Racing waterslides the length of a football field and floating cabanas are in store for Carnival Cruise Line's family area on Celebration Key.
The $500 million private beach destination, slated to open on Grand Bahama in July 2025, will include a family area called Starfish Lagoon, which will include a beach, a freshwater pool, waterslides, sports and gaming areas and floating cabanas called AquaBanas.
Starfish Lagoon will have a pair of water slides, each nearly the length of a football field at more than 350 feet, that will wrap around the 10-story "Suncastle" that is Celebration Key's centerpiece. The slides, the pink Flash Flamingo and blue Mach III Marlin -- are named after the Bahamas' national bird and fish. Riders can race each other and will experience flashes of light and color on the way down.
The Flash Flamingo and Mach III Marlin waterslides will wrap around the Suncastle and empty into the lagoon pool. Photo Credit: Carnival Cruise Line
A splash pad at the entrance will be called the Guppy Grotto. Meant for toddlers and small children, the coral reef-themed splash pad includes a two-foot-deep pool, water toys, dump buckets and interactive features, along with shaded seating for parents and a nearby ice cream shop.
Table games like foosball, ping pong and cornhole will be available in the Game Pavilion, which will be situated near the Sports Court offering volleyball, basketball and pickleball.
The family area will also have a dozen rentable floating cabanas called AquaBanas, where up to eight people can float together. The floating spaces include a table for drinks, non-slip surfaces and steps for access to the lagoon.
The AquaBanas will be grouped around a peninsula with a dedicated bar. Traditional cabanas and daybeds will also be available.
Adults will have access to a swim-up bar in the family area and hammocks next to the Suncastle. Guests will also have access to a stretch of beach, kayak and paddleboard rentals, space for throwing a Frisbee and building sandcastles, sun loungers and umbrellas.
Starfish Lagoon will have restaurants, snack and bar shacks, and Bahamian food trucks.
The Sports Court area will have pickleball, volleyball and basketball. Photo Credit: Carnival Cruise Line
Celebration Key will have four additional designated areas that Carnival calls portals. In addition to the Starfish Lagoon, the destination will have the Calypso Lagoon with a portion dedicated to adults, a retail area called Lokono Cove, and the Paradise Plaza entrance area.
The line has yet to reveal the name and details of its adults-only private retreat.
Carnival expects 2.2 million guests will visit Celebration Key in 2025, growing to 4 million by 2028.