BREAKING NEWS: Royal Caribbean Group Buys 50% of Sandals Resorts – A Gamechanger for Caribbean - and Global? Cruising

Caribbean cruising - and beyond! - may have changed forever. Royal Caribbean Group -which also owns Celebrity Cruises and Silversea - and Sandals Resorts International announced on September 22 that the cruise company has purchased 50% of the Caribbean all-inclusive resort chain. 

It's a deal worth 3 billion USD, and it's sending a tidal wave through both the cruise and all-inclusive resort worlds. 

SURF AND TURF

• Royal Caribbean International is the world’s largest individual cruise line, with 30 ships, some among the world’s largest, with over 7000 guests each, sailing worldwide.
  • In recent years, Royal Caribbean has led the cruise industry, investing enormous amounts of money developing its branded, owned, shore experiences. The flagship is the theme-park-like Perfect Day at Coco Cay, its private island in the Bahamas, but also its private ‘Royal Beach Club’ collection in the Bahamas - and also on Santorini, Greece, plus an upcoming location in Cozumel.
  • The timing of this announcement is interesting, as it comes on the heels of the news that another “Perfect Day” development in Mexico has been halted, with the government canceling its permits. Although talks are apparently underway to relocate to a less environmentally-sensitive area, the issue illustrates the risks and delays involved in developing its own new land experiences.
  • The Royal Caribbean Group also owns the contemporary premium cruise line Celebrity Cruises that trades the family-friendly theme park approach for modern urban resort vibe. And the ultra-luxury, small ship cruise line Silversea. 
• Meanwhile, Sandals Resorts International is one of, if not the largest, locally-owned all-inclusive resort company in the Caribbean, and arguably the best known. It has 2 brands: the adults-only Sandals, as well as the family-focused Beaches resorts. 
  • In total, there are 20 resorts across Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Grenada, Barbados, Curaçao, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Turks & Caicos.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR NEXT CRUISE

This is a gamechanger for cruise travelers – and those who love all-inclusive resorts but may never have cruised. 

Although the companies haven’t yet specified how exactly the new relationship is going to play out for travelers, it opens the door for some incredible possibilities, especially considering some of Royal Caribbean Group’s other recent moves.

Their joint media release provides some tantalizing hints, saying the new partnership will allow the two companies to: “broaden distribution, deepen guest engagement, and make it easier for travelers to discover vacation experiences offered.” The release also, intriguingly, mentions Royal Caribbean’s cross-brand loyalty program! 

• This could mean, almost overnight, that Royal Caribbean Group cruise lines (remember, that’s Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Silversea) have up to 20 new beach destinations for ships calling in ports in some of the most desirable islands in the Caribbean; 
  • And it could help some of those smaller islands develop cruise port facilities; or 
  • On islands that already have a very busy cruise schedule – for example Turks & Caicos – that would mean a whole new beach destination for cruise guests, spreading the total cruise guest numbers out and alleviating crowding;
• Enticing all-inclusive resort guests who may never have cruised or at least, never cruised on any of the Royal Caribbean Group cruise brands, to try cruising;

• Packaging seamless ship + shore vacations, where guests can embark on a cruise for a week, and disembark on a Sandals island for another week of a beach vacation, whether it’s an adults-only Sandals, or a family-friendly Beaches destination;

  And even

• The two companies may develop new beach properties - in the Caribbean and globally, expanding the Sandals brand beyond its Caribbean home for the first time! - that are purpose-built to accommodate guests on a beach day shore visit or week-long all-inclusive stay - or both! 

  And how about 

• Potentially somehow integrating Sandals into Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program?

WHAT’S NEXT?

We’re going to have to wait for further announcements to see exactly how these two storied travel brands are going to play together in the years to come. The companies' media release says the deal is expected to close in early 2027. Both industries are long games, where big builds (ships, properties) don’t happen overnight. 

If these ideas are on track, the two brands may also have to figure out how to integrate visiting cruise guests with resort guests without stepping on toes. Not to mention that currently, there are 18 Sandals adults-only resorts, compared to only 2 Beaches resorts that welcome kids. 

But Royal Caribbean may have just upped the ante for other big cruise companies to find their own land partners to give guests new experiences, opportunities for extended cruise + land vacations, and find new potential cruise guests among land resort guests! 

By: Lynn Elmhirst, cruise/ travel journalist and expert

Images courtesy of Royal Caribbean Group/ Sandals 

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