With the grand opening of Celebration Key less than a month away, Carnival Cruise Line guests are excited to learn what they can expect when they visit the new Bahamas destination.

The cruise line has teased a wide range of details, from the centerpiece that is the 10-story Suncastle to the Starfish Lagoon and Calypso Lagoon, the largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean.

Dining, Bahamian-centered artwork, and festive touches have all been revealed to eager guests.

What hasn’t been announced loudly, however, are the prices those guests will need to pay for the fun at Celebration Key.

It’s certainly no surprise that access to key areas of the private destination will require a separate fee. This is not uncommon, particularly for what are sure to be popular sections of the resort-like area.

For example, access to the adults-only Pearl Cove Beach Club will start at $99.99 per person, where guests will find plentiful loungers, a quieter pool, a full-service restaurant, and private beach access.

For a fee of $139.99 per person, guests can upgrade to an open bar along with all the Pearl Cove Beach Club amenities.

This is a reminder, of course, that Carnival Cruise Line’s Cheers! beverage package will not be accepted while at Celebration Key (it will still work onboard the docked cruise ship, just not on the island).

One of the more shocking fees for access to Celebration Key is the $14.99 per person fee to enjoy the two racing waterslides of the Suncastle, the Flash Flamingo and the Mach 3 Marlin.

These side-by-side body slides feature more than 350 feet of turns, twists, and drops as they pass through and around the Suncastle before splashing into the Starfish Lagoon. They will not, however, be free for guests to enjoy.

The $14.99 fee is an all-day, unlimited pass, and considering the high cost of some rentals on Celebration Key, it’s not a bad charge. It is, however, just for two waterslides.

This type of charge is not unprecedented, of course. Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay charges much higher fees – starting at $50 per person and going to $150 and higher depending on date and capacity – for access to Thrill Waterpark.

That waterpark, however, does have 14 slides as well as the largest wave pool in the Caribbean, the obstacle-laden Adventure Pool, a complimentary Snack Shack (try the chicken sandwich or mozzarella sticks!), and plenty of loungers.

Perhaps the most outrageous charge at Celebration Key is $19.99 (not a typo) for – wait for it – a pool noodle rental. Yes, rental. You don’t even get to keep the foam noodle, the exact same type that you can find at any discount store for less than $5.

These prices have been noticed just days after Carnival Cruise Line announced record profits and unprecedented demand for sailings. The second quarter 2025 results have seen $8.5 billion in customer deposits, the highest in the company’s history, with revenue at a record $6.3 billion.

More Celebration Key Rental Costs

A wide range of other rental fees for Celebration Key features might also raise eyebrows – or they might not.

For example, the different cabanas and villas range from $599.99 to $2,799.99 per rental, with the ability to accommodate 4-10 guests. The exact cost depends on the location of the rental, with higher prices at the adults-only Pearl Cove Beach Club.

Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise

These rentals do come with some exclusive features, such as lockers, coolers, snacks, an open bar, private attendant, and more. Some also include the Suncastle Racing Slides, so at least guests don’t have to also pay the extra $15 fee.

For simpler but still exclusive space, guests can enjoy a luxury daybed for $149.99 for two guests, though it does not include extra amenities.

The cabana and villa rental prices are similar to equivalent options available at RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, the private island destination visited by Holland America Line ships: a sister cruise line to Carnival, and also under the Carnival Corporation & plc umbrella.

How much are you willing to pay to enjoy Celebration Key? Share your thoughts on the Cruise Hive boards!

With Tropical Storm Flossie now churning away in the eastern Pacific Ocean on track toward the Baja Peninsula, Carnival Cruise Line has alerted guests aboard Carnival Panorama about the possibility of itinerary changes.

To be clear, there are no changes for the ship at the moment. Carnival Panorama is currently sailing a 6-night Mexican Riviera itinerary that departed Long Beach, California on Sunday, June 29.

The highlight of the sailing is to be a double visit to Cabo San Lucas, at the tip of the Baja Peninsula. The ship will visit first on Tuesday, July 1, before leaving for the overnight hours, but will return on Wednesday, July 2, for another day of Mexican fiesta fun.

Due to the storm’s influence, however, that second visit may have difficulty, which is why guests have to be cautious depending on their plans ashore.

The ship’s captain has updated guests onboard about the situation, ensuring them about safety along the way.

“In partnership with our Fleet Operations Center in Miami we are actively monitoring Tropical Storm Flossie which has formed in the Pacific,” the letter delivered to guests’ staterooms read. “The storm is forecasted to move in a northwesterly direction over the next few days and it is possible that our itinerary will be affected.”

