Saving time and avoiding lines is everything to me in the world of travel, and that's why I usually carry my luggage off the ship at its end.

While I usually opt for convenience in many aspects of travel, the disembarkation process is one notable exception.

When a cruise concludes, Royal Caribbean gives its guests options in how to get their belongings off the ship. There's a simple way to have your luggage taken off the ship for you and delivered to the cruise terminal.

I used to always leave my bags out the night before the cruise ends and then have them brought to the terminal.  It was simple and it did make it easier to get off the ship the next morning.

But since I started carrying my luggage off the ship, it changed my outlook for the speed factor.

Carrying bags is the fastest way to get going

The top reason I'll carry my own bags off the ship is because it's the fastest way to get off the ship, out of the terminal, and on my way.

Those carrying their own bags off the ship can disembark the ship an hour or more before the first bags are delivered.

When you leave your luggage out, Royal Caribbean gives you an estimated time they'll be ready.  That's the earliest time you can disembark the ship and have the bags waiting for you.  You could go later, if you're taking your time eating breakfast or enjoying a few more minutes on the ship.

In many cases, I want to get going and expedite traveling home.  I might be trying to make a specific high speed train home, or a flight booking.  

When I cruise close to home and I'm driving my own car, I simply want to get home.  Getting off the ship is like ripping the band-aid off in that I don't want to belabor the end of vacation and would rather get it over with.

Another benefit of being early off the ship is it minimizes the potential for traffic.  I find traffic tends to build later in the morning, and lines at the cruise terminal pickup area are worse later in the morning.

One more compelling reason I like self-assist is I don't have to pack everything up the night before.  

Since I don't have to leave my bags out in the hallway, I have more time to pack and less issues packing up what I need for the next day versus what can be in the checked luggage.

What to know before you try it

Carrying your own bags off the ship sounds great when you're sitting at home, but there are a few caveats you should be aware of before you try it.

To start, you'll need to be comfortable taking your own luggage with you without any assistance.

Royal Caribbean offers the option to take your own luggage off the ship, but you need to be able to easily carry all of it on your own.  Plus anything and everyone else you're traveling with.

If you have mobility issues, lack the strength to carry heavy suitcases down stairs, or are also trying to juggle kids, this might not be the option for you.

In fact, I only discovered the virtues of taking my luggage off myself once my kids got older and it didn't feel like we were trying to move the Army of the Potomac.

The other potential issue is actually getting off the ship in the morning.  Elevators will be busy, and it can be a challenge to get an elevator.

Ideally, you'll carry the bags down the stairs but that's not always possible.  

Conventional wisdom says if you can't get an elevator going down, take one going up and then wait for it to head back down later.

"No long lines, no big crowds"

Other cruisers have found embracing self-assist carry is the way to go too.

OhiobornCAraised posted on Reddit why they prefer it too, "Getting through immigration and the cruise terminal was soooo smooth! No long lines, no big crowds to work through. It was marvelous. 10/10 experience and hope to be able to do it more in the future."

Substantial-Face-363 added, "Totally agree! We disembarked from the Encore a couple weeks ago at 6:30 am. We took all our bags and walked right off. No wait, no lines. It was amazing!"

"Just got off a ship a week ago . We did just this for our first time. Worked out great due to a tight flight schedule," wrote OldAdministration735.

I'll aspire to carry my own luggage off the ship whenever possible, even if I'm not in a rush to disembark necessarily.

I simply like being in control of when I can leave, and usually the time guests carrying their own luggage off the ship starts quite early.

I can't say I'm able to do this on every cruise, but I've definitely shifted towards embracing carrying my own bags off more and more.

Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas is drawing closer to its debut in August 2025 by starting sea trials.

The company's second Icon Class ship departed the shipyard in Finland on Monday to begin tests. The vessel has been under construction at Meyer Turku shipyard.

"Star of the Seas departed our shipyard early Monday morning to begin her sea trials. We wish her and her crew sunny skies and smooth sailing!" is what the shipyard posted on Facebook.

This is an important milestone in the construction of any new ship.

The first real test

Think of sea trials like putting a car through its paces.  It's a necessary step to ensure all of its systems work the way they should, while putting stress on the vessel itself.

While a lot of work can be done while the ship is docked, certain navigation and technical systems need to be tested in real world situations.

Sea trials are the final step of a ship's construction prior to being delivered to the cruise line. It ensures the vessel is functionally ready before officially joining the fleet. 

Onboard the ship, there will be a combination of shipyard employees and crew members. 

Icon of the Seas had two sets of sea trials, but Icon was the first in the class.  Typically subsequent ships in the same class usually have one sea trial.  No word yet if Star will have one or two sets of sea trials.

Less than three months until her maiden voyage

Star of the Seas will have her first cruise with paying passengers in August.

Her first cruise has been moved up a few times with a series of showcase sailings being added.

Technically, her official maiden voyage is a 7-night cruise on August 31, 2025.  However, there is a 3-night cruise on August 20, followed by two four-night preview sailings.

Star of the Seas will join Icon as being the two biggest cruise ships in the world, and a ship that size has lots to do.

