We're about a year away from the potential opening of Royal Caribbean's first ever beach club.

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is an ambitious new project that will introduce a pay-to-play option for cruise ship passengers in the heart of Nassau, Bahamas.

While visiting Nassau on Saturday, construction progress shows land that's been cleared of the old buildings and looks to be in the prep stages for construction to begin.

Royal Caribbean doesn't provide construction updates with any regularity, but work has been underway for months to get the project moving.

Future Beach Club area in May 2024

Future Beach Club area in September 2024

The cleared ground is prepared for what will be multiple structures that make up the beach club.

Although no actual building has begun, there's not much left to impede that progress.

The narrow strip of land is located near where the cruise ships dock in Nassau, and once complete, will be Royal Caribbean's first beach club that will be open exclusively to its customers.

It's a 17 acre site that will cost extra to access, and be limited to Royal Caribbean cruise ship passengers.

There is no official opening date, but Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said last month he expects the opening to occur between October-December 2025.

One of the goals of the beach club is to address a need among passengers who consistently rank Nassau poorly.

The extra-cost, exclusive club will offer access to three pools with swim-up bars, live music, two beaches, and four restaurants.

Additionally, the club will have three distinct zones: a family zone, a party zone, and a chill zone.

In fact, Mr. Bayley confirmed the beach club will have the largest swim up bar in the world.

"Next year we'll be opening the Royal Beach Club in the Bahamas," Mr. Bayley said at a meeting with members of the press on Utopia of the Seas. "We're kind of hoping we're going to have the largest swim up bar in the world. Can you imagine that?"

About 2,000 people will be able to purchase a pass each day. No word yet on how much admission will cost.

After the beach club in Nassau, Royal Caribbean will open a second beach club in Cozumel.

The goal is to offer something no other cruise line can match, with a series of unparalleled experiences around the Caribbean.

Royal Caribbean announced that cruisers who visit the private club "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."

UPDATE: The beach club referenced in the South Pacific is a new, unannounced beach club project, and not a Perfect Day island property.

Royal Caribbean just shared a timeline for when its new beach clubs will open to passengers.

Royal Caribbean is currently working on two new beach clubs, rapidly expanding its onshore experiences.

Over the Ultimate World Cruise this past weekend, Royal Caribbean CEO and President Michael Bayley held a question and answer session where he shared the cruise line's plan for when the two new beach clubs in Nassau and Cozumel will open.

The cruise line's next big investments are poised to rival every other cruise line.

The cruise line is also still planning to open a private destination experience in the South Pacific, mimicking the success of Perfect Day at CocoCay.

By 2026, Royal Caribbean will have two exclusive beach clubs on land, with a private destination experience on the way.

According to Michael Bayley, the cruise line is currently working on all three.

Royal Caribbean's CEO announced a timeline for the three projects

"We're aiming to have the Royal Beach Club [in the] Bahamas open towards the end of next year," Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean President and CEO, announced during the Q&A session.

Royal Caribbean's timeline is as follows:

• Royal Beach Club Paradise Island: between October-December 2025
• Royal Beach Club Cozumel: 2026
• Beach Club in South Pacific: 2026 or 2027

Construction has already begun on the Paradise Royal Beach Club in Nassau, Bahamas, Michael Bayley said.

"These projects are underway, and the one in the Bahamas is well underway."

Construction began on the beach club this summer, with photos revealing the ground cleared and building materials being moved in.

The cruise line's goal is to open its first new beach club in the fourth quarter of 2025, between October and December.

As for the Royal Beach Club on the western coast of Cozumel, Mexico—"we're looking at 2026."

Royal Caribbean has hinted that both beach clubs are going to stand out as more than "just another beach" to visit.

Bayley was more vague when it came to the cruise line's third project, a beach club in the South Pacific. 

"Either '26 or '27, we're not sure yet," he said.

Not to be confused with a previously announced private island project, it appears Royal Caribbean has plans for a third beach club somewhere in the South Pacific.

Up until now, nothing has been announced related to it, so this could be a new endeavor that will be formally announced soon.

"We're hoping that all [will] go to plan," Michael Bayley admitted.

"What we've learned in these projects is that, just like anything, they don't go to plan."

However, he wants cruisers to know that the cruise line does have a plan.

