Royal Caribbean is planning to construct its first-ever Royal Beach Club, a private destination exclusively for the cruise line’s guests, in the South Pacific region.
The cruise line confirmed to Karryon that it intends to build its first Royal Beach Club on Australia’s doorstep, in Vanuatu. But it would not say anything more about the initiative.
The Vanuatu Tourism Office could not confirm the project at this point.
The idea to build one of Royal Caribbean’s exclusive island destinations in Vanuatu was first floated in 2019. Back then, the cruise line’s President and CEO, Michael Bayley, announced RCI would construct one of its ‘Perfect Day’ properties on the Vanuatu island of Lelepa – although no timeframe was given for its launch.
“Anyone who has encountered the tremendous natural beauty of Lelepa can understand why it is the perfect setting for Perfect Day,” Bayley said five years ago.
“Our guests who travel to the South Pacific are seeking authentic adventures and genuine relaxation, and they will find both here.”
Then came the pandemic, which put a pause on the proposed project.
Now, an exclusive Royal Caribbean destination is back on the cards after CEO Jason Liberty recently revealed the world’s biggest cruise line would instead construct one of its Royal Beach Club retreats on the island.
According to Travel Market Report, Liberty said, “We’re going to have the world beach clubs, one in Nassau [Bahamas]. We’re going to have one in Cozumel [Mexico], as well as in Vanuatu”.
Royal Caribbean moved closer to launching its first Royal Beach Club in September, after appointing two architectural firms to the concept, which would focus on sustainability – a crucial element given the planned scope of the destinations.
The Royal Beach Clubs will be similar to RCI’s Perfect Day destinations, with several pools, swim-up bars, restaurants, live music and other entertainment – with easy access to beaches, as the name suggests.
The first property, Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in the Bahamas, is due to open in 2025.
In other Royal Caribbean news, RCI’s Anthem of the Seas arrived in Singapore for its debut Asian season last week. Read about that on Karryon here.
Closer to home, Ovation of the Seas returned Down Under earlier this month to kick-start a record 2024-25 season for Royal Caribbean with ships homeporting in Sydney and Brisbane.
