Carnival Cruise Line's Celebration Key is the line's new private island destination in the Bahamas, scheduled to open in July 2025.
Celebration Key is Carnival's answer to Royal Caribbean's successful private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay, featuring a water park, adults-only area, premium experiences and plenty of ways to enjoy being on or near the water. Not surprisingly, Celebration Key plans to add similar services.
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One thing we didn't know much about, until now, was Celebration Key's dining options. Perfect Day at CocoCay has a few options, including all-you-can-eat buffets and complimentary snack options, as well as some a la carte options. But now it looks like food and beverage options could be a big differentiator when it comes to Celebration Key.
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Image source: Carnival Cruise Line.
More than 30 dining options
Carnival announced that Celebration Key will feature more than 30 food and beverage outlets including full-service restaurants, as well as a food hall, food trucks, snack stands, kiosks and more. Some will be free and others will have an additional cost.
To start, there will be four full-service restaurants:
- ·Mingo's Tropical Bar and Kitchen – Beachfront restaurant serving Bahamian dishes, as well as classics like steak and seafood.
- Surf N' Sauce BBQ and beers – BBQ and full-service bar with Bahamian craft beers.
- Gill's Grill – Caribbean-style seafood in a family atmosphere.
- Pearl Cove Beach Club Restaurant – Located in the exclusive retirement area for those over 18 years old, with an elevated menu.
There will be a food hall with five different quick-service locations, as well as a variety of food trucks serving things like chicken sandwiches, burgers and conch fritters. Snack stands across 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. At the family-friendly Starfish Lagoon, there will also be a swim-up bar with in- and out-of-water dining. The Pearl Cove Beach Club offers a full bar, as well as the ability for guests to purchase an access pass to the open bar.
Another unique feature of Celebration Key's food and beverage offering is the premium Suncastle Grounds café. There is also an ice cream shop available on the island.
What is free and what costs more?
Along with the announcement of food and beverage options, Carnival also announced its “Island Eats” program, which allows each guest one Complimentary food on the island, which can be chosen from quick-service establishments, snack stands and food trucks, or guests can choose to receive 25% off a full-service meal.
At this time, it is unclear if Carnival's Cheers! The beverage package will work on the island; However, the fact that the exclusive Pearl Cove Beach Club sells open bar packages is a good indicator that this will not be the case. The beverage package doesn't work on the line's existing Half Moon Cay private island or the line's private Amber Cove resort destination, so this wouldn't be a big surprise.
When comparing Celebration Key deals to Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay, it's a mixed bag. According to this press release, there will be clearly There will 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 their casual spots, plus cruisers can use their on-island beverage package.
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Finally, it's worth noting that this remains 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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