What We Know Right Now
| Is Royal Caribbean buying Sandals? | No. Royal Caribbean Group is buying a 50% stake in a joint venture with Sandals and Beaches Resorts. It’s an equal partnership, not a takeover. |
| How big is the deal? | Royal Caribbean is paying about $3 billion for 50%, which values Sandals at roughly $6 billion. |
| Is my booking affected? | No. Existing reservations, rates and inclusions stay exactly as booked. |
| Is my loyalty status affected? | No. Your Island Insiders Club status and benefits stay exactly as they are. |
| Will Sandals change? | Sandals told us nothing is expected to change for at least a year, and the Sandals brand will be preserved. |
| Is Sandals still for couples? | Sandals is adults-only and has recently started opening up beyond couples. Beaches remains the family brand. |
We Just Got Off the Phone With Sandals. Here's the Truth About the Royal Caribbean Deal.
It’s a 50/50 Partnership, Not a Takeover
The short answer: nothing about your Sandals or Beaches vacation is changing. Your reservation, rate and inclusions stay exactly as booked. Royal Caribbean isn’t taking over Sandals. It’s a 50/50 partnership that brings Sandals more funding to grow, and Sandals built in protections so the resorts you love stay the same.
After 32 years as one of Sandals’ top agencies worldwide, we’re one of the first calls they make when big news drops. Considering we’ve been working with Royal Caribbean, just as long as we’ve worked with Sandals, we’re so excited to see this partnership develop. Here’s everything we learned, including details you won’t find in the press release.
Royal Caribbean buys Sandals
The headlines say “Royal Caribbean buys Sandals,” and that’s what has people nervous. That isn’t what happened.
Royal Caribbean Group is taking a 50% equity stake, so the Stewart family keeps the other half. The two companies will run the joint venture together, with Adam Stewart staying on as Executive Chairman.
Royal Caribbean isn’t coming in to merge the brands or turn your resort into a cruise ship on land. They’re coming in to help Sandals grow.
On our call, our Sandals contact passed along what leadership, the people at the table when the deal was signed, said about protecting the brand:
“They understand the level of quality and legacy that clients have come to know. We aren’t going to let them change what we built. They are looking to grow with us.“
The Sandals legacy is personal
Adam Stewart is the son of Sandals founder Gordon “Butch” Stewart, who built Sandals from one Jamaican resort into the Caribbean’s best-known all-inclusive brand. With Adam still leading the company, the Caribbean hospitality, quality and service his father built stay in the family’s hands. In his letter to travel partners, Adam wrote that his father “never stopped believing there would always be so much more ahead for our brands,” and that “Sandals will remain Sandals and Beaches will remain Beaches.”
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What Could Change (and When)
Officially, everything continues as usual. Here’s what Sandals told us could come further down the road.
1. Loyalty perks would likely come first
For now, the Island Insiders Club, the Sandals loyalty program that replaced Sandals Select Rewards on July 1, 2026, stays exactly as it is. If Sandals changes anything, and it likely won’t be for at least another year, the first change would be the loyalty program. Sandals would bring some features of Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program into the Island Insiders Club. For repeat Sandals guests, that means more perks, not fewer.
2. Cruise and stay trips: one or two night resort stays
Royal Caribbean Group is more than one cruise line. It also owns Celebrity Cruises and Silversea. Picture a cruise stopping in Jamaica or the Bahamas, then adding a night or two at a nearby Sandals, or at Beaches Exuma for families. That option doesn’t exist today. They are considering adding short stay options, of one or two nights. This isn’t confirmed, but it’s a clear sign of where the partnership is headed: more ways to experience Sandals, not a watered-down version of it.
3. More resorts, sooner
This is the real reason behind the deal (more on that below).
Why Sandals Made This Deal: The New Beaches Resorts
Sandals isn’t partnering with Royal Caribbean because it wants to give the brand away. It’s doing it because it has big projects to fund.
If you’ve been following our guide to the new Beaches Resorts coming soon, you know several new Beaches resorts have been in the works for a long time: Beaches Exuma, Beaches Barbados, Beaches Runaway Bay in Jamaica, and now officially confirmed in the partnership announcement, Beaches St. Vincent. As one of the top agencies in the U.S. for Sandals St. Vincent, we’re especially excited about that one.
Those projects slowed down for a reason: when hurricanes hit Jamaica, Sandals made the right call and focused on rebuilding the resorts clients already love and were waiting to return to. On top of that, Sandals is investing heavily in projects like the new Treasure Beach addition at Beaches Turks & Caicos.
Partnering with Royal Caribbean brings in the funding to keep all of that moving. What that likely means for you:
- New Beaches resorts opening sooner
- Continued investment in the resorts you already know
- Even more room for Sandals to lead the Caribbean all-inclusive market
With Sandals’ 40+ years of Caribbean hospitality and Royal Caribbean’s resources behind it, Sandals now has unlimited funding, and no other all-inclusive brand in the Caribbean can compete with that.
