Key Aspects:
- Celebration Key has officially opened with the arrival of Carnival Vista, the first ship to visit the new private destination on Grand Bahama island.
- Opening festivities included live music, dignitary visits, fireworks, a ribbon cutting, and much more to celebrate the first ship visit.
- Celebration Key cost $600 million to build and Phase 2 of the project is already underway to extend the pier and accommodate more ships.
It’s a day for Carnival Cruise Line to celebrate as the very first ship and her 4,800 guests arrived at Celebration Key, officially opening the new Grand Bahama destination with appropriate fanfare.
Carnival Vista arrived in port on Saturday morning, July 19, 2025, as the final stop in the ship’s 8-night Southern Caribbean itinerary.
Fun festivities welcomed the first Fun Ship to call on the new destination as Carnival Cruise Line “unlocked paradise” with a symbolic padlock, fireworks, and colored smoke to symbolize that Celebration Key is now officially open.
A colorful band and singers welcomed guests to the island, and they were able to enjoy a fun-filled day of sunshine, excursions, crystalline lagoons, and so much more.
You can watch a video of the opening ceremony and interviews below:
Cruise line executives and celebrities were on hand for the occasion, including Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy, Carnival Corporation CEO Josh Weinstein, and Chief “Fun” Officer Shaquille O’Neal, as well as Bahamian officials and local representatives.
“Today marks an extraordinary milestone for Carnival as we open the first phase of our initial $600M investment, with more to come,” Duffy said. “We’ve built the ultimate beach day for our guests whether they crave fun in the sun or relaxation under a palm tree.”
In her opening remarks, Duffy noted that Celebration Key has been a dream of the cruise line’s for more than 25 years, and it’s a great occasion to see that dream now a reality.
The opening celebrations included not only unlocking the padlock to the iconic Suncastle, home to two racing waterslides, but also a ribbon cutting at the Bahamian retail and artistic village, Lonoko Cove, and a champagne toast at the adults-only Pearl Cove Beach Club.
For those guests looking to stay active while visiting Celebration Key, Shaquille O’Neal threw the first shot at the basketball court (but no word on whether he made it or not!).
When asked about his first impressions of the now-open destination, Weinstein had nothing but positive feedback.
“It blows away anything out there,” he said. “This is going to be our home for the next 50 years, and it’s only going to get better from today. Congratulations to everyone who made this a reality.”
Also on the island for this inaugural visit has been John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, providing ongoing comments, tips, and “walkies” videos so even more Carnival fans can enjoy the celebrations.
Heald showed off such amazing features as the in-pool swings at the swim-up bar, the loads of relaxing and complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas, and the first two guests down the waterslides.
He also included an up-close view of one of the private rental cabanas in Pearl Cove, complete with Coke products. Carnival Cruise Line has recently announced a switch to the popular beverage provider.
Surprising Things Guests Need to Know When Visiting Celebration Key
Heald didn’t just show off the features of Celebration Key, but he also spent the day answering questions from guests on the island and those curious about the new destination.
Some top points he noted were that the food portions are quite generous, there is a shallow entry end to the lagoons, multiple lifeguards are on duty at all aquatic areas, guests can bring their own pool floats if they wish, and yes, there is a coffee shop on the island.
Most surprising is that guests need to bring beach towels with them from their cruise ship. At this moment, it does not appear that towel stations are available on the island.
This may be a supply issue, as it is hard to believe that such a key aspect of a beach and pool oriented destination would have been overlooked.
Read Also: Carnival Cruise Line Releases New Celebration Key Menus
The first impression from many guests included such superlatives as “beautiful” “gorgeous” “incredible” and more, and guests are truly in for a treat when they visit the new destination.
Today’s festivities only opened Phase 1 of the overall Celebration Key project, as Phase 2 is already underway with a pier extension that will accommodate even more ships.
A total of 20 Carnival ships will visit Celebration Key this year, with sailings departing from 10 US homeports with the destination on their itineraries. Up next will be Carnival Conquest on Sunday, July 20.
The first Excel-class ship to visit will be Mardi Gras on Friday, July 25. Eventually, the largest ships ever built for Carnival Cruise Line, the Project Ace vessels, will also be calling on the destination as they debut in 2029, 2031, and 2033.
