Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador John Heald is getting bombarded with questions from guests wanting to know more about Celebration Key, the cruise line’s highly anticipated private destination on Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas.

As a result, Heald shared a detailed video update on July 8, 2025, revealing new details about Celebration Key, including transportation, food options, accessibility, and what’s included for guests.

Accessibility Revealed

Set to open July 19, 2025, Celebration Key will be a 10-minute walk from ships that call, with transportation options for guests who need assistance, he began.

“If you come off the ship and you’re going to Celebration Key, you need to give yourself 10 minutes’ walk, that’s all,” he said. 

The carts will be equipped with side ramps for wheelchair access, and Carnival Cruise Line is encouraging guests with mobility scooters to ride down the flat pier, if able.

There will be four ADA-compliant golf carts available, as well, each holding up to three guests, plus 14 larger trams seating up to 12 people each, with Heald pointing out that isn’t a lot for a ship carrying 4,000 people.

“If you can walk, please walk it,” he urged.

Dining Options

Heald also discussed food options and addressed what is free and what isn’t. Every passenger will receive one complimentary meal at any of the destination’s 14 quick-service food outlets.

“All you do is go up to one of these locations, hand them your Sail & Sign card, and they will scan it,” he explained. “That’s it. You don’t need to add a gratuity or anything else.”

The complimentary menu includes items such as hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, hot dogs, mac and cheese, Caesar salads, and vegan or vegetarian options like falafel.

“Everything will come with fries and a large cookie,” he added. “No matter what you order, you get a cookie.”

For those wanting more upscale options, Celebration Key will also feature a number of sit-down restaurants at an additional cost.

One of the featured venues, Gill’s Grill, will offer seafood options like shrimp, snow crab, Caribbean lobster, and salmon, and is where Heald says he plans to go.

Coffee and donuts will also be available for purchase. “There is apparently the best doughnut shop in the world,” he said, noting he was told that by Carnival Cruise Line’s senior vice president of hotel operations.

Heald also revealed a “swingers’ bar,” where guests can relax and swing while enjoying drinks from the bar.

Guests can use either their Sail Sign card or a personal credit card to purchase additional items, with the entire destination cashless.

What’s Free and What’s Not

Heald clarified several times that guests will have access to a number of complimentary amenities including shaded seating areas, beach chairs, umbrellas, and towels – “enough for everybody.”

Although he said with a grin, “please return the towels” and that guests are welcome to bring their own pool noodles and floats.

Read Also: Is Carnival Charging Ridiculous Prices for Celebration Key?

Freshwater and access to the massive lagoon, described by Heald as “epically massive” and “majestic,” are also included.

Excursions can be pre-purchased through Carnival’s website, but guests are also free to explore the open areas of Celebration Key without paying extra. “There are so many areas that you can go to for everybody,” he said.

Guests can also come and go between the ship and Celebration Key as often as they’d like. “But I think once you get there, you won’t want to leave,” Heald added.

He ended the video by promising additional updates and behind-the-scenes views once he’s onsite starting July 19, 2025, including footage of the lagoon, the ADA carts, and the sit-down restaurants.

New Details Revealed About Celebration Key’s Food, Access, and More