Professor Melissa's Cruise Pod
Oct 2, 2026 · 7 min · 8 segments
What does Royal Caribbean’s $3 billion Sandals deal mean for cruisers, and what other cruise changes could affect your next vacation?\*Royal Caribbean Group is buying a 50% stake in Sandals and…
Let's start with one of the biggest business stories in cruising of this year.
Now, I am an actual professor, a business professor, so I personally really like this stuff, but this should be of interest to all cruisers, and that is the fact that Royal Caribbean Group is buying a 50% stake in Sandals and Beaches Resorts at a cost of about $3 billion.
It's expected to close in early 2027, and both companies say existing reservations, loyalty programs, resort operations, and cruises, so if you booked either Sandals Beaches or Royal Caribbean, all that is gonna continue business as usual.
It told its employees that cruise passengers showing up and taking over, that is not on the table, that's not what this is about.
And according to a source that spoke to a Sandals executive, Royal Caribbean guests will be able to buy day passes, but at the same high rate everybody else pays.
So maybe that is gonna be an option for day use options, but it's gonna be pretty price prohibitive.
Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said the deal is not about selling cruise customers a day pass to sandals though.
So what Royal Caribbean has talked about is eventually connecting its loyalty program with sandals, but there just aren't enough details out there yet to really discern what this is about.
Now, my take, if you love both and they're both really great brands, this could eventually mean perks that follow you from ship to resort, but we don't know for sure and nothing is gonna change today.
Let's start with one of the biggest business stories in cruising of this year.
Now, I am an actual professor, a business professor, so I personally really like this stuff, but this should be of interest to all cruisers, and that is the fact that Royal Caribbean Group is buying a 50% stake in Sandals and Beaches Resorts at a cost of about $3 billion.
It's expected to close in early 2027, and both companies say existing reservations, loyalty programs, resort operations, and cruises, so if you booked either Sandals Beaches or Royal Caribbean, all that is gonna continue business as usual.
It told its employees that cruise passengers showing up and taking over, that is not on the table, that's not what this is about.
And according to a source that spoke to a Sandals executive, Royal Caribbean guests will be able to buy day passes, but at the same high rate everybody else pays.
So maybe that is gonna be an option for day use options, but it's gonna be pretty price prohibitive.
Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said the deal is not about selling cruise customers a day pass to sandals though.
So what Royal Caribbean has talked about is eventually connecting its loyalty program with sandals, but there just aren't enough details out there yet to really discern what this is about.
Now, my take, if you love both and they're both really great brands, this could eventually mean perks that follow you from ship to resort, but we don't know for sure and nothing is gonna change today.
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