A lazy-crazy river and water slide towers: Inside Royal Caribbean's new Mexico destination

USA Today

14-05-2025

A lazy-crazy river and water slide towers: Inside Royal Caribbean's new Mexico destination
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Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, world's biggest cruise ship
Here's what guests can expect from Royal Caribbean's highly-anticipated new ship, Icon of the Seas.
A jaguar-shaped water slide tower. A lazy river. More than 10 pools totaling the size of four football fields.
Royal Caribbean's upcoming private destination, Perfect Day Mexico, will feature all those and more when it debuts in the fall of 2027. The cruise line revealed new details about the second in its Perfect Day Collection on Wednesday, which will build on the success of Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas.
Kara Wallace, the company's chief marketing officer, said the new addition began with 'knowing that we wanted to give more of our guests more perfect days, and by creating a Perfect Day in Mexico, we would be able to reach so many more guests given the accessibility from the Gulf Coast and the presence that we've built up out of out of that region, including Galveston.'
'For our guests, it will feel familiar and new,' she told USA TODAY ahead of the announcement.
Where is Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day Mexico?
The destination will be on the country's Caribbean coast in Mahahual. Guests will stop there on Western Caribbean itineraries from Galveston, New Orleans and each of the cruise line's homeports in Florida.
Bookings will open in the fall of 2025.
What can guests expect?
The property's more than 200 acres will be made up of seven distinct neighborhoods. Passengers will arrive at Fiesta Plaza, where they'll be greeted by dancing, live music and drinks like margaritas at the Tipsy Sombrero Bar.
Guests will find a combination lazy and crazy river in the all-ages Splash Cove, where they can relax – and float up to bars, with in-tube cupholders for convenience – or opt for waves and rapids. A 100,000-square-foot pool anchors the area, and families can post up in new Splashaway Cabanas near the line's biggest Splashaway Bay with kid-sized water slides.
Thrill seekers can head to Loco Waterpark, home to more than 30 water slides. Guests can choose from five slide towers, including the 10-slide Jaguar's Peak, which measures over 170 feet high. Wallace said the cruise line leaned into raft slides in particular, which are in highest demand at CocoCay and on its ships 'because families can experience them together.'
Other activities there include hydrolaunch slides that will send riders airborne, a wave pool and more.
The adults-only El Hideaway with an in-pool DJ and 20-person Ultimate Party Cabana; the more private Costa Beach Club; and Chill Beach North and South – where guests will find almost two miles of white-sand shoreline – round out the neighborhoods. The line is billing a number of attractions as firsts, such as the longest lazy river and longest coaster water slide in the world, and the tallest water slide tower in North and South America.
Visitors can also enjoy a dozen dining options with cuisine inspired by the region, 24 bars, Mariachi performances and shopping from local artisans, according to a news release. Some amenities will come at an extra fee, though pricing information is not yet available.
Wallace said the company consults government officials, business leaders and other local stakeholders when developing a project of that kind.
'But we also know what our role is, and we are firmly a vacation company. And our philosophy is to celebrate the destinations that we go to, not try to replicate that,' she said. 'It's that careful balance of knowing what it means to celebrate a culture and really leaning into art, music, food, and that being the hallmarks of the experience that give us the ability to kind of celebrate that culture.'
What else should travelers know?
Perfect Day Mexico is one of several land-based destinations the company has in the works:
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will open in the Bahamas in December, where guests who purchase a day pass can enjoy beaches, pools, food and drinks – including from what is billed as the world's largest swim-up bar – and live music. Travelers can join a waitlist to be notified when reservations open.
Royal Beach Club Cozumel will follow in 2026. Guests will find beaches and pools, along with activities like kayaking, snorkeling and tequila tastings.
The company will also open a destination on the island of Lelepa in Vanuatu, featuring nature trails, dining and more. The 'locally inspired experience for guests in Australia and beyond' will open in early 2027, according to a news release, with additional specifics to follow.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [e-mail].