For years, Royal Caribbean has set the bar when it comes to private destinations. While other cruise lines have private islands and carved out spots of their own, nothing really compares with CocoCay.
And while we’ve long figured that other cruise lines would play catch-up with CocoCay (such as Carnival’s Celebration Key), it’s actually Royal Caribbean itself that is setting a new level in what’s possible.
When the cruise company announced its intentions for the all-new new Perfect Day Mexico a few months ago, it didn’t offer up many details. Now the cruise line just released renderings and some information about what’s going to be included, and we frankly can’t believe what we are seeing.
More Than 200 Acres, 30+ Waterslides, and the Longest Lazy River on Earth
To start, Perfect Day Mexico is going to be big. It will cover more than 200 acres on the Mexican coast at Costa Maya. This location is ideal for cruisers coming from western ports — specifically Galveston — where CocoCay is too far to reach on a traditional 7-day cruise. Now these departure ports will have their own private destination to enjoy.
And just like Royal Caribbean is known for packing a lot onto their ship, it’s unbelievable what the cruise line says they will include at Perfect Day Mexico.
To start, Royal Caribbean announced Loco Waterpark. Just like CocoCay with Thrill Waterpark, Perfect Day Mexico will have its own spot dedicated to water rides. And just like every cruise ship gets a little bit larger, so too is the waterpark.
In this case, there will be a staggering 30+ waterslides across five different towers. This includes a new waterslide tower that will be the tallest in the Western Hemisphere: a 170-foot tall behemoth dubbed Jaguar’s Peak. You can see in the renderings that this massive tower even seems to shoot fire from its head and steam out its nose.
With this massive new tower, Royal Caribbean says there will be dueling slides that take more than two minutes to complete and the longest coaster waterslide on the planet. There will be family raft slides, “hydrolaunch” slides, a wave pool, adventure pool, and slides for younger kids.
But maybe that’s too wild for you? In that case you’re still covered. Perfect Day Mexico will feature the longest lazy river in the world that the cruise line says will take an hour to complete! If you want something more active, there will also be an optional “crazy section” where you ride rapids, twist, spin, and more.
And all of that is in addition to a 100,000 square foot swimming pool that’s one of more than 10 at the destination. Together, these will cover the size of four football fields.
Have little ones? The cruise line is putting in the largest Splashaway Bay across any of its ships or destinations.
Don’t have little ones? How about “El Hideaway,” an adults-only spot at Perfect Day that’s designed to be a party. It includes the “Ultimate Party Cabana” that can be rented for up to 20 people.
Beyond that, there’s the exclusive Costa Beach Club (similar to Coco Beach Club on CocoCay) where you can have a higher-end experience with meals served and a heated infinity pool.
Of course, the big draw of any private destination is the beach. Just like CocoCay, Perfect Day Mexico will have Chill Beach. In this case, it’s split into north and south and together will offer up nearly two miles of beach.
Food? Drinks? Royal Caribbean says there are 12 different dining options and nearly all will be complimentary to passengers. There will be twice as many bars at the destination.
“Perfect Day Mexico is bigger and bolder than anything we have done to date,” said Royal Caribbean President Michael Bayley. “This destination will be the ultimate vacation for families, and we cannot wait to welcome adventurers from around the world to Mexico for an experience only Royal Caribbean can provide.”
Opening Fall 2027 (But Bookings Open in a Few Months)
If you’re ready to go to Perfect Day Mexico like we are, you still have some time to book. The new destination won’t open until Fall 2027, or a bit over two years from now. Royal Caribbean says it will open up bookings for passengers to reserve starting this fall.
In addition to sailings from Galveston, passengers cruising from New Orleans and Florida will also be able to sail to Perfect Day Mexico.
What we are interested to see is how the new destination will impact CocoCay. Looking at the renderings, it is obvious that Royal Caribbean has taken its wildly popular island and made it bigger, better, and more of a must-see destination.
Similar to how a new, bigger ship makes older, smaller ships appear less interesting, will passengers start to feel the same about CocoCay?
In the meantime, Royal Caribbean will once again set the mark on what’s possible on a cruise, creating a game of catch-up for others in the industry.
