Royal Caribbean International is poised to reshape the short-cruise experience in the Western Caribbean with the opening of two private destinations in Mexico over the next two years.
And according to at least one travel advisor, the cruise line is starting a race with no real competitors.
By debuting Perfect Day Mexico in 2027 with a waterpark, the world's longest lazy river and nearly two miles of beaches in Costa Maya, in addition to a private Royal Beach Club set to open in Cozumel next year, Royal Caribbean will offer cruisers from New Orleans and Galveston entirely new experiences, on par with what passengers sailing from Florida experience.
The two Western Caribbean private destinations will also provide Royal guests with double the private destination stops of its two main competitors, Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line, which each already have one in the region.
"I think they're going to absolutely own and dominate that market, because the private islands will make that difference there," said Danny Genung, CEO of Redlands, Calif.-based Harr Travel, who added that many cruisers departing Texas have already been to Mexico "two, three, four times. If you cruise out of Galveston, it's pretty much the same itinerary over and over."
In the Eastern Caribbean, Genung added, Royal Caribbean is already winning, thanks to its Bahamian island, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Now, in the Western Caribbean, he said, "They've started a second race that they may be the only participants in."
Cruise.com CEO Anthony Hamawy also predicted that Royal Caribbean's Mexico projects will be a "big, big win for them."
"That opens up the Galveston route, and it gives a different flair for cruising out of Galveston," he said. "That's an advantage. Every one of these new, unique things that cruise lines do add a variable that another cruise line doesn't have, and that becomes an advantage in their favor."
Perfect Day Mexico will not only bring its Bahamian island experience to cruisers sailing out of Galveston or New Orleans, but it will appeal to cruisers who have already experienced Perfect Day at CocoCay and are eager to try something new, said Pam Young, senior vice president of partner relations at Travel Leaders Network.
"Obviously, you attract new customers by having new product, but I think you're also servicing your current customers," she said. "They do want to explore differently."
Playing catch-up with CocoCay
Royal Caribbean's Western Caribbean growth is happening as its main cruise competitors are trying to catch up to the scale of its first Perfect Day destination in the Bahamas. This year, Carnival opened its $600 million Celebration Key with two lagoon-style pools totaling more than 275,000 square feet. NCL, meanwhile, made big plans to further develop its Great Stirrup Cay Bahamian island with a 19-slide waterpark and "dynamic" river, which will have a faster current than the typical lazy river.
While Perfect Day Mexico will be the most elaborate private destination in the Western Caribbean, Royal Caribbean is the last of the Big Three cruise brands to offer a private stop on that side of the Caribbean.
Carnival opened Mahogany Bay, a private port on the Honduran island of Roatan, in 2009. The line is upgrading and rebranding the experience there for 2026, with a new name, Isla Tropicale. There will be a new pool, swim-up bar and cabanas. It plans to later expand the beach and add a beach club.
NCL's private destination in southern Belize, Harvest Caye, opened in 2016 with a seven-acre beach, ziplines and proximity to the world's second-largest barrier reef. The cruise line has not revealed any additional plans or upgrades.
"We have two distinct private island destinations that our guests love, and we are always evaluating new opportunities to enhance our guest experience," a spokesperson said.
Despite being the last to open a property in the Western Caribbean, by 2027 Royal Caribbean will have twice as many resort-style private destinations as each of its primary competitors and one that will be at an unprecedented scale for the region.
It remains to be seen whether the other cruise lines will scale up as heavily to cater to the Galveston market.
"Will there be an arms race there? I don't know," Genung said.
But, he added, even as the cruise lines move to one-up each other, their biggest competitors are land-based family vacations.
"I truly think that what we're all competing for is that massive percent of the population that's never been on a cruise," Genung said, "and I think what this does is open up a bigger segment of that market."