For the past few years, Carnival Cruise Line has played follow-the-leader with Royal Caribbean.
The company may not see it that way, but Oasis-class ships, which are larger than Carnival’s top-tier Excel class, came out in 2009 while Carnival’s flagship line began sailing in 2020 when Mardi Gras first sailed.
Even without considering Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s new flagship, which sets a very high bar for family vacations, Carnival simply lacks the hardware to compete at the top level. The cruise line has two Excel-class ships, Mardi Gras and Celebration, with a third being built.
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Royal Caribbean (RCL) – Get Free Report has five Oasis-class ships, Oasis, Harmony, Allure, Symphony, and Wonder of the Seas, with a sixth, Utopia of the Seas, being delivered this summer. In addition, the cruise line has five ships in its innovative Quantum and Quantum Ultra-class lines, which arguably compare favorably with Carnival’s top-tier ships.
And aside from Icon of the Seas, Royal Caribbean will take delivery of Star of the Seas, a second Icon-class ship, in 2025, with a third one already on order. That’s a pretty major advantage for Royal Caribbean, but it’s not the company’s only edge.
Royal Caribbean also has Perfect Day at CocoCay, its private island, which has changed the standard for cruise line private islands.
CocoCay has multiple areas including a massive pool and an added-fee hot air balloon.
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CocoCay has been a massive success
Before Royal Caribbean spent $250 million remodeling CocoCay, cruise ship private islands all followed a similar model. They were basically beaches with chairs, some very basic play areas, bars, and a barbecue lunch.
In most cases you actually had to take a tender (a small boat) to get to them, making the various private islands less than ideal destinations for many passengers.
CocoCay, now called Perfect Day at CocoCay, raised expectations by delivering Royal Caribbean (and now Celebrity Cruise) passengers a cross between a world-class resort and a theme park, along with plenty of tranquil beaches if they want that experience.
Instead of offering just a beach, CocoCay has a massive pool with a swim-up bar as well as an added-fee upscale beach club, a paid water park, and a newly opened (and also added fee) adult area. There are also zip lines, and free “snack shacks,” offering more food options in addition to the two BBQ locations that provide a mix of tacos and barbecue included in your cruise fare.
Royal Caribbean also offers a number of beach experiences at CocoCay. There’s a tranquil lagoon as well as multiple beaches including South Beach, which offers a floating bar. CocoCay’s docks can accommodate any two of the cruise line’s ships, and the island has the capacity to serve a full Oasis-class ship along with a sold-out Icon of the Seas.
Carnival shows off Celebration Key
Carnival will finally have its answer for CocoCay when it opens Celebration Key in Grand Bahama. The cruise showed off what the new island destination will look like in a new video shared by Brand Ambassador John Heald.
It’s fair to say that Carnival executives may have visited (or at least seen some video of) CocoCay.
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Celebration Key will have five Portals, distinct areas for cruise ship passengers to visit. That will include what the company is calling “the largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean.” This appears to be a massive pool area with water slides.
The pools, or lagoons, as the company is calling them, will be broken up into various areas, including a family-friendly portal that offers a water-slide tower. It’s unclear as to whether the slides will be an added charge.
Carnival has not specified what will be included and what will cost extra at Celebration Key (likely because not all those decisions have been made).
There will also be an adult-friendly portal with a DJ and a swim-up bar. Celebration Key will have a true Adults-Only Private Club Portal, which will almost certainly cost extra. In addition, there will be a retail portal, a shopping area featuring Bahamian artisans.
The fifth portal will be called the “Welcome Portal,” offering live music and people to help visitors navigate the area. Carnival’s destination will also include dining options (paid and included), multiple bars, and over a mile of white-sand beaches.
“The adjacent cruise pier will be able to accommodate up to two of Carnival’s Excel-class ships simultaneously to allow guests to walk off the ship and arrive at Celebration Key,” Carnival said in a press release.
And while the island does appear to be a strong answer to CocoCay, it won’t be opening until July 2025. So Royal Caribbean, which is building another private-island-like experience in Nassau, will maintain its advantage for a while.
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