Anyone who has cruised the Caribbean knows the drill; the ship docks, you spend a day on a beach, and by evening you’re back on board. Royal Caribbean Group just made clear it wants a bigger piece of that trip. The cruise company has agreed to partner with Sandals and Beaches Resorts, the all-inclusive brands that have operated across the Caribbean for decades, and it announced the deal in late September.
Royal Caribbean already runs its own private destinations. At Perfect Day CocoCay, its private island in The Bahamas, cruise line guests pay no entrance fee. Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau works differently: guests buy a day pass, and one version includes an open bar while the other covers non-alcoholic drinks only. Access is limited to Royal Caribbean Group guests and Bahamian residents, depending on availability. Either way, it’s a day ashore. Sandals and Beaches are all-inclusive resorts, which is a different product entirely.
Here’s what the deal looks like on paper. Royal Caribbean Group will buy a 50% equity interest in Sandals and Beaches Resorts for approximately $3 billion, and it expects to close in early 2027 pending customary approvals. The company describes the move as an expansion into an adjacent category of the roughly $2 trillion global vacation market. It says the partnership pairs the resorts with its vacation platform, which includes Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea.
One company, more vacation occasions
Royal Caribbean Group says the goal is to serve guests across more vacation occasions. It plans to start river cruising in 2027 with Celebrity River Cruises, and once this deal closes, resorts would sit in the same portfolio as the ships. The company says putting these offerings together gives travelers more choice, ease and value. What that means in practice for someone booking a cruise hasn’t been spelled out.
What the companies plan to explore
The companies say they will explore ways to broaden distribution, deepen guest engagement and make it easier for travelers to find experiences across both portfolios. That’s the extent of it for now. The announcement doesn’t mention bundled cruise-and-resort stays or shared loyalty benefits.
What all-inclusive means at Sandals and Beaches
For cruisers who haven’t stayed at either brand, here’s how they describe it. At Sandals, all 17 resorts are all-inclusive no matter which room you book. The price covers unlimited food and drinks, including premium liquors, plus water and land sports, scuba diving and golf. Roundtrip airport transfers and all gratuities are included too. Some rooms add private plunge pools or Butler Elite service, and the resorts are adults-only, designed for couples.
Beaches is the family version. Its resorts have water parks and Sesame Street characters. A Kids Camp runs supervised programs for six age levels, while the grown-ups get unlimited meals and premium liquors. Tips, taxes and gratuities are covered, with the exception of butlers and spa therapists. The release also points to multi-bedroom villas, which suit multigenerational groups.
Growth for Sandals and Beaches
Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals and Beaches Resorts, said the partnership lets the brands grow faster and bring more guests to their resorts. He and Jason Liberty, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group, will share leadership of the joint venture’s board.
Sandals has beachfront resorts in eight Caribbean destinations, from Jamaica and Antigua to Curaçao and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Beaches operates in Negril, Jamaica and Turks and Caicos. Four more Beaches locations are listed as coming soon: Exuma in The Bahamas, Barbados, Runaway Bay in Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
A broader vacation platform
Royal Caribbean Group runs 71 ships through its three cruise brands. Liberty said the company sees opportunity to continue turning “the vacation of a lifetime into a lifetime of vacations.” The company is also expanding its Perfect Day and Royal Beach Club private destination collections, and its platform includes what the release calls an industry-first loyalty program.
The deal is expected to close in early 2027. The release doesn’t say how cruisers will first run into Sandals and Beaches once it does.
Jennifer Allen is a retired chef turned traveler, cookbook author and nationally syndicated journalist; she’s also a co-founder of Food Drink Life, where she shares expert travel tips, cruise insights and luxury destination guides. A recognized cruise expert with a deep passion for high-end experiences and off-the-beaten-path destinations, Jennifer explores the world with curiosity, depth and a storyteller’s perspective. Her articles are regularly featured on the Associated Press Wire, The Washington Post, Seattle Times, MSN and more.