Many Royal Caribbean cruise ships often call on the same handful of ports. You may have loved Nassau, Cozumel and Bimini the first few times you stopped there, but after that the destinations might begin to bore you.
The cruise line has been addressing that in one clear way with its planned Beach Clubs in Nassau and Cozumel. These private-island-like experiences will give people something similar to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's highly rated private island.
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The beach clubs theoretically will make people want to go to Nassau and Cozumel because they will now have a reason to get off the ship. Yes, these new experiences will come with a price tag, but it's likely to be modest compared with many current beach excursions at those destinations.
And the beach clubs will offer a mix of pools, beaches and other experiences that Royal Caribbean has proved very good at delivering.
Giving passengers more to do at familiar ports is part of the solution, but it's not all Royal Caribbean passengers have been asking for. Many would like to see the cruise line add new Caribbean ports, and according to emails it has sent to some upcoming passengers, it's doing just that.
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Royal Caribbean adding new ports
Some Royal Caribbean ships are simply too big to stop in certain ports. That may be because they literally won't fit at the dock; in other cases, it's because the destination does not have the infrastructure to support the passenger load on an Oasis- or Icon-Class ship.
As much as passengers love those large ships, they've been willing to sail on smaller ships in order to visit different destinations.
Royal Caribbean appears to have listened, according to emails sent to passengers on some upcoming cruises.
The cruise line is adding visits to Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic, starting in October 2024.
“To provide you with the best experience, we’ve added a brand-new port to our itinerary,” the company said in one of the emails sent to upcoming passengers as shared by Cruise Industry News. "You and your travel party will be the first to experience this beautiful destination, and we’re excited to sail with you.”
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Cabo Rojo, a newly developed port, can support multiple cruise ships at the same time. Adventure of the Seas will be calling on the new port beginning in October. Oasis of the Seas will follow in May 2025.
Carnival's Holland America Line and its Costa Cruises brand, as well as Norwegian Cruise Line, and MSC Cruises, will stop in the new port in 2025.
