Two Blue Mar Basins™ by Martin Aquatic Anchor Carnival’s Celebration Key™

Starting Summer of 2025, Carnival Cruise Line’s anticipated Celebration Key™ will welcome its cruise guests to a new paradise, anchored by two freshwater lagoons that use Martin Aquatic’s Blue Mar Basins™ technology. These two large lagoons total more than 7 acres and offer experiences that cater to every generation of Carnival cruise guest.

“Having worked alongside Carnival in conceptualizing the swimming experience at Celebration Key from the very start, Martin Aquatic is thrilled to see this paradise destination come to life,” said Josh Martin, president & creative director of Martin Aquatic. “With our Blue Mar Basins technology, we can host a multitude of activities in two expansive bodies of water, allowing families and friends to feel connected, but still have the freedom to choose how they spend their vacation.”

Carnival’s Celebration Key includes five distinct “portals” for maximizing vacation fun. Starting at Paradise Plaza, the welcome portal with its now recognizable Suncastle, guests can also visit Lokono Cove, the retail portal, to shop authentic Bahamian artisanal goods, as well as find their way to the Private Club Portal for an exclusive adult-only retreat. At the heart of the last two portals is a sizable aquatic experience where guests will find both family-friendly options as well as adult-only zones for either relaxing or enjoying the high energy of the swim-up bar and DJ.

Calypso Lagoon is the adult-friendly portal to the west of Paradise Plaza, comprising a stretch of beautiful beach and a 3-acre freshwater lagoon that Martin Aquatic designed. Inside the basin, guests will find lively hangouts like a 40-seat swim-up bar next to an island with a DJ playing beats all day long. From shallow beach entries and islands with hammocks, to ankle-deep sunshelves with daybeds and loungers, there is no shortage of spots to kick back. An exclusive section of the lagoon offers private cabanas with their own shallow entrance to the water, and the unique swing seats of another in-water bar will reinvent how guests unwind at Calypso Lagoon.

Also designed and engineered by Martin Aquatic, the second lagoon to the east anchors the family friendly portal, Starfish Lagoon, which offers all ages a special way to enjoy their vacation. Children looking for thrills will definitely want to ride the waterslides that loop around the Suncastle before they start their adventure exploring the rest of the lagoon. With a variety of beach entries for wading into the water, the lagoon at Starfish Lagoon also offers its own swim up bar which is adjacent to a beachside restaurant. There are even more ways for families and groups to connect with private cabanas that come with a sunshelf entry and overwater cabanas that allow guests to make a big splash jumping into the lagoon.

“Having two separate basins at Celebration Key became a unique way to offer one-of-a-kind programming for each one, accommodating multiple demographic and age groups who are seeking different types of experiences on their island vacation,” said Martin. “With our patent-pending technology, Carnival Cruise Lines will provide the most pristine swimming environment at the most efficient level.

“At the heart of a Blue Mar Basins™ amenity is a fully swimmable and guest experience,” said Martin. “Creating beautiful clean water that is fully usable with no limitations for guests is what Carnival was looking for. With our technology, we are able to provide this and ensure that the guest experience stays at the forefront of the design.”

Martin Aquatic has more than a dozen Blue Mar Basins in design and engineering stages and is excited to see these two basins open to the public in 2025. Blue Mar Basins is proving to these clients that by focusing on an operationally efficient design that fully treats the water, Martin Aquatic can help bring muti-acre amenities to any destination in the world. Without having any limiting swim zones, hidden underwater walls, or extremely deep areas, Blue Mar Basins are fully usable amenities.

The project brought together an expert team of land planners, engineers, and more under the leadership of architects Bermello Ajamil, a worldwide firm with headquarters in Miami.

Allowing direct access from its ships, Carnival’s Celebration Key will feature a new pier that can accommodate up to two of the cruise line’s largest ships simultaneously. The destination is featured on more than 500 cruise itineraries currently open for sale on 18 Carnival ships sailing from nine U.S. homeports.