“While we are expecting to safely visit Cabo San Lucas on Tuesday, July 1, it is possible that we will not be able to keep the second visit to the destination, which is for Wednesday, July 2.”

Read Also: Cruising During Hurricane Season – What You Must Know!

The letter goes on to emphasize that there is no confirmed change to the ship’s itinerary at this time, but this is just a forewarning that such an adjustment might be necessary.

Carnival Cruise Line’s brand ambassador, John Heald, likewise shared the message but also issued a further precaution to guests onboard Carnival Panorama.

Could Guests Be Left Behind?

Because the ship is scheduled to have two consecutive calls to Cabo San Lucas, guests can have a bit of a unique situation.

Heald notes that guests often ask him if they can stay ashore overnight on this type of visit and just return to the ship on the second day, before the sail away time of course.

“People write to me all the time saying ‘Can we do this, can we stay in Cabo overnight and join the ship on the second day that she is there?'” he said. “Yes, of course you can. But two things – you must tell the Guest Services desk at least 24 hours before you intend to do that.”

He goes on to note that if the weather is poor on the second day, the ship will not be returning as planned.

“If the ship doesn’t come back because of bad weather, that’s you stuck, that’s you finished, because you cannot get back to the ship,” he said. “If the weather is too bad, the ship will not come back for the second day.”

Heald explains that Cabo San Lucas is a water shuttle port, using small tender boats to ferry guests from the cruise ship to shore. Those small boats cannot safely be run at night and that is why the ship leaves for the overnight hours.

Poor weather, such as from Tropical Storm Flossie – could mean the water is too rough for tender boats to operate, which could leave overnight guests stranded ashore.

This would mean that guests would need to pay their own expenses to meet up with the ship at the next port of call. Carnival Panorama is scheduled to visit Ensenada on Thursday, July 4, roughly 740 miles northwest of Cabo San Lucas.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Flossie is located roughly 700 miles southeast of Cabo San Lucas, moving northwest at 10 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour.

The storm is expected to strengthen into hurricane status over the next day or two and continue on her northwestward track, likely reaching the Baja peninsula toward the end of the week.

Rough water and waves could reach the area well before the storm’s center, however, and Carnival Cruise Line will continue to closely monitor local weather to keep Carnival Panorama well away from risk.

Soda brands can inspire intense loyalty, so much so that which brand is available onboard a cruise ship can be of great concern to some travelers. For Carnival cruisers, Pepsi has been the onboard option since January 2020.

Coca-Cola lovers can soon rejoice, however, as Carnival Cruise Line has now announced it will be switching back to Coke products.

The switch will start “later this summer” across the North American fleet with Coca-Cola becoming the preferred beverage partner of the cruise line for soft drinks, sparkling flavored water, and both zero-sugar and low-calorie options.

“Carnival Cruise Line and Coca-Cola are two iconic brands that celebrate fun, family, friendship, food and fabulous memories,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

“We are excited to welcome back Coca-Cola’s diverse lineup of beverages which our guests love and which will enhance the food and beverage experience that is always part of a great cruise vacation on Carnival.”

Worth Reading: Carnival Cruise Line Provides Update on Soda Switchover Dates

The onboard brands will include the classically outstanding Coca-Cola along with Sprite, Fanta, Powerade, Topo Chico, and more. Beverages are available both individually as well as used for specific cocktails and mixers.

“We’re thrilled to be back on board with Carnival, literally! From an ice-cold Coca-Cola with lunch, a Topo Chico by the pool, or a Powerade after exploring a destination, we’ll have the perfect drink for every moment of the journey,” said Dagmar Boggs, president of Foodservice & On-Premise, The Coca-Cola Company, North American Operating Unit.

There is no firm date other than “later this summer” for when Coke products will be available onboard Carnival cruise ships.

Undoubtedly, the exact time for each ship to switch will depend on individual supplies of Pepsi products that remain onboard as well as supplies already shipped and ready for sailings. How much soda is consumed on each cruise will also impact when the switch can be made.

At this time, the switch is only being made for Carnival ships sailing from North American homeports. Ships based in Europe, as well as those in the Carnival Australia fleet, will continue with their current soft drink offerings.

As ships reposition back to North America following the European season, however, they will be switched to Coca-Cola products along with the rest of the fleet.

Cruise lines regularly re-evaluate their food and beverage suppliers for the best deals, product availability, and overall appeal. It is not unusual for these contracts to change every few years.

But What About Pepsi Drinkers?