You'll find the world’s largest waterpark at sea that has six water slides, and it's designed to be like a floating resort with different pools and over 40 ways to dine, drink and be entertained onboard.

The ship weighs in at an estimated 248,663 tons and measures close to 1,200 feet long. It also holds about 5,610 passengers and 2,350 crew members

"Icon will be the best family vacation in the world," said Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer.

There are 20 decks across the ship, featuring eight neighborhoods that help divide up the ship into distinct areas.

Icon has been a commercial and critical hit, and now Royal Caribbean wants to repeat that success with Star.

The Star of the Seas will set sail from Port Canaveral on 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations all year round, where passengers can visit popular tropical destinations like the Bahamas, Mexico, St. Maarten and Honduras, as well as Royal Caribbean's private island, CocoCay. 

Royal Caribbean ships are known for fun things to do onboard, and a big part of that are the theme nights and parties.

One of the top questions we get is what to pack for a cruise, and that includes these events.

"When and where do you find out about theme nights on different ships? We cruise in a month and would love to be able to plan for packing," is what one person wrote on Facebook recently to ask about it.

Royal Caribbean is now sending emails that help address that question.

Are you ready to party?

A few of our readers with upcoming cruises received emails from the cruise line that are aimed at making it easier for guests to understand what to expect onboard.

It's an informational email, offering expectations of the different themes and parties.

"We have a lineup of thrilling events and activities planned onboard, and we’re encouraging all our guests to participate in the festivities," the email reads.

In one example, the email was sent to guests booked on the June 13, 2025 sailing of Anthem of the Seas, which puts it about 26 days prior to the start of the cruise.

It starts off listing four theme nights and what each one is like:

• 80s Night: It’s going to be totally tubular! The most vibrant and unforgettable decade has made its way to the high seas. Dust off your leg warmers, tease up your hair, break out your fishnets and pack it with your leather jacket – it’s time to get funky and dance the night away! Pack your leg warmers, big hair and fishnet gloves!
• Caribbean Night: Join us for an evening of vibrant music, and dive into the rhythms and flavors of the Caribbean! Pack your favorite Caribbean shirts, tropical dresses and all things floral as you embrace the island spirit and dance the night away!
• 70s Night: Get ready to hit the dance floor at our far out 70s Night Party! Boogie down and dress up in your grooviest 70s-inspired outfit. Pack your bell-bottoms, platform shoes, dazzling sequins and funky sunglasses and join us to dance the night away to the hottest hits of the decade!
• Latin Party: Feel the heat and passion of our Latin Party as you move to the vibrant rhythms of the salsa, bachata, and reggaeton. Pack your favorite dancing shoes and casual, white attire that will keep you dancing all night long. When choosing your outfit think casual, light and flowy!

The email also says there will be a formal night onboard, which Royal Caribbean refers to as "Dress Your Best night".

The amount of formal nights on any sailing depends on the length of the cruise:

• 3-5 sailings nights: One night
• 6-10 sailing nights: Two nights
• 11-14 sailing nights: Three nights
• 15+ sailing nights: Three to four nights

The email is something I haven't previously seen by Royal Caribbean, but it's clearly an attempt to make it easier for guests to participate.

Theme nights are optional

It's important to remember that the themes are not mandatory, and you don't have to participate if you don't want to.

It's been a cruising tradition for years to have these events, and it offers a way to have fun on vacation.  Basically, theme nights are an excuse to get dressed up and join in.

Not only are there evenings to enjoy together, but it makes for fun family photos.

Part of the appeal of a theme night is you get join in with your own take on the outfit to wear. You could go for an over-the-top look that's meant to get laughs, or see if your family can really get into the spirit of the event with a cosplay-level look.

Ultimately, these themes are really about how you look around the ship. No venue or restaurant will deny you entry if you don't participate in one of these themes.

An even easier way to find the theme nights and when they are

While this email is a good start, it doesn't list exactly when each theme night will occur.  Nor do you know what else is happening that day to coordinate plans.

My advice is go one step further than the email and get the answer.

There are two tried-and-true ways to find out the theme nights for your Royal Caribbean cruise.

You could look up themed nights from past sailings on the same ship and itinerary.

We keep an archive of past Cruise Compasses, which list all the events that happened on a given sailing.

The reality is if you look up a recent sailing on the same ship and itinerary as yours, the theme nights are all but certainly going to be the same.

Another idea is to look in the Royal Caribbean app.

About 2-3 weeks before your cruise, the app will update with the theme nights and other activities.

Scroll under the “Daily Planner” section to preview the hourly details and event descriptions. 

Happy weekend! In case you missed any Royal Caribbean news, here is a look at everything that happened this week!

A lazy-crazy river and water slide towers are just the start of Royal Caribbean's plans for Perfect Day Mexico.

Opening in fall 2027, Royal Caribbean revealed this week all of its plans for Perfect Day Mexico.

Also announced are the plans for its two beach clubs, as well as a new private destination in Vanuatu.

