Petition Against Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day Mexico Hits 5 Million Signatures

Petition Against Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day Mexico Hits 5 Million Signatures

A petition asking the Mexican government to bar Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day Mexico project recently hit five million signatures.

Published on the Change.org platform, the petition was created in late May and asks Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo to stop the development.

First announced in late 2024, the project aimed to build a new private destination at the Costa Maya Cruise Port in Mahahual.

In addition to enhancing the existing structure at the facility, the development included the construction of a large water park, an extensive retail area and various beach clubs.

Despite Royal Caribbean’s plans Perfect Day Mexico in late 2027, the project was recently stopped by the Mexican government.

As reported by Cruise Industry Newsthe country’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources stopped the project in May.

The authority cited environmental concerns about damage to the Mesoamerican Reef and coastal ecosystems as the main reason for the decision.

Calling Perfect Day Mexico a “destructive project,” the petition claims that Mahahual is a fishing town inhabited by local communities and “not an amusement park.”

The document adds that the region is “one of the last places where the jungle meets the sea, where coral reefs still pulse with life, and where sea turtles return each year to nest,” noting that nearby Tulum and Playa del Carmen have “already succumbed to the logic of profit.”

The petition also compared the project with Royal Caribbean’s private island of CocoCay, saying that the development in the Bahamas caused the “exclusion of local populations, massive destruction of biodiversity and near-exclusive enrichment of a multinational corporation.”

The petition adds that the project “threatens the very existence of Mahahual,” bringing risks to the region’s protected mangroves and coral reefs.

“Royal Caribbean plans to receive up to 20,000 tourists per day, bringing with them tons of chemical sunscreen, plastic waste, mega-cruise ships polluting the water, and absurd levels of freshwater consumption in a region already suffering from water scarcity,” the petition said.

With a size comparable to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Perfect Day Mexico was expected to welcome more guests than Perfect Day at CocoCay.

The company’s private island destination in the Bahamas hosted approximately 3.5 million passengers in 2025.

Royal Caribbean and the Mexican government are now in discussions to move the development to a new location in the country.

The Perfect Day Mexico project included the construction of a water park with over 30 waterslides and what was said to be the world’s longest lazy river.

Plans also called for large retail and dining areas, with nearly 40 bars and regionally inspired dining options.

NCLH CFO Admits Caribbean Expansion Was Premature

NCLH CFO Admits Caribbean Expansion Was Premature

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ Chief Financial Officer Mark Kempa offered commentary on the company’s Caribbean capacity strategy, acknowledging that a 40 percent capacity increase into the region was pushed forward prematurely.

“In hindsight, it is clear that this shift was executed without the necessary enterprise-wide coordination,” Kempa told investors on the company’s fourth quarter and year-end earnings call.

“The capacity increase was premature.”

At the center of that was Great Stirrup Cay, the company’s private Bahamian island, which is undergoing a significant enhancement program.

The capacity shift happened before the opening of Great Tides water park on the island, which expected to open later this summer.

Kempa said the commercial infrastructure needed to absorb the additional capacity simply wasn’t ready.

Revenue management, sales, marketing, itinerary planning, and on-island monetization strategies were not aligned or integrated under a single cohesive operating plan.

“The individual components were moving forward, but they were not integrated under a single cohesive operating plan designed to absorb the capacity at the right yield,” he said.

Kempa said the headwinds are more pronounced than the company anticipated.

Kempa did express confidence in the long-term Caribbean strategy, pointing to strong early guest satisfaction scores at Great Stirrup Cay following the opening of a new pier, expanded pool facilities, and enhanced amenities.

“The early feedback reinforces our confidence that our investments are improving the guest experience and will drive strong returns,” he said.

Ventura Enters Drydock in Rotterdam

Ventura Enters Drydock in Rotterdam

P&O Cruises’ Ventura is currently undergoing a drydock at the Damen Shipyard in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The vessel wrapped up its regular operations in Southampton on February 7, 2026, before arriving at the facility one day later.

Following the drydock, the Ventura will then welcome guests back on February 27, 2026, to kick off a 35-night cruise to the Caribbean and the United States.

Ports of call set to be visited include Port Canaveral and Miami, as well as New Orleans, where the Ventura is expected to stay two days docked.

In the Caribbean, the Ventura will make visits to Cozumel, Freeport, Belize and Roatán, as well as Freeport in the Bahamas.

The 3,100-guest ship is also scheduled to sail to the port of La Coruña in Spain, as well as Praia da Vitória in the Azores.

In September 2025, P&O cancelled a short cruise that was set to depart soon after the drydock. As Cruise Industry News reported, the vessel was scheduled to offer a four-night cruise on February 23, 2026.

At the time, the company said that the sailing was no longer possible due to an extension to a necessary refit for the Ventura. Cruising to the Netherlands, the itinerary included an overnight call to the port of Amsterdam.

Upon returning to Southampton in early April, the Ventura offers a series of cruises in Northern Europe and the Canaries.

The schedule is highlighted by visits to a wide range of destinations, including Santander, Vigo, Zeebrugge, Funchal and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the Ventura features a design based on Princess’ Grand-class series and entered service in 2008.