Carnival Adds More Cruises to the Bahamas Across Three Ships

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Carnival Cruise Line announced a new set of Bahamas itineraries that allow cruisers to check out the highly anticipated Celebration Key, a private destination on Grand Bahama Island set to open in July 2025.

The just-rolled-out itineraries with departures in 2026-27 are offered on three ships based at Florida ports โ€” Carnival Conquest, at PortMiami, and Carnival Glory and Carnival Freedom, both homeported at Port Canaveral.

The new cruise series features short getaways of 3 to 5 days, all visiting the sprawling, 65-acre Celebration Key.

โ€œThese itineraries build out a key part of our 2026/27 schedule because they represent that quintessential, quick Carnival getaway from Florida to The Bahamas,โ€ said Fred Stein, vice president of itinerary planning for Carnival Cruise Line.

โ€œThese sailings give our guests many options to enjoy an escape, with all the vibrant onboard activities they know and love, plus a visit to the picturesque ports of The Bahamas, including our premier new destination Celebration Key,โ€ Stein added.

The three ships are all Conquest class, and all have the capacity for 3,756 guests. The first in the class, Carnival Conquest, has added 3-day weekend cruises with Celebration Key as the only port call. Four-day voyages add another private destination, with Half Moon Cay or Princess Cays, depending on the departure date. Carnivalย 

Carnival Conquest will also sail a solo 11-day Southern Caribbean cruise, a Carnival Journeys voyage, that features Celebration Key along with several other destinations, including St. Thomas, Dominica, Grenada, Antigua, and Barbados. The departure date is January 11, 2027.

The getaway cruise option continues with the ships based at Port Canaveral. Carnival Glory will sail 3- and 4-day cruises, with the 3-day option offering Friday departures for a weekend journey. Celebration Key is the port call. On 4-day cruises, Nassau is added to the itinerary, and some sailings will visit either Half Moon Cay or Princess Cays.

Cruisers looking for a long weekend respite can choose Carnival Freedomโ€™s 4-day sailing, which will call at Celebration Key and Half Moon Cay. The shipโ€™s 5-day cruise adds Nassau, and either Half Moon Cay or Princess Cays.

Carnival Glory Cruise Ship
Carnival Glory Cruise Ship (Photo Copyright: Melissa Mayntz / Cruise Hive)

In addition to her expanded Bahamas schedule, Carnival Freedom also is scheduled to operate two transatlantic Carnival Journeys voyages in 2026.

A 14-day cruise sails from Port Canaveral to Barcelona on August 18, 2025, calling at Gibraltar, and Malaga and Alicante, Spain. On October 17, 2026, the ship will sail a 13-day cruise from Barcelona to Port Canaveral.

Another new cruise on Carnival Freedomโ€™s roster is an 8-day Mediterranean voyage roundtrip from Barcelona on October 9, 2026, with calls in France, Italy, and Malta.

Celebration Key Will Enhance Lineโ€™s Bahamas Cruises

Carnival Cruise Line opened the first set of itineraries that will include calls to Celebration Cay just over a year ago, in September 2023, and the excitement has been building ever since, as the new private destination continues to take shape.

With its Bahamian-inspired design and five distinct areas, Celebration Key will have something for every cruise guest. Starfish Lagoon, for instance, will attract families and youngsters looking for water rides and thrills. Two water slides, Flash Flamingo and Mach III Marlin, span 350 feet in and around a 10-story Suncastle.

Read Also: What is the Carnival CHEERS! Package?

For adults, a premium area called Pearl Cove Beach Club will be limited to those 18 and older. It will offer an 11,000-square-foot infinity pool, a swim-up bar, and music by a DJ. The club will have a private beach plus food and drink service.

For all guests, Celebration Key will offer about 30 food and beverage venues, including restaurants, food trucks, snack shacks, and kiosks.

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Donna Tunney
Donna Tunney
Donna Tunney is a travel news/feature writer and editor with 20-plus years covering cruise news, luxury travel, and Europe and UK destinations. A former staffer at Travel Weekly and at the USAToday Network, she also was a luxury travel columnist at Travel Market Report, and a cruise columnist at Sherman's Travel.

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