Bahamas Paradise Island Beach Club Opens December 23, 2025

Published on Dec 1, 2025, 7:34 pm CST

7 min read

Key points

Paradise Island beach club opening on December 23, 2025 gives Royal Caribbean cruise guests an all inclusive shore day in Nassau
Construction delays have canceled at least one December 15 preview visit but Royal Caribbean still lists the official opening date as December 23, 2025
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island will feature two beaches, three temperature controlled pools, multiple grills and bars, and included food, non alcoholic drinks, Wi Fi and beach essentials
Day passes must be prebooked and capacity is limited so guests calling at Nassau in late December and early 2026 should reserve early or plan alternative shore days
The new beach club is part of a wider Royal Caribbean build out that includes Royal Beach Club Santorini and Cozumel in 2026, Perfect Day Mexico in 2027 and the Lelepa private destination later this decade
Silversea guests will also see a linked 2026 opening of The Cormorant at 55 South in Chile which acts as a pre cruise hub for Antarctica sailings

Impact

Where Impacts Are Most Likely: Early calls at Nassau that advertise beach club access from December 23, 2025 onward face the most uncertainty if final construction or inspections run long
Best Times To Travel: From February 2026 onward the beach club should be in full swing with fewer soft opening wrinkles than the first weeks of operation
Onward Travel And Changes: Cruise passengers should not book independent excursions that depend on exact beach club return times during the launch month because schedule shifts are possible
What Travelers Should Do Now: Guests on itineraries calling at Nassau after December 23 should watch cruise planner updates, prebook day passes early, and keep backup port day plans in case access changes
Health And Safety Factors: Expect modern pools, managed food service and lifeguarded zones but still follow normal sun, hydration and water safety practices at a Caribbean beach resort

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Royal Caribbean's new beach club on Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas, is still officially slated to welcome its first paying guests on December 23, 2025, giving cruise passengers an all inclusive alternative to downtown beaches and resort day passes. The launch window matters most to travelers on Royal Caribbean itineraries that call at Nassau from late December through early 2026, especially those already holding, or hoping to buy, day passes. With construction still visible and at least one "sneak peek" visit canceled, travelers should treat the first weeks as a soft opening, build in flexibility, and keep backup shore plans in mind.

The Paradise Island beach club opening in December 2025 adds a dedicated all inclusive shore option steps from Nassau Harbor, where capacity limits, evolving construction timelines, and bundled beverage packages will all shape how easy it is to lock in a beach day that feels seamless.

What Royal Beach Club Paradise Island Includes

Royal Beach Club Paradise Island is the first destination in Royal Caribbean's new Royal Beach Club collection, spread across about 17 acres on Paradise Island opposite the main Nassau cruise pier. Company materials describe an all inclusive model anchored by two beaches, three temperature controlled pools, three beach grills, and multiple bars, including what Royal Caribbean is marketing as the world's largest swim up bar.

A standard day pass includes roundtrip water taxi transfers from the cruise pier, access to all three "neighborhoods" within the club, Wi Fi, beach games, umbrellas, loungers, towels, and basic lockers. Complimentary dining covers quick service style meals at several grills, and official FAQs note that non alcoholic drinks are included, while alcoholic options can be bundled through shipboard drinks packages or purchased a la carte depending on the fare and promotion.

For families and small groups, the venue is being positioned as more than just a beach and pool complex. The Ultimate Family Cabana, a multi level cabana concept, adds a slide, whirlpool, private bathroom, frozen drink machine, and a dedicated attendant, and sits alongside a wider menu of beach and poolside cabanas and daybeds. On the more social side of the club, The Party Deck builds in a DJ backed pool scene with east and west sections that can be reserved for up to 12 guests, combining dedicated food and beverage service with elevated ocean views.

Why The December Preview Was Canceled

The most recent traveler anxiety has centered not on the official opening date, but on a canceled early preview. In mid November, some guests booked on a December 15, 2025 sailing received invitations to a complimentary "first look" visit at the beach club, only to be notified later that the preview had been called off because construction work was not far enough along to host guests safely and comfortably.

