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Royal Caribbean's Secret Weapon: Private islands & beach clubs aim to set a new standard in the industry

In:
27 Mar 2024

Royal Caribbean is positioning itself to have a combination of port options no other cruise line can rival.

Beach clubs and private islands

Private islands have been part of every major cruise line's game plan for decades, but Royal Caribbean is embarking on something different that will make it stand out.  They're investing in their private islands while building out a collection of beach clubs.

Last Friday, Royal Caribbean announced it would open a beach club in Cozumel, Mexico in 2026, and that's the latest in the line's salvo of upgrades and additions aimed at making it the market leader in what a cruise vacation is all about.

Beach at Royal Beach Club

Cruise ships have long been seen as floating destinations, but the ports of call are just as important to what vacationers are looking for in their cruise. Last year, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider, said the top two reasons people book a cruise are the destinations and food.

While a cruise line has control over the onboard experience, a poor experience on shore still reflects on the overall cruise experience. To that point, Royal Caribbean seems to want to improve that aspect of the overall vacation by giving guests more in-house choices to enjoy.

Paradise Island preview

This strategy has a multi-faceted approach in how it benefits passengers and the company at the same time.

More ports, more choices

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From the cruise passenger standpoint, offering beach clubs add to a growing collection of Royal Caribbean branded and operated spots in the Caribbean.

New cruisers, which are the burgeoning market for any cruise line, struggle mightily with finding good choices for shore excursions. Even excursions sold through a cruise line can have its issues, as they're all operated by third-parties. There's a lack of consistency in the product.

With Royal Caribbean's traditional private islands, it offers passengers a safe place they can rely on to deliver a certain quality of experience.

Sun setting at CocoCay

Private islands are wonderful, but very expensive. Plus, you can't just buy up a private island anywhere, especially along routes already frequented by cruise ships.

Enter the beach club.

Royal Caribbean now has two beach clubs set to open in the next two years, in Nassau, Bahamas and Cozumel. Each addresses a need Royal Caribbean's customers have.

The Royal Beach Club in Nassau is located on a strip of land near where the cruise ships dock, which makes it extremely convenient. 

More importantly, Nassau is a port is one of the worst rated ports by Royal Caribbean's passengers.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said in April 2023 "Nassau is in the bottom ten percent," of customer feedback.

Passenger in Nassau

Mr. Bayley said cruise ship passengers have, "come here many times before and there’s nothing new, fresh or innovative. Secondly, there needs to be more product, more experience, more uniqueness, more options."

A beach club adds a quality product that passengers can trust, along with the sort of experiences Royal Caribbean already knows its customers want.

Royal Beach Club in Nassau

It will be 17 acres in size and there will be pools, beaches, dining experiences, and live entertainment too.

In 2026, the Royal Beach Club in Cozumel will open, and that serves a need for a different market.

Galveston cruise terminal with Allure of the Seas behind it

Royal Caribbean is investing heavily in the Galveston, Texas cruise market.  They've built a brand new terminal, and deployed some of its newest and biggest cruise ships there

The need for a cruise from Galveston is something else to do, as ships sailing from Texas are limited to a handful of ports in this region.

Two ships docked in Cozumel

Cozumel is a very common port of call for any ship sailing the Western Caribbean, similar to Nassau in how much traffic it gets.

Opening a second beach club in Cozumel means a new option exclusively for Royal Caribbean's ships, and a trusted spot.

Cozumel beach club

While Cozumel is not as poorly rated as Nassau, there's always going to be subset of customers who greatly prefer cruise line-run operations. And it's something flashy that will get the attention of the highly sought-after new cruiser market.

Keeping more money

Concept art for Royal Beach Club

Besides guest satisfaction, Royal Caribbean stands to improve its bottom line with beach clubs.

If there's been one lesson the company can glean from Perfect Day at CocoCay it's that running a highly rated destination brings in a lot of money.

CocoCay has drawn a lot of interest from new cruisers, and it was designed to attract customers who otherwise wouldn't be taking a cruise.

View of cruise ship at CocoCay

Adding beach clubs to the mix means more money spent by customers that goes to Royal Caribbean. Ever since Perfect Day at CocoCay opened in 2019, it's been responsible for higher returns to the line, thanks to higher pricing.

Royal Caribbean Group estimates 3 million guests will visit the island in 2024, which is up from 2.5 million in 2023. Mr. Bayley spoke of the island’s success, "The demand for that product [Perfect Day at CocoCay] is exceptionally high. The demand not only is there from a volume perspective, but the rate is there and that rate has been going up again in a very healthy way."

Hideaway beach

When the new Hideaway Beach expansion went on sale in 2023, sales were described as "gangbusters" by top officials.

Clearly the company is seeing a correlation between high guest satisfaction, premium prices, and better profits.

Something other cruise lines don't offer

Oasis Lagoon overheard view

Another competitive advantage of Royal Caribbean's plan is it gives them something other lines can't offer.

Royal Caribbean wants to be the top choice for anyone considering a cruise, and in a crowed market, having both private islands and beach clubs could be a difference maker.

Cruise lines don't usually compete with each other for established customers because the new-to-cruise market is enormous and cheaper to attract. People that have never cruised before certainly take note of what stands out, whether it's a new ship or something fun to do.

While other cruise lines have their own private islands, none have announced plans similar to Royal Caribbean's beach club strategy.

Royal Caribbean announces it will build a new beach club for cruise ship passengers in Mexico

In:
22 Mar 2024

Royal Caribbean will open a beach club in Mexico, exclusively for the use of its cruise ship passengers.

Cozumel beach club

Royal Beach Club Cozumel in Mexico is the name of the line's next new enclave.

Beach clubs are a new idea for Royal Caribbean, which are private areas reserved for the use of Royal Caribbean ships visiting that day. An admission cost is also associated with the clubs.

The announcement was made on Friday and the new club will open sometime in 2026.

Cozumel beach club render

It will be located "along the western coast of the island."

“We are delighted to build on our longstanding partnership with the local community and government to continue bringing our guests to Mexico,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “The expansion of our destination offerings aligns with the growing global demand for the ultimate vacation experiences and enables our guests to connect with the beauty of local cultures and people in the places they visit.”

