The Tribune

Carnival Cruise Line’s $600m Grand Bahama port is now set to open on July 19 with senior executives touring the location to assess construction progress.

Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president, was joined by Josh Weinstein, its chief executive, and Lars Ljoen, chief maritime officer, as they assessed Celebration Key’s development. In keeping with the maritime tradition of a keel laying for a new ship, they placed commemorative keys into Celebration Key’s signature Suncastle, the centrepiece of the destination’s five themed ‘portals’.

The Suncastle stands 10-stories tall near Paradise Plaza, the first portal guests will encounter and which serves as a gateway to the destination’s other areas. The Suncastle will also feature racing water slides that are part of the portal geared toward families, Starfish Lagoon.

The destination’s adult-focused portal, Calypso Lagoon, features an adult-only area with a DJ island and a large swim-up bar. Pearl Cove Beach Club is a private portal offering a premium adult-only experience with an infinity pool and beachfront cabanas. The fifth portal, Lokono Cove, is an artisan retail village celebrating Bahamian culture through local art and hand-made goods.

“Celebration Key represents a new chapter for Carnival, and its construction builds on our close partnership with The Bahamas, so seeing it transform from vision to reality is incredible,” said Ms Duffy. “We broke ground on this site less than three years ago, and now in five short months we’ll see our first guests enjoy the many experiences we created just for them to celebrate and enjoy this gorgeous place on Grand Bahama.”

About 500 workers are on site daily prior to the summer opening when Carnival Vista will make the first call on July 19. To-date, Carnival said 28 Bahamian companies have contributed to the project.

“This destination will serve as a tribute to the rich Bahamian culture and Grand Bahama’s natural environment,” said Mr Weinstein. “It’s clear Celebration Key will be a game-changer for our flagship brand and its loyal guests, with endless options for relaxation and recreation, but it’s also truly great to see first-hand how we’re implementing our company’s robust sustainability initiatives on land.”

During their tour, the Carnival executives joined staff in planting palm trees from the ‘Plant a Tree’ community engagement programme launched last year as part of a broad preservation initiative that has involved replanting thousands of native trees across the property.

About 1,000 sabal palms were saved and replanted. Ms Duffy also participated in the ceremonial filling of one of two freshwater lagoons that will be sustained by Celebration Key’s desalination system, which converts seawater into freshwater. The lagoons span over seven acres and hold about seven million gallons of water.

Carnival continues to make new options and features available for guests as they plan their Celebration Key experience. New at Pearl Cove Beach Club are beachfront daybeds, private cabanas and exclusive Super Villas, available for booking soon. Each option includes access to the club’s open bar service, infinity pool, full-service restaurant and premium beachfront access.