Royal Caribbean News

• Crazy lazy river, water launch slides, beach clubs: How you’re going to change how to pick a cruise
• Millennials are now the average cruise passenger age, says Royal Caribbean CEO
• My first cruise to Alaska caught me off guard. Looking back, I wish I'd avoided these 3 mistakes
• How much I spent on everything for my Anthem of the Seas cruise
• I paid $220 to try Royal Caribbean's new VIP excursion. It was pricey but made our beach day much better
• Royal Caribbean planning timeline
• Anthem of the Seas balcony cabin tour

Cruise tips that sound strange but really work

Trust, these travel tips really work, even if they sound bizarre.

New cruisers might be surprised by a few cruise tips that get shared because they either sound unintuitive or something completely different than they're used to.

I can vouch from experience these cruise tips really do work, even if they sound very odd.

Royal Caribbean makes casino change for non-smokers

The newest non-smoking casino is open.

Royal Caribbean opened another non-smoking casino on Utopia of the Seas, this one replacing the comedy club onboard.

Construction took a month, but a second non-smoking venue is now open on the ship.

These 13 travel essentials made my flight to Europe fly by

Jenna just got back from a trip to Europe, a few essentials made a big difference during the flight.

Flying to Barcelona to check out Allure of the Seas meant taking an economy class flight across the Atlantic.  By no means is that an enjoyable experience on its own.

After careful testing, certain travel accessories really do help improve the flight when traveling that long a time.

The underrated Florida cruise port with the best value

Among all the ports you can sail from in Florida, Tampa is clearly the best if you're on a budget.

Cruises from Tampa are easy to access, and probably the cheapest fares you'll find right now.

With cruise prices only seemingly going up, the best deals are on Florida's west coast.

New RCB Video: Royal Caribbean just shared Perfect Day Mexico, Beach Club Info & More

Have you subscribed to the Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel? We share some great videos there regularly, all about taking a Royal Caribbean cruise! This week, we are sharing our latest video — Royal Caribbean just shared Perfect Day Mexico, Beach Club Info & More — and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel.

Instead of picking a ship, you might be picking the private destination as the top reason to choose a cruise.

Royal Caribbean revealed the full details of four different beach destination projects it's working on, and collectively it's evolving its product offering forward beyond any other cruise line or resort.

"Now, guests are choosing to sail with us so that they can go to CocoCay," said Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider. "Sometimes it's actually more important CocoCay than it is the ship that they're on."

The success Royal Caribbean has had with its Perfect Day at CocoCay project lead them on the path to spawn an even bigger project in Mexico, along with two beach clubs and a new private destination.

According to Schneider, visiting destinations is the top reason their customers choose a Royal Caribbean cruise.  But new Royal Caribbean exclusives could change how people think of picking a vacation.

"The difference is, in addition to saying, I want to go to Aruba, they're going to continue to say... I want to go to Perfect Day at CocoCay."

That change in approach to picking private destinations as a primary factor could be  a real difference maker for Royal Caribbean.

Caribbean cruises with an oasis at each stop

By the time we get to the end of 2027, Royal Caribbean will have two Perfect Day operations open, along with two beach clubs, across the Caribbean.

It's not difficult to imagine itineraries where each stop has a top rated spot at each port that Royal Caribbean customers can enjoy.

Your cruise could sail away from Miami, stop at the Royal Beach Club Cozumel, then hit Perfect Day Mexico the next day, and conclude with a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay before returning home.

Royal Caribbean isn't moving away from bringing its customers to everywhere else in the Caribbean, but they're also looking to offer its customers what they want: highly rated experiences that passengers love.

At the official announcement event in New York on Wednesday, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley restated that Perfect Day at CocoCay is the number one rated place by customers their ships visit.

Like any business, Royal Caribbean wants to take that winning formula that makes its customers so satisfied and spread it around.

In the case of Nassau, the line wants to address a much-needed problem where passengers frankly hate visiting there.

In terms of guest satisfaction, Nassau ranks in the bottom 10% of ports, and that's a big reason why Royal Caribbean wants to build a club there.

But with Cozumel and Costa Maya, there are opportunities to add more and spread what worked at CocoCay so its passengers can have a great experience elsewhere.

In all cases, the goal is simple: elevate the experience by making things easier and better for passengers.  Take that formula and apply it liberally.

Dreaming of perfect cruises

Almost as soon as Royal Caribbean announced its plans for Perfect Day Mexico and its beach clubs, cruise fans began asking for sailings that visit them all.

"Would love to go to Coco Cay and Perfect Day Mexico on the same cruise," posted RCIfan1912 on the Royal Caribbean message boards.

aherrera04 posted on Reddit, "With all the new Perfect Day projects released I just need a cruise that stops in all of them maybe with a sea day in between."

"5 night from Orlando, stops at CoCoCay and Mexico… where do I sign up" added NathanJax.

When does each of these new places open?

It's going to be a busy few years as Royal Caribbean gets all of these new spots ready to go.

Perfect Day Mexico is slated to open September 2027, and Royal Caribbean will likely offer itineraries that visit both Perfect Day locales when they go on sale.

Expect the first batch of new cruises to be on sale in the fall, around November of this year.

Royal Beach Club Cozumel is expected to open in December 2026, and it sounds like it will be at the very end of December.

