Yes, someone paid $10,000 for a cabana at Royal Caribbean's new beach club coming to The Bahamas, and it's indicative of how much interest there is for the new development.
Royal Caribbean Group held its second quarter earnings call on Tuesday and it was our first public comments on how well the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is selling since bookings opened up.
The beach club is a brand new idea for the cruise industry to single-handedly build out an incredible shore excursion option, available exclusively to Royal Caribbean guests that seeks to infuse the private island experience within a tropical destination.
Michael Bayley, President & CEO, Royal Caribbean International, was quick to point out that interest and demand exceeded even their initial expectations.
"In the first hour when we opened for sale, we sold our Ultimate Family Cabana for one day at $10,000," he said during the earnings call. "And subsequently, we've sold a lot of days at $10,000."
Royal Caribbean's new Royal Beach Clubs aren’t just a side attraction, they're going to become one of the core pieces of the cruise line's future.
New beach club coming to Nassau
Opening in December 2025, the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is a new kind of cruise ship experience.
It's located in Nassau, Bahamas on a strip of land very close to where the cruise ships dock. The idea is to offer a more exclusive alternative to the lackluster options that have plagued Nassau for years.
According to the cruise line, Nassau has historically ranked very low in guest satisfaction scores because there aren't compelling activities to do.
It's been built with premium experiences in mind: private pools, fun dining, curated cabanas, and a party atmosphere.
According to Mr. Bayley, the club is set to open during a December 21 cruise.
Nassau is just the start, as Royal Caribbean will open a second beach club in Cozumel in 2026.
Why people are booking a $10,000 cabana (and more)
During the earnings call, Royal Caribbean executives talked about how they feel they've priced the beach club at a good place to balance value and profit.
"We really do think we've got the product right and it's going to deliver very high levels of guest satisfaction," Mr. Bayley said of the Ultimate Family Cabana.
The Ultimate Family Cabana has a big price tag, but it's also unlike any other cabana we've ever seen.
It includes:
- Day passes for up to 12 people
- Cabana attendant
- Private bathroom
- Private shower
- Private changing room
- Wet bar
- Reserved beach space
- Heated whirlpool
- Spiral slide
- Wooden swing
- Hammock
- Suspended net lounger
- Frozen drink machine
- TV
- Mini fridge
It's far from an inexpensive day, but it's all but guaranteed to deliver memories for a multi-gen family that wants a full-day luxury resort experience.
Pricing for the rest of the beach club is far less expensive, with day passes, cabanas, beach beds, and other ways to get in and have a fun day ashore.
Prices start at $139 per person per day, but Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing for its product, so prices can easily go up from there. As an example, my January 2026 visit is priced at $250 per person, per day.
With the beach club admission, Royal Caribbean is testing real-time pricing similar to airline seats or hotel rooms.
"We think we may experience more demand than supply… That’s where dynamic pricing will play an important role," Mr. Bayley said of the club's capacity.
When the club is fully operational and ready to admit guests, they expect it to host about 1 in 3 Royal Caribbean guests in Nassau.
To that point, Royal Caribbean sees this as an opportunity to deliver something truly incredible.
"It's not about a question of demand. It's the question of operational excellence," said Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group CEO.
He said capacity will start out lower, and then build up as they get things going and better understand the flow of an average day.
"We want to make sure the experience is flawless," Mr. Liberty said.
"We could probably make more money," Liberty added, "But the trust we establish with our customers is a priority. So it will be a slow ramp-up."
Betting big on land-based experiences
By 2027, Royal Caribbean expects to have its announced beach clubs and private destinations online and a major reason to pick Royal Caribbean for vacation.
"We’re delivering exclusive, destination-led experiences that elevate the vacation value proposition," Mr. Liberty explained during the call.
The plan is to open Royal Beach Club Paradise Island this year, followed by Royal Beach Club Cozumel in 2026, and then Perfect Day Mexico in September 2027. A new private beach in Lelepa will open in early 2027.
An interesting anecdote during the call was Mr. Liberty noted Perfect Day Mexico will be "approximately the size of the Magic Kingdom in Orlando."
Beach clubs are premium-margin products with high guest satisfaction. These experiences help Royal Caribbean differentiate itself from competitors, while giving customers something they can't get anywhere else.
They create compelling reasons to book with Royal Caribbean over another cruise line or land-based resort.
Royal Caribbean's hope is it generates high satisfaction scores, which will translate to higher guest spend and loyalty return.
