Cruise giants are building their own private paradise islands with jaw-dropping features
Cruise lines have been betting big on their private destinations.
Later this month, Carnival will open Celebration Key, a private destination the cruise line operator has been developing on the island of Grand Bahama for its guests.
CEO Josh Weinstein told "The Claman Countdown" host Liz Claman on June 24 that it was "already one of the most searched-out cruise destinations on Google" ahead of its debut.
"We are talking about over a mile of white sand beach, 275,000 square feet of man-made built lagoon, the world’s largest swim-up bar, the world’s largest sand castle, and we’ve built five portals all over this destination so that we can accommodate different needs for different guests," he said. "We have a family zone, we have an adult zone, we have a private beach club and more."
Celebration Key will add to the private destinations and islands that Carnival already has in its portfolio.
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Weinstein told analysts and investors during the company’s June 24 second-quarter earnings call that Carnival was "on track for the mid-2026 opening of a significant expansion" at its Relax Away, Half Moon Cay private island.
Carnival has also said it has expansions and "enhancements" in the works for its Mahogany Bay destination in Honduras. It is being renamed "Isla Tropicale."
"Upgrades will include a large pool with a swim-up bar, a beautiful new private beach club and doubling the beach line to almost half a mile," he said during the call.
Weinstein said he believes Carnival has a "significant opportunity to further monetize" the company’s collection of private locales through "targeted incremental investments and stepping up our marketing efforts" to help "drive consumer consideration and conversion, taking share from land-based alternatives."
Other cruise companies have also been making moves when it comes to private destinations.
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Norwegian Cruise Line announced in mid-April that it will be adding "new amenities and enhancements" to the private island it owns in the Bahamas called Great Stirrup Cay.
Great Stirrup Cay is slated to get a new welcome center, a new pool area replete with a swim-up bar, splash pad and cabanas, as well as an adults-only "Vibe Beach Club and Horizon Park" and a multi-ship pier, according to a press release.
Those projects are expected to be completed later in the year.
Royal Caribbean Group will expand its portfolio of private destinations as well.
It has "Royal Beach Clubs" coming up, including Royal Beach Club Paradise Island and Royal Beach Club Cozumel. The former of those two sites has its opening targeted for December of this year, while the latter is supposed to debut in 2026.
Royal Caribbean started letting guests going to Nassau starting in late December begin reserving passes for Royal Beach Club Paradise on Tuesday, according to a press release.
The company will also introduce two other destinations, "Perfect Day Mexico" and one in the South Pacific, in 2027.
Disney Cruise Line, meanwhile, opened a new private tropical destination last year, Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. It is located on Eleuthera in the Bahamas.
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The company has also long operated its Castaway Cay private island.
In May, a report released by Cruise Lines International Association projected some 37.7 million people will take cruises over the course of this year.
