Carnival's Celebration Key: 5 surprises from the cruise line's new destination

Show Caption

I waded into the aquamarine water off Carnival Cruise Line’s new Bahamas destination, Celebration Key.

The Carnival Vista ship, which had delivered more than 4,000 passengers to its pier that morning, towered in the distance, but I saw no more than a dozen swimmers nearby. Looking at the shoreline behind me, I was struck by how secluded it felt. I leaned backward and floated in the gentle waves under the late July sun, relishing the quiet. 

That was one of several things that surprised me during my visit to Celebration Key, which will be visited by 20 Carnival ships from 10 U.S. homeports. Paste BN was among the first guests to visit this month. Here are four other takeaways.

Celebration Key is walkable

While Celebration Key’s first phase comprises 68 acres, the destination’s five areas (or “portals”) were easy to navigate on foot. I followed walking paths in a loop through them all in less than half an hour.

If you get tired or need assistance, however, there are options. The Starfish Tram Line takes guests between the kid-friendly Starfish Lagoon and the Lokono Cove shopping area at no charge, while the Calypso Tram Line operates between Calypso Lagoon – located opposite Starfish – and Lokono Cove.

Beach wheelchairs are also available on a first-come, first-served basis, and there are designated relief areas for service dogs. Passengers planning to use those areas should notify Guest Services ahead of time, who can direct them to the designated areas.

There is ample seating at Celebration Key

Rows of plentiful complimentary loungers line the beaches and freshwater lagoons at Celebration Key, and it seemed I didn’t walk more than a few minutes at a time without stumbling upon other kinds of seating, from hammocks to swing benches and picnic tables. The Sunshine Swings Bar has close to 50 swings alone.

Only one ship was occupying Celebration Key’s two berths during my visit, so crowds will surely fluctuate depending on the number of ships visiting and their capacities. Still, passengers have many options when looking for a place to perch.

There are also various daybeds, cabanas and supervillas for an extra charge (prices vary by selection).

The lagoons are huge at Celebration Key

Carnival billed Celebration Key’s two freshwater lagoons as the largest in the Caribbean, but I still found myself marveling at their scale in person. The destination’s attractions are built around the bright blue water – totaling roughly 350 million gallons – giving guests easy access points from nearly any location so they can cool off.

They also form a kind of moat around the giant sandcastle at the heart of the destination, called the Suncastle. Head up to the top, where its two water slides are located, for a particularly striking view.

Guests have easy access to Grand Bahama

Unlike at a private island, passengers can come and go from Celebration Key and enjoy other parts of Grand Bahama on their own or with guides.

Guests can find taxis and rental cars at Lokono Cove, and Freeport is a roughly 25-minute drive away. Shore excursions are also available through the cruise line.

As much as Celebration Key has to offer, it’s by no means the only place to explore on the island.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for Paste BN based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.