Carnival Mardi Gras - Shore excursions and activities

Discover Paradise in our New Exclusive Destination

It's time to check out Celebration Key — a new exclusive destination from Carnival, nestled on the south side of Grand Bahama island, that's designed for Carnival guests. It’s perfect for adults, families with kids… everybody who appreciates fun and natural beauty. Get ready for unforgettable experiences like a mile-long white sand beach, the largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean† and five “portals” for you to enjoy.

Paradise Plaza™ will be the first portal to explore, welcoming you ashore with guest information, live music, photo ops and more. Starfish Lagoon™ is made for families — and kids of all ages — with Flash Flamingo and Mach III Marlin waterslides, Guppy Grotto splash pad, and a selection of sports courts offering basketball, beach volleyball and pickleball action. Calypso Lagoon™ is designed for adults ready to relax... or go for more of an active vibe, with lagoon-side swim-up and swings bars, a DJ island and more. Pearl Cove Beach Club™ welcomes adults — and only adults — to take paradise to the next level with great ocean views, infinity pool, swim-up bar, elevated dining, plus attentive service poolside or beachside. Lokono Cove™ offers goods from local artisans, plus showcases Bahamian art, music, history and culture.

Celebration Key™ is just one of a family of exclusive cruise destinations, with each one showcasing a different side of paradise, featuring top beaches, excursions and more.

They've hand selected the best local providers at every port of call so you can relax and focus on having fun on your shore excursions. They take care of all the details and wait for all excursions to return before departing. A detailed list of relevant excursions can be given by your travel operator.

After you see the pristine beaches and breathtaking turquoise waters, it's no surprise to learn that Half Moon Cay was named Best Private Island. But it held the title for more than 20 years… and you don't earn that type of respect without having great ways for visitors to really make the most of paradise.

So grab a Carnival cruise to this exclusive destination, and from your first toe in the sand you’ll understand why it’s anything but typical. All the excitement aboard your Carnival cruise pauses for a bit, opening up your vacation to a private island experience.

Cozy up and lounge with your someone-special in a clam-shell, a shady hideaway for two. If you’re looking for more private stretch-out space there are cabanas and villas to rent. And who can resist the siren’s call of an expert massage by the beach?

You know, relaxing is encouraged at Half Moon Cay... but against this lush backdrop there’s still so much to do! Play in turquoise seas, ride horseback on powdery white sand, or gently paddle a kayak through acres of protected lagoon, encountering silky-smooth stingrays.

• See the island’s incredible scenery from atop horseback.
• Compare swim strokes with the island’s gentle stingrays.
• Find plenty of room to enjoy nature with over one mile of white-sand beach.
• Enjoy the buffet at the updated lunch venue… with drink in hand.

Even if you don’t “know” much about art, of course you can still tell when you like something — who needs a refined palette to know when a piece is good? Carnival® leaves snobbish cultural pretensions ashore, and makes art something that everyone can enjoy with a series of events designed to bring great art where it belongs — to the people. Take part in an art-themed battle of the sexes or check out showcases highlighting the best of, say, European artists or world-famous pop artist Peter Max. You can’t get any closer to great art… without buying it.

Art Seminars

Go from ‘normal vacationer’ to ‘world-traveling art whiz’ in one cruise flat — Carnival® offers such a variety of educational and enlightening seminars that we should hand out Art History degrees at the end of each cruise! We may not be an accredited university, but your cruise features an ‘Art 101’ lecture series designed to be your entrance into this vibrant world. We’ll go from the earliest cave paintings to the modern masters — with stops at topics like the Renaissance, Baroque, Surrealism and Pop Art — and cover both theory and technique. You’ll walk away with a spectrum of knowledge to use at your next art auction… or to elevate your cocktail party chatter.

Art Auctions

A room full of too-serious old men, many wearing monocles, paying top-dollar for priceless antique works of art. If that’s the "art auction" that comes to mind, adjust your expectations before your Carnival® cruise! Unlike a stodgy auction house, your vacation features a series of auction events designed to turn high art into high fun. From the rapid-fire "Lightning" action to the cheap thrills of the "under $500" event, there are plenty of chances to try your hand at bringing home something great and have a blast doing it. Unlike land auctions, we even hold fun interactive events like the "Guess the Price" competition. That said, our onboard auctions aren’t completely without fancy things — after all, what’s an auction without free-flowing champagne?

Art Games

Art is full of emotion, and as your Carnival® ship sails, you’ll have the chance to experience art truly in motion… during lively onboard art games! Nobody would mistake this vacation for a ‘still life’ — these action-packed competitions truly ‘pop,’ giving you a chance to try your hand at ‘impressionism’ — showing what you know about the dollars and cents of art valuation. But leave your dollars and cents in your pocket — it’s always free to play, even though we’ve raised the stakes… in this game, there’s an artful prize on the line.

Gather your most delicately-palated friends and family to join you at Alchemy Bar® — the premier onboard spot for a uniquely tasteful bar experience. Choose any four mini-martinis, selecting from flavours like Spicy Chipotle Pineapple, Curative Peach Cosmopolitan… or let us craft you a custom. And once you’ve found a favourite, you can make the full-size version your next order.

So you’ve come home from a Carnival cruise with stories to tell, photos to share, maybe a suntan… but how about upgraded BBQ skills? New sushi-rolling abilities? Or maybe you’re suddenly whipping up Thai meals, from soups to satays and beyond. You could act like it’s your natural talent — but we’d really prefer you tell folks how much fun you had at Carnival Kitchen!

Everybody knows how delicious Carnival cruises are, so we’re getting our culinary pros to share some of their secrets with you. Classes are small, seats are limited — save yours now — but the flavor possibilities are endless, with hands-on instruction in over a dozen culinary disciplines. And for a look (and taste) of how a culinary legend whips up some wows in the kitchen, there’s even a class curated by Emeril Lagasse! Learn your way through three courses of the signature dishes he’s known for, on land and at sea.

So the next time you cruise, will you be coming home a cupcake master? The tailgate-party hero who takes things way beyond chips and dip? A brunch ninja making it all look pretty easy — because with a little planning, it actually is! Have a deliciously fun time onboard… and take some skills to-go.

From the soft and fruity flavor of the Merlot to the light and dry Sauvignon Blanc, for those who appreciate wine, a Cruise the Vineyard package is a must. Choose from two packages featuring selections from Italy, New Zealand, France, Germany, California, Washington, Chile, Armenia and Argentina. Sip and savor favorites at a discounted price — ask your Dining Room server how.