Want first access when new Beaches resorts open? Join our Beaches waitlist here.
Will My Sandals or Beaches Booking Change?
No. This is the most important aspect we confirmed.
Existing reservations: stay exactly as booked
Your confirmed rate: stays the same
Your inclusions: stay the same, including butlers, dining, drinks and everything in your package
Your Island Insiders Club status: stays the same
Travel advisor support: stays the same. Sandals confirmed its agreements, marketing programs and support for agencies like ours stay firmly in place.
Sandals also told us that when the partnership was being negotiated, protecting the Sandals brand was a condition. That’s why nothing is expected to change for at least a year.
Thinking about canceling? Please talk to us first. There’s no reason to give up a vacation you’re excited about because of a headline, and cancellation penalties could cost you far more than this news ever will.
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Is Sandals Moving From Couples to Adults-Only?
This shift started before the Royal Caribbean deal, and the partnership could speed it up.
With its newest Jamaica developments, Sandals has already signaled that it wants to move from couples-only toward adults-only. You can see it happening at Sandals South Coast, which recently started testing rooms with two beds. That opens the door to friends, siblings and small groups of adults, not just couples. Even the official partnership announcement describes Sandals as adults-only, not couples-only.
That’s why the cruise connection matters. On our call, Sandals said it’s open to allowing one- or two-night stays for cruise guests, especially groups of adults who want to spend time at a Sandals resort before or after a cruise. An adults-only Sandals makes that much easier than a couples-only one.
What isn’t changing: Sandals is still adults-only, with no kids. Families already have their own brand in this partnership, Beaches Resorts.
Why You Can Trust Twinsburg Travel
Anyone can repeat a press release. We connect with Sandals directly.
- 32 years working with both Sandals and Royal Caribbean Brands
- Ohio’s #1 Sandals & Beaches agency
- Top 10 Sandals agency worldwide
- Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club members
- We’ve personally visited every Sandals and Beaches resort
- Stayed with Royal Caribbean Cruises over 15 visits
When Sandals makes big news, we’re one of the first agencies they call, because our clients rely on us for answers. We don’t guess about your vacation.
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Why Did the News Break Overnight?
Many travelers noticed the announcement came late at night and wondered why. There was nothing shady about it.
Sandals and Royal Caribbean had planned a big, celebratory announcement. But reports of the deal leaked before the official reveal, and because Royal Caribbean is a publicly traded company, its stock dropped on September 22 as investors reacted to the rumors. Once the news was moving the market, both companies had to confirm the deal quickly rather than wait for the planned event.
The overnight timing was a response to the leak, not an attempt to bury the news.
Worried About Your Booking? Just Talk to Us
Whether you’re already booked, thinking about booking, or wondering whether to cancel, we’re happy to walk you through it.
- Zero booking fees. You pay the same price as booking direct, with an expert looking out for you.
- Insider answers straight from our Sandals partners
- Personal service from a family-owned agency, not a call center
We simply ask for your business in exchange for our expertise and top-notch service.
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FAQ
Did Royal Caribbean buy Sandals?
No. Royal Caribbean Group is buying a 50% stake in a joint venture with Sandals and Beaches Resorts for about $3 billion, which values Sandals at roughly $6 billion. The Stewart family keeps the other 50%, and Adam Stewart remains Executive Chairman.
Will my Sandals reservation be affected by the Royal Caribbean deal?
No. Existing reservations, confirmed rates and inclusions stay exactly as booked.
When will the Royal Caribbean Sandals deal close?
It’s expected to close in early 2027, pending standard approvals.
Will Sandals change after the Royal Caribbean partnership?
Sandals told us nothing is expected to change for at least a year. If anything changes after that, the first update would likely be new Island Insiders Club perks drawn from Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program.
Is the Island Insiders Club changing?
Not now. Your status and benefits stay exactly as they are. Any future changes would likely add perks from Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program, not take any away.
Should I cancel my Sandals vacation because of the deal?
No. Your booking isn’t affected. If you’re worried, talk with a Sandals specialist before canceling so you don’t pay unnecessary penalties.
Will Sandals offer short stays for cruise passengers?
Possibly. Sandals told us it’s open to one- or two-night stays for cruise guests, especially groups of adults. Royal Caribbean Group owns Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea. It isn’t confirmed yet.
Is Sandals still couples-only?
Sandals has been moving from couples-only toward adults-only. Sandals South Coast is testing two-bed rooms, and the official partnership announcement describes Sandals as adults-only. There are still no children at Sandals. Families belong at Beaches Resorts.
Will the deal speed up the new Beaches resorts?
That’s a key reason for the partnership. The added funding helps Sandals continue projects like Beaches Exuma, Beaches Barbados, Beaches Runaway Bay and the newly confirmed Beaches St. Vincent.