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Gold Rock Beach. The Port Lucaya Marketplace. The conch salad. Dinner at Flying Fish.
Travelers are increasingly hip to the renaissance of Grand Bahama, which has several new projects underway including a new Six Senses.
But the biggest infusion into the island is coming this summer, when Carnival opens its highly-anticipated new destination: Celebration Key, which now has an opening date.
The new Celebration Key will be officially opening on July 19, according to Carnival Corporation.
It will be a multifaceted, wide-ranging destination, including some special adults-only offerings. That includes the Pearl Cove Bech Club, which has its own infinity pool and cabanas and Calypso Lagoon, which has a DJ island and a swim-up bar.
That’s along with a retail shopping village called Lokono Cove and a broad water park called Suncastle.
Celebration Key will have what the cruise line bills as the largest freshwater lagoon in the Caribbean.
The site will include a range of recreational activities, such as snorkeling, kayaking, and ATV excursions, as well as an area for swimming with dolphins. Visitors seeking a quieter experience have access to private cabanas, canopied daybeds, and villas, which accommodate groups of various sizes.
The development features more than 30 dining and bar options, offering a mix of Bahamian and international cuisine. Dining ranges from full-service restaurants to quick-service locations.
Another tour, called “Three Bahamian Villages: Foody Tour by Open Tram,” takes guests through Smith’s Point, William’s Town, and Pinder’s Point, with stops for local dishes such as conch salad and guava duff. Celebration Key is one of several private destinations cruise lines have developed in the region in recent years.
The new destination is a “new chapter for Carnival,” says Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
“We broke ground on this site less than three years ago, and now in five short months we’ll see our first guests enjoy the many experiences we created just for them to celebrate and enjoy this gorgeous place on Grand Bahama.”
So what about prices? You can find three-day Bahamas cruises that stop at Celebration Key on Carnival Conquest this summer, with rates starting at $579 per person. That gets you an interior stateroom. For an ocean-view, it’s $835 per person, and $835 if you want a balcony.