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will be the first beach club to open, and that will start up operations in December 2025.  Once again, expect a late opening in the month.

Finally, Lelepa will open sometime in early 2027.

Keep in mind you cannot book admission or tickets to any of the beach clubs yet.  Royal Caribbean says more information and pricing will be released soon.

If you have the means and control, one of the best deals in cruising right now is through Royal Caribbean's casino program.

Ever since I discovered how lucrative the offers can be to essentially earn free cruises by doing the thing I'd already be doing in the ship's casino, I've been taking advantage of offers coming through Casino Royale.

My luck in the casino is up and down over the course of the year, and your results may differ from mine. Please gamble responsibly.

Just like a land casino, Royal Caribbean's casino operation is big business.  They offer complimentary cruises if you gamble enough to reach certain point thresholds.

You really don't need to be a big gambler in order to benefit, and a recent change the casino program made just saved me more than any jackpot I've ever won from a slot machine.

The basics of a casino comp

There are a few ways to get a "free cruise" by gambling in Royal Caribbean's casino, but I'm going to focus on the annual free cruise you get from reaching the Prime level within the casino loyalty program.

Just like Crown and Anchor Society, Royal Caribbean's casino has its own loyalty program. However, it differs in that your status is based on how many points you earn over the course of one year.  

You'll earn 1 point for every $5 wagered on a slot machine, and if you get to 2,500 points in a gaming year, you'll get the choice of a free interior room on a cruise up to seven nights in length.

The beauty of this free cruise offer is you can earn it over the course of a year. You might earn 500 points on one sailing, 1000 on another, and so on.  You can earn it in one sailing or over multiple, and then stop and enjoy that perk later.

Plus, as a Prime member you get free drinks in the casino.

The catch with this annual cruise offer is it's only available to book the following year, and you must use and sail it within that year. Plus, there's an exclusion list.

Each year certain dates and ships are excluded, because they're too in demand.  This means no holiday cruises and no sailings on brand new ships.

Star of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's next new ship was, as expected, on the exclusion list.

A change in the exclusion list

As I contemplated which cruise to use my free sailing offer, Royal Caribbean made a change.

Royal Caribbean message board users shared suddenly there were Star of the Seas and Icon of the Seas sailings showing up as available after previously being excluded.

"In case anyone has not booked their annual, Star is no longer excluded and there are open dates in January-March!" wrote Chart.

A brand new ship like Star of the Seas would command a premium price, and I looked into if I could take advantage of it.

Almost $9,000 in savings

I was already booked for a 7-night spring break cruise on Star of the Seas with my family in connecting ocean balcony cabins.

I booked it when the ship opened up bookings, and got two rooms for my family.  Splitting up and getting two rooms instead of one is one of my favorite cruise hacks.

The price for each room was $7095.08, including taxes, fees, port expenses, and gratuities. That's a total of $14,190.16 for both cabins.

I alerted my MEI-Travel agent to what I had seen online and asked her if we could cancel what I had booked and re-book it with my casino certificate.

She found the reports were true, and I would be able to use my certificate for one room and my wife's certificate for the other room.

We'd get the interior cabin for "free", and the cost to upgrade to connecting ocean view balcony would be $2338.34 + gratuities per room. With fees and gratuities, it came out to $2597.34 per cabin.

After some work with the cruise line, my travel agent was able to get me rebooked with the casino offer, plus the difference in upgrading the cabin back up to an ocean balcony.

I went from a $14,190.16 bill to a $5,194.68 bill, saving me $8,995.48.

Big savings, but it's still gambling

I wanted to share my experience as an example of how lucrative Royal Caribbean's casino program can be, provided you're willing to play responsibly.

To be fair, I don't have an accurate accounting of my losses in the 2024-2025 casino year to properly evaluate how much money I lost to get my 2,500 points and reach Prime status.

Of course, I also enjoyed other benefits of being a Prime member, such as complimentary drinks in the casino throughout that time and even this year too.

Gambling is addictive and inherently risky, but if you can play smart, you could net some big savings well beyond the casino floor.

Young people are taking over cruise ships.

Demand for a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation has never been hotter, and there's a shift in who's booking them.

Speaking at an event in New York City revealing their private destination plans, Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley told the audience the average age of its customers is no longer Baby Boomers or Gen-X.

"The average age is a Millennial now," said Mr. Bayley in talking about the shifting demographics of who's going on a cruise.

According to Bayley, on short getaway cruises, 2 out of 3 guests are vacationing with Royal Caribbean for the first time.

More than 40% of Royal Caribbean cruises are 5 nights or less.

Given the direction Royal Caribbean is headed with opening new beach clubs around the world over the next few years, catering to Millennials and their families makes sense for the company.

The Pew Research Center defines millennials as those born between 1981 and 1996, which means they're people that are between 29 and 44 years old today.

They're bringing their kids onboard Royal Caribbean ships, and are the dominate age group onboard.

Why are Millennials embracing cruising so much? Two factors are the affordability of cruises compared to traditional land vacations and the increasing desire for unique, shareable experiences.

That second part is at the heart of Royal Caribbean's big destination push.