Construction has already begun on Royal Beach Club Paradise Island 

Set to open in the fourth quarter of 2025, Royal Caribbean's first beach club aims to solve passenger problems in Nassau, Bahamas.

In 2023, the Nassau Cruise Port saw 4.4 million visitors from cruise ships.

However, Royal Caribbean customers consistently rank as one of the bottom 10% cruise ports.

According to Michael Bayley, the port lacks original, exciting adventures that are unique to the area.

Many passengers describe the shore excursions as uninspiring and rate the port poorly.

When the Royal Beach Club opens on Paradise Island, it will seek to solve customer's dissatisfaction with Nassau.

The Royal Beach Club will open on a 17-acre strip of land across from the cruise ship dock.

Royal Caribbean intends for the club to incorporate Bahamian food and culture while generating hundreds of jobs in the area.

Cruisers can expect to "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."

The extra-cost, exclusive club will offer access to three pools with swim-up bars, live music, two beaches, and four restaurants.

Additionally, the club will have three distinct zones: a family zone, a party zone, and a chill zone.

Royal Beach Club Cozumel is on track to open in 2026

Royal Caribbean first announced intentions to build a second beach club in March of 2024 and has revealed few details since.

Cruisers are still in the dark as to the name, exact location, and pricing.

However, we do know that sailings to Cozumel are intended to fulfill a need for Royal Caribbean cruises from Galveston, Texas.

Cruises from the growing Texan port need more variety in the Western Caribbean.

A Royal Beach Club in Cozumel will give Royal Caribbean cruisers some new and exciting to do.

The extra-cost, exclusive club will combine great views, beaches, pools, and food.

Full details haven't yet been shared, but the Cozumel Club will have swim-up bars, cabanas, snorkeling, kayaking, restaurants, and street markets.

A new beach club in the South Pacific?

Mr. Bayley slipped in mention of a beach club in the Pacific that has yet to be announced.

While Royal Caribbean has formally announced plans for beach clubs in Mexico and The Bahamas, it has yet to announce a beach club that is likely geared towards the growing cruises from Australia.

Royal Caribbean Blog confirmed the plans are not for the Perfect Day project that was announced in 2019 for the island of Lelepa.  This is in fact a completely different project.

Cruise lines are constantly in a chess match to outdo each other, and Royal Caribbean is betting it has a super move up its sleeve.

Just like how an auto manufacturer might implement a feature not available on other brands vehicles, Royal Caribbean is poised to outdo other cruise lines with an offering they think will get a lot of attention.

Ironically, their next big investment is in the very thing they have traditionally competed against: fun on land.

Two different beach clubs are going to be built, with one opening in 2025 and 2026. These aren't traditional cruise line private islands that are open to all passengers onboard and included with the cruise fare. This will be something above and beyond that.

Royal Caribbean will open its first Royal Beach Club in Nassau, Bahamas in summer 2025, followed by its second beach club to open in Cozumel, Mexico in 2026.

Differences between the mega cruise ship lines can be subtle, but these beach clubs are about standing out from the pack and drawing in new customers with something no one else can offer.

Solving customer needs

Before you step foot in any of these clubs, the rationale for offering a beach club is about targeting two key markets for Royal Caribbean.

The first beach club opens in one of the most highly visited and poorly rated cruise ports in the world, Nassau. 

Nassau consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of customer satisfaction among Royal Caribbean customers, even though it's located close to the United States and many cruise ships visit it.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said the issue Nassau faces is it lacks special things to do that are also original.

Because it's so frequently visited, passengers find the choices of what to do in port limiting and uninspiring.

Royal Caribbean wanted to solve this problem because not going to Nassau really isn't an option.  The line brought more than 1.6 million visitors to the Nassau cruise port in 2023.

In April 2023, Mr. Bayley talked about this need to improve shore excursion choices for their customers, "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."

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island

Construction is underway to build and open Royal Caribbean's answer to its customer's issues with Nassau.

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will open in summer 2025 on a 17-acre site that is right across from where all the cruise ships dock. Not only is it prime real estate, it's a a shining beacon to every other cruise line what they're missing out on.

Royal Caribbean wants to offer an unparalleled beach experience in a prime spot, exclusively to its customers.

