Royal Caribbean Plans Major CocoCay Upgrade Plus Ship Enhancements for Weekend Cruises

Royal Caribbean International has announced a multi-BILLION-dollar investment in its destinations, ships, and experiences. From amazing new features at its private island of CocoCay to a major investment in current ship upgrades as well as new high-tech ships on the horizon, here’s what you can look forward to in the years ahead.

New Features at CocoCay, Bahamas

In one of the company’s most ambitious projects yet, Royal Caribbean has unveiled its new Perfect Day Island Collection, a series of unrivaled and exclusive private island destinations around the world.

The first in the collection, Perfect Day at CocoCay, is a $200 million transformation of the cruise line’s existing private island in The Bahamas.

 

Highlights include:

• Thrill Waterpark, featuring two water towers with 13 slides including the 135-foot-tall Daredevil’s Peak, a large wave pool, and a kid-friendly obstacle course pool.
• Oasis Lagoon freshwater pool with a swim-up bar and in-pool loungers.
• A 1,600-foot zip line that crisscrosses the island at up to 50 feet high
• A helium balloon, dubbed Up, Up and Away, floats up to 450 feet above the ground.
• Two specially designed beaches: Chill Island for the ultimate beach escape complete with cabanas and daybeds, and the action-packed South Beach with volleyball, basketball, soccer, paddle boarding, glass-bottom kayaking, and zorbing in an inflatable zorb ball.
• Coco Beach Club will offer an upscale island experience that features overwater cabanas.

Royal Caribbean ships departing from New York, Maryland, and Florida will call at Perfect Day at CocoCay. The island transformation will roll out in phases beginning September 2018 with the completion of a new pier, and by spring 2019 the majority of the island’s experiences will be open. Coco Beach Club, the final phase, is set to open November 2019. Additional Perfect Day Island Collection destinations in Asia, Australia, and the Caribbean will be announced at a later date.

“It’s true that our ships are technological and engineering marvels in their own right and offer a multitude of unexpected experiences,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. “But our destinations are an equally important part of the cruise vacation.”

Fleet Modernization

Adding to recently announced digital innovations, including frictionless check-in, stateroom technology, and a new mobile app, Royal Caribbean has committed $900 million to reimagining its fleet through a new modernization effort called Royal Amplified.

Spanning 10 ships in four years, the program will touch every facet of the guest experience and introduce a wide range of innovative features and bold, new experiences, including specialized pool spaces, experiential dining and nightlife concepts, and first-of-its-kind attractions like Sky Pad, an out-of-this-world virtual reality, bungee trampoline experience.

Weekend Getaways Reimagined

Royal Caribbean’s increased popularity among millennials, who opt for more frequent and often shorter vacations, resulted in the line amping up its short Caribbean getaways. In summer 2018, Mariner of the Seas will undergo a $90 million modernization adding new thrills and spaces, before setting sail for 3- and 4-night cruises from Miami. Sister ship Navigator of the Seas will follow in 2019, and receive an even more extensive modernization before joining Mariner of the Seas to offer short escapes. In 2019, both ships will call extensively on Perfect Day at CocoCay.

New Ships and New Class of Ships on the Horizon

Following the April 2018 debut of Symphony of the Seas, which will become the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean has a robust lineup of new ships on the horizon, including the Quantum Ultra Class Spectrum of the Seas, an evolution of the Quantum Class of ships set to debut in 2019; a second Quantum Ultra Class ship in 2020, a fifth Oasis Class ship in 2021; and a new class known as Icon, with ships delivered in 2022 and 2024, both which will be largely powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fuel cells.

Photos: Royal Caribbean International