Carnival reveals two of five areas at new destination Celebration Key in Bahamas

Carnival Cruise Line has revealed details for Paradise Plaza and Calypso Lagoon, two of the five areas at its new Celebration Key private cruise destination.

Celebration Key on Grand Bahama is set to debut in July 2025 with five area or ‘portals’ each featuring distinct experiences and amenities, while a phase 2 plan for the destination’s expansion will include a waterpark.

Paradise Plaza will welcome guests with a brightly coloured promenade and radiant sun-shaped arch for photos, while live music fills the air beneath the centrepiece 10-story-high Suncastle.

Wayfinding and destination information will help guests choose how they want to spend their day, whether that’s relaxing in a cabana, playing water sports, joining shore excursions or simply taking in the view of the ocean from a mile-long beach.

The adult-friendly Calypso Lagoon will sit to the west of Paradise Plaza. Designed for adults seeking a lively and social atmosphere, the area will feature a sports court, a huge freshwater lagoon (the largest in the Caribbean), and hundreds of loungers, daybeds and cabanas.

On one side of the lagoon, guests will find a unique bar with 50 swings over water, enjoying great views across the lagoon and serving classic poolside and Bahamian cocktails.

Along with additional bars located around Calypso Lagoon there will also be two dedicated full-service restaurants, as well as a variety of casual snack shacks.

A portion of Calypso Lagoon and the adjacent beach will be designated as an adults-only area. In this section, guests will find a large swim-up bar with a DJ, as well as Bahamian food trucks, cabanas, daybeds and loungers.

“Paradise Plaza will be the perfect welcome spot and will set the tone for the entire visit to this truly unique destination,” said Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line. “These new details show the creative design that’s gone into the development of each portal, with Calypso Lagoon alone offering a wide variety of options to fill the day, while honouring the beauty of Grand Bahama and celebrating Bahamian culture.”

Paradise Plaza and Calypso Lagoon are two of five areas in Celebration Key, with the other three having already been announced. They include a family-friendly portal, a private retreat and a retail area.

Carnival will share further details about these portals in the coming months, as it also plans a second phase of the destination that will add new features beyond the five portals, including a waterpark.

Celebration Key’s first guests will visit in July 2025, with more than 500 itineraries currently open for sale feature visits to the new destination, with 18 ships set to call on Celebration Key from ten U.S. homeports through spring 2026.