Two private island days and one proper Bahamian town, with lazy sea days in between. Round trip from Galveston — no flights, no connections, just drive to the port.
How the Week Runs
An 8-day sailing means real sea days, not just a sprint between islands. Those are the days people underestimate — long breakfasts, deck chairs, nobody with anywhere to be. Carnival publishes the exact day-by-day order closer to sailing.
3
Port Days
2
Private Islands
Stop One
The Bahamian capital, and the only stop where you'll be in an actual town rather than on a beach Carnival built. Pastel colonial buildings, serious history, and a food scene worth leaving the ship for.
The port is right in the middle of things — most of what's worth seeing is a 5–20 minute walk, so you don't need to book anything to have a good day.
66 steps carved by hand out of solid limestone in the late 1700s by enslaved laborers, in a shaded green corridor. The fort at the top has the best view of the harbor. Sobering and beautiful in equal measure — worth the walk up.
The closest public beach to the ship, about a 15-minute walk. White sand, turquoise water, beach bars and music. Chairs rent cheap. Perfect if you want a beach day without paying for an excursion.
A strip of brightly painted local restaurants doing conch salad chopped in front of you and fried snapper. This is the real thing, not the tourist version, and it's the meal people remember.
Handmade baskets, wood carvings and souvenirs, with haggling expected and part of the fun. Bay Street around it is the main shopping run.
Stop Two
A private island on Little San Salvador, and the one people rave about for years afterward. 2,400 acres, most of it left as protected nature preserve, with a crescent of powder-white sand that regularly gets called the best beach in the Caribbean.
Lunch is put on ashore and included. You could genuinely do nothing here all day and call it the best day of the trip.
The signature excursion here — riding along the sand and then straight into the shallows. Books out well before sail date, so flag it early if you want it.
Paddle the protected lagoon, snorkel off the boat, or meet the stingrays up close. Gentle enough for kids, interesting enough for adults.
Private cabanas and villas rent by the day, with shade and space. For a group our size this is the move — a home base on the beach everyone can drift back to. Tell us on your RSVP if you'd want in on a shared one.
The beach itself is free, the water is calm and shallow a long way out, and there are nature paths if you want a wander. No booking, no schedule.
Stop Three
Carnival's newest private destination, on Grand Bahama. It opened in July 2025 after a $600 million build, so by our sailing it'll be barely two years old — and purpose-built for exactly this kind of group.
It's split into separate areas, which is the clever part: the people who want a DJ and the people who want a nap don't have to negotiate.
One of the largest freshwater lagoons in the Caribbean at roughly 275,000 sq ft, plus a splash pad with a shallow pool, sports courts, and body slides off the Suncastle. This is where the kids will disappear to.
Its own 275,000 sq ft lagoon with a DJ island in the middle, a swim-up bar with 166 in-water seats, and close to 50 swings. If there's one obvious spot on this whole trip for a 40th birthday toast, it's this one.
Miles of new beachfront with dining and bars throughout, plus cabanas and private retreats if you want a reserved spot. Everything is a short walk from the ship — you dock right there, no tender boats.
RSVPs close September 1, 2026 so we can lock in group rates and keep our cabins together.
RSVP NowWant to see the ship first? Tour the Carnival Jubilee.