Royal Caribbean's notification language, shared in forums and subsequently confirmed by the line, emphasized that the island "is shaping up beautifully" but "is not quite ready for guests just yet," and framed the canceled preview as a test event for fine tuning operations rather than the main launch. Reporting from trade outlets and cruise focused sites has since underlined that, as of early December, the company is still marketing December 23 as the official opening date on its consumer booking pages and FAQs, even as photos show active construction on site.

For travelers, the most practical takeaway is that while a slip past December 23 remains possible in theory, the working assumption at this stage should be a go for that date, paired with realistic expectations that the first days may feel more like a controlled soft opening than a fully mature resort. That means some landscaping, decor, or minor venues could still be bedding in during the first weeks.

How The Club Fits Into Royal Caribbean's Private Destination Strategy

This Paradise Island beach club is one piece of a larger Royal Caribbean strategy to control more of the shore side experience along its key cruise corridors. Perfect Day at CocoCay, also in The Bahamas, has already demonstrated the revenue and guest satisfaction potential of private destinations that can concentrate spending on branded beaches, pools, and attractions.

Next, Royal Caribbean and its parent group plan to layer in Royal Beach Club Santorini in Greece, now scheduled for a summer 2026 opening and marketed as a day that blends time at Oia and Fira with a dedicated beach and pool complex. Royal Beach Club Cozumel in Mexico is due the same year, offering two pools, a beach, three food outlets, and several bars with an all inclusive day pass model that mirrors Paradise Island's structure.

Further out, Perfect Day Mexico on the Caribbean coast is slated to open in late 2027, with a large waterpark, multiple pools, and a high density of bars and dining, effectively extending the CocoCay template to Western Caribbean routes from Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. In the South Pacific, Lelepa in Vanuatu is being developed as the first private cruise destination in the southern hemisphere, targeted around 2027, with an emphasis on nature trails, local food, and lagoon style beaches rather than a waterpark first approach.

Royal Caribbean's luxury sister brand, Silversea, is also extending this controlled destination concept on land with The Cormorant at 55 South, a 150 room hotel in Puerto Williams, Chile, built as a staging point for Antarctica fly cruises and scheduled to open around January 2026. Together, these projects confirm that the Paradise Island beach club is not a one off experiment, but part of a broader network of branded destinations that will gradually shape how and where guests spend port days.

Planning Tips For Early Visits

For guests whose itineraries call at Nassau on or after December 23, 2025, the first planning step is to check whether day passes to the beach club are available in the cruise planner or Royal app for that date. Official answers note that capacity is limited, and the destination is an optional paid excursion, not an automatic inclusion for every passenger in port.

If passes are available and you value a controlled, all inclusive environment over wandering Nassau independently, it makes sense to book early, then monitor your reservation for any schedule change notices. If passes are not offered for your sailing, that likely reflects either demand or operational choices on Royal Caribbean's side, and you should plan an alternate shore day using long standing options such as historic downtown walks, Junkanoo Beach, or resort day access.

During the first weeks of operation, it is sensible to keep your expectations tuned to a launch phase rather than a fully mature resort and to avoid locking in same day, non refundable plans that depend on exact return times from the club. If a water taxi schedule change or venue level adjustment introduces small delays, you will have more room to absorb them if your only fixed time is the ship's all aboard.

Background: Paradise Island And Private Destination Logistics

Paradise Island sits just across the harbor from Nassau's main cruise berths and is already home to large resort complexes and beaches, which means the new beach club does not require a long open water tender ride. The water taxi shuttle should keep overall travel time short and predictable compared with some private islands, which is a structural advantage for managing half day visits and staggered ship calls.

At the same time, because this is an all inclusive day pass product rather than a default port call, the overall experience will hinge on how well Royal Caribbean manages capacity, food lines, bar waits, and pool crowding. That is especially true during holiday periods and peak Caribbean season. Travelers who prefer quieter sand time or who are sensitive to loud poolside music may want to consider cabanas or seek out the more relaxed corners of the complex, or simply opt for a different type of Nassau day.

For deeper context on how private islands are reshaping Caribbean itineraries and port economics, readers can also look at Adept Traveler coverage of Royal's Perfect Day Mexico project and our evergreen guide to private island ports in The Bahamas, which map out the tradeoffs between exclusive beach experiences and time in local towns.