Royal Caribbean isn't abandoning its Perfect Day Mexico plans, despite being told that the current proposal would be rejected due to environmental backlash.
Instead, they are reworking elements of the project to address concerns around coastal impact, namely the massive water park that would have been home to over two dozen slides. One of the defining features would have been a 170-foot-tall slide tower with record-breaking attractions, including the tallest slides in the Americas and the longest coaster-style waterslide.
In addition to the water park, the 230-acre Perfect Day Mexico project was expected to feature private resort-style pools, beaches, a dozen restaurants, bars, an adults-only area, and other attractions capable of catering to thousands of cruise passengers.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday that Royal Caribbean has scrapped its plan to build the water park at Perfect Day Mexico, as first reported by Reuters. Authorities also informed the cruise giant that three permits tied to the park, one of which involved a pier, were denied.
Sheinbaum added that the project won't be carried out at its current proposed site, saying that the government is talking with the cruise line to potentially relocate the planned development.
What does this mean? Well, instead of having the proposal flat-out rejected, Royal Caribbean pulled back, meaning they can formally reapply in the future. It also confirms that the company has no plans to abandon its broader ambitions in Costa Maya, Mexico.
The cruise line hinted at this in its statement released after the initial block was announced, saying that it planned to work with stakeholders to find an environmentally responsible way to move forward:
"Over the coming weeks, we will re-engage stakeholders to move forward in a way that delivers shared prosperity through the development of essential environmental infrastructure, the creation of thousands of local jobs, and community programs that support the people of Mexico."
Read more: Mexico rejects Royal Caribbean's plans for Perfect Day Mexico, but the project isn't dead
Why did Mexico suddenly reject Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day Mexico plans?
Plans for the $600 million Perfect Day Mexico development were officially rejected on the grounds of environmental risks and the impact such a project would have on the port of Costa Maya, near the small village of Mahahual, Mexico.
A report released by Mexico's Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) claims that officials felt there were too many concerns tied to mangroves, coral reefs, groundwater systems, and broader ecosystems to approve the project in its current form.
One of the biggest concerns involved the mangroves, which are seen as natural barriers against erosion and critical for sustaining the coastal ecosystem. SEMARNAT also claimed that Perfect Day Mexico added risks to the Mesoamerican Reef System involving groundwater and underground hydrological systems.
Moving on, Royal Caribbean lumped all the project's elements into one large development, rather than having them evaluated separately. In other words, the water park, upscale beach club, and cruise pier were assessed as a single, unified proposal. Consequently, the government felt the overall environmental impact of the combined project was too significant to approve.