“The anticipation for what’s next when it comes to Royal Caribbean destinations has only continued to build since we revealed Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in The Bahamas that opens in 2025. Now is the perfect time to announce the next iteration of this collection with Royal Beach Club Cozumel,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Cozumel is an incredible destination, and the beach club will perfectly complement all the island has to offer as an experience that combines familiar Royal Caribbean touches with the spirit of Mexico, alongside amenities and activities for every type of vacationer.”

What the club offers

Beach at Royal Beach Club

The exact details aren't known, but Royal Caribbean said the Royal Beach Club Cozumel will offer beach and pool access, along with scenic views.

We know of these features:

  • swim-up bars
  • Pools for families and all guests to enjoy
  • Cabanas to rent
  • Snorkeling
  • Kayaking
  • Restaurants, bars, and lounges with Mexican flare
  • Street market offering hands-on experiences like tequila tastings and cooking classes.

Hints at the club

Terminal in Galveston, Texas

In retrospect, today's news was alluded to by Royal Caribbean's executives recently.

During the inaugural sailing of Icon of the Seas in February 2024, Mr. Bayley answered a question about the future of cruises from Galveston, Texas from a travel agent during a Q&A session.

Galveston has become one of Royal Caribbean's fastest growing markets recently, with the line opening a brand new cruise terminal there in 2022.

"It wasn't by accident we put Allure of the Seas into Texas, and now we've got Harmony of the seas. And if you just think forward a few more years, I wonder what we're going to do next."

"I'm not giving away our strategy here because it's pretty. It's pretty simple if you can just use your imagination, you know, big things are coming, baby."

First beach club opening in The Bahamas

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In 2020, Royal Caribbean announced a new venture in Nassau that would allow passengers the ability to visit an exclusive destination outfitted with four beaches, private cabanas, a spacious swimming pool, and a watersports center.

Dubbed "Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island," this addition to Royal Caribbean's private offerings, specifically in a busy port like Nassau, aims to provide passengers with unparalleled beach experiences away from the majority of the crowds.

Since Royal Caribbean is designing the beach club as a public-private partnership, Bahamians are able to hold up to 49% equity in the venture.

Undeveloped site of the Royal Beach Club

While not a private island like Perfect Day at CocoCay, the 17-acre Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island is exclusively for guests sailing onboard Royal Caribbean ships. Although situated on Paradise Island, which is home to resorts like Baha Mar, Sandals Royal Bahamian, and Atlantic, the Royal Beach Club will be located in a more secluded area.

Additionally, it's not included in the cost of your cruise fare, so you'll have to pay extra for admission. Included in the cost of a day pass to the Royal Beach Club are complimentary beach chairs, food, and use of the swimming pool and kids' splash pad.

Apart from two food halls, there will be three Snack Shack locations offering convenient grab-and-go items like chicken sandwiches, french fries, and, of course, the ever-popular mozzarella sticks. Aside from dining, guests who pay for admission to the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island will have access to numerous bars, as they're scattered throughout the beach club.

royal-beach-club-pool-concep

To reach the beach club, passengers will have to taxi a complimentary water shuttle from Bay Street located near the Straw Market. Once onboard, guests will have two drop-off options: near Sapphire Beach and the west end of the pool.

At the time of writing, the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island is scheduled to welcome its first guests in 2025.

St. Thomas beach club next?

Earlier this week, the Hotel Director on Wonder of the Seas was speaking to guests during an event onboard and mentioned a beach club was coming to Mexico. He also said there were other plans for other islands.

At the Top Tier event, the Hotel Director talked about plans the company has to build more beach clubs, although at the time of his talk, nothing had been officially announced by the company.

"We're developing the Royal Beach Clubs as well. The first one of those is going to be in Nassau in the Bahamas," he said to the crowd.

"I believe that's going to be the first in a series of Royal Beach clubs. We're looking at St Thomas, we're looking at Mexico."

As it turns out, his announcement has been half right so far, with the Cozumel Beach Club announcement confirmed.

Royal Caribbean hires Bahamian business leader for head of new Bahamas beach club

In:
15 Jun 2023

Royal Caribbean's upcoming Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island has a new president.

On June 15, the company announced that Philip Simon will begin his role as the president of the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island and general manager of Royal Caribbean International Bahamas effective July 1. 

Jay Schneider, Chief Product Innovation Officer for Royal Caribbean International, said, "Welcoming a leader who is as well-respected and accomplished in The Bahamas as Philip Simon is the start of an exciting chapter."

“With a project as significant as the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island that will introduce a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership, we are committed to maximizing Bahamian participation and building a development that will set new standards in environmental design and operation in The Bahamas. Philip, a resident and native of The Bahamas, has the experience and reputation to ensure that.”

Who is Philip Simon?

philip-simon-royal-beach-club

Simon is a longtime Bahamian business and land development executive who has a 20-year track record of responsible development and management.

Most recently, he was a managing partner at PMR Bahamas Realty Ltd. (Torch Cay), where he oversaw the company's business in the Bahamas. Prior to that, he was the president of The New Providence Development Company Ltd, and from 2002 to 2010, he served as CEO of The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and managed the company's daily affairs. 

Undeveloped site of the Royal Beach Club

Simon received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University, graduating cum lade. He holds an additional degree in physics and mathematics from The College of The Bahamas, as well as a master's degree n business administration with concentrations in entrepreneurship and finance from the University of Maryland.

Throughout his lifetime, he has served on numerous boards: Bahamas Ferries, the Bahamas Venture Capital Fund, The Regional Management Consultancy Task Force, Civil Society Advisory Group, The Bahamas National Pride Association and The Bahamas Trade Commission. 

Buildings near Nassau port

Moreover, he is the former chairman of the Self-Starter Youth Entrepreneurial Grant Program, an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Old Fort Bay, and and a former membership officer of YPO Bahamas. 

Currently, he serves as chairman of Junior Achievement Bahamas, as well as deputy chair of The Bahamas Primary School Student of The Year Foundation.

Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island

Scheduled to open in 2025, the Royal Beach Club will be an option for cruise passengers in Nassau. 

Originally announced in in March 2020, the cruise industry halted the development of the project. 

While not a private island like Perfect Day at CocoCay the 17-acre property will be available exclusively to Royal Caribbean cruise passengers. 

Guests who purchase a day pass will be able to relax on one of four beaches: Tranquility Beach, Hideaway Beach, Harbor Beach, and Sapphire Beach. And for those who want an upgraded experience, cabanas will be available to rent. 

