) – $35 for regular, $45 for premium
- Wine – $8–$11 per glass depending on the label
So yes, it’s island pricing, and yes, it adds up faster than you’d think. Between the upcharges, gratuities, and VAT, a casual beach day of cocktails could rival your onboard bar tab.
My Thoughts on Celebration Key
Mother Nature clearly wasn’t on my side for my first visit to Celebration Key. The weather was moody all day—on and off rain, thunderstorms rolling in and out, and by 2pm the skies completely opened up, turning the day into a full-on washout. I did manage to get a few hours in early, walking the entire island and even squeezing in some beach time before we were told to get out of the pools and ocean due to lightning. Trams were another story—sometimes they were suspended for rain (not lightning), even though people were still allowed in the water. And when the pools and beaches closed for safety, the slides did too – obviously.
Even with two ships in port—Carnival Celebration and the much smaller, older Carnival Paradise—the island felt busy but never overwhelming. Yes, there were lines at the food trucks, and at lunchtime Mingo’s and the Food Hall were packed. The setup honestly reminded me a lot of Disney World quick service: you queue at a register, place your order, and then go pick it up at the counter. Food trucks worked the same way, only with kiosks for ordering and then heading to the appropriate truck to grab your food.
Walking around, Calypso Lagoon was the obvious hot spot, packed with guests in the pool and along the beach. On the flip side, Paradise Cove was much quieter, and that’s where me and my friends staked out some loungers (plenty available, with free umbrellas) on the beach for about an hour before the rain chased us off. For those wondering, if you want to do a full loop around the island, plan on about 30–40 minutes depending on your pace.
Did I try the food or drinks? No. I’ve got a thing about eating or drinking ashore—it’s the old “don’t drink the water” mindset. Anything with ice, water, or questionable prep is a hard pass for me. Not saying that ANY of that is going on here, but it’s always in the back of my mind.
But let’s talk about the $600 million elephant in the room: where exactly did that money go? Because walking around, I found myself asking that very question. The water slides are cute, built into the SunCastle structure, but they’re basic—and they cost $15. They’re not in the same league as Royal Caribbean’s over-the-top Thrill Waterpark at CocoCay. It’s pretty clear most of the money went into the pier and land development, not the actual guest amenities.
In fact, Celebration Key stacks up very similarly to Amber Cove and Grand Turk, both of which were stops earlier in this cruise. All three have large pools, swim-up bars, cabanas, restaurants and snack shacks, shops, and water slides. Celebration Key and Grand Turk have beaches, Amber Cove does not. None of it really sets Celebration Key apart.
And yet, Carnival rolled this place out with a ton of hype, splashy videos, and endless influencer reels. You’ve seen them—the people who would trade their mother’s eyeballs for a free Grimace Shake at McDonald’s. They were given free cruises and then flooded TikTok and Instagram with clips making Celebration Key look like the greatest thing to hit the cruise industry since the midnight buffet. My perspective? I’m not on Carnival’s payroll. I’ve been cruising for over 20 years, I’ve seen nearly every private island and cruise destination out there, and I can tell you flat out: Celebration Key is fine. It’s a solid addition to Carnival’s portfolio, but it isn’t groundbreaking.
Is it a winner? Sure. Guests will love it, and it gives Carnival another option to pull people away from Nassau (where nobody is thrilled to visit anymore). But is it an island that makes you choose one itinerary over another? Not in my book. It doesn’t hold a candle to Carnival Corporation’s other private destinations like Half Moon Cay or Princess Cays—those are on a whole different level.
Then there’s the staffing situation. The deal to get Celebration Key built meant jobs had to go to locals, not Carnival employees. So food and beverage workers, lifeguards, activity attendants—they’re all locals. While that’s great for job creation, the guest service standard isn’t there. The staff came across as indifferent, and you just don’t get the same warm, trained service you’re used to from crew onboard the ship.
Speaking of the ship’s crew, they weren’t even given a proper orientation to the island. No chance to go ashore, no familiarization tours—just a Zoom meeting and a PowerPoint deck. So if you ask your dining room waiter, “Hey, where’s the best place to grab lunch ashore tomorrow?” they won’t know. Ask your bartender which bar has the best vibe at the Key? They won’t know either. That’s a big miss on Carnival’s part, and something that could be easily fixed by rotating crew ashore for proper training.
So, what’s my bottom line? Celebration Key is good, but it’s not great. It’ll absolutely be a hit with Carnival guests. I’d take an itinerary that goes here over Nassau any day. But it’s not revolutionary, and it certainly doesn’t justify the hype machine.