Of course, this decision is sure to be upsetting to guests who prefer Pepsi. Guests can, however, still bring aboard an unopened 12-pack of cans of their favorite beverage, regardless of brand.

Read Also: Carnival Offers Drink Package Few Cruisers Know About

For years, I’ve seen guests toting 12-packs of Sprite, Coke, Diet Coke, Vanilla Coke (okay), Cherry Coke (why?!), Barq’s root beer, and other Coke products onboard.

Now, that baggage will undoubtedly shift to Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Sierra Mist, and other PepsiCo products.

Of course, some guests choose to bring their own sodas onboard regardless of brand. Depending on whether or not one purchases the Bottomless Bubbles or Cheers! drink packages or how much someone may individually drink, it can be cheaper just to bring your own soda on the ship.

Personally, I’m a Pepsi drinker, and while I can tell the difference between the soda flavors – Pepsi being a bit sweeter and with less “bite” than Coke – the choice of beverage will not impact my cruise enjoyment.

Will Coke’s availability make your Carnival cruise experience even better? Share your beverage choices and preferences on the Cruise Hive boards!

Anyone who knows me is well aware that I basically live for my dogs, but I do NOT want them to cruise with me.

Apparently, Carnival Cruise Line fans are inclined to agree with me.

Occasionally, Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald will conduct his own form of market research by polling his more than 600,000 Facebook followers about various ideas that brand leadership might consider.

But when asking if dogs (or pets in general) should be allowed onboard Carnival cruise ships, the answer was a resounding “no.”

Indeed, 24,294 people voted for the option that read “I do not think Carnival should ever do this, and I certainly would not book a cruise that had dogs onboard outside of the service animals.”

Meanwhile, only 2,468 voted for the option that ends with “please allow us to bring our dogs onboard. Perhaps two or three special cruises like this every year.”

Currently, Carnival only allows legitimate, working service dogs onboard, as is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

As of now, there are no plans for that to expand that warm welcome to pets or emotional support animals.

“Carnival only permits service dogs on board. A service dog is legally defined and individually trained to meet the specific needs of a person with a disability,” Carnival’s website reads.

“Pets, or service dogs in training, are not allowed aboard. Emotional support dogs, which are not recognized by the US Department of Justice, are also not permitted on Carnival ships,” continues the policy.

Future passengers who would like to sail with their service animals must submit proof of vaccination and any additional documents to confirm their passage at least one week before embarkation day.

But even with stringent requirements in place, there have been instances of potentially fake service dogs making it onboard and upsetting other passengers.

Most recently, there was an uproar in May after an allegedly fraudulent service dog had an accident onboard a Carnival ship and the owner failed to clean it up.

While even trained service dogs can make mistakes, part of public access training is teaching dogs to use the bathroom on command only in appropriate locations.

Do Any Cruise Lines Allow Dogs?

Most cruise lines are aligned with Carnival in that service dogs are welcomed onboard, but pets are not.

The only real exception is onboard Queen Mary 2, which is part of the Carnival-owned Cunard Line.

The 2,695-guest ship has 24 kennels on Deck 12 that can be reserved for dogs and cats during Transatlantic crossings.

The kennel area features an adjoining open-air deck space for furry friends to stretch their legs, a temperature controlled climate inside, a dedicated kennel master, and a pet life jacket in case of emergencies.

Owners can visit their animals during visiting hours, and will even receive photos from a complimentary portrait session of their pet conducted during their voyage.

However, pets stay in their designated areas and are not allowed in staterooms or other guest spaces.

Meanwhile, Margaritaville at Sea is trying out pet-friendly cruises with a first-of-its-kind dog-friendly voyage in November of 2025.

250 dogs will be welcomed onboard Margaritaville at Sea Islander for the “Tails of the Seas” cruise, where they will stay in dog-proofed staterooms with their own private relief areas on the balconies.

Dogs will not have complete access to the ship, but there will be a walking route, splash areas, a dog park, and lounging spaces with the canine companions in mind. 

Cruise Hive Boards: Dogs / Cats Allowed Onboard and Non-Pet-Owner Rights

Carnival fans, however, were adamant that the cruise line doesn’t decide to try any of these ideas.

“Please DO NOT allow pets. People are rude and inconsiderate enough, I don’t want someone’s dog jumping on me,” one person said.

“Taking my dogs on a cruise ship with everyone else’s pets is the LAST thing I want to do. There are so many problems that would come along with that scenario it would be ridiculous,” another cruiser echoed.

As a pet owner myself, I would also be worried about scaring my dogs with the travel and new environment, or my dogs barking out of fear and disturbing other guests. I know my pets and I know they are happiest at home.