Royal Beach Club render

The Royal Beach Club will also be home to a swimming pool. Current concept art depicts it as a long and narrow infinity pool with in-water loungers. 

Guests seeking a little bit more action and activity can head over to the water sports center, where they can rent snorkel or scuba gear, kayaks, jet skis, and floating mats for an additional fee. Likewise, inflatable water slides and parasail excursions will be available, too.  

RelatedRoyal Caribbean beach club in Nassau will open in 2025

First-of-its-kind venture in the Bahamas

royal-beach-club-info-4

Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said, "The Bahamas has been a phenomenal partner since the very start, when they became our first port of call more than 50 years ago."

“As we continue to bring millions of visitors to experience attractions throughout Nassau each year, The Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island is the next bold adventure in Royal Caribbean’s commitment to both increasing tourism in The Bahamas and delivering memorable vacations to our guests.”

royal-beach-club-pool-concep

Once completed, the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island will have a public-private partnership, meaning that Bahamians will be able to own up to 49% equity and local businesses can take part in managing the majority of the experience.

Both the construction phase and operation of the Royal Beach Club will create hundreds of jobs. The economic impact is estimated to be around $1 billion over the course of ten years.

Moreover, the 17-acre property is divided between the cruise line and Crown Land, with Royal Caribbean owning 13 and the remaining four being Crown Land.

royal-beach-club-concept-2

The Crown Land will be contributed as equity to help make sure that a share of all profits are returned to the Bahamian government and people. 

According to Simon, “I am excited to represent both Royal Caribbean International and the country in what will be a very unique opportunity for all sides, with the new beach club and the tremendous potential for extended growth and partnership for years to come."

Environmental pillars

royal-beach-club-environmental-pillars-2

Royal Caribbean is committed to delivering unforgettable vacations responsibly. Not only do they have a responsibility to take care of the oceans in which they sail, they want to look after their destinations, too. 

The company outlined six key environmental pillars for the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island:

  • Zero waste to landfill
  • 100% renewable energy by 2030
  • No dredging and no overwater cabanas 
  • Best-in-class wastewater treatment
  • Protecting the island's natural habitat
  • Local environmental monitoring 

Royal Caribbean CEO: Nassau ranks in bottom 10% of customer satisfaction

In:
13 Apr 2023

When Royal Caribbean's new beach club opens in The Bahamas in 2025, its intent is to offer something for both cruise ship passengers and the people of The Bahamas.

Passenger in Nassau

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley spoke to the Bahamian press on Wednesday about the cruise line's new plans. He specifically addressed why the beach club not only benefits the cruise line, but locals as well.

In 2025, Royal Caribbean will open its first Royal Beach Club, which is an extra-cost all-inclusive beach on Paradise Island, just across the waterway from where Royal Caribbean's ships dock their ships in Nassau.

It will be a limited capacity area, and a shore excursion option that will be open exclusively to Royal Caribbean ship passengers.

Royal Beach Club render

There will be pools, beaches, dining experiences, and live entertainment too.

"The model for this project is a world class model for public private partnerships," Mr. Bayley said. "There is nothing in the Bahamian tourism sector of this quality. Forty nine percent of this entity will be owned by Bahamians."

The new beach club is part of an overall strategy to bring more cruise ship tourists than ever before to The Bahamas. Mr. Bayley shared the cruise line's overall strategy and how the beach club fits in, "We are building ships and bringing them to the Bahamas and Nassau. We are bringing the capacity. In Nassau we bring around one million tourists a year and nearly three million visitors a year to the country."

Oasis Class ship docked in Nassau

"By 2027 in Nassau, it will be 2.5 million. The Beach Club is obviously not capable of holding all of the visitors we bring. It can hold on average 2,750 guests per day.

"By 2027 we will be bringing 7,000 guests per day to Nassau. Sixty percent of the additional capacity coming cannot go there. That means there will be plenty of tourists for Bay Street and elsewhere. "

Passengers don't love Nassau

Ships docked in Nassau

Mr. Bayley was also open about how cruise ship passengers perceived visiting Nassau, saying it ranks among the bottom 10% of ports in feedback.

Royal Caribbean surveys its customers regularly about the places they visit on a cruise in order to ascertain trends.

"Nassau is in the bottom ten percent,” he said.

Nassau buildings

Why so low? Part of the answer is there aren't enticing options.

According to Mr. Bayley, cruise ship passengers have, "come here many times before and there’s nothing new, fresh or innovative. Secondly, there needs to be more product, more experience, more uniqueness, more options."

"We want to improve the experience of our guests. We can’t keep selling experiences to people who say we love going to Perfect Day, it’s fantastic, we want to go back, but the Nassau thing, can you guys stop going there? We can’t do that, so yeah, we want to be a part of the solution."

Ship at CocoCay

In case you're wondering, Perfect Day at CocoCay ranks as the number one destination among Royal Caribbean guests.

"CocoCay is the number one destination that Royal Caribbean goes to in the world out of 100 global destinations, because it’s a curated experience designed and built to deliver a high-level experience to the customer. At the end of the day that’s all that matters."

Buildings near Nassau port

In the case of Nassau, Royal Caribbean sees an opportunity to improve and make the destination more appealing, "We get data from every single cruise every single time from every single customer. If one person says they don’t like something, fine. When we look at the trend data and we see that a lot of people are not enjoying their experiences, what do we do? We change it. We renew it. We invigorate it to try to remove obstacles to their satisfaction."

Partnering with the Bahamas

Undeveloped site of the Royal Beach Club

Royal Caribbean is adamant the beach club is not just about benefiting the cruise line. It's been designed to be financially beneficial to Bahamians too.

"Forty nine percent of this entity will be owned by Bahamians," said Bayley.

"With regards to employment, everyone who works there will be Bahamian except four to five persons who will be brand managers ensuring everything is up to Royal Caribbean standards."

Jobs in Nassau

"We are looking for a Bahamian to be the president of the Royal Caribbean Beach Club and any construction activity will heavily involve Bahamian companies."