New places you can spend time together

If you look at Perfect Day Mexico, Lelepa, or any of the beach clubs, you're going to quickly notice these are all built on the foundation of creating memories for families.

Whether you're at the Giant Flamingo DJ bar in Royal Beach Club Paradise Island, going down the nearly hour-long lazy river in Perfect Day Mexico, or at the swim-up bar in Cozumel, the overarching goal is to offer Royal Caribbean cruisers things they can do for everyone in the family.

"Our guests are looking for memories. They're trying to find first experiences. It's why people go on vacation, frankly," said Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider.

To that point, Royal Caribbean made water the core pillar of all the areas they showed off.

Why? Because that's what Royal Caribbean's customers are telling them they want. 

"We hear this all the time from our guests. It's view water; in water; toes in sand water; drink water; Water comes throughout everything that we do."

A great example of this combination of water and family memories is in which water slides are being added to Perfect Day Mexico.

There are more raft slides than body slides because customers love them.  It's more fun to go down a water slide with someone you know, and it's a shared experience.

There will be more than 30 slides in Perfect Day Mexico, and  the tallest family raft slide is designed for four to six riders at once so you can experience it together.

Royal Caribbean also developed party cabanas that can handle up to 20 people in Perfect Day Mexico. That's in addition to the Ultimate Family Cabana in Nassau.

Both types of cabanas are for big groups that want to share in making memories. It has its own dedicated bathroom, its own bar. It'll have its own bartender.

Of course, the world's biggest lazy river is going to be a hit with just about everyone in the family.

Adding a lazy river was the most requested feature Royal Caribbean heard from its customers, so they're adding it to Perfect Day Mexico.

Estimates are it could take 45-60 minutes to make one loop around the lazy river.

Royal Caribbean is pushing the boundaries forward with its vision for its next beach private beach getaway.

The cruise line just revealed everything we wanted to know about what there is to do inside Perfect Day Mexico, and it's a leap ahead of anything they've come up with yet.

Royal Caribbean thinks it already built the best cruise line beach day experience with Perfect Day at CocoCay, and now it wants to go well beyond that with Perfect Day Mexico.

"It is meant to be just an amazing over the top experience," Royal Caribbean's Senior Vice President and Chief Product Innovation Officer Jay Schneider explained as he gave Royal Caribbean Blog an exclusive first look ahead of the line's big reveal.

Perfect Day Mexico is a means to not just bring over what worked at CocoCay, but expand and dream bigger.

One of the most anticipated new features is going to be the longest lazy river in the world, which is a feature customers have been clamoring for.

"The two top things that guests have been looking for at Perfect Day at CocoCay: number one, a lazy river. And number two adult space."

While there wasn't enough land to do a lazy river at CocoCay, Mexico will be where this must-have is going to land.

"Being able to build, kind of a call it a white paper Perfect Day in Mexico, gave us the affordance to build the world's longest lazy river with a crazy branch, if you want to choose to go that path."

Access to the lazy river is included in your cruise fare. But Royal Caribbean's lazy river is not going to be like the one's you've probably been on before.

There will be a few different "Tubes and Tequila Bar" locations you can stop at, where you latch your tube to a bar and take a break for a cocktail.

Mr. Schneider hinted at a cooler of beer idea they're working on, "We're kicking around this idea where maybe you take a cooler...because being in the longest lazy river in the world, you're in that body of water, if you choose for up to or more than an hour to get around it."

As you meander around the river, the lazy river approaches the entrance to Loco Waterpark, the water conditions would get rougher as you enter the "crazy" section of it.  

He says the crazy section is still in development, "we're trying to find a way to make it crazy and still approachable by everybody who wants to go down that path."

The idea right now is there's a fork in the river, with a calm and peaceful path on one side, and a foreboding crazy path on the other.

"We'll probably have fun with theming and we'll probably have some fun with drama and figure out how to really differentiate the two."

More raft slides than ever before

Next door to the lazy river is Loco Waterpark, an extra cost venue that is once again offering what its customers want the most: raft slides.

You'll find both raft slides and body slides, but many more raft slides compared to CocoCay.

"What we've learned is there's significant amount of guest demand for raft slides and a lesser demand on body slides. And so we are dialing back the number of body slides and dialing up the number of raft slides."

As an example, the tallest family raft slide is designed for four to six riders at once so you can experience it together.

Royal Caribbean says there will be more than 30 waterslides across five towers, and they're even looking to outdo everyone else again.

The Jaguar's Peak slide will be more than 170 feet tall, which makes it the tallest slide tower in either North or South America.

Then there are the hydrolaunch slides that shoot riders into the air and the world’s first sombrero slide, modeled after Mexico’s iconic sombrero. 

Opening in 2027

When Perfect Day Mexico opens fall 2027, it's going to be big and full of new things to try.

You'll walk into the Fiesta Plaza to see the world’s largest sombrero bar — a towering 20-meter-high structure. 

Walk in, or hop on a trajinera (Mexican-style gondolas). It's a signature new feature to offer a different way to go get from point A to point B.

You could stop right at Chill Beach, which has nearly 2 miles of white sand beaches.

