Behind Royal Caribbean's Next Big Bet: Private Islands and Beach Clubs

In:
28 Jan 2025
By: 
Elizabeth Wright

By 2027, almost every Caribbean cruise will visit one of Royal Caribbean's beach clubs or private islands.

Beach club render with Utopia of the Seas

In fact, Royal Caribbean said 90% of Caribbean passengers will visit one of their private destinations in 2027.

The company plans to grow its portfolio of private destinations in the Caribbean and Bahamas. The expansion will kick off with the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in December 2025. Additionally, a second private beach club in Cozumel, Mexico, is slated to open sometime in 2026. 

That's not all, either. Last year, Royal Caribbean Group announced Perfect Day Mexico in Costa Maya to compliment the wildly popular Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas. 

"With the introduction of Star of the Seas and Celebrity Xcel in the second half of the year, we continue to differentiate in the Caribbean market with our incredible ships and private destinations driving very strong performance," said Naftali Holtz, Royal Caribbean Group's Chief Financial Officer, during RCG's Q4 earnings call on Tuesday, January 28.

CocoCay

"Over 70% of guests on these itineraries sailing with the Royal Caribbean Brand will visit a private destination this year, and that percentage will increase to 90% in 2027."

Other lines simply can't match Royal Caribbean's private island experience and innovative ships

People in a hot tub

It's hard to believe that it has been over one year since Icon of the Seas welcomed her first paying guests onboard. That's right: Icon officially set sail on her maiden voyage on January 27, 2024. 

Icon of the Seas redefined the average family cruise with amenities like the Category 6 Waterpark, AquaDome, Surfside Neighborhood, and more. 

Currently, Icon sails exclusively from Miami, Florida, to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, calling at Perfect Day at CocoCay weekly. This means that once the private destinations in Mexico are complete, guests will have three exclusive destinations to choose from on their cruise vacations. 

Star of the Seas

Star of the Seas will follow in Icon's footsteps, making her debut later this year and further expanding Royal Caribbean's fleet of innovative ships sailing to a range of private islands and beach clubs. 

"The greatest weekend in the history of cruising"

Pool deck on Utopia of the Seas

Additionally, Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas takes a unique approach to cruising, offering short voyages on a brand-new ship to Nassau and CocoCay. 

In essence, it's designed to draw in new cruisers by showcasing the best of what Royal Caribbean has to offer, whether immersive dining experiences or the company's private island. 

When the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island opens in December, Utopia's experience will be even more valuable because guests will finally have a new way to explore Nassau, a less-than-desirable destination that ranks in the bottom 10% of cruise ports. 

"It's going to be a great guest experience. [Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is] also incredibly complimentary with CocoCay because we'll have a lot of short product that goes to Perfect Day on one day, and the next day it'll be in the beach club, so it's like the greatest weekend in the history of cruising," said Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley during RCG's Q4 earnings call. 

Celebrity Cruises adding to the hype

Wonder-Celebrity-Reflection-Docked-CocoCay-2024

Perfect Day at CocoCay's $250 million renovation has proved to be successful. The demand for the private island is so high that RCG began to deploy Celebrity ships to CocoCay. 

Traditionally, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity attract different clientele, with Celebrity focused on providing an upscale experience. In comparison, Royal Caribbean's newest ships are packed with jaw-dropping amenities like FlowRider surf simulators, record-breaking waterparks, and more. 

With Celebrity now calling at CocoCay, guests who want to enjoy the premium experience while also visiting the award-winning private island can do so. 

Tickets for Royal Beach Club Paradise Island go on sale in April

Pools render of Paradise Island Beach Club

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is one of the most anticipated additions to Royal Caribbean's portfolio. Details about the new experience have been revealed over the past few months; however, during the Q4 earnings call, Bayley said guests can expect tickets to finally go on sale in April. 

"We'll be launching the product into the market, opening for sale in April, so we'll be able to talk about our pricing in about two months time," he remarked. 

Though the pricing hasn't been revealed yet, we do know that the beach club is all-inclusive, meaning that everything from the first water taxi ride to food and drinks is included. Other amenities include at least two food halls, three Snack Shack locations, a zero-entry pool, the world's largest swim-up bar, and plenty of beach space. 

Family area rendering

Bailey added, "Our expectation is in the first full year of the operation of the beach club, we'll have approximately 1 million guests going into the beach club for the experience." Compartively, Royal Caribbean expects around 3.5 million passengers to visit CocoCay in 2025. 

Perfect Day Mexico is expected to be a smash hit

Perfect Day Mexico teaser

Perfect Day Mexico and the Royal Beach Club Cozumel are expected to become a major draw for passengers cruising from Galveston, Texas. 

The combination of easy access and new amenities will expand Royal's presence in the Western Caribbean even further, with Royal Caribbean thinking that the passenger volume will eventually surpass CocoCay! 

"We think that, ultimately, the volume that we will take to Perfect Day Mexico will far exceed what we're taking into CocoCay," said Bayley. 


Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer. 

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