Main Dining Room Dinner Menu
Dinner at Rudi’s Seagrill
For my final dinner onboard, I went back to Rudi’s Seagrill—and yes, that makes two visits in one cruise. Normally, I split my specialty dining between Rudi’s and the steakhouse, but this time Rudi’s completely won me over. The food, the service, the whole experience was exceptional on my first visit, so I went back for a second round and left just as impressed. I stuck with the same appetizers and entrees from earlier in the week, and they didn’t disappoint. If anything, they sealed the deal on why Rudi’s has quickly become one of my all-time favorite Carnival dining experiences.
And with that:
Overall Carnival Celebration Cruise Review
Accommodations
I stayed in stateroom 9473, an Ocean Suite, located on deck 9 aft, which was well laid out, comfortable, and had no issues at all throughout the cruise. Everything worked as expected, and my stateroom attendant, Irwanto, was excellent. My room was always quickly attended to, well stocked, and spotless. Couldn’t have asked for better service.
Carnival Celebration Dining
- Main Dining Room – Didn’t experience.
- Guy’s Burgers – Didn’t experience.
- Shaq’s Big Chicken – ⭐⭐⭐ (solid chicken sandwiches and tenders, always hot and fresh).
- BlueIguana Cantina – Didn’t experience.
- Emeril’s Bistro – Didn’t experience.
- Rudi’s Seagrill – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (exceptional, two visits this sailing, both flawless).
- Steakhouse (Fahrenheit 555) – ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (not going to judge based on the disaster of the $25 Wagyu burger, but service, other dishes, and atmosphere delivered).
- The Chef’s Table – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (an amazing culinary experience and presentation, worth every penny).
- Guy’s Pig & Anchor Smokehouse – Didn’t experience.
- Bonsai Sushi – Didn’t experience.
- Bonsai Teppanyaki – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (a great bang-for-the-buck specialty restaurant with a ton of food, fun entertainment, and excellent flavors).
Fellow Passengers
This sailing had an overwhelming number of first-time Carnival cruisers. Everywhere you went, it was a sea of blue cards. Large groups traveling together often took over public areas, and unfortunately the marijuana smoking on Deck 17 wasn’t being addressed by security at all. There was some talk about a group being kicked off the ship, but I couldn’t confirm that.
The overall vibe? Honestly more like a 3- or 4-day booze cruise than a 7-day sailing. Lots of younger cruisers in their early 20s, quite a few teens (surprising with school back in session), but not many families with younger kids. Very few passengers over 65. This was very much a party crowd.
Service & Ship Upkeep
Once again, the crew was fantastic. Carnival deserves credit here—they consistently deliver excellent service, even when passengers don’t always make it easy. Every crew member I encountered had a smile, was helpful, and worked hard to make the experience enjoyable.
As for the ship itself, Carnival Celebration is still in great shape overall, but she’s starting to show some wear in certain areas:
- Carpet in some spots is due for replacement.
- Booth seating in the Lido Marketplace has torn or heavily worn vinyl—some sections look replaced, others still need it.
- Outdoor loungers badly need cushion replacements; in smoking areas, a lot of the cushions are burned and worn out.
That said, the ship was otherwise very well maintained—clean inside and out with very little rust visible. It’s clear Carnival is doing a much better job keeping its newer ships in shape compared to some of the older vessels.
Debarkation
This time, I checked my bag instead of doing self-assist. I left my stateroom at 7:40am, walked right off with no line, grabbed my bag in the terminal, and was in an Uber by 8:10am headed for MiamiCentral to catch the Brightline home. Smooth, stress-free, and the perfect end to the trip.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was a great cruise with some standout dining experiences (Rudi’s and Chef’s Table), and a well-maintained ship that still delivers the Fun Ship vibe Carnival is known for. Celebration Key may not have lived up to the massive hype, but it’s a solid new stop in the rotation and definitely better than Nassau.
Next Up…
I more than likely will not be on another Carnival cruise by the time 2025 comes to a close, as I have an action-packed schedule of cruises coming up now through the end of the year, including:
- Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady – a 9 day Mer-Maiden on the newest ship in the Virgin Voyages fleet and my first time on the cruise line, so looking forward to this one from October 17 – 25, 2025.
- Cunard Queen Elizabeth – having sailed several times on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, the Queen Elizabeth is now setting sail this winter from PortMiami and I’ll be onboard October 28 – November 6, 2025.
- Holland America Line Rotterdam – I’ll be back on the flagship of the HAL fleet for a 7-day casino tournament cruise November 28 – December 7, 2025. She’s a stunning vessel, and I’m looking forward to my return.
- Explora Journeys Explora I – A bit of luxe is on tap for 19 days over Christmas when I join MSC’s luxury line Explora Journeys for an epic adventure visiting some off-the-beaten-path Southern Caribbean ports from December 12 – 29, 2025 on this 1,100 passenger vessel.
Be sure to stay tuned and follow along for more of my adventures at sea, and as always, thanks for following along!
FunTimes for August 30, 2025:
The Funtimes for August 30, 2025 is available as a PDF and can be downloaded by clicking here.