Royal Beach Clubs are limited access and have an extra cost to them. This means only a few thousands Royal Caribbean guests will be able to visit it each day, and it will not be included in the base cruise fare.

About 2,000 people will be able to purchase a pass each day. No word yet on how much admission will cost.

Once inside, guests can enjoy three pools with swim-up bars, live music, two beaches, four restaurants serving local food.

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. 

Once open, the beach club will offer something fresh and different, not only in Nassau, but among the entire industry too.

Royal Beach Club Cozumel

The second part of Royal Caribbean's plan is to open another beach club in 2026 on the other side of the Caribbean in Cozumel, Mexico.

Cozumel is another traditionally popular cruise port, but unlike Nassau, doesn't have the low rating problem.  However, the club addresses a different need.

Royal Caribbean is investing in many places, including Galveston, Texas.  While Florida may be the capital of cruising, Galveston is quickly becoming a rival hot spot, with newer and bigger ships sailing from Texas.  In fact, Royal Caribbean built a massive new cruise terminal that can handle the largest cruise ships in the world.

The issue with cruises from Galveston has been a lack of port variety. In order to meet the typical week-long vacation window most Americans abide by, cruise ships sailing from Galveston are relegated to the same Western Caribbean cruise ports, including Cozumel.

A Royal Beach Club in Cozumel gives Royal Caribbean passengers something different, and a familiar face in a crowded room of things to do.

Just like Nassau, the beach club in Cozumel will combine great views, with great access to water.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider described the club as having, "great beach, great pool, great food, great service."

The Cozumel club will offer swim-up bars, pools cabanas to rent, snorkeling, kayaking, restaurants, and street markets.

Full details haven't been released yet, but there have been hints both beach clubs are going to truly stand out as more than "just another beach" to visit.

Combining new destinations and new ships

The new beach clubs dove tail right into the launch of three new cruise ships that Royal Caribbean thinks will offer the very best vacation choice in the market.

Icon of the Seas launched earlier this year to become the world's largest cruise ship, and has earned incredible accolades for setting a new standard for cruise ships.

Utopia of the Seas also launched this year, and while not as innovative as Icon, she is arguably the top choice for a short weekend cruise.

Next year, Star of the Seas will join the fleet and sail from Port Canaveral, Florida. The sister to Icon of the Seas, Star will will be a follow-up that seeks to capitalize on Icon's success while introducing a few improvements.

Royal Caribbean seems to think combing the very best cruise ships with the very best destinations is how they'll win over thousands of people who have never taken a cruise before. To borrow a term from the military, it looks like a lot of "shock and awe" to stand out from any other choice.

Royal Caribbean has made visible progress in building its new private Beach Club in the Bahamas.

While visiting Nassau, Bahamas on Utopia of the Seas this weekend, our team took photos of the construction work being done on Paradise Island.

On a strip of land previously covered by palm trees and thick sand, excavators are clearing the ground, and trucks bringing in supplies. 

Paradise Island, the narrow strip of land near Nassau's cruise port, will house a 17-acre piece of land dedicated to Royal Caribbean's private club.

Royal Caribbean announced that the Royal Beach Club will open sometime in 2025, with "more details to be revealed in the coming months."

Based on our team's photos, the land has been cleared to begin building.

Where trees, logs, and dirt once stood, now the cleared ground is prepared for what will be multiple structures that make up the beach club.

Although no actual building has begun, construction workers brought in supplies such as steel poles, large water tanks, and packs of metal or wire.

Although it's unclear what purpose these supplies serve, the steel beams could make up foundations for the buildings, and packets of wire perhaps serve as material for constructing fences.

Although the curved white building pictured is not new, its steady presence and open doors could indicate that it serves a purpose in construction, or will become part of the new Beach Club.

Packets of supplies to the right of the white building are also tools for the cruise line to use in building the beach club.

Royal Caribbean is partnering with the Bahamas to build this exclusive club, intending to incorporate the island's vibrant culture into architecture, food, and live music.  

Royal Caribbean announced that cruisers who visit the private club "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."

Read more: Royal Caribbean breaks ground on new beach club in Bahamas reserved for its passengers

Further down the island, palm trees remain alongside a possible dock site.

The beach club has been marketed as a world-class destination experience.

