CEO Jason Liberty said that the Royal Caribbean Group continues to reinforce its strategy of delivering exclusive destination-led experiences.

“We are meaningfully investing in destination experiences,” he explained during the company’s recent earnings call.

The investment is part of a broader strategy that aims to increase guest repetition, as well as to increase the lifetime value of the customer, lower acquisition costs and position the brand to further close the gap to land-based vacations, Liberty explained.

Noting that the company’s newbuild lineup is also part of the same approach, he said that both the new destinations and new ships meet customers’ expectations and offer what they are currently looking to do.

“We’re able to do that not just by benefiting from volume but also by enhancing the guest experience, as those destinations tend to be the highest-rate destinations that are out there,” he continued.

“Earlier (in July), we officially closed on our acquisition of the Port of Costa Maya and are now well underway in bringing this exciting destination to life,” Liberty said, mentioning the company’s new Perfect Day Mexico project.

Royal Caribbean is also working on adding new beach clubs in the Caribbean and the Bahamas, as well as  in the South Pacific.

“In 2027, we’ll expand the reach of our Royal Beach Club Collection to the South Pacific with Royal Beach Club Lelepa,” he continued.

“These experiences are located across key strategic markets and are engineered to generate premium yields and returns for years to come,” Liberty explained.

He also highlighted Royal Caribbean’s commitment to local communities and generating a positive impact on destinations.

“Central to our destination strategy is a commitment to the economic development of these communities, generating thousands of jobs, championing environmental restoration, improving wastewater treatment and conserving local native plants and species.”

The company is also supporting recycling programs, providing educational and training programs, and investing in infrastructure such as roads and community centers, he added.

A passenger aboard the largest cruise ship in the world was injured after part of a 14m-tall slide broke on Aug 7 as he was passing through it.

The cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Icon Of The Seas, has since closed the slide for the remainder of its journey while an investigation is carried out.

Data from cruise ship tracking website CruiseMapper showed that the ship was moving between St Thomas Island in the US Virgin Islands and CocoCay in the Bahamas on Aug 7.

“Our team provided medical care to an adult guest when acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide,” a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson said in a statement, reported CNN.

“The guest is being treated for his injuries. The water slide is closed for the remainder of the sailing pending an investigation,” said the spokesperson, adding that the passenger is in stable condition.

It is unknown what the extent of the passenger’s injuries are.

The ship was slated to return to Miami on Aug 9, according to CBS News. There have been no further statements released from the cruise operator since then.

In a video posted on X by user Jim Muldoon, passengers can be heard shouting for the water slide to stop operating as water pours from the hole.

“Oh my god, someone just fell out of the slide,” a person says in the video.

However, contrary to similar claims from passengers’ videos circulating on social media, British newspaper The Telegraph reported that the passenger did not fall through the hole – he received severe cuts as he sped over the broken edge of the slide.

His “leg and back were cut open pretty bad”, said X user @SauniR6, sharing a closer image of the slide, with the hole appearing to have jagged edges.

The slide in question was reported to be the 86m-long Frightening Bolt, which boasts a drop of 14m. It is housed aboard the ship in the nearly 1,600 sq m water park known as Category 6.

Speaking to entertainment website Unilad, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said: “The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority.

“To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety on board our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines.”

The six slides aboard the Icon Of The Seas are from German manufacturer Wiegand.Waterrides, and are made from glass fibre reinforced plastic.

The ship can carry up to 7,600 guests at full capacity alongside a 2,350-strong crew.

CruisesAccidentsMaritime and shipping