Royal Caribbean pushes back opening of new Mexico destination
Royal Caribbean has big plans to upgrade its cruises to Mexico with new exclusive destinations, but it appears that it won't be able to deliver one of its new experiences as early as originally planned.
Although Royal Caribbean cleared some hurdles earlier this year after environmental reviews temporarily suspended work to prepare for construction to begin on Perfect Day Mexico in Costa Maya, the cruise line seems to be facing another delay in Mexico.
Royal Caribbean executives shared an update on opening timelines for Perfect Day Mexico and Royal Beach Club Cozumel during the company's Q1 2026 earnings call on April 30, revealing that one destination's opening is being pushed back significantly.
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Royal Caribbean pushes Royal Beach Club Cozumel opening to 2028
Although Perfect Day Mexico is on track for a late 2027 opening, Royal Caribbean is pushing Royal Beach Club Cozumel's opening to much later than the late 2026 opening that was originally targeted.
"We are also advancing the Royal Beach Club in Cozumel, now expected to open in early 2028, and are actively progressing Perfect Day Mexico in Costa Maya expected to open in late 2027 and ramp up in early 2028," Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty shared.
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Liberty didn't elaborate on what caused Royal Beach Club Cozumel's opening to be pushed back.
When it opens in early 2028, Royal Beach Club Cozumel will offer a new Cozumel shore excursion option for an all-inclusive beach day experience similar to what's now offered in Nassau, Bahamas at Royal Beach Club Paradise Island and in Greece at Royal Beach Club Santorini.
Perfect Day Mexico construction is on track, despite hiccup
In addition to offering a beach club experience in Cozumel, Royal Caribbean plans to level up cruises to Mexico with its biggest and boldest exclusive destination yet, Perfect Day Mexico. A 200-acre resort destination in Costa Maya, Perfect Day Mexico will feature a huge waterpark and the world's longest lazy river, plus six pools, three beaches, and more.
Like Royal Caribbean's top-rated Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas, admission to Perfect Day Mexico will be included in cruise fares for passengers sailing to Costa Maya beginning in late 2027.
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Royal Caribbean President Michael Bayley confirmed during the earnings call that environmental issues that impacted Perfect Day Mexico's construction were resolved and the development is now moving forward as planned.
"We did have some issues. I think it was reported. There were little blips in the radar as it relates to environmental issues that have now been resolved, and all of that is now behind us. So, we're continuing on track," Bayley said.
New Mexico destinations will help Royal Caribbean ‘own' Texas cruise market
Royal Caribbean executives anticipate that Perfect Day Mexico will boost the cruise line's position in the Texas cruise market.
"If you look at the opportunity that exists in Texas, it's a market which is much larger than Florida and its penetration rate is much lower than Florida. So, we're expecting to - I guess I'm going to use this word - we're expecting to own the Texas market as it relates to cruising into the Caribbean and Perfect Day Mexico, combined with Royal Beach Club in Cozumel, will be the centerpiece of that, combined with, of course, our Icon Class ships," Bayley said.
Related: Royal Caribbean bets bigger on Icon Class cruise ships
Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas will begin sailing from Galveston in August 2027, offering passengers sailing from Texas the opportunity to experience a vacation that includes the best of Royal Caribbean - its newest class of ships and a new Perfect Day destination.
"The combination of the hardware, the brand, and the destination, we believe, is going to be a massive accelerator for overall financial performance for the business. So, we're very excited about that. The project is really exciting. I mean, I think what we've got planned is epic in its nature. It's really going to be a stunning experience. So, we're very much looking forward to bringing that alive over the coming couple of years," Bayley added.
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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 8:08 AM.