The beach club's benefits for the people of the Bahamas includes:

  • First public-private tourism development that gives Bahamians the opportunity to own up to 49% of the beach club
  • The land contributed by the Government will provide benefits to The Bahamas for generations to come in the form of equity
  • Individual Bahamians will have the opportunity to buy equity in the beach club and benefit from the profits
  • Local businesses and entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to manage and participate in the vast majority of the beach club
  • Hundreds of jobs will be created during construction and through operations, either directly or indirectly through new partnerships
  • 1% of gross revenue of the beach club will be invested in a new fund to develop other attractions around The Bahamas
  • Growth of the number of guests Royal Caribbean brings to Nassau
Drone view of Nassau

Earlier this week Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider echoed Mr. Bayley's comments of just how good this project will be for both sides, "We look at the totality of kind of the structure that we created with the government and the kind of net new employment opportunities and job creation and profit creation for  the government and individuals and the money that we're putting back into the Bahamas is really something that nobody's ever done before, for sure, for the Bahamas. And it's rare to see worldwide."

"We think this is a home run for the Bahamas."

Royal Caribbean's private Bahamas beach club will be all-inclusive and a one-of-its-kind investment in locals

In:
10 Apr 2023

What can we expect when Royal Caribbean opens its first beach club experience in 2025?

Royal Beach Club concept art

Royal Caribbean confirmed last month it was moving forward with plans to build a beach club in Nassau, Bahamas, which is set to open in the first half of 2025.

This will be the first of its kind experience for the cruise line, as the beach club is not going to be another private island type of experience.  But how different will the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island be and what can expect once the first passengers visit the beach club?

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider has a large hand in the planning of the new destination, and has been working with the Bahamian government for years through two different administrations to get approval for their work.

The Bahamian government gave Royal Caribbean "approval in principle from the government", which means the government of the Bahamas and Royal Caribbean have reached an agreement on kind of the key principles that they both think are important.

How is the beach club different than a private island?

Royal Beach Club concept art

Up until now, the only context cruisers have for a land-based experience offered by Royal Caribbean are the private destinations of Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee.

Mr. Schneider calls the beach club, "a really rich Royal Caribbean service experience attached to a high volume destination or strategic destination for us."

"Whereas a Perfect Day it is the destination, it is the only thing you can do... and it's typically far flung."

Undeveloped site of the Royal Beach Club

To better explain the differences, Mr. Schneider confirmed that the beach club will cost extra, as it's not intended to be something for everyone to visit like it would be at CocoCay.

"Not everybody's going to have an opportunity to go to the Royal Beach Club. It wasn't designed for that purpose."

"Because we then hope you sail with us again the next weekend and have that opportunity. And so that's where it kind of fits into our strategy."

Royal Beach Club render

He also confirmed that the beach club admission will be all-inclusive, which means your admission cost will cover:

  • Water taxi ride to/from the beach club
  • All food and beverage, including alcohol.
  • Beach chairs
  • Umbrellas
  • Non-motorized activities (swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, etc)

"It's really meant to be this kind of all inclusive, ultimate beach day," Mr. Schneider said of the plans.

Royal Beach Club master concept plan

The beach club will have three primary areas:

  • Family beach zone
  • Active pool space
  • Quieter beach area on the western side

In addition to the beach, the pools are going to be a focal point, "At the heart of it, you'll find a series of pools. And part of the reason for a series of pools is you need heated pools in the Bahamas to have a really great experience year round."

Beach today in Nassau

Don't expect a giant pool akin to the Oasis Lagoon pool at CocoCay. Rather, for a better environmental footprint, these pool spaces will be smaller, "They're not terribly small, but smaller experiences. So imagine a Splashaway Bay sort of experience."

"Imagine if you were to take Oasis Lagoon and kind of break it into a couple different parts."

There will be live Bahamian music to enjoy, cabanas to rent for an additional cost, snack shack restaurants, along with beach bars around the club.

Full scale Nassau Beach Club rendering

One thing you will definitely not find at the beach club are thrills, "there's no massive thrill experience. And frankly, you know, there's two reasons not to have a massive thrill experience."

"One is the land is just not that big."

"The second is there's really great thrill elsewhere in Nassau. This wasn't meant to steal thrill from other things in Nassau."

How much will the beach club cost?

Paradise Island beach

You're probably wondering how much this experience will cost, and there isn't yet a price determined.

Mr. Schneider confirmed the all-inclusive admission will include food and drink (including alcohol), but said it was too early to know what the cost will be.

I then asked if admission will be a full or half day experience, and Mr. Schneider said he wasn't sure yet what to expect.

Why build beach clubs?

Adventure of the Seas sailing into Nassau

Why would a cruise line invest millions of dollars in a project like this when there are already lots of places to visit in Nassau, as well as destinations around the Caribbean.

On a high level, Mr. Schneider says the two predominant reasons people book a cruise are for destinations and food.

"The reason people go on a vacation is they want to go visit destinations. We break that down into destinations have two parts: the places we take you to and the ships and hardware that you sail on as a destination."

Freedom of the Seas aerial at Nassau

In speaking about the places Royal Caribbean already goes to, Nassau fell into a grouping of ports that have high volume but don't have high appeal or high satisfaction rates. This is the primary reason for leading Royal Caribbean down the path of planning a Royal Beach Club.

"Nassau is a great place to go. We wanted to add a Royal level service to that destination. This this gave us that model to to really expand."

Profiting the Bahamas too

Mr. Schneider was adamant about the fact the Royal Beach Club in Nassau isn't a cash grab by the company that only benefits the cruise line.  

He called it a "public private partnership", which has the goal of ensuring, "that the profits from the Beach Club stay in the Bahamas for generations to come."

How does it work? There's a few components to this deep partnership between cruise line and government.

New Providence Island

First is equity, "Bahamians will have the opportunity to own up to 49% of the Royal Caribbean Beach Club."

"And so we felt and the government felt as we went through our discussion that it was important that Bahamians have ownership in this as a result of the Bahamas contributing crown land."

"We want to make sure that that the Beach Club has real ownership of local Bahamians so that it's beloved for years to come.

Fort Fincastle, Nassau, Bahamas

"The equity comes in two parts. First is the government. The government sovereign wealth fund, which is called the Bahamas National Investment Fund, will get essentially equity for the fair market value of the four acres of crown land that they're contributing."

"The second part of the equity is really then individual Bahamians will have an opportunity through an investment fund to essentially buy shares in the investment fund to buy equity into the fund."

In addition to the equity being built up from the crown land, is to open up every kind of bespoke part of the operation to local Bahamians.

