Review: Carnival’s Celebration Key – Beautiful but Still Finding Its Footing

Carnival’s Celebration Key just opened in July and visually it’s stunning. The bright colors, spacious pool area, and fresh design make it feel like a resort built just for cruise guests. But once you get past the looks, there are some things you’ll want to know before visiting.

The Good Stuff

• Brand-New Feel: Everything is crisp and colorful, with a beautiful central pool that makes a great first impression.
• Included Fun: The big water slide was a hit — and unlike Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay, there’s no separate charge to ride it.
• Kid-Friendly: Plenty of space to play, with easy access around the island.

The Different Portals (Areas of the Island)

Carnival divided Celebration Key into five distinct “portals”, each with a different vibe:

1. Paradise Plaza (Welcome Portal): The main entrance with the iconic Suncastle, guest services, and trams to get you around. It feels like the colorful heart of the island.
2. Starfish Lagoon (Family Portal): A kid- and teen-friendly zone with a splash pad, sports courts, and a beachy lagoon. Families with little ones will spend most of their time here.
3. Calypso Lagoon (Adult-Friendly Portal): This is the lively, party-style zone. Think DJs, swim-up bars, and a fun social vibe.
4. Pearl Cove Beach Club (Premium Adults-Only Portal): An upgraded, quieter zone with an infinity pool and private beach. It’s beautiful — but it comes at an extra charge.
5. Lokono Cove (Shopping Portal): Where you’ll find Bahamian crafts, souvenirs, and duty-free shops. A nice cultural touch, but it’s mostly retail.

The Challenges

• Rocky Beach: My kids noticed right away that the beach was a little rocky, making swimming less comfortable. Water shoes are a must.
• Drink Package Excluded: A big downside is that your Carnival drink package does not work on the island. Every cocktail or beer is extra.
• Food Policy & Prices: Each guest gets one complimentary meal, but after that you’re paying theme-park pricing. The food court setup included:
  • Chicken & More (tenders, sandwiches, fries, onion rings)
  • Mediterranean Flavors (bowls with rice or greens, plus lamb, beef, chicken, or falafel)
  • Tacos & Burrito Bowls (tacos, carnitas, grilled beef, veggie bowls)
  • Pizzas (margherita, pepperoni, mushroom, veggie)
  • Burgers & More (burgers, hot dogs, Caesar salad)

Meals ranged from $12.99–$15.99, each coming with a cookie. While the variety was nice, the setup felt like a mall food court instead of a tropical island buffet.

Celebration Key has a lot of potential, and I appreciated that some fun things — like the water slide — were included without an extra charge. The themed portals are a smart way to give the island personality. But between the rocky beach, the drink package not working, and the pay-as-you-go food setup, it didn’t fully live up to the dream of an “all-inclusive” private island.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 — Gorgeous setting with fun zones, but the food and drink policies bring it down. Now that ice cream place – Yumshine Scoops gets extra credit!! It was amazing… but yes it was a separate charge. Price was around $8-$9

Review: Perfect Day at CocoCay – Overhyped and Overpriced

When you think of a cruise line’s private island, you imagine everything being included in the experience. That’s why my stop at Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay was such a letdown. Instead of feeling like a perk, it felt like I was being nickel-and-dimed at every turn.

Too Many Upcharges

The biggest disappointment was the cost of the extras:

• $90 per person just to access the adult-only area (Hideaway Beach).
• $145 per person for the waterpark (Thrill Waterpark).

For a couple, that’s nearly $500 more just to enjoy two features of the island — on top of the cruise fare. It made me question the purpose of calling it a “private island” if the best areas aren’t actually accessible without spending more money.

The Different Zones of CocoCay

Royal Caribbean markets the island as a “choose your adventure” type of place, and it’s divided into a few key zones:

1. Chill Island: The free beach zone where most people end up. It’s fine but basic, and it gets crowded since it’s one of the few included areas.
2. Oasis Lagoon: The massive freshwater pool with a swim-up bar. Fun atmosphere, but it can get very busy.
3. Thrill Waterpark (Extra $$): Packed with slides (including the tallest in North America) and a wave pool. Great if you’re willing to pay, but pricey at $145.
4. Hideaway Beach (Extra $$): The new adults-only zone, quieter and more upscale — but access costs $90 per person.
5. Coco Beach Club (Extra $$): The premium retreat with cabanas over the water and a private restaurant. Gorgeous, but at an even steeper price tag.

The Free Side of Things

There were some positives. If you already have the drink package, it works on the island, which is a big plus. The free food options were also pretty decent, better than I expected for a buffet-style setup.

But the free beach areas were very plain and crowded. Compared to the premium zones, they felt like the “budget section.”  The island is cute, no doubt, but the constant upcharges take away from the magic. Instead of relaxing and enjoying the day, I kept calculating what was worth the cost and what wasn’t. For me, CocoCay ended up being more stressful than special.