Building anticipation for 2026 was on the agenda for Royal Caribbean Group when it shared Q3 results this week along with news of its first private destination in Europe.
Royal Beach Club Santorini will open to Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises guests in summer 2026. It's the latest addition to Royal Caribbean's growing collection of private destinations, which it plans to quadruple from its existing two — Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee -- to eight by 2028.
The first Royal Beach Club will open in Nassau in December. Guests will pay for access to the club, which will have private pools, swim-up bars, eateries and beaches. A beach club in Cozumel, Mexico, is slated for a 2026 opening.
Renderings of the Santorini club show a beach with lounge chairs and water sports. There will also be "tours of the island's hot spots" tied with the beach club experience, Royal Caribbean said.
The company said it is developing a system for guests going to the beach club that will help alleviate congestion on the island, where massive crowding has been a challenge during the peak summer season. Guests will be able to choose from three locations on Santorini to "start their journey," Royal said.
"Santorini is an incredible destination that our guests love to explore, and with this new beach club, we are able to bring the best of what the island has to offer with the signature service Royal Caribbean is known for," said Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley.
Brian Robinson, co-owner of Florida-based Five Star Travel Agency, a Travel Planners International agency, said the beach club would be good for guests who have visited Santorini multiple times, offering them a new experience. And, European passengers looking for the private destination experience will also benefit from having one closer to home, he said.
"I do like this," Robinson said, calling the Santorini beach club "another option for guests" at the destination.
Loyalty program interconnectivity
Parent company Royal Caribbean Group also said it will enhance its loyalty programming flexibility next year.
A new program called Points Choice will enable Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises guests to choose which of the three loyalty programs to assign points earned on a cruise, even if it's not the line they sailed.
Royal Caribbean Group already offers a status-match program between its brands. The new program is intended to offer further interconnectivity.
CEO Jason Liberty said during Royal Caribbean's Q3 earnings call that the program ensures "that our guests, when they choose to sail any of our brands, that they're getting the points that they want on their primary brand."
Within 24 hours of the announcement, Robinson said his clients were excited about Points Choice and sent him questions about program specifics.
"The general feedback is that they feel this is an industry game-changer," he said.
Positive outlook for 2026
From a bookings perspective, 2026 looks strong and cruises are selling at higher rates than anticipated, Liberty said. But Royal Caribbean Group is also preparing for headwinds, including increased fuel costs and tax rates.
The company expects more drydock days next year than in 2025 due to ship modernization plans. It is anticipating that consumers will continue to spend robustly on their vacations, though the degree to which they will do so is less than in recent years, Liberty said.
Third-quarter profit was strong enough to prompt Royal Caribbean Group to raise its guidance on earnings per share for the year. The company said close-in bookings made up for challenges, including its decision to extend its closure of Labadee.
"We continue to see a very strong consumer," Liberty said. "Their thirst for our brands, for the ships, for the destinations and the incredible experiences that our incredible crew are delivering is at the very highest level."