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Not an island — a giant Bahamian beach machine. Free lagoons, one meal credit each, and BYO drink budget.
Celebration Key opened in summer 2025, and here's the twist most families don't realize: it's not actually an island. It's a huge gated beach destination built on Grand Bahama — a real, inhabited Bahamian island — which is why you'll find local vendors and Bahamian food mixed in with the resort polish. The centerpiece is a pair of freshwater lagoons so big they're the largest in the Caribbean, anchored by a giant sandcastle tower with waterslides you can spot from the ship.
Tell your kids this: those two "pools" are so big that together they're the size of about five football fields — and you'll see the sandcastle from your balcony before you even dock.
The layout is smart: one whole lagoon and beach is the family zone, the other side leans adult — so the splash-pad crowd and the swim-up-bar crowd each get their own world.
The money talk first, because this port works differently and it catches families off guard. Food is NOT an unlimited buffet here — every person gets ONE included meal credit for the day at select spots (kids under 12 eat free from kids' menus with theirs), and anything beyond that is out of pocket. Bigger gotcha: your ship's drink package does not work ashore — drinks go on your card at full price. The counter-move: big ship breakfast, use the meal credits for lunch, refillable water bottles (free water stations everywhere), and walk back to the docked ship if anyone needs round two.
Everything that matters most is free, though: both lagoons, both beaches, loungers, umbrellas, trams, sports courts. Head straight to the family lagoon side — the toddler splash grotto is right near the entrance, so no cross-island stroller trek, and lifeguards are posted at the pools. Shade goes FAST; get off by 8:30–9 or accept full sun. One honest note: the ocean beach can run rough or seaweedy some days — the lagoons are the sure thing, and honestly they're the better swim anyway.
Do you want a set-and-forget day, or are you winging it?
Either way — we've got you covered.
This is the easy button. Every excursion below is built for cruisers — pickup at the pier, drop-off at the pier, timing that respects your all-aboard, and a day where the logistics are somebody else's job.
Pick one, click, done. Want more options than our three favorites? Everything at this port is one tap away 👇
The free day here is built around one decision: which lagoon is yours. For families, that's easy.
**The family lagoon** is the home base — enormous, soft-bottomed, with gradual walk-in entries and the whole kid infrastructure (splash grotto, sports courts, the slide tower) clustered around it so you never have to relocate. **The splash grotto** handles the littlest crew — it's diaper-friendly with swim diapers and steps from the entrance plaza. **The ocean beach** past the lagoons is the quiet escape when you need it — it's the least crowded spot on the property most of the day.
The waterslides on the sandcastle are a small upcharge and the lines build by late morning — if the kids have locked onto them from the ship (they will), go early. And browse the local craft market during peak sun; it's one of the few private-destination markets with actual Bahamian vendors.