Cruisers can expect to pay an extra cost for entrance to the exclusive venue.

Much like the adults-only Hideaway Beach on Perfect Day at CocoCay, guests may pay a single entrance fee to access the area.

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

The entrance fee could include access to the exclusive venue, lunch, and a beach chair.

Royal Caribbean's plans for the Royal Beach Club include a family zone, arrivals area, water sports center, food area, and one or more swimming pools.

In fact, Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley confirmed the beach club will have the largest swim up bar in the world.

"Next year we'll be opening the Royal Beach Club in the Bahamas," Mr. Bayley said at a meeting with members of the press on Utopia of the Seas. "We're kind of hoping we're going to have the largest swim up bar in the world. Can you imagine that?"

It's unknown yet exactly what activities will be offered, but there will be various options to consider.

When Royal Caribbean opens its new beach club in Mexico, it looks like it will offer a full day of fun.

In March 2024, Royal Caribbean announced plans to build a beach club in Cozumel, Mexico exclusively for the use of its cruise ship passengers.

It will open sometime in 2026, and be the second beach club operated in a popular cruise port by Royal Caribbean. The first will be in Nassau, Bahamas.

When the cruise line announced Royal Beach Club Cozumel, there wasn't much detail provided.  However, a new sneak peek gives us a glimpse of what Royal Caribbean is envisioning.

Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider shared new concept art in a webinar with travel agents on Wednesday.

He called this, "real fun, high level directional renders of potentially where we may go," and warned, "these are not anywhere near final."

Water and views

The idea behind all of Royal Caribbean's beach clubs is to combine great views, with great access to water.

"If you think of the DNA of our beach clubs, high volume ports where we go," Mr. Schneider explained. It's designed to have, "great beach, great pool, great food, great service."

Admission into the beach club will include access to swim-up bars, pools cabanas to rent, snorkeling, kayaking, restaurants, and street markets.

Unlike the cruise line's private island in The Bahamas, it's not meant to be for every single passenger on the ship.  Rather, it's an optional extra-cost choice for passengers, in addition to the other shore excursions and activities found around Cozumel.

More to reveal in the future

Royal Caribbean has not yet announced where the new beach club will located in Cozumel, nor other details about what the club entails.

Other questions include pricing, and a full list of features.

With the Cozumel beach club the second in line, the primary focus of the cruise line's attention will be the opening of the Paradise Island Beach Club first.  Moreover, they may look for lessons learned from the first club to tweak the Cozumel club.

More details on Bahamas Beach Club

Mr. Schneider also went over details of what passengers can expect when the Royal Beach Club Paradise Island opens in 2025, including a few leaked details.

He wouldn't commit to a date, and danced around the exact opening. 

The beach club will offer 17 acres of beach, pools, and scenery, "The views off the north shore of Paradise Island are nothing but stunning."

There will be three pools, and the club will incorporate a zone concept for the layout: a family zone, a party zone, and a chill zone. Mr. Schneider was quick to point out those will not be the names, just directional design concepts to follow.

Every every zone has a swim up bar, "we're leaning into really great music, great drinks, great water, great views."

Mr. Schneider also included a slide that he claimed wasn't supposed to be there, that has an idea his team is working through.

"We're dreaming of possibly an ultimate family cabana," he said. The concept was to follow in the footsteps of having the Ultimate Family Suite and Ultimate Family Townhouse, which are over-the-top suites that pack in just about everything a family might want in a cruise ship cabin.

Read more: Royal Caribbean has an ultra-luxury suite that can cost over $80,000 per week

Construction work is beginning on Royal Caribbean's new beach club in The Bahamas.

While visiting Nassau, Bahamas on Wednesday, our team captured photos of the work being done to build the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island.

From the photos, land is being cleared so construction of new structures can begin.

We saw fresh supplies being transported by ferry boat to the beach.

In partnership with the Bahamas, the Royal Beach Club is set to be built on the west end of Paradise Island, a narrow strip of land near the cruise port in Nassau.

Royal Caribbean is building this beach club on a 17-acre piece of property, near the famous lighthouse that can be seen from the Port of Nassau.

The cruise line announced  that the beach club is set to open in 2025, with "more details to be revealed in the coming months."

