The Benefit of Promoting Private Destinations to Help Close the Sale

Vacation dreams often paint pictures of turquoise waters, powdery white sand, and bright sunshine on a secluded beach. Private destinations bring those visions to life for guests and add value to any cruise or trip.

The combination of privacy with the feeling of paradise is what travel advisor Noël McKee, the owner of Dancin’ at Sea,  loves about them.  She describes her favorite, Half Moon Cay, as “like walking into a bathtub except you are surrounded by that perfect Bahama water,” but then “it’s just your cruise ship and the most beautiful and peaceful water and beach.”

Most importantly, clients love them: Private destinations are consistently rated as some of the most popular ports by travel advisors and clients in post-cruise surveys.

“For a repeat client, adding a private island addition to an itinerary they have already sailed is a new reason to go again,” explains travel advisor and owner of Relax by Annette, Annette Rivera. “For a new client, you present the private island as an exclusive stop.”

Celebrating Celebration Key

Carnival Cruise Line has found that these destinations serve as an extremely effective sales tool for travel advisors because they create a high level of client loyalty among repeat guests and are a great selling point for new-to-cruise clients. It has encouraged the company to add its sixth private destination, Celebration Key. This destination has been designed exclusively for Carnival guests, and is opening in July 2025 on the south side of Grand Bahama Island. It joins the company’s current destinations of Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, Grand Turk in Turks and Caicos, Mahogany Bay in Isla Roatan, Honduras, and Half Moon Cay and Princess Cays, in The Bahamas.

Celebration Key features a one-mile stretch of white-sand beach and the largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean ^†.   “The five portals that make up Celebration Key will offer an incredible selection of tropical experiences, local Bahamian culture, and activities for all types of travelers and all ages,” explains Adolfo M. Perez, the Senior Vice President of Global Sales at Carnival Cruise Lines. Rivera is particularly excited about the size of the beach and the adults-only portion of Celebration Key.

Celebration Key is included as a destination on over 500 Carnival sailings, aboard 18 ships, from 10 homeports across the U.S. “We know that many of your clients prefer to cruise from close-to-home ports,” explains Perez. “These options offer your clients so many choices that include Celebration Key – making it easier for you to close more sales.”

Closing in on Paradise

“Clients like the islands because it is something exclusive on the itinerary that still has the Carnival stamp on it,” explains Rivera. She likes to introduce the private islands in an itinerary because they set it apart from other cruise lines. “Whenever you show exclusivity, and certainly value to a client, it allows them to make their mind up that much quicker!”

McKee finds it can help later on in the sales process, too. “When the client has narrowed down several itineraries they are deciding between, I go over the various ports of call and highlight the private islands of Carnival due to their exclusivity,” she explains. “This can be a deciding factor if they feel like all other factors between the itineraries and ships are the same.”

For new guests, it’s about letting them know what to expect and why the private destination is so special. “It’s a unique experience only provided by Carnival while maintaining everything you’d expect from a tropical vacation.” For repeat guests who already know what to expect, McKee suggests new ways to experience the same places.

Guests at Carnival’s private destinations can dig into everything from casual dining to full-service restaurants with flavors of the local destination. They can choose quiet beach chairs under a palm tree, watersports, or local shore excursions – or all three over the course of their stay. The exclusive beaches, activities, shopping, and dining reserved just for clients can help advisors close a sale – and create a customer for life.

From the Sponsor

Exclusive or private destinations are a great selling opportunity for travel advisors looking to bring unique vacation experiences to their clients. Carnival’s new exclusive destination, Celebration Key, opening in July 2025, is uniquely positioned to give an island experience to a diverse range of guests, in a way that lets them choose their slice of ‘paradise.’ Guests will have endless possibilities for unique island-style fun, relaxation, and adventure, spread across 65 acres and five “portals” for them to explore. It’s perfect for adults, families with kids… everybody who appreciates fun and natural beauty.  

This wide range of options is perfect for travel advisors looking to book an exclusive destination for their clients from a variety of ports and sailing dates that fit their needs and budget. For more information, travel advisors can visit GoCCL.com.

^†Based on publicly available data of surface area measurements as of 01/22/24.