Royal Caribbean Officially Owns Future Site of Perfect Day Mexico
Royal Caribbean announced its highly anticipated upcoming exclusive destination on Costa Maya, Mexico, in October of 2024.
Only one thing stood in the way. The deal to purchase the Port of Mahahual and the surrounding land just needed to be formally completed.
But finally, the money has been transferred, all the papers have been signed, and the deal has closed after months of waiting – which means construction crews can start doubling down.
The $292 million USD purchase price came with the cruise port and 34 of the surrounding properties, which will be turned into Perfect Day Mexico over the next two years before opening in the fall of 2027.
Local news outlet Riviera Maya News reported that the announcement of the deal’s closing was made on July 11, 2025, by Jay Schnaider, the Director of Product Innovation for Royal Caribbean.
“We are now administrators of the port and have begun working on the development of Perfect Day Mahahual,” the company representative stated.
This means that Royal Caribbean can officially assume operations of the busy cruise port because both the legal and the financial transaction has been completed.
For context, the Port of Costa Maya and the Port of Mahahual essentially refer to the same place. Mahahual is the name of the small fishing village near the port, while Costa Maya (or Puerto Costa Maya) is the cruise port’s official name.
Schnaider did confirm that the cruise port, which receives hundreds of cruise ship calls every year, will remain open during construction.
Even after Perfect Day Mexico opens, Costa Maya will also continue to accept ships from other cruise lines that sail to the popular spot on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
The port currently welcomes other mainstream brands like Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and MSC Cruises, among others.
But of course, only Royal Caribbean passengers (and guests of sister-brand Celebrity Cruises) would gain access to the exclusive new resort.
What to Expect at Perfect Day Mexico
We don’t know all the details just yet, but Royal Caribbean has shared some of their vision for Perfect Day Mexico, which will cost an estimated $600 million to complete.
First, we know that it will be absolutely massive. The new exclusive destination is expected to span over 200 acres, making it considerably bigger than the original Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas, which is 125 acres.
It’s supposed to be big enough to accommodate approximately 20,000 guests daily. For comparison’s sake, CocoCay can handle around 13,000 guests per day.
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As with Royal Caribbean’s larger cruise ships, the destination will be divided into seven distinct neighborhoods that each offer unique vibes and experiences. (In my opinion, this also makes navigation easier.)
There will be no shortage of options offering family friendly fun, beach lounging, swimming, and thrills – many of which are major innovations on the private island experience.
For example, the Loco Waterpark will be home to more than 30 water slides, including the tallest waterslides anywhere in North and South America.
The most awe-inspiring of these will likely be Jaguar’s Peak, which will feature two dueling slides at 170-feet tall.
Guests looking for a more relaxing experience may also want to check out the world’s largest lazy river, which will be a central offering within Splash Cove.
The full river will take around one hour to float down, with plenty of exit and entry points and swim-up bars for refreshments along the way.
And for those thrill seekers, there will also be an optional “crazy river” section with manufactured rapids.
As the opening date for Perfect Day Mexico slowly approaches, even more information about the attractions within the destination will surely be released.
Royal Caribbean Officially Owns Future Site of Perfect Day Mexico