There are two exclusive areas with admission cost you could buy a pass to: the adults-only El Hideaway or Costa Beach Club. 

The inland El Hideaway is just for guests 18 or older, and it has a 50,000 sq. ft. party pool. There are multiple swim-up bars, DJ entertainment, and live music.

Costa Beach Club is the elevated beach spot, where crowds are limited and you'll find secluded beaches and pools with luxurious loungers and private service.

"There are things that we've never done before. There are things that are evolutions that are working. And then there are traditions," Mr. Schneider said of the planning for this new 200 acre site.

Royal Caribbean will put the new itineraries visiting Perfect Day Mexico on sale this fall, with ships visiting from Florida, Texas, and New Orleans.

Royal Caribbean revealed what it has planned for its private destination push that is going to go well beyond what any cruise line has ever dreamed.

Royal Caribbean is poised to open four different projects over the next few years, each with its own way to give vacationers exactly what they want: an idyllic day in the sun, surf, and shore.

The developments crisscross the Caribbean, and even extend to the Pacific.  It's all part of Royal Caribbean's master plan to offer the very best destinations that are second to none.

At an event in New York, the cruise line showcased what it has planned at each of its private beaches, along with opening dates and what we can expect.

Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island

• Opens: December 2025
• Capacity: 4,000 guests
• Paid, All-Inclusive

The first of these new beaches to open will be the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island, located in Nassau, Bahamas.

Scheduled to open in December 2025, the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island is an all-inclusive, beach club you'll need to pay to access.

It's like a super shore excursion that Royal Caribbean curates to cater to exactly what its passengers want: a high-end beach day experience with a focus on local authenticity and upscale amenities.

Royal Caribbean relied on extensive guest research and feedback to come up with the experience.

Guests will be transported via custom-built water taxis that depart from the port area, with two arrival points to make getting where you want to go easy.

Royal Caribbean says "bookings become available in just a few short weeks."

There are going to be three zones, each with a different approach to enjoy your time.

Chill Beach

You'll find both a pool and a beach here, and it's meant to be the most relaxing area of the club. 

There is a long pool with a swim-up bar (in fact, every pool has a swim up bar within the club), and plenty of space to enjoy quiet, ambient Caribbean music.

Party Cove

Party Cove is going to be the spot to go to if you want a pool party vibe.

You'll find the world's largest swim-up bar, known as "the Floating Flamingo". It features a dedicated DJ area, and VIP “party wings.”

It's two stories with the DJ at the center of it at the top level. There's going to be integrated compressed air to elevate the party atmosphere.

The party wings allow guests to actually rent the entire wing for your group, similar to how you might rent a cabana elsewhere.

The pool is actually broken up into three areas, with the largest swim up bar having over 100 seats.

Family Beach

Catering to guests with kids, Family Beach will have a zero-entry pool and this is really the focus of this zone. 

It's a long and shallow pool for families to enjoy together, but there's a swim-up bar here too.

This is also where you'll find the debut of the first-ever land-based Ultimate Family Cabana, which promises an over-the-top experience for families.

It has equal access to beach and pool, and the cabana is going to have just about everything you'd want for a splurged up kind of day.

Your own slide, dining area, lounge space, and more.

Partnership with The Bahamas

The operation will be run in partnership with Bahamian stakeholders (under a 51/49 joint venture), ensuring that the service and food authentically reflect local culture.

You'll find Bahamian art, architecture, and locally-sourced food seamlessly blending into the guest experience.

A strong emphasis is placed on sustainability through initiatives such as zero waste to landfill practices and advanced wastewater recycling systems.

Perfect Day Mexico

• Opens September 2027
• Included, with multiple premium upgrades available

Royal Caribbean's biggest land project ever will open with Perfect Day Mexico.

It's located in what's now Costa Maya, Mexico. When Royal Caribbean is done, the old Costa Maya and region will be uplifted and redeveloped with significant investment in the community and the amenities throughout.

The cruise line bought the port and surrounding land, and it's going to be an epic exclusive for Royal Caribbean passengers  that builds upon the success they've had with Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas.

Admission is included in your cruise fare, but there are opportunities to spend on extras like cabanas, waterpark and excursions.

When passengers get off the ship, they have the choice of entering Perfect Day Mexico or walking to the nearby Transportation and Tourist Center to pick up a shore excursion or other form of travel out.

The first itineraries you can book that will feature a visit to Perfect Day Mexico will become available this fall.

There will be five key zones to explore:

Fiesta Plaza

This is where you'll enter Perfect Day Mexico, and it's decked out in bold, colorful Mexican décor, and acts as the social hub and introduction to the destination.

You'll notice quickly the world’s largest sombrero bar and vibrant street-style signage.

It's an engineering marvel, and started out as an idea to build the world's largest sombrero, but Royal Caribbean decided to turn it into a bar.

You can walk into Perfect Day Mexico on foot, or opt to take one of the trajineras, which are colorful, flat-bottomed boats that you'd find in the canals of Mexico City. 

The river that runs through the entrance helps set the scene, and Royal Caribbean thought offering boat rides would be a really fun way to move people.

Chill Beach

This is the primary and quite large beach area guests that spans the shoreline. The entire area is almost 2 miles in length.

