Carnival Shares New Details on Family-Friendly Portal Coming to Celebration Key

Carnival Cruise Line has shared a new reveal about its family-friendly portal coming to its new private destination Celebration Key on Grand Bahama Island. The space, named Starfish Lagoon, will offer families endless ways to have fun in the sun when Celebration Key opens in July 2025. 

Starfish Lagoon joins Paradise Plaza, the welcome area, Calypso Lagoon, the adult-friendly area and Lokono Cove, the shopping village, as four of the five portals. Carnival will share details soon on the adults-only private retreat coming to Celebration Key. 

Starfish Lagoon is centered around one of the largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean at Celebration Key. The area will offer a variety of activities for guests of all ages. Starfish Lagoon joins Paradise Plaza, the welcome area, Calypso Lagoon, the adult-friendly area and Lokono Cove, the shopping village, as four of the five portals. Following is a look at the features coming to Starfish Lagoon.  

Named after the national bird and national fish of The Bahamas, the pink Flash Flamingo and blue Mach III Marlin water slides will be found in Starfish Lagoon. Each is over 350 feet long, inviting guests to friendly competition as they weave through and around Celebration Key’s 10-story high Suncastle in a speedy race.  

Guppy Grotto - Photo by Carnival Cruise Line

Located right at the entrance to Starfish Lagoon, for toddlers and small children, the Guppy Grotto splash pad will be a colorful, coral-reef-themed children’s water play area. It will offer a two-foot-deep wading pool, water toys, a dump bucket, interactive features, as well as plenty of shaded seating for parents with a nearby ice cream shop. 

The Sports Court - Photo by Carnival Cruise Line

The Game Pavilion area is to feature a variety of table games such as foosball, ping pong and corn hole, along with more seating areas. Active guests can also check out The Sports Court for volleyball, basketball, and pickleball courts.

Floating AquaBanas - Photo by Carnival Cruise Line

The Floating AquaBanas will be comfortable and sturdy floating cabana areas where guests can relax with their feet in the water under a canopy. These will be available to rent, with seating space for eight, a table for drinks and essentials, and non-slip surfaces and steps for easy access into the lagoon. These 12 floating “private islands” are grouped around a peninsula with a dedicated bar. A variety of more traditional cabanas and daybeds will also be available.

For guests who want to lounge or play in the water, the portal will feature a stretch of gorgeous beach with crystal blue waters with kayak and paddleboard rentals. On the sand, guests can enjoy games of frisbee or sandcastle building, or sunbathe in the sun loungers and cabanas. On the poolside area, a number of hammocks will be located right next to the Suncastle. 

Beach at Starfish Lagoon - Photo by Carnival Cruise Line

A variety of dining venues provide many options for guests including restaurants, snack and bar shacks, along with Bahamian food trucks. For the adults, the Swim Up Bar will serve a variety of drinks, including the bar’s specialty frozen rum cocktails. 

“At Carnival, we carry more children than any other cruise line, so we’ve designed Starfish Lagoon specifically for family fun,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Toddlers, teens and adults alike will find their own piece of paradise whether it be racing down one of the waterslides, playing a round of pickleball or relaxing on our floating AquaBanas.”

Celebration Key is scheduled to welcome its first guests in July 2025. More than 500 itineraries currently open for sale feature visits to the new destination on 18 ships sailing from 10 U.S. homeports.

See All Cruises to Celebration Key

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