Royal Caribbean-Sandals Partnership: Land-and-Sea Packages, Loyalty Perks & Onboard Bookings In The Works

Royal Caribbean Group and Sandals Resorts International are beginning to reveal how their blockbuster $3-billion partnership could reshape the vacation experience, with plans for combined cruise-and-resort packages, onboard resort bookings and potential loyalty program benefits.

During an Oct. 14 webinar, Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Jason Liberty and Sandals Resorts International Executive Chairman Adam Stewart unpacked their vision for the recently-announced joint venture.

According to a report by Royal Caribbean Blog, the partnership could eventually allow travellers to book Sandals and Beaches resort stays while sailing aboard a Royal Caribbean Group ship.

The executives also confirmed that pre- and post-cruise resort packages are being explored, although they stressed that Sandals and Beaches will retain their distinct identities rather than becoming extensions of Royal Caribbean’s cruise operations.

Land-and-Sea Packages On The Horizon

One of the developments involves the possibility of combining cruises with all-inclusive resort vacations.

Liberty confirmed that the companies are examining opportunities to connect their respective vacation experiences, particularly through pre- and post-cruise stays.

“[A] lot of this is kind of in the works, [but] for sure there’ll be opportunities for there to be pre- and post-[cruise packages]… There [are a] lot of similarities as it relates to product, so there’ll be opportunities for pre- and post-stays and packages and so forth,” he said.

In other words, travellers could potentially extend a Caribbean sailing with several nights at a Sandals property, creating a longer vacation that combines two different styles of travel.

No specific packages, pricing structures or launch dates have been announced just yet.

Resort Bookings Could Become Available On Ships

Another development involves Royal Caribbean Group’s existing onboard booking infrastructure.

As reported by Royal Caribbean Blog, the company is looking at ways to make Sandals and Beaches reservations available through its NextCruise desks, allowing passengers to book future all-inclusive vacations while still at sea.

Liberty emphasized the importance of simplifying the reservation process, improving technology and ensuring travel partners can participate in the expanded vacation ecosystem.

“[W]e wanna make it easier for our… travel partners [and] future cruise to be well educated and for the technology to be simple to understand and the ability to actually, you know, book [the vacation] and curate it and connect it,” he said.

The proposed approach could introduce Sandals and Beaches to cruise customers who may not have previously considered an all-inclusive land vacation.

For travel advisors, questions remain about how onboard resort reservations would be managed, including commission structures, booking ownership and the relationship between onboard sales teams and the advisors who originally booked the cruise.

Sandals Will Not Become A Cruise Beach Club

The executives also made clear that Sandals and Beaches resorts will not become day-use destinations for cruise passengers.

That means Royal Caribbean does not intend to shuttle cruise guests to Sandals properties aboard tender boats or open resort pools and amenities to passengers arriving for the day.

Liberty reinforced that distinction during the webinar.

“[I]t’s not going to be our cruise ships showing up and our guests all of a sudden showing up at the pools of Sandals and Beaches,” he said.

The clarification is significant given Royal Caribbean’s expanding portfolio of private destinations and beach clubs, including Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in Nassau.

Stewart also emphasized Sandals’ Caribbean roots and its commitment to maintaining the characteristics that have helped distinguish the company.

“[W]e knew we’re gonna continue to innovate… and being a brand founded in the Caribbean [and] led by Caribbean nationals and celebrating the archipelago of the Caribbean, its culture, its heritage, its history, has really put the company in a pole position,” he said.

“So that work goes right down to saying… these are the features and the amenities. This is the acreage of the resort that makes sense… The pools, the restaurants, the gastronomy, wellness, the hikes, the trails, the spas.”

The executives emphasized that the brands would continue operating with their own identities, even as opportunities for collaboration expand.

Loyalty Program Integration Being Explored

The companies are also considering how their respective loyalty programs might work together.

During the webinar, Liberty reportedly confirmed that teams are actively exploring potential loyalty benefits designed to encourage guests to experience both cruise and resort vacations.

While no specific rewards, earning structures or redemption opportunities have been announced, the initiative could eventually provide additional incentives for repeat customers to move between the brands.

Liberty stressed that the companies need time to develop the strategy and consider customer feedback before introducing changes.

A $3-Billion Partnership

The latest developments follow the companies’ landmark announcement on Sept. 23, when Royal Caribbean Group and Sandals Resorts International officially unveiled a 50-50 joint venture.

Under the agreement, Royal Caribbean Group is acquiring a 50 per cent equity stake in Sandals and Beaches Resorts for approximately $3 billion.

The partnership brings together two of the travel industry’s most recognized vacation companies, combining Sandals and Beaches’ expertise in all-inclusive Caribbean resorts with Royal Caribbean Group’s global vacation platform, which includes Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea.

The joint venture also marks a major diversification for Royal Caribbean Group, expanding its presence into the all-inclusive resort category and increasing its participation in the approximately $2-trillion global vacation market.

According to the companies, the agreement is also intended to accelerate the expansion of Sandals and Beaches Resorts to meet growing global demand.

For Canadian travel advisors, the partnership could eventually translate into more cross-selling opportunities, expanded vacation combinations and new ways to retain customers across multiple travel experiences.

For now, it appears the companies are focused on developing their booking options and loyalty initiatives that could turn this ambitious deal into a more connected vacation offering.