This is where you'll go for a beautiful and relaxing beach day, complete with lounge-friendly areas with palm-lined shorelines.

Guests can enjoy complimentary loungers, umbrellas and towels at all beaches and pools at Perfect Day Mexico.

Royal Caribbean will also offer cabanas to rent, including ones that have little plunge pools attached to them. There will be land cabanas, water cabanas, and plunge cabanas.

Costa Beach Club (extra cost)

Based on the Coco Beach Club, this will be the upscale beach club experience with elevated dining, exclusive pools, and luxury cabanas.

You'll find white sand beaches, a heated infinity pool, and dedicated restaurant.

There are cabanas to rent here as well, which come with a dedicated pool.

El Hideaway (extra cost)

The adults-only area is an inland pool zone with massive party pools, swim-up bars, and DJ entertainment.

Encompassing eight acres, it has a pool that is going to be 50,000ft², whereas the Hideaway Beach pool today is only 17,000ft².

Either side will have the "chill" zones, while the center will be all about the party atmosphere.

Fun fact: it will be home to the world's largest bottle of tequila!

You'll find here the Party Cabana, which can handle up to 20 people. It has its own dedicated bathroom, its own bar, and it'll have its own bartender.

Splash Cove

A new concept, Splash Cove is 30 acres in size. It has a pool that is a little over three times bigger than the Oasis Lagoon.

This entire neighborhood will be included in your cruise fare.

Surrounding the pool will be the world's longest lazy and crazy river.

The lazy river will be between a 45 and 60 minute journey, but it has multiple stops along the way where you can tie up your raft at a bar to take a "break".

There will be three of these bars, known as "Tubes and Tequila", and you'll clip your tube to the bar for a stop.

There will also be the largest Splashaway Bay for kids, along with more seating than you'd find at the CocoCay version.

Speaking of young kids, there will be a bubble up activity, which is describe as an experience that inflates with water jets coming off of it, and then it deflates and kids climb up it and fall down. It's a super fun young kid thing

Loco Waterpark (extra cost)

Spanning 15 acres, it's three times the size of Thrill Waterpark, and will have 31 slides across five towers.

One big theme is you'll find a lot of raft slides, as they resonate the most with Royal Caribbean's guests. There will still be drop slides or body slides, but many more raft slides.

You'll find the tallest water park in the Americas, eclipsing the one in Brazil that's at 160ft.

There's a Jaguar head tower (170ft tall), along with Sombrero Tower (100ft tall), and the launch tower

The launch tower has hydro launches and drop slides. These are the ones that fly you through the air and then drop you down. 

Royal Caribbean has an idea to put a bar near the launch tower so guests can have a drink and watch people flying through the air and give them ratings, like an Olympic competition.

There's a wave pool that will be about twice the size of the one on CocoCay.

Dining in Perfect Day Mexico

Royal Caribbean will have 12 regionally inspired dining options throughout the resort.  There will be sit-down restaurants, quick service entries, and almost all the food will be included in your cruise fare.

There are also 24 bars spread across Perfect Day Mexico, including six swim-up bars.

Royal Beach Club Cozumel

• Opens: December 2026
• Paid, All-Inclusive

The second beach club will be in Cozumel, and its focus is offering guests a day filled with fun centered around the pool, beach, sun, food and culture.

It'll be located where Playa Mia beach resort is currently, as Royal Caribbean will take it over. They've also acquired the properties on both sides of Playa Mia.  

The last day of Playa Mia's operations is May 20th, and then construction will begin. Just like Costa Maya, Royal Caribbean will demolish everything that existed there before to introduce their own vision.

It's about a ten minute drive south from where Royal Caribbean docks its ships.

There are 5 main areas: Main pool, North Beach, The Mercato, South Village, and South Beach.

Just like the beach club in Nassau, Royal Caribbean wants it to offer three vibes: chill, family and party. It's a work in progress as to how they're going to achieve it here, but they have a few ideas.

As you arrive, you'll be surrounded by lush landscaping. As you walk in, you'll start to see the vibrancy of Mexico with art and amazing views ahead of you.

There will be a pool with a swim-up bar, along with a side that's toes in the sand that stretches over to the beach.

There'll be in water music experience, but it remains to be seen if it's a DJ or not.

At the Mercato, you'll find the central food experience. Royal Caribbean wants to offer a 50/50 blend of local inspired classics, as well as American food.

So you'll find tacos, fresh guacamole, fresh salsa, fresh tortillas, margaritas, quesadilla, tortas and churros. But you'll also have a chicken sandwich, burger, fries, etc.

Lelepa

• Opens: Early 2027
• Included

Located in Vanuatu, Royal Caribbean has its first private destination outside of North America with the Lelepa. This isn't a beach club, but not a Perfect Day either.  It's a different kind of product that doesn't fit into the other destinations mold.

It's not very far from Port Vila, and Royal Caribbean has essentially leased the entire northern part of the island

Ships will tender here, as there will be no pier.

One key difference is Lelepa will have no thrill factor.  Instead, they've doubled down on the chill, which is described as "gorgeous."

