At a May 18 press conference in Mexico City, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to ecological concerns about Royal Caribbean’s upcoming private destination, Perfect Day Mexico.
Set to launch in 2027, Perfect Day Mexico is currently under construction in the small town of Mahahual, located in the country’s state of Quintana Roo. Mahahual is more commonly known as the Costa Maya cruise port, which accommodates over 550 cruise ships per year.
Royal Caribbean purchased the port in July 2025 with big plans. The cruise line promptly submitted an environmental impact assessment of the site last year in line with Mexico’s federal guidelines.
Yet while Perfect Day Mexico has been met with excitement in the cruise industry, some activists have expressed concern about the ecological impact of the destination.
Mexico's President referenced its government approval process for Perfect Day Mexico
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to these concerns today, reinforcing that the country would not approve a project that would damage the local ecosystem.
“There have been many protests and many people who are against it,” said Sheinbaum at the May 18 press conference.
"I asked Alicia Bárcena to take a close look at the project." She is Mexico’s Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT).
She went on to say her request to Ms. Bárcena is to "review it very carefully."
More important, Mexico's President reiterated its government is focused on ensuring any project is going to analyze the proposal.
"SEMARNAT is conducting a very detailed analysis, but I can already tell you that we are not going to do anything that puts the ecological balance of that area at risk."
"But I want to tell everyone who is concerned about this situation that the government is not going to do anything that would put the ecosystem in that area at risk."
Perfect Day Mexico has already been assessed for environmental impacts
Despite concerns from online activists, both Royal Caribbean International and the Mexican government are following the necessary procedures to ensure Perfect Day Mexico does not cause lasting damage to the local ecosystem.
We contacted Royal Caribbean today for additional information about the environmental concerns.
“To clarify, our environment impact assessment was submitted last year and is following the appropriate federal process, which is what the President referenced today,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson explained.
A summary of Royal Caribbean’s environmental impact assessment can be found here.
Environmental measures include conserving 100% of the site’s existing mangrove areas, preserving 64.09% of the site as natural areas, and guaranteeing the rescue, transfer, and relocation of low-mobility wildlife species in the area.
An online petition calls for the cancellation of Perfect Day Mexico
Perfect Day Mexico has been met with opposition due to concerns about the destination’s ecological impact on the town of Mahahual, despite the fact that Royal Caribbean and the Mexican government have already conducted environmental research on the site.
The quaint fishing village of Mahahual is home to fewer than 3,000 permanent residents. It sits in a remote area on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and is surrounded by jungle, mangroves, and coral reefs. Environmental activists worry that construction of Perfect Day Mexico could permanently damage the local ecosystem.
A petition on Change.org currently has over 2.5 million signatures. The petition, "@Claudiashein: Let’s save Mahahual — Let’s stop Royal Caribbean’s destructive project," calls for the immediate cancellation of the Perfect Day Mexico project.
Perfect Day Mexico’s grand opening is still more than a year away
Perfect Day Mexico is still in the early stages of construction. Although the private destination was originally set to open in September 2027, the opening has now been delayed.
On April 30, 2026, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley provided an update on Perfect Day Mexico. He confirmed that the project is progressing, but that it will now open in two stages.
The soft opening of Perfect Day Mexico will take place in Q4 2027, but additional features and areas of the destination will open throughout 2028.
“As we move into ‘28,” Bayley explained, “we’ll be fully opening the whole experience, which is, you know, in many ways very similar to often how we open up big attractions or big events of new ships, for example.”
According to these recent statements from both Michael Bayley and Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum, it appears that plans are still proceeding as planned with Perfect Day Mexico.
