Carnival shares how to score a complimentary meal at its latest private beach getaway

Attention, Carnival Cruise Line enthusiasts! Prepare your appetites! Carnival has just unveiled the impressive range of dining options that will be available at Celebration Key, its new private beach destination on Grand Bahama Island, opening in July 2025. Even better, guests can learn how to enjoy one meal at a discounted price or even for free.

Carnival is set to introduce around 30 food and beverage outlets at Celebration Key. The dining choices will feature four sit-down restaurants, snack shacks, counter-service kiosks, food trucks, and a food hall.

Celebration Key differs from Carnival's Half Moon Cay, the private island shared with Holland America. Half Moon Cay offers a complimentary open-air barbecue buffet with hot dogs, burgers, jerk chicken, grilled vegetables, rice dishes, salads, and desserts. In contrast, the restaurants at Celebration Key resemble those you'd find in any port, where food comes at a price.

Nonetheless, Carnival has discovered a way to make lunchtime more budget-friendly. Through its new "Island Eats" initiative, cruisers can enjoy one free meal when they use their Sail and Sign card for food purchases. This offer is valid only at the quick casual spots, snack shacks, and food trucks at Celebration Key.

If you prefer dining at one of the island's full-service establishments, you’ll receive a 25% discount on one entree per person. (This discount is not applicable at the Pearl Cove Beach Club restaurant.)

While it may not offer the all-you-can-eat experience of Half Moon Cay, guests still have an affordable dining option if they choose.

Overview of restaurants

Planned full-service dining options for Celebration Key

Mingo's Tropical Bar & Kitchen: This waterfront venue will offer beloved Bahamian dishes such as fried fish and conch fritters, along with classic burgers, seafood, sandwiches, tacos, and steak.

Surf N' Sauce BBQ & Brews: This establishment features outdoor-smoked meats paired with a full-service bar showcasing craft beers from local Bahamian breweries.

Gill's Grill: This family-friendly eatery specializes in Caribbean seafood, offering options like seafood baskets, local fish, lobster, steamed crab, and shrimp. It also includes popular land-based dishes such as chicken, burgers, and meals for kids.

Pearl Cove Beach Club Restaurant: Guests at the 18-plus Pearl Cove Beach Club who pay for access can indulge in an elevated menu at the on-site restaurant. To enjoy a complimentary meal here, they must purchase an all-inclusive beach club pass; passengers with passes that include only a welcome drink or open bar will need to pay for their meals.

Quick-service venues featured in the Island Eats program

Captain's Galley Food Hall: This food hall features five different outlets offering a variety of options including burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, pizza, Mediterranean bowls, tacos, and burritos.

Mingo's Express: This standalone food truck provides a casual, to-go version of Mingo's beloved Bahamian dishes and burger favorites.

Food trucks and snack shacks: Several food trucks will serve up beachside classics such as sandwiches and burgers, along with Bahamian treats like conch fritters. Self-ordering kiosks will help minimize wait times for food. Celebration Key will also feature several snack shacks offering drinks and grab-and-go options, including sandwiches, wraps, hot dogs, and salads.

A selection of bars (including a 100-seat swim-up bar), food carts, a coffee shop, and an ice cream shop complete the beverage and dining options at Celebration Key. Drinks and snacks at these spots will need to be purchased separately.

Further information on Celebration Key

Slated to open in July 2025, Celebration Key will be organized into five distinct areas, referred to as portals. These include Paradise Plaza (the welcoming hub), the family-friendly Starfish Lagoon, the adult-oriented Calypso Lagoon, the exclusive-access Pearl Cove Beach Club for adults only, and the shopping district known as Lokono Cove.

A future phase of development for Celebration Key will introduce a water park and zip lines.