When Celebration Key officially opened a few months ago, Carnival Cruise Line made a big deal about it being their new private playground on Grand Bahama. It was billed as an exclusive destination just for Carnival guests, complete with Instagrammable lagoons, food halls, and the world’s largest swim-up bar. But exclusivity only lasts so long when you spent $600 million to build something and the finance department is looking to recoup some of that massive investment. So now the gates are opening and another one of the company’s brands is moving in.
Princess Cruises announced in its 2027 to 2028 Caribbean and Panama Canal deployment that Celebration Key will become a brand-new port of call for its ships starting November 1, 2026. The first Princess ship to call at Celebration Key will be Star Princess, followed shortly after by Regal Princess, then Caribbean Princess, Enchanted Princess, Sky Princess and Sun Princess over the 2026 to 2028 seasons.
This is a pretty big shift considering Celebration Key was marketed as Carnival’s own destination. But it also fits a pattern we’re seeing across Carnival Corporation.
The Multi-Brand Private Island Trend
If this sounds familiar, look over at Holland America Line’s beloved Half Moon Cay. For years, it has been a shared stop for several Carnival Corporation brands, including Carnival Cruise Line. That shared access will soon get more defined because Half Moon Cay is in the middle of a major expansion. The island is finally getting a pier along with a brand-new guest area that will be used exclusively, at least for now, by Carnival Cruise Line passengers.
The rest of the island that Holland America guests know and love will continue to operate just as it does today. But the message is clear. Carnival Corporation is getting more intentional about how its private destinations are divided up and utilized across brands.
Carnival already visits Half Moon Cay. Carnival now gets its own section. And now Princess is being added to Celebration Key. So you can probably see where this is going.
Celebration Key Is No Longer a One-Brand Paradise
With Princess Cruises now officially on the schedule for Celebration Key, the destination’s “Carnival exclusive” status is already fading. The island was built from the ground up as Carnival Corporation’s largest private destination ever undertaken. That alone hinted from the beginning that more brands would eventually funnel guests through its front doors.
Celebration Key is a massive investment. There’s a mile of beachfront, multi-acre lagoons, premium adults-only clubs, enormous food halls, and a full shopping village designed to support tens of thousands of guests per week. It was never realistic to think only Carnival’s fleet would use it long-term, especially with all the other brand that fall under the corporate umbrella.
Princess adding Celebration Key to itineraries is the first expansion. It very likely won’t be the last.
So Who’s Next?
This opens the door wide for the rest of the Carnival Corporation family. Cunard? Possibly, although Queen Elizabeth’s maiden season in Miami is off to a slow start, and she will only be returning for winter 2026/2027 before moving on for good. Costa? Maybe, if they decide to do Caribbean sailings again. Holland America? They already have their own spot but their guests may benefit from Celebration Key’s upscale areas, such as the Pearl Cove Beach Club.
Is it a bad thing? Probably not. More guests get access to a brand-new resort-style destination, Carnival Corporation fills more loungers, and the accountants get to breathe a little easier.
For Princess Cruises, it’s a smart move. Celebration Key offers a mix of family zones, adults-only escapes, lagoons, food halls, bars, and cabanas that fit nicely into what Princess guests already like. It’s not a rugged “private island” experience. It’s more resort-style comfort, which is very on-brand for Princess.
You can read what I thought about Celebration Key and whether, in my opinion, it lives up to the hype in my review during a stop there shortly after it opened in August 2025 by clicking here.
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