Royal Caribbean has described the beach club as a world-class destination experience, bringing the vibrant Bahamian spirit and culture to life alongside private cabanas and stunning pools.

"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."

Read more: Royal Caribbean breaks ground on new beach club in Bahamas reserved for its passengers

Not much actual building has occurred yet, as it looks like construction is just starting.

So far, workers have cleared trees, logs, and dirt out of the way to begin construction.

A large excavator works on clearing and moving dirt.

Trucks can also be seen carrying palm trees and wood away from the area.

Mainly, progress so far has been in clearing the area and preparing the ground for construction.

Construction workers are also moving large packets of supplies—perhaps metal beams for the foundations.

So, what can cruisers expect from this beach club?

It likely has an entrance fee, an extra-cost experience much like the adults-only Hideaway Beach on Perfect Day at CocoCay.

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

Plans show that the Royal Beach Club will have a family zone, arrivals area, water sports center, food, and even a swimming pool.

Payment of a single entrance fee could include access to the Royal Beach Club, lunch, and a beach chair. 

Guests will also be able to purchase alcohol, soda, a cabana, or a day bed at an additional fee.

Watersports and local tours will also be offered at an extra cost.

Plans show that additional activities will be offered in tandem with the beach club's pool and beach.

Activities offered could include (but are 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

Work is officially underway on Royal Caribbean's new beach club in Nassau, Bahamas.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday for the new Royal Beach Club, Paradise Island.

The 17-acre Royal Beach club project was first announced in 2020, but the cruise industry shutdown of 2020 forced a delay in it becoming a reality.  Nonetheless, today's milestone signifies the official start of work for the new offering.

The official opening is slated for sometime in 2025.

Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty and Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley were joined by The Bahamas' Prime Minister Philip Davis and Deputy Prime Minister I. Chester Cooper to commemorate the major milestone.

Construction will begin in the next few months, and Royal Caribbean hopes it will offer an authentic Bahamian experience. Plus, it is the first-of-its-kind project that gives back to the people of The Bahamas with a unique public-private partnership allows Bahamian nationals to hold up to 49% equity in the venture. 

The first of the Royal Beach Club destinations, the Nassau club aims to offer Royal Caribbean passengers exclusive access to a prime spot to enjoy an unparalleled beach experience.

Unlike the private island experience, the Royal Beach Club is an extra-cost venue with a limited capacity.  Guests visiting Nassau on a port stop will have the opportunity to purchase admission to the beach club.

The club is located on a narrow strip of land near where the cruise ships dock on Paradise Island.

The club will have three pools with swim-up bars, live music, two beaches, four restaurants serving local food.

The capacity of the club should be about 2,000 guests.

More details are expected closer to the opening.

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.

The look of the club will take inspiration from its home country. The local architecture will be crafted by a local Bahamian architectural firm. Bahamian entrepreneurs and businesses are integral to the construction and management of the new venture, creating hundreds of job opportunities both immediately and in the future. Bahamian residents have already engaged in workshops. 

Another world-class experience

The start of construction means this dream is coming to fruition, and Royal Caribbean couldn't be more excited for it.

Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Jason Liberty said at the event, "Marking more than the beginning of the construction process, today’s groundbreaking event symbolizes partnership, momentum and continued economic development for so many Bahamian entrepreneurs and the entire community."

"We are grateful to our partners for their support, especially the Bahamian government, who stand with us here today in celebration of what is to come"

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley also spoke, "As we break ground on Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, together with the government and the people of The Bahamas, we are celebrating what partnership and innovation can achieve. This will be yet one more reason, in Nassau’s bright future, to experience a destination we have visited since the very beginning of Royal Caribbean more than 50 years ago."

"The beauty and charm of the island are why we chose to debut the Royal Beach Club Collection in Nassau, and with the collaboration and support of local entrepreneurs and the wider community, we know that what we create will far exceed everything we imagined.”

Honorable Philip Davis, Prime Minister of The Bahamas spoke about the importance of this new beach club, "With the signing of this Heads of Agreement for the development of Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, we embark on this project to further enhance the vitality of our tourism product. Signing today’s agreement, we add another world-class experience to our tourism offerings. And even more importantly, we take a bold step toward greater Bahamian empowerment in the tourism industry."