Jobs in Nassau

Mr. Schneider said this includes all sorts of jobs, such as security, lifeguards, environmental monitoring, food, music, and more, "All of those will be open to local businesses and entrepreneurs. And our hope is that the entire operation is through partnerships from Nassau."

He mentioned the first employee hired will be the new president of the Royal Beach Club, "the goal is to hire somebody who is Bahamian. So from the senior most executive down to the landscaper, the idea is all Bahamian or Bahamian partnerships."

Bahamian culture

On top of all of that, a new tourism tax will be part of this project that benefits local Bahamians, "one of the things we're really excited about is not just the growth of tourism, but we agreed to a new tourism levy that doesn't exist."

"We'll be the first new development kicking 1% of gross profits into a new tourism levy in perpetuity. And the purpose of that tourism levy is a new tourism fund to improve other attractions throughout New Providence in the Bahamas."

Mr. Schneider also took some time to address local press coverage regarding the beach club, "we've seen some negative press that people think this is just a mini Perfect Day at Nassau such that we'll suck all the air out of the local businesses and this will be the only place our guests go."

He was emphatic that is not the case, "Less than 40% of our guests will have an opportunity to go to the Royal Beach Club of our deployment to Nassau on an annual basis."

"It's important they have other things to do because the other 60%, we want to have a great destination as part of a rich itinerary."

Fort Fincastle in Bahamas

In 2017, Royal Caribbean was bringing about a million passengers to Nassau.  By 2027, the cruise line expects to be bringing 2.5 million visitors to Nassau.

"The number will have grown the number of calls and visits and guests into Nassau far in excess of the total capacity of the beach club."

Royal beach Club water taxi

Something else Royal Caribbean is doing to benefit local businesses is to build a water taxi service, "we're partnering with local Bahamians to create a new water taxi infrastructure."

"That water taxi infrastructure is serving the beach club will then also serve other attractions throughout the harbor and New Providence."

Water taxi

In short, Royal Caribbean is doing something no other company has done for the Bahamas, "We look at the totality of kind of the structure that we created with the government and the kind of net new employment opportunities and job creation and profit creation for  the government and individuals and the money that we're putting back into the Bahamas is really something that nobody's ever done before, for sure, for the Bahamas. And it's rare to see worldwide."

"We think this is a home run for the Bahamas."

First of many beach clubs

When The Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island, it will be the first, but not the last, beach club.

"We want to build multiple beach clubs around the world because every geography is is somewhat unique," stated Mr. Schneider. 

But don't expect each to be an exact replica of each other, "as we think of the future beach club kind of portfolio, our hope is they'll have similar components."

Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island: What you should know before it opens

In:
03 Apr 2023

With multiple beaches, a swimming pool, and private cabanas, The Royal Beach Club is set to be an exciting new option for Royal Caribbean cruise passengers visiting Nassau, and we’re sharing everything you need to know about this exclusive beach day.

The Royal Beach Club is a new project by Royal Caribbean in partnership with The Bahamas. It’s located on Paradise Island—a narrow strip of land near the cruise port in Nassau—on a 17 acre property.

Although the project was originally announced in 2020, it was put on hold during the cruise industry shutdown. In March 2023, however, Royal Caribbean announced they will be moving forward with The Royal Beach Club with a 2025 opening date.

Here’s what you should know before it opens.

*Information on this article is subject to change based on new announcements by Royal Caribbean.

The Royal Beach Club is for Royal Caribbean passengers only, but comes at an extra cost.

Despite its close proximity to the Nassau cruise port, which hosts over 12 different cruise lines, The Royal Beach Club is exclusively for Royal Caribbean cruise passengers. This is with the exception of Bahamian residents along with their friends and family, who can enjoy the beach club's facilities at a reduced rate.

Unlike Royal Caribbean’s private destination of Perfect Day at CocoCay, however, access to The Royal Beach Club is not included in the cruise fare. Passengers will have to reserve a day pass at the beach club for an additional fee.

The entrance fee for The Royal Beach Club has not been announced, but the day pass will include beach club access, lunch, and the rental of a beach chair. It does not include alcohol and soda, cabanas, day beds, watersport activities, and local tours.

Day passes on the island will include four or five hours of access. Most port days in Nassau are around eight hours long, meaning The Royal Beach Club is a half-day experience.

The beach club is not on a private island, as Paradise Island is also shared with hotels and resorts like The Atlantis, Baha Mar, and Sandals Royal Bahamian. However, it is located in a more secluded area of Paradise Island on the far west side.

The beach club aims to create a world class beach experience, and four beaches are planned.

Based on initial concept art, it appears that The Royal Beach Club will have four beaches: Tranquility Beach, Hideaway Beach, Harbor Beach, and Sapphire Beach.

Two of the beaches—Tranquility Beach and Sapphire Beach—are along the northern side of Paradise Island facing the open ocean. The other two beaches—Hideaway Beach and Harbor Beach—appear to be facing the cruise port and thus should have calmer waters.

All beaches feature lounge chairs and umbrellas, and private cabanas are available to reserve for an extra cost. Little details on the cabanas have been shared, but they appear to feature private pool chairs in front of the cabana along with plush furnishings on the inside.

Like at Perfect Day at CocoCay, reserving a cabana for the day can be a nice way to splurge on added comfort and exclusivity while at The Royal Beach Club.

Related: Guide to CocoCay Cabanas

Three types of cabanas are listed in the concept art: VIP Cabanas, Beach Cabanas, and HideAway Bungalows, but the differences between the cabanas have not yet been announced. A few over-the-water cabanas appear in the concept art as well.

In addition to beaches, amenities at The Royal Beach Club include a spacious swimming pool and a watersports center.

Aside from beaches, passengers in search of a pool day are in luck at The Royal Beach Club. Concept art shows a large infinity edge pool, making it a perfect spot to cool down in the Bahamian sun.

The pool is long and narrow and features pool chairs and umbrellas along its perimeter. It also features in-pool beach beds, which appear to be padded and include pillows, a side table, and canopy for shade. Day beds have an additional cost.

There appears to be an adults-only pool as well, in addition to a kids splash pad and wading pool.

If lounging on a pool chair doesn’t sound thrilling enough, though, you can enjoy watersports activities for an extra cost. Activities include snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, jet skiing, floating mat rentals, inflatable water slides, and parasailing.

