CELEBRATION KEY, Bahamas -- Opening day at Carnival Cruise Line's newest private destination, Celebration Key, included a marching band parading from ship to shore, fireworks and an appearance by Shaquille O'Neal.
But once the festivities and formalities concluded, and the press gaggle disbursed to explore, the relaxing vibe of this port on Grand Bahama took hold.
The destination represents the cruise line's $600 million bet on the private destination trend and delivers two massive, aesthetically divine pools, a beach with loungers galore just a short walk from the ship and a joyous dose of hospitality from the Bahamian employees.
Carnival brought one of its ships for opening day, the 3,934-passenger Carnival Vista, and as guests dispersed throughout the 68 acres, nowhere felt too crowded, not even the line at the two waterslides.
"This is incredible, and as you know, this truly is just the beginning," said Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy during opening remarks. "We will have visits from 20 Carnival cruise ships from 10 different U.S. homeports calling here."
The campus is walkable but best appreciated by selecting either the beach, the pool or the premium Pearl Cove Beach Club to settle for at least a couple of hours. Two roads enable easy and quick movement via tram from one part to another, including, at the end of the day, back to the 2,200-foot pier to the ship.
The centerpiece of Celebration Key, the 10-story Suncastle tower, has two winding Suncastle Racing Slides, making for an exciting welcome to the island from both onboard the ship and when entering Celebration Key on foot.
It is only from the top of the tower that one can truly see the ends of the pools. At more than 275,000 square feet and holding about 350 million gallons of water, Carnival calls the pools the largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean.
The 10-story Suncastle tower. Photo Credit: Teri West
Pool party at Celebration Key
Children of all ages can enjoy the Starfish Lagoon family-friendly pool. Unlike on Carnival Cruise Line ships, babies in swim diapers are allowed in the water.
Among the children enjoying Starfish Lagoon on opening day was Twain, 5, who had just learned to swim the week prior and said he could go as far as he wanted without fearing sharks.
Both pools have a padded surface, and guests can relax on in-water benches or recliners or at the swim-up bar in the 18-plus section, Calypso Lagoon. A DJ booth set behind the water faces the bar and connected eatery Mingo's, and lively tunes -- including a Michael Jackson medley and Whitney Houston's "How Will I Know" -- were still audible from an opposite section of Calypso Lagoon.
The lagoon is surrounded by shaded beach loungers and rentable cabanas and super villas. Travel advisor Corrine Wilkerson found the lagoon to be the most impressive part of Celebration Key and one that travelers of all ages could enjoy.
"The structure of it, and how large and massive it was, was awesome," said Wilkerson, who owns MacTravel Services in Illinois. "It was beautiful."
Despite the size of the lagoon, everything at Celebration Key feels within a walkable distance, she said, one difference from Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay. Though the destination feels "huge," Wilkerson said, "I felt like everything was still right there."
Beach club upgrade
That includes the most exclusive section of Celebration Key: Pearl Cove Beach Club.
Entry to the 18-plus area starts at $79.99 and includes an infinity pool and swim-up bar, a large, shaded restaurant and cushioned pool chairs.
Travel advisor Diane Fish said she spent much of her time there and considers it a good value for cruisers looking for some extra privacy and a picture-perfect view of the ship from the pool. A beach cabana rental in Pearl Cove is also a worth-it upgrade for extra peace, she said. Starting at $999.99 for the day, it includes a Cabana Concierge, open bar and unlimited Suncastle Racing Slide rides, which otherwise cost $14.99 for the day.
"They had these beautiful pull-down curtains to make it private if you wanted it to be, and the breeze was awesome," said Fish, a Florida-based advisor for Cruise Brothers (No. 62 on the Travel Weekly Power List).
Guests are never far from food on the island, including a complimentary food truck meal for cruisers or 25% off a meal at one of the restaurants. Carnival has developed tropical cocktails exclusively available on the island. (Carnival's drink packages do not extend to any off-ship destinations.)
Fish left raving about Celebration Key.
"I think it's going to give a lot of the cruise lines a run for their money," she said.