Eagle-eyed cruisers spotted what looks like construction equipment on the site of what will be Royal Caribbean's next big project.

Royal Caribbean has big plans for a new private beach club in Nassau, Bahamas that will open sometime in 2025. Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island is the cruise line's first such club, and perhaps one of the early steps is beginning.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Susan Linhares shared photos from Friday of equipment arriving to the narrow strip of land near the Port of Nassau.

A barge carrying earth moving equipment was spotted being offloaded onto the area.

On Saturday morning, Earl McGrath took additional photos that showed the equipment still in place.

A first-of-its-kind experience

When it opens, the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island will offer Royal Caribbean cruise ship passengers a new option while visiting Nassau. Nassau has traditionally been rated poorly by cruise ship passengers for a lack of compelling experiences.

The beach club is an attempt to address that issue, as Nassau is one of the busiest cruise ports for Royal Caribbean. Given its proximity to the United States and the close relationship the cruise line has with the country, Royal Caribbean cannot afford to allow a poor guest experience.

Located on Paradise Island adjacent to where the cruise ships dock, the 17 acres site promises to create, "the ultimate beach day."

The Royal Beach Club is exclusively for Royal Caribbean cruise passengers, but unlike its private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay, admission is not complimentary. Instead, it will cost extra to visit the beach club and space is limited to about 2,750 guests per day. This means not everyone on the ship will have the opportunity to go.

Read more: CocoCay tips, advice, and everything you need to know

Pricing details are not yet known, but the new club will offer beach and pool access, lunch, and the rental of a beach chair.

There will be private cabanas, pools, and special attention to highlight Bahamian culture within the space. This includes Bahamian fare, island-style barbecues, live music, and local artisans. 

Opening in 2025

The exact timeline for when the Royal Beach Club will open is unknown, but the line said it expects to start operations in 2025.

In an interview with a local Bahamian newspaper in January 2024, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley indicated it would be a summer 2025 opening.

According to Bayley, ground breaking could happen soon, "The Royal Beach Club project is moving along through the process. There’re a few more details that need to be confirmed and ironed out with our partners and with the government. We’re hoping to break ground in the coming weeks but certainly by the end of the first quarter we need to start breaking ground."

Owned & operated by Bahamians

Something truly different about this beach club will be how equity is shared with the Bahamian people.

49 percent of the The Royal Beach Club will be owned by Bahamians, with Bahamians running, managing, and operating it.

Bahamians will be invited to invest in the project and hold equity up to 49 percent, with the remainder being held by Royal Caribbean. 

In addition to keeping profits in The Bahamas through the equity program, the Royal Beach Club will participate in a new tourism levy that will direct 1% of gross profits to a fund to improve attractions and experiences in The Bahamas.

Over 10 years, the economic impact is projected to be approximately $1 billion through guest spend, government taxes and other expenditures.

Royal Caribbean's bold short cruise strategy

The Royal Beach Club is one piece of of the cruise line's careful maneuvering to dominate short cruises.

First and foremost, no other cruise line has beach clubs. That will be a difference maker for anyone considering a cruise ship vacation.

Moreover, it's located in the heart of where short 3- and 4-night cruises visit, meaning it boosts a major cruise port offering exclusively for the benefit of Royal Caribbean passengers.

The new club will be flanking the cruise line's change of having the brand new Utopia of the Seas offer short cruises beginning in July 2024. 

Typically, big new cruise ships sail 7-night cruises, but Royal Caribbean wants to dominate the short cruise market by offering weekend sailings on its best ships in a bid to attract new cruisers.

In September 2025, Wonder of the Seas shifts to offer weekend cruises as well.

Combined with a visit to the already super popular Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean will soon offer short cruises that appeal to first-time cruisers that offer port visits no other cruise line can match.

A second beach club in Mexico

Following up on its Nassau beach club will be the Royal Beach Club Cozumel, opening in 2026.

Similar to The Bahamas, the Cozumel beach club will have beaches, swim-up bars, pools, private cabanas, snorkeling, kayaking and other activities. There will also be a restaurant, bar and lounge, a street market and hands-on experiences like tequila tastings and cooking classes. 

No specific site has been announced, but it will be located "along the western coast of the island."

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

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.

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.

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

More ports, more choices

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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."

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

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.