The team is taking the essence of the beach club product, but making it inclusive in the cruise fare.

There will be a number of villages to break up the layout of Lelepa:

• Welcome Village
• Beach villages

When you arrive, you'll see a local retail village and a welcome bar.

The private beach flanks both sides of the island, with a walkway in-between. Each side has beaches, restaurants, sports activities, and playgrounds.

They're also working on an adults-only area that doesn't cost extra. It's essentially a quieter, unmanaged area away from everything else for adults.

Something else being added are walking trails throughout the property, as part of a curated nature trail.

There are so many cruise tips for Royal Caribbean, and I bet a few make new cruisers wonder if they really work or not.

I'm so used to relying on many tricks and better approaches to things on a Royal Caribbean cruise that I take it for granted that they simply work.

When I was getting back on Utopia of the Seas after a fun day with friends, I told them to walk past the first set of elevators to the next set. It seemed like we were walking more than we needed, but we waited no time to get one because the other elevator bank was empty.

Tips like this seem almost crazy, but when you try them out, they work a lot better than imagined.

I went through a number of tried-and-true cruise tips and advice to come up with the ones that might sound weird, but they really do make sense once you're on the ship.

Ordering multiple entrees

In almost every restaurant on Royal Caribbean, you're welcome to order more than one entree.  It sounds like the most gluttonous piece of advice, but it works!

Generally speaking, entree sizes are smaller on a cruise ship than you might find on land.  I find this to be true in the Main Dining Room primarily.

Ordering more than one entree is a really good idea to ensure you're not hungry.

Better yet, it's nice to sample different dishes.  Odds are there's going to be more than one thing on the menu that sounds good.

Your waiters will encourage this practice too.  If you even hint at trying to decide between dishes, they'll usually insist on bringing you both.  Or three. 

This is part of why I love to cruise. You get to try new foods and indulge in ones you love.

As a new cruiser, ordering more than one entree feels so unnatural. I rarely, if ever, do that at a land restaurant.

Once you realize it's commonplace on cruises, it becomes a great way to enjoy the very best food Royal Caribbean serves.

Splitting beds makes a small room feel bigger

When someone that cruised much more than me told me they split their beds when they cruise solo, I thought they were crazy.  Turns out, they're right.

Most Royal Caribbean staterooms come with a Royal King bed that can be separated into two twin beds upon request.

When you're in an inside cabin, splitting the beds instead of keeping them together is a cruise hack meant to make it the room feel bigger.

I think the rationale is with the beds split, you get a walkway in the middle of the room between them, which is more useful than a sliver of space around the edges of the cabin.

I've experienced inside cabins with the beds split and together, and I do think it works better with the beds apart.

On newer Royal Caribbean ships, there are cabinets above the bed mounted to the wall, and it's easier to access them with the beds split.

You can ask your Stateroom Attendant to split or combine the beds at any time.

Of course, separate beds may not be your idea of conducive sleeping conditions.  But it will probably help open up the room a bit more.

Staying on the ship while in port

The number one reason people book a Royal Caribbean cruise is the destination, so it might feel wrong to want to not visit the places you're cruising to.

A lot of veteran cruisers will advocate skipping a port and taking advantage of a less crowded ship.

I went on Icon of the Seas with my family for spring break and later regretted we didn't have more time to enjoy what this amazing ship has to offer because we were busy in every port of call.

Some people might struggle with what to do in one particular port, because there isn't an activity or tour that jumps out as a must-do for their taste.

Staying onboard during a port day allows you to take advantage of significantly less crowds, especially at the pool or for the top deck attractions. Water slides, the zip line, rock wall, and more are all far less busy on port days.

When you try it, it feels like being home from school in a way because everyone else is off doing something else. But the advantages are lovely for having the pools (virtually) to yourself.

Magnets add more storage capability

I resisted the advice of so many people to buy magnets for their cruise cabin because I couldn't believe it would help, but I was wrong.

Many people recommend bringing magnets to use in your cabin as a way to improve the storage options, and it's something you'd never consider at any land hotel.

Part of the reason why magnets and not something else is because the walls in your cabin are metal, and you can't use adhesives or anything else that would damage the walls.

A pack of heavy duty magnetic hooks will last forever and you can re-use them on future cruises. (Link is an affiliate link that costs you nothing extra, but I make a small commission if you buy)

It allows you to hang up dresses, hats, bathing suits, shirts, and pretty much a lot of other stuff that would otherwise take up space in drawers or on furniture.

I was skeptical how effective it would work, but it really does the trick.

Take photos of crew member name tags

Royal Caribbean truly values customer feedback, and it's not just a corporate cliché.

In fact, a lot of cruisers often want to give the cruise line their thoughts, and the post-cruise survey is the best way to do that.  

That survey is also the best way to recognize outstanding crew members, but if you're like me, you forget how to spell their name or in some cases their name all together.  

I saw cruisers taking photos of crew member name tags and thought that's silly.  But in reality, getting home and not remembering that amazing bartender or cabana host's name is silly on my part.

Ask them to take a photo of their name tag so it's easier to remember later for the survey.  They'll be more than happy to let you do that.