It looks like Royal Caribbean will open its beach club to select guests early as it ramps up for an official opening.
The official opening of Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is set for late December, but some passengers are getting invited to see it earlier.
Royal Caribbean Blog reader Alex Bleiweis is booked on the December 14 sailing of Allure of the Seas and received an email to check out the beach club.
"You’re invited to get a sneak peek on December 15th before the grand opening," the email reads.
Just weeks ago the cruise line had confirmed a ribbon cutting event would take place on December 13, with the official opening coming around December 21st.
Allure of the Seas is scheduled to sail a 6-night Western Caribbean itinerary, but will stop at Nassau, Bahamas first on December 15th.
Soft openings leading up to the opening
A "soft opening" refers to the beach club welcoming guests before it's officially open to book.
It appears these soft opening events are invite-only, and there's no means to request to be invited or to purchase admission.
According to the email invitation we saw, Royal Caribbean is offering complimentary unlimited open bar day pass for the person that receives the email, and all guests booked in your stateroom.
The fine print says guests may have the opportunity to pay for an extra cost amenity, such as daybeds, cabanas, or the Party Deck, at a discounted rate.
Invitations are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for another date.
The point of these soft openings is to give Royal Caribbean a chance to field test everything before it's officially open.
This ensures the crew members can get practice in how everything should flow, as well as identifying any issues or improvements necessary before the club officially opens.
First-of-its-kind beach club
The opening of the Royal Beach Club is a bold step for Royal Caribbean to further differentiate it from other cruise lines.
The first-ever Royal Beach Club seeks to solve a long-standing problem passengers have had with finding a fun activity while visiting Nassau.
Nassau has ranked poorly among guest satisfaction scores with Royal Caribbean, and it's also a port where the passengers that do disembark typically spend little time off the ship and return earlier than in other ports.
Once fully operational, it's estimated over 1 million people could buy passes to the beach club annually.
The goal of this beach club is to offer an unparalleled beach experience in a prime spot, exclusively to its customers.
Unlike Perfect Day at CocCcay, there's an admission cost, it's all-inclusive, and there's limited capacity. Think of it more like a cruise line run private excursion than a private island.
Inside the club, you can expect two stunning beaches and three refreshing pools.
There are three dining areas included, as well as free unlimited drinks at 10 bars, including the world’s largest swim-up bar.
Admission also includes water transportation, live entertainment, WiFi, loungers, and beach umbrellas.
The club is also going to incorporate Bahamian culture in an industry first cooperative effort to give back to the people of The Bahamas with a revenue sharing agreement that gives up to 49% equity.
It's expected the beach club will generate hundreds of jobs between the construction and long-term operation. Plus, there will be a new tourism levy that will fund reinvesting in the local community.
Construction photo update
With the soft opening invitations going out, we have an updated look at the progress Royal Caribbean is making to finish the beach club.
MEI Travel agent James Gatton shared photos of what the beach club looks like from his visit to Nassau on October 4.
About 500 people are actively working in the construction site every day, and the rate of progress has picked up considerably.
Foundations have been laid and structures are going up.
Each of the three neighborhoods are under active construction, with the Floating Flamingo easily the most notable building.
The Floating Flamingo is a two-story, two-story swim-up bar, and it's going to be the focal point for the party area.
There are stairs to a second-tier lounge with expansive views of the beach club and pool party.
The beach club encompasses a 17-acre site, but it's a very long and narrow.
While it's not very wide, walking from one end to another could take around 15 minutes.
Royal Caribbean recently showed off its new tenders that will be used to ferry passengers to and from the beach club.
Included in the admission cost, ferries will transport passengers from the pier to one of two stops at the beach club.
