Carnival Cruise Line revealed a surprise that is coming to its private island in a couple years. But it didn’t have to do with Celebration Key, the massive $600 million private island destination Carnival will begin adding to itineraries in Summer 2025.
Instead, Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald shared some major plans for the cruise line’s Half Moon Cay private island on social media that included three big developments fans of the island are sure to love.
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First, there will be an expanded beach, as well as expanded dining and beverage experiences on the island. Currently, there are a few bars and a single food pavilion that serves a complimentary lunch.
Second, and perhaps most significant, is that the island is adding a pier that will allow some of Carnival’s ships to dock. Currently, Half Moon Cay is a tender port, meaning that the ship must drop anchor and rely on smaller boats to bring passengers ashore. In fact, the reason I’ve never seen Half Moon Cay is when I was scheduled to visit on the Carnival Sunshine last year, the water was too rough for the small tender boats to operate.
Finally, the addition of a pier will allow Carnival’s Excel class ships to visit the island. This includes the Carnival Jubilee, Carnival Celebration, and Mardi Gras. Previously, the island was inaccessible to Carnival’s largest ships, even by tendering.
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Carnival’s trifecta of private experiences – now for the newest and largest ships
Heald shared a number of itineraries on Excel class ships beginning in 2026 that include stops at both Half Moon Cay and Carnival’s upcoming private island Celebration Key. There are even a few on Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration that include Carnival’s private Amber Cove resort in the Dominican Republic, essentially creating a trifecta of private experiences within the Carnival ecosystem.
This is a significant development for Carnival. While nearly all major cruise lines have private islands these days, no other cruise line has quite as many private destinations that are so different from and complimentary to one another, especially that are accessible to the newest and largest ships in the fleet.
Of course, Celebration Key is clearly Carnival’s answer to Royal Caribbean’s wildly popular Perfect Day at CocoCay, with massive freshwater pools, premium experiences, and plenty of activities for cruisers of all ages.
Amber Cove isn’t a private island, but rather is a gated resort near Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic, and is a similar idea to Royal Caribbean’s resort in Labadee, Haiti (currently closed due to the political unrest in that country).
Carnival offers varied experiences
On the other hand, Half Moon Cay is largely an island focused on pristine beaches. It has long been a favorite “beach day” for cruisers on the line’s older and smaller ships. But now travelers won’t have to choose between a Half Moon Cay stop and experiencing the latest and greatest in Carnival’s fleet.
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To be sure, there’s a lot we don’t know quite yet. For example, we don’t know what the expanded food and beverage offerings on Half Moon Cay will look like, nor do we have any details about the pier itself.
However, Heald ended his Facebook post discussing the changes with “more news very soon,” so more details will likely be available in the near future.
Carnival's biggest rival will also be launching new "Beach Club," private island-style experiences in Nassau and Cozumel.
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