Following pushback against the project from environmental advocates, Mexico has rejected Royal Caribbean Group's plans for Perfect Day Mexico, a 200-plus-acre private destination in Costa Maya that had been scheduled to open in late 2027.
Alicia Barcena, Mexico's secretary of environment and natural resources, announced the decision Tuesday. Environmental advocates had been pushing for an order to halt the project.
In a Change.org petition, divemaster Morgane Vainberg urged Mexico president Claudia Sheinbaum to shut down Perfect Day Mexico. The petition has nearly 4.8 million signatures.
The petition says, "Royal Caribbean plans to receive up to 20,000 tourists per day: bringing with them tons of chemical sunscreen, plastic waste, mega-cruise ships polluting the water and absurd levels of freshwater consumption in a region already suffering from water scarcity.
"All of this while destroying still-living mangroves and coastline, without a serious environmental impact assessment, and stripping local communities of their own territories -- as has already happened elsewhere."
Sheinbaum weighed in at a press conference Monday, according to Reuters, saying, "We must not do anything that affects that area, which has a very important ecological balance, and is particularly important for the reefs."
Perfect Day Mexico had been slated to feature nearly two miles of beaches, a waterpark with 30-plus slides, a 100,000-square-foot pool and a lazy river.
The Perfect Day Mexico land parcel is next to the port of Costa Maya, which Royal Caribbean Group owns.
The property is located in the village of Mahahual in the state of Quintana Roo.
In a statement, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said, "Mahahual is a special place that deserves care and protection. We continue to believe in Mexico and are optimistic in the potential to advance our investment responsibly. Over the coming weeks, we will re-engage stakeholders to move forward in a way that delivers shared prosperity through the development of essential environmental infrastructure, the creation of thousands of local jobs and community programs that support the people of Mexico."