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Royal Caribbean Group and Sandals Resorts are forming a joint venture, with Royal agreeing to acquire a 50% equity interest in Sandals for approximately $3 billion.
The partners intend to accelerate the expansion of the adults-only Sandals and family-focused Beaches resorts. Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said the Stewart family, Sandals' owner and operator, "has created powerful and beloved brands, and we are honored to build on that legacy."
Besides growing the Sandals portfolio, the partners said they will "explore opportunities to broaden distribution, deepen guest engagement and make it easier for travelers to discover vacation experiences offered across both portfolios."
For years, the major cruise lines have said that they compete with Caribbean all-inclusive resorts for customers' vacation dollars, and now Royal Caribbean will have a slice of that market, partnering with one of the most well-known names in all-inclusives.
Founded in 1981 by the late Gordon "Butch" Stewart, Sandals today has 17 Sandals-branded properties and two Beaches resorts across the Caribbean. Sandals-branded resorts are in Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Curacao and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, while Beaches resorts are in Jamaica and Turks & Caicos.
The Royal Caribbean deal comes as Sandals prepares to double the footprint of its Beaches brand. Last year, the company said it would invest nearly $1 billion in Beaches over five years. Plans include the 600-room Beaches Barbados, the conversion of the Sandals Emerald Bay in the Bahamas into the Beaches Exuma, and construction of the Beaches Runaway Bay in Jamaica.
Also as part of the Beaches expansion, Treasure Beach Village opened at the Beaches Turks and Caicos earlier this year, bringing that property's total room count to 858.
Further, Sandals has invested in the upgrade of resorts in Jamaica that were damaged by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025.
Butch Stewart's son, Adam Stewart, is Sandals' executive chairman, a title he will retain within the new joint venture. He will "maintain a leadership role in guiding the company's long-term strategic growth."
Stewart said that together with Royal Caribbean, the partners will "introduce more guests to Sandals and Beaches resorts while creating even more extraordinary experiences for those who have made our resorts part of their lives for decades."
Stewart added, "The future has never been brighter, and I know this moment would make my father incredibly proud."
Royal Caribbean Group's wholly owned brands are Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea. The company also has a 50% joint venture with TUI Cruises, which operates the Mein Schiff and Hapag-Lloyd brands.
Royal Caribbean is known as a cruise innovator, introducing industry-first features such as an ice rink on Voyager-class ships, the open-air Central Park neighborhood with trees and plants on Oasis ships and the largest waterpark at sea on Icon ships.
"For nearly 60 years, we've reimagined what a vacation can be, constantly expanding the ways we inspire our guests to explore, connect and create lifelong memories," said Liberty. "Our partnership with Sandals and Beaches is an important next step in that journey, bringing together two iconic,
leading vacation companies."
The joint venture will be governed by a board under the shared leadership of Stewart and Liberty. The deal is expected to close in early 2027. Royal Caribbean Group said it has secured committed debt financing from Morgan Stanley to fund the Sandals investment.
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National Geographic Expeditions and G Adventures have unveiled 30 new joint itineraries launching in 2027 and 2028.
The trips are part of an expanded range of programs developed by the two tour operators, combining G Adventures' deep roots in community tourism with National Geographic's experts. Of the 30 trips, six are recently updated family journeys.
The forthcoming itineraries span the globe, bringing guests to destinations like Machu Picchu in Peru and the Galapagos Islands.
An eight-day Galapagos journey is centered on wildlife, introducing travelers to conservationists working to protect the islands. Guests will spend time with the researchers at the Charles Darwin Research Station and embark on a boat excursion with a naturalist. Other highlights include visiting an organic farm to learn about crops and snorkeling off an uninhabited island.
Designed for families with children ages 7 and up, a nine-day Peru trip pairs the Amazon with Machu Picchu, keeping the kids engaged as they visit South America and its wonders. Guests will join a nighttime wildlife walk, explore the jungle alongside a naturalist and use telescopes to study the night sky.
Christmas lovers can embark on an eight-day tour to Europe's famous holiday markets, traveling from Prague to Budapest, drinking gluhwein along the way. The schedule includes a Czech cooking class and visiting the storybook town of Cesky Krumlov.
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A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday for Sandy Cay, a private island in the Bahamas that will offer a luxury experience for MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys guests. MSC Group has scheduled a 2028 opening, saying there will be "exceptional dinning, spaces to relax and unwind, private retreats and attentive hospitality."
Sandy Cay will be a man-made island neighboring MSC Cruises private Bahamian island, Ocean Cay. Renderings show five coves with beaches.
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What about ETIAS? When will that launch?
The European Union said that it will announce the specific date for the launch of ETIAS closer to the start of the requirement. But even once it is activated, there will be a transitional period of at least six months, during which travelers will be asked to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization but won’t be refused entry without one. That will be followed by a six-month grace period, during which first-time travelers to Europe will be permitted to enter without an ETIAS as long as they meet border control entry requirements. But those who are not entering Europe for the first time will not be permitted without an ETIAS authorization during the grace period.
Once it launches, U.S. citizens as well as travelers from 60 other countries who want to travel to the 29 member countries of Europe’s Schengen area (listed above) plus Cyprus (an EU member that is not yet part of Schengen) will need to register for an ETIAS authorization and pay a nonrefundable application fee of 7 euros (approximately US$8) before entering Europe. Travelers under 18 or over 70 will be exempt from the fee, although they will still need to have ETIAS approval.
In the meantime, international travelers arriving in Europe do not need to register in advance.
The U.K.’s ETA authorization is already in effect
The United Kingdom, which is no longer part of the EU or the Schengen area, last year rolled out its own electronic travel authorization program, known as the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization). U.S. travelers must apply for United Kingdom’s ETA via the ETA app (available through Google or Apple). Travelers will need to provide some basic personal information, including passport details and a valid email address. They will also upload photos of their passport and of their face and pay a £16 fee (about US$13)—which is increasing to £20 (USD$27) on April 8, 2026. Applicants should be granted approval within three working days, and the approval is valid for two years.
There’s no limit on how many times you can enter the United Kingdom during that time frame. Those with an ETA can spend up to six months in the country at a time and can visit any part of the U.K. You will, however, need to reapply for a new ETA if you get a new passport. Passengers connecting through the U.K. will only need an ETA if they pass through border control.
“You do not need an ETA to travel to the U.K. if . . . you’re transiting through a U.K. airport and you will not pass through border control,” states a government explainer about when an ETA isn’t required. Travelers who leave the main airport building for any reason or need to collect their bags and check them in for an onward flight will pass through border control. Authorities recommend that you check with your airline to find out if you’ll pass through U.K. border control and will therefore need an ETA.
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Some of the Caribbean nations that require US Citizens to apply for a visitor card, immigration and/or customs form in advance of travel. Most are free, some are not.
For the British Virgin Islands and all of Great Britain and it's territories, you must obtain an electronic travel authorization visa by downloading the UK ETA app to your phone and applying.
Aruba - https://edcardaruba.aw/
British Virgin Islands - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta#apply-for-an-eta
Curacao - https://dicardcuracao.com
Dominican Republic - https://eticket.migracion.gob.do/Home/
Jamaica - enterjamaica.gov.jm
Saint Lucia - https://travelslu.govt.lc/
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