Nature hikes and a volleyball court will also be offered at The Royal Beach Club.

Several food and drink venues will be located at The Royal Beach Club including a fan favorite from Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Food is included in the price of admission to The Royal Beach Club. Based on concept art, it appears there will be two food halls—one on each side of the beach club. Information on the food halls has not been announced, but it’s possible the food halls will be a buffet-style dining venue.

In addition to the food halls are three Snack Shack locations, which serve grab and go food including chicken sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, french fries, and mozzarella sticks. This venue is a favorite among cruise fans; three locations are also found at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Aside from dining, there is a wide selection of bars at The Royal Beach Club. You won’t have to travel far to find a tropical cocktail while on shore, as bars are scattered throughout every side of the beach club.

Bars include:

  • Hideaway Bar
  • Beach Bar
  • Tranquility Beach Bar
  • Vista Bluff Bar
  • Signature Bahamian Bar
  • Bunker Bar
  • Dunes Bar

Water taxis will transport passengers from their cruise ship to the Royal Beach Club.

It’s not possible to walk from your cruise ship to the Royal Beach Club. Passengers who book a day pass to the beach club must walk out of the port and onto Bay Street.

Once at the end of Bay Street (near the Straw Market), guests will find water taxis transporting them to and from the beach club.

There are two water taxi stops at The Royal Beach Club. The first is near Sapphire Beach and the second is near the west end of the pool.

The Royal Beach Club will have a capacity for up to 3,800 guests, and it features opportunities to learn about Bahamian culture.

Up to 3,800 Royal Caribbean cruise passengers can visit The Royal Beach Club at any given time.

Most of Royal Caribbean’s ships have a capacity of 3,000 to 6,000 passengers, and there are usually multiple ships in Nassau on any given day. This means that not all passengers can visit The Royal Beach Club every day, but it provides another excursion option in addition to the exciting tours found elsewhere in Nassau.

Related: Best things to do in Nassau on a cruise

While on shore, guests at The Royal Beach Club will have the opportunity to learn more about Bahamian culture in addition to time at the beach and pool.

Near Harbor Beach is an artisan market. Although details on the artisan market have not been announced, we can expect to see a handicraft and souvenir market run by local Bahamians.

Live music will be found around the island as well, in addition to Bahamian cuisine at the dining venues and island-style barbecues.

The beach club is a public-private partnership with the Bahamas and will provide a positive economic impact.

The Royal Beach Club is being constructed as a public-private partnership between Royal Caribbean and The Bahamas. Bahamians are invited to own up to 49% equity in the club, and local businesses can take part in managing the majority of the experience.

Hundreds of jobs will be created for local Bahamians with The Royal Beach Club, both during construction and operation. The $110+ million investment will hire over two hundred Bahamians during construction, and the economic impact over ten years is estimated to be around $1 billion.

An overall goal of the project is to continue growing the number of visitors to Nassau. Royal Caribbean Group estimates over 2.5 million guests will visit Nassau by 2030, many of whom will spend their day at The Royal Beach Club.

Royal Caribbean beach club in Nassau will open in 2025

In:
08 Mar 2023

It may have taken longer than originally planned, but Royal Caribbean is moving forward with opening the exclusive area in 2025.

Royal Beach Club concept art

The Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island will be the first Royal Beach Club, and it promises to be a compelling new option for cruise ship guests visiting Nassau, Bahamas.

Royal Caribbean had originally announced the beach club project in March 2020, but the cruise industry shutdown shortly thereafter left the venture in limbo.

Royal Caribbean received approval by the government of The Bahamas to move forward with the 17-acre project.

Royal Beach Club concept art

The new opening date is 2025, and Royal Caribbean promises more details, "will be revealed in the coming months."

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley celebrated the news, "The Bahamas has been a phenomenal partner since the very start, when they became our first port of call more than 50 years ago."

"As we continue to bring millions of visitors to experience attractions throughout Nassau each year, The Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island is the next bold adventure in Royal Caribbean’s commitment to both increasing tourism in The Bahamas and delivering memorable vacations to our guests."

What is the Royal Beach Club?

Royal Beach Club concept art

Not quite a private island, the Royal Beach Club is a new type of cruise ship experience that offers a curated beach day.

It won't be as secluded as Perfect Day at CocoCay, but it wont be something passengers on other cruise lines can enjoy either.

Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island will be located at the western end of Paradise Island.  Cruisers will recognize this area as the same plot of land that the famous lighthouse near the Port of Nassau is located.

Royal Beach Club render

In today's announcement, Royal Caribbean describes the beach club as follows, "Alongside private cabanas, stunning pools and more, the vibrant Bahamian spirit and culture will come to life throughout the world-class destination experience."

"Vacationers will be welcomed by local architecture that complements the exceptional views of The Bahamas’ turquoise-blue waters and white sand beaches, along with experiences that feature Bahamian fare, island-style barbecues, live music and local artisans."

Partnership with The Bahamas

Bahamas

Royal Caribbean is designing this beach club as a public-private partnership in which Bahamians can own up to 49% equity in the beach club.

The beach club will be made up of 13 acres of land owned by the cruise line and 4 acres of Crown Land. 

The Crown Land will be contributed as equity in the new venture to ensure a share of the profits return to the government and the people in a first-of-its-kind agreement in The Bahamas. 

Junkanoo dancers

Local businesses and entrepreneurs will also have the opportunity to manage the vast majority of the experience. 

The cruise line expects the beach club will generate hundreds of jobs between the construction and long-term operation.

This, in addition to a new tourism levy, will go into reinvesting in the local community. The collaboration between the government, the community and Royal Caribbean will continue as the development moves through the stages of planning and completion.

What the Royal Beach Club could look like

Aerial concept art for Royal Beach Club

Based on Royal Caribbean's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that it submitted, we have a possible idea of the plans are for this beach. Keep in mind the images and concepts shared here could have changed, but it's our best guess until more info is shared later.

Royal Caribbean wants to create a "world class beach experience" that has a family zone, arrivals area, water sports center, food and even a swimming pool.

Royal beach Club water taxi

The EIA mentions an entrance fee, so this will likely be an extra cost experience for cruise ship guests.

