Royal Caribbean Is Buying 50% of Sandals Resorts: What It Means for Cruisers
Royal Caribbean Group is making one of its biggest moves beyond cruise ships yet, agreeing to acquire a 50% stake in Sandals and Beaches Resorts as part of a new partnership in the all-inclusive resort business.
The agreement was announced on September 23, 2026, and represents a major expansion of Royal Caribbean Group’s growing vacation portfolio beyond traditional cruising.
But despite the obvious possibilities, the deal does not currently mean Royal Caribbean passengers will receive Sandals benefits, that Sandals resorts will become cruise line private destinations, or that Crown & Anchor members will suddenly be able to use their benefits at Sandals.
Here is what has actually been announced — and what remains unknown.
Royal Caribbean Group Is Acquiring a 50% Stake in Sandals and Beaches Resorts
Under the agreement, Royal Caribbean Group will invest approximately $3 billion in cash for a 50% equity interest in Sandals and Beaches Resorts.
The remaining 50% will continue to be owned by the Stewart family, which founded Sandals.
Rather than Royal Caribbean simply purchasing Sandals outright, the companies are creating a 50/50 joint venture.
Sandals Executive Chairman Adam Stewart will remain involved in the business, while Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Jason Liberty will represent Royal Caribbean’s side of the partnership.
The transaction is expected to close in early 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
Until the transaction closes, the companies continue to operate separately.
Which Resorts Are Included?
The partnership covers the Sandals and Beaches collection of all-inclusive Caribbean resorts.
Sandals operates adults-only all-inclusive resorts throughout the Caribbean, while Beaches focuses primarily on family vacations.
For Royal Caribbean Group, the deal represents a significant move into an entirely different type of vacation.
The company already operates Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea, along with a growing portfolio of private destinations. Celebrity Cruises is also expanding the company onto European rivers with Celebrity River Cruises.
Adding Sandals and Beaches gives Royal Caribbean Group a major presence in traditional land-based all-inclusive vacations as well.
What Does This Mean for Royal Caribbean Cruisers?
For the moment, surprisingly little changes for passengers.
Royal Caribbean and Sandals have announced the partnership, but they have not announced specific cruise-and-resort packages, new shore excursions, reciprocal loyalty benefits or discounts for Royal Caribbean passengers staying at Sandals or Beaches resorts.
Those possibilities may seem like natural extensions of the partnership, but they should not be treated as confirmed.
What Royal Caribbean has said is that the companies plan to explore ways to broaden distribution, increase guest engagement and make it easier for travelers to discover vacation experiences across both portfolios.
That wording leaves considerable room for future integration.
For example, Royal Caribbean could eventually make it easier for cruise passengers to combine a cruise with a Sandals or Beaches stay. The companies could potentially market vacations to one another’s customers or create other connections between their vacation products.
However, none of those specific programs have been announced.
Will Crown & Anchor Benefits Work at Sandals?
There is currently no announced connection between Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society and Sandals Resorts.
Royal Caribbean Group has increasingly been connecting its vacation brands through loyalty initiatives, but the company has not announced that Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises or Silversea loyalty benefits will extend to Sandals or Beaches.
The same applies in the opposite direction: Sandals guests have not been promised Royal Caribbean cruise benefits.
If that changes after the transaction closes, it could become one of the most important aspects of the partnership for frequent cruisers.
For now, travelers should continue treating the programs separately.
Could Sandals Resorts Become Royal Caribbean Shore Excursions?
This is another obvious question, particularly because many Sandals and Beaches resorts are located in destinations frequently visited by Royal Caribbean ships.
But once again, nothing has been announced.
Royal Caribbean has not said that Sandals resorts will become official beach clubs, private destinations or exclusive shore excursions for cruise passengers.
Sandals and Beaches will also remain distinct resort brands rather than becoming Royal Caribbean resorts.
Future cooperation involving resort day experiences or pre- and post-cruise stays would make sense strategically, but anything beyond the announced partnership remains speculation.
Why Is Royal Caribbean Moving Into Resorts?
The Sandals investment fits into a much larger transformation already underway at Royal Caribbean Group.
Royal Caribbean increasingly describes itself as a vacation company rather than simply a cruise company.
Its business now extends beyond cruise ships through destinations such as Perfect Day at CocoCay and its expanding Royal Beach Club portfolio, while Celebrity Cruises is preparing to enter river cruising.
Sandals and Beaches add another major category: all-inclusive resorts.
Royal Caribbean says the partnership will also provide additional resources to accelerate the expansion of Sandals and Beaches Resorts.
For Sandals, that potentially means faster growth.
For Royal Caribbean, it provides immediate access to an established Caribbean resort business rather than requiring the company to build an entirely new hotel brand from scratch.
Does Royal Caribbean Own Sandals Now?
Not entirely.
Assuming the transaction closes as planned, Royal Caribbean Group will own 50% of the Sandals and Beaches resort business.
The Stewart family will retain the other 50%.
That distinction matters because this is a joint venture rather than a complete acquisition of Sandals by Royal Caribbean.
The deal is expected to close in early 2027 and remains subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
What Happens Next?
The most interesting part of this partnership may not become clear until after the deal closes.
Royal Caribbean Group and Sandals have already indicated that they want to make it easier for travelers to discover vacation experiences across their respective portfolios.
Exactly what that eventually looks like has not been disclosed.
Cruise-and-stay packages, loyalty integration, resort experiences for cruise passengers and cross-brand promotions are all possibilities travelers may naturally wonder about, but none should be considered confirmed at this stage.
For now, the significant development is much simpler: Royal Caribbean Group is investing approximately $3 billion to acquire half of one of the Caribbean’s largest all-inclusive resort businesses.
That gives a company once defined almost entirely by cruise ships another substantial foothold on land — and potentially creates some very interesting possibilities for Royal Caribbean cruisers in the years ahead.
