In a turn of events, multiple sources report that a major new development by Royal Caribbean set to open in 2027 has been rejected by the Mexican government.
Announced in 2024, Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day: Mexico was set to be the next big destination in the cruise line’s portfolio. Building on the success of Perfect Day CocoCay, the cruise company sought to go even bigger.
The plans were for a 200+ acre park at Costa Maya (Mahahual) in Mexico. At the core is a massive waterpark with more than 30 slides, the tallest waterslide in the Western Hemisphere, and the world’s longest lazy river that would take more than an hour to complete.
Now those grand plans have hit a speed bump, if not a stop sign.
According to a report from Reuters, “Mexican authorities rejected a large water park planned by cruise company Royal Caribbean on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, Environment Minister Alicia Barcena said on Tuesday, following backlash from residents and environmental groups over the development’s ecological impact.”
“‘It is not going to be approved,’ Barcena told a press conference, noting that the company was also taking steps to withdraw the project.”
While there is already a cruise port at Costa Maya and the town of Mahahual, this area is relatively undeveloped when compared to areas like Cancun or Cozumel.
Plans Not Altogether Dropped?
Investment website SeekingAlpha says the company “will honor the decision by the Mexican government,” but also notes that the company hasn’t abandoned plans altogether.
“We are disappointed by [Mexico’s Environmental Ministry] decision and respect the role of Mexico’s environmental authorities,” a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said in a statement.
“Over the coming weeks, we will re-engage stakeholders to move forward in a way that delivers shared prosperity through the development of essential environmental infrastructure, the creation of thousands of local jobs, and community programs that support the people of Mexico.”
Given the amount of time, effort, and planning put forward in a project of this size, we’d be surprised if this is the absolute last word.
As well, building a new destination in this area is a key component of elevating the Texas cruise market for the cruise line. It would give Royal Caribbean cruises from Galveston a distinct advantage over rivals like Carnival.
Notably, we searched the Royal Caribbean website and it appears that references to Perfect Day: Mexico have been largely removed. For instance, the page that used to give details about the development (https://www.royalcaribbean.com/perfect-day-mexico) now redirects to Royal Caribbean’s homepage.
There is also now no mention of Perfect Day: Mexico on the cruise line’s “Ultimate Destinations” page that highlights all of its private ports. As recently as yesterday the development was featured.