"It is anticipated that with the payment of an entrance fee, the experience will include access to the Royal Beach Club, lunch and the rental of a beach chair. For an additional fee, guests will be able to purchase alcohol and sodas, a cabana, day-bed, clamshell, and participate in watersports and local tours."

Activities offered would include (but not limited to):

  • Snorkeling
  • Scuba diving
  • Kayaking
  • Jet skiing
  • Floating mat rentals
  • Inflatable water slides
  • Parasailing
  • Nature hikes
  • Volleyball
  • Other sand and water related activities
Royal Beach Club master concept plan
Royal Beach Club master concept plan
Royal Beach Club master concept plan

The Conceptual Master Plan has a very low resolution image, but we can make out these features:

  • Beaches
    • Tranquility Beach
    • Hideaway Beach
    • Sapphire Beach
  • Cabanas
    • VIP Cabanas
  • Beach Bars
  • Bungalows
  • Signature Bahamian Bar
  • Artisan Village
  • Tidal Wading Pool
  • Adults Pool
  • Food hall
  • Tram service
  • Restrooms
  • Snack Shack
  • Kids' Splash Pool and Wading Pool

With cruise ship visits to Nassau that could last up to 9 hours, the Royal Beach Club experience will include four to five hours on Paradise Island plus additional time for shopping and other Nassau attractions.

Royal Caribbean concept art reveals vision for beach club in Nassau, Bahamas

In:
19 Jan 2023

We have a detailed look at what will be Royal Caribbean's first private beach club in Nassau, Bahamas.

Royal Beach Club render

Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island, The Bahamas was originally announced just before the cruise industry shutdown as a new kind of destination experience: not quite as secluded or open a as private island, but still an exclusive option for Royal Caribbean guests.

The project was originally announced in March 2020. Nothing new has been announced, but this our first look at the renderings for the beach option.

Beach Club render

While there have not been any major updates announced, the cruise line insists the project is still a go. When asked for comments about the designs, Royal Caribbean had no comment.

We discovered concept art for the new beach club that provides context for what guests can expect.

The Ultimate Beach Club Experience

Beach Club rendering

Royal Caribbean calls the Royal Beach Club the "ultimate beach club experience" for cruise passengers, as well as a place to enjoy for Bahamians.

The project calls for a $110 Million investment that over the next 10 years is projected to return $1 billion in guest spend, government taxes and other expenditures.

It's located on the western end of Paradise Island, which is the narrow strip of land many cruise ship passengers are accustomed to seeing as they sail in or out of Nassau that features a lighthouse at the very end.

Beach today in Nassau
Beach in Nassau
Beach in Nassau

Royal Caribbean's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) provides more details as to what guests can expect. It's important to note that these plans could change without notice. Since it's our only insight into what Royal Caribbean is/has planning/planned, it's better than nothing. Please keep expectations in line as merely a reference point.

Full scale Nassau Beach Club rendering

"The proposed project will include the development of Paradise Beach and Colonial Beach to create an arrivals area, family zone, water sports centre, food and beverage services, and swimming pool and back of house areas in support of a world class beach experience."

It looks like this will be an extra cost experience, as the EIA mentions an entrance fee:

It is anticipated that with the payment of an entrance fee, the experience will include access to the Royal Beach Club, lunch and the rental of a beach chair. For an additional fee, guests will be able to purchase alcohol and sodas, a cabana, day-bed, clamshell, and participate in watersports and local tours.

There will be an array of activities available to guests, including, but not limited to, snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, jet skiing, floating mat rentals, inflatable water slides, parasailing, nature hikes, volleyball, and other sand and water related activities.

The construction of a family attraction will delight visitors of all ages and may include water fountains and splash zones. While the location is inherently beautiful, RCG will also ensure that additional landscaping is planted throughout the site.

Royal Caribbean purchased much of the land on the island, and also has access to additional land from the Bahamian government through a lease.

Royal Caribbean land ownership in Nassau

In looking through some of the proposals, we can see a few concepts for areas of the beach club.  It's clear this is more than just a private strip of sand to enjoy.

Conceptual master plan for Nassau Beach Club
Royal Beach Club master concept plan
Royal Beach Club master concept plan
Royal Beach Club master concept plan

The Conceptual Master Plan has a very low resolution image, but we can make out these features:

  • Beaches
    • Tranquility Beach
    • Hideaway Beach
    • Sapphire Beach
  • Cabanas
    • VIP Cabanas
  • Beach Bars
  • Bungalows
  • Signature Bahamian Bar
  • Artisan Village
  • Tidal Wading Pool
  • Adults Pool
  • Food hall
  • Tram service
  • Restrooms
  • Snack Shack
  • Kids' Splash Pool and Wading Pool
Aerial concept art for Royal Beach Club

Upon project completion, Royal Caribbean believes its passengers will spend more time in Nassau.

During a call that could last up to nine hours, the Royal Beach Club experience will include four to five hours on Paradise Island plus additional time for shopping and other Nassau attractions.

Getting to and from the Nassau Beach Club

Royal beach Club water taxi

As Paradise Island is close to the Nassau Port, guests will have direct and quick access to the harbor via water taxis.

Essentially, there will be a transit system that Royal Caribbean will establish where passengers walk off their cruise ship and through the Nassau Port area to reach the water taxi station.

From there, the water taxi can take them to one of two stops at the beach club.

Still moving ahead

Nassau Beach Club area today

Ever since Royal Caribbean announced the Royal Beach Club, it hasn't said much about it and that lead to speculation that the idea might have been cancelled. 

Royal Caribbean executives insist it's simply paused, but still a go once funding for it becomes available.

In December 2022, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley talked about port projects, such as the Royal Beach Club, "We have multiple other port type projects that are still operating. They're still in place. And our ambition is to continue with our strategy. But obviously we have to be mindful of all of the various issues that came from the pandemic."

"My ambition is to as quickly as possible... to get the capital to continue to to create these these products for the business."

The same week, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty echoed the sentiment that nothing is cancelled, "there's nothing that has has been canceled."

"We're going to be able to continue to grow each one of our brands and we're going to be able to invest in Perfect Days and in Royal Beach clubs, etc."

Royal Caribbean looks forward to big plans in 2022 and 2023

In:
17 Nov 2021

As Royal Caribbean moves deeper into its restart process, the cruise line is beginning to focus more on what's to come instead of what has happened over the past two years.

royalcaribbeanblog.com

With the cruise industry back in operations, and Royal Caribbean ready to bring all of its ships into service by early 2022, some of the projects and plans that were paused during the shutdown are moving forward again.

