Carnival Cruise Lines is offering important updates to the Celebration Key

Carnival Cruise Line’s Celebration Key is the line’s new private Bahamas destination, opening in July 2025.

Celebration Key is Carnival’s answer to Royal Caribbean’s wildly successful private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, offering a water park, adults-only area, premium experiences and plenty of ways to enjoy being in or near the water. Unsurprisingly, Celebration Key plans to include similar amenities.

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One thing I didn’t know much about – until now – was the dining options at Celebration Key. Perfect Day at CocoCay has several options, including complimentary buffets and snacks, as well as a few à la carte options. But now it looks like the food and beverage options could be a big differentiator when it comes to Celebration Key.

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Carnival’s other private island is a port that requires the use of tender vessels to transport passengers there.

Image Source: Carnival Cruise Line.

Over 30 dining options

Carnival announced that Celebration Key will feature more than 30 food and beverage outlets, which include full-service restaurants as well as a food court, food trucks, snack shacks, kiosks and more. Some will be free and others will have an additional cost.

To begin with, there will be four full-service restaurants:

• ·Mingo’s Tropical Bar & Kitchen – Waterfront restaurant serving Bahamian cuisine as well as classics like steak and seafood.
• Surf N’ Sauce BBQ & Brews – Grill and a full service bar with Bahamian craft beers.
• Gill’s Grill – Caribbean style seafood in a family friendly environment.
• Pearl Cove Beach Club Restaurant – Located in the exclusive refuge area for the 18+, offering an elevated menu.

There will be a food hall with five different quick-serve outlets, as well as a variety of food trucks serving things like chicken sandwiches, burgers and conch fritters. Snack shacks throughout the island will offer grab-and-go food.

As for drinks, all full-service restaurants also have a full-service bar. There is also a 100-seat lagoon bar at Calypso Lagoon, as well as a separate 40-seat bar in the same area. The family-friendly Starfish Lagoon will also feature a swim-up bar with food both in and out of the water. Pearl Cove Beach Club offers a full bar as well as the option for guests to purchase an open bar pass.

Another unique feature of Celebration Key’s food and beverage offerings is the premium Suncastle Grounds Cafe. There is also an ice cream parlor available on the island.

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What is free and what costs extra?

Along with announcing the food and beverage options, Carnival also announced the “Island Eats” program, which allows every guest one complimentary island meal, which can be chosen from quick-service outlets, snack shacks and food trucks – or guests can choose to receive a 25% discount on a full-service meal.

At this time, it is unclear whether Carnaval’s Cheers! the drinks package will work on the island, however, the fact that the luxury Pearl Cove Beach Club will be selling open bar packages is a good indicator that it won’t be. The beverage package doesn’t work on the existing private island of Half Moon Cay or the line’s private resort destination Amber Cove, so that wouldn’t be a big surprise.

When comparing Celebration Key’s offerings to Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay, it’s a mixed bag. According to this press release, there will be clear to be a greater variety of food and drink options on the new island. However, it is worth noting that Perfect Day at CocoCay offers unlimited food from its regular spots, plus cruisers can use their beverage package on the island.

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Finally, it’s worth pointing out that this is still a very fluid situation, and Celebration Key amenities and details will continue to be revealed between now and the island’s opening date next summer.

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