Overlooking so many of these plans is Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean Group's Chief Product Innovation Officer (CXO).

To get a better sense of what's coming next year, Mr. Schneider sat down with us to preview the big things Royal Caribbean has planned over the next two years.

Hideaway Beach

A new expansion to Perfect Day at CocoCay will bring an adults-only area to the private island.

"One of the things we've heard from a segment of our guests, not all of our guests, is that they want a adult only experience," Schneider said of the decision to go in this direction.

Mr. Schneider also confirmed the new area will be complimentary to guests, "we haven't announced that yet, but I will tell you that it's going to be complimentary."

"There's no reason, if you think of the experience that we're trying to offer, to offer it for pay.

The Hideaway Beach expansion is just one idea Royal Caribbean has for the future of the island. According to Schneider, the cruise line has "a much larger ambition" for the private destination.

As to when it might open, it is not yet certain but late 2022 is the general timeline Mr. Schneider thinks is likely.

Wonder of the Seas

Wonder of the Seas: Itinerary, features, and more | Royal Caribbean Blog

The fifth Oasis Class cruise ship will debut in March 2022 when Wonder of the Seas begins sailings from Florida.

There is a lot to look forward to in this new ship, including a new approach to the Aquatheater. Schneider believes an idea like this is less about designing for one market, but rather an idea that makes sense globally.

"We acclimatized the the Aqua Theater.... it's the next step in the evolution of the Oasis class. But it's cold in January and February in the Caribbean, and sometimes the Aquatheater is cold."

Why cruise ships are getting bigger | Royal Caribbean Blog

"The acclimatized solarium is again gorgeous architecture and gives us that versatility to make it truly a global ship. Some of the things that people would have looked at and said that feels more like a China centric ship actually really help us out globally."

In terms of exciting new features, Mr. Schneider thinks the evolution of the open pool deck is going to be a great upgrade for this ship.

"I think the open deck on wonder is going to go even yet to the next level, and I say that for a couple of reasons. Number one. It's an Oasis class ship. It's going to have Lime and Coconut. It's going to have all of the ideas and experiences and pool space and shading that you'd expect as a guest that you saw in Oasis, but even bigger."

"It'll have the introduction of our eighth neighborhood, which is our sweet neighborhood. It'll have the largest jumbotron ever built on a ship."

Icon of the Seas

Royal Caribbean begins construction on its next generation cruise ship Icon of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean has divulged very few details thus far regarding its next class of cruise ship, the Icon Class, and Mr. Schneider did not have much to share other than it sounds like an exciting step forward.

The new ship is coming out in 2023, and he indicated guests should expect to hear a lot about Icon of the Seas once we move into 2022.

"You're going to hear about Icon in a pretty big way in 2022... I guarantee you you'll be impressed by what you see. It's the next evolution for the brand."

"It's been a decade since we've announced a new class. And so you can imagine we're spending a lot of energy making sure that it's going to be an amazing announcement."

Royal Beach Club

Report: Royal Caribbean targeting January 2023 opening of Royal Beach Club in Nassau, Bahamas | Royal Caribbean Blog

The first Royal Beach Club is set to open in Nassau, Bahamas, and it sounds like Royal Caribbean thinks this will be a major new option for guests.

"We've done repetitive environmental assessments. So we we feel that this will be a destination on the forefront of sustainable development, frankly, around the world for any land based destination.

"Our hope is in 2023 that we will be welcoming our first guests onto the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island."

Royal Caribbean could finish Nassau Beach Club by May 2023 | Royal Caribbean Blog

This new project is not intended to be for all guests on a ship to do. Rather, it will supplement the Nassau offerings.

"Wwe're not trying to supplant kind of your experience in Nassau. We want to create an incremental opportunity for you as a guest in Nassau. We want you to go into Bay St., we want you to go to Atlantis. We want you to go do the things you've never done before. We also we wanted to create a world class beach club experience for you as a guests."

Listen to our interview with Jay Schneider

There is a lot more to what Mr. Schneider had to say about what's coming to Royal Caribbean over the next two years, including updates on Perfect Day at Lelepa, why we don't know more about Icon yet, and plenty other nuggets of details.

Listen to episode 431 of our interview with Jay Schneider in its entirety below.

Be sure to subscribe to the RoyalCaribbeanBlog Podcast at Google PodcastsApple PodcastsTuneIn, and Stitcher.

Royal Caribbean could finish Nassau Beach Club by May 2023

In:
02 Sep 2021

According to new documents filed with The Bahamas, the current plan is for Royal Caribbean's new Royal Beach Club in Nassau to be complete in May 2023.

In March 2020, Royal Caribbean announced a Royal Beach Club project they would build in Nassau on the western end of Paradise Island.

Royal Caribbean has 20 total acres of land, 13 of which is owned by the cruise line and an additional seven acres leased by the Bahamian government.

Royal Caribbean's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) revealed it plans to begin construction in October 2021, with a completion date by May 2023.

The project has been delayed a few times due to Covid-19. 

The EIA includes a few more details and concept art of what to expect when visiting the Royal Beach Club:

"The proposed project will include the development of Paradise Beach and Colonial Beach to create an arrivals area, family zone, water sports centre, food and beverage services, and swimming pool and back of house areas in support of a world class beach experience."

"It is anticipated that with the payment of an entrance fee, the experience will include access to the Royal Beach Club, lunch and the rental of a beach chair. For an additional fee, guests will be able  to purchase alcohol and sodas, a cabana, day bed, clamshell, and participate in watersports and local tours."

Read more: How Royal Caribbean invested in new port projects and tech during the cruise industry shutdown

"There will be an array of activities available to guests, including but not limited to snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, jet skiing, floating mat rentals, inflatable water slides, parasailing, nature hikes, volleyball and other sand and water-related activities."

"While the location is inherently beautiful, Royal Caribbean will also ensure that additional landscaping is planted throughout the site. As Paradise Island is close to the Nassau Port, guests will have direct and quick access to the harbour via water taxis."

"The construction of the water taxi harbour and dock may include dredging, seawalls, wave attenuators, docks and fixtures."

The Royal Beach Club will be able to accommodate about 3,500 together with 250 workers. 

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