Lelepa’s Royal Beach Club construction starts in July, and Royal Caribbean boss talks year-round ships

• Lelepa Royal Beach Club will be for Australians when it opens next year – and construction starts in today.
• The Royal Caribbean Blog reported that there were hints towards year-round cruising at a Q&A with the line’s global boss on the new ship, Legend of the Seas.
• This would be exciting news for Aussie cruise fans, who currently only have Carnival available over winter.

Construction at Royal Beach Club in Vanuatu, opening next year, begins this month, Royal Caribbean’s leaders have revealed.

The news also fueled speculation that it could lead to Royal Caribbean sailing Australian waters in the winter.

Royal Caribbean Blog was present at a Q&A with Royal Caribbean International President Michael Bayley and reported: “CEO Michael Bayley hinted that the beach club’s opening could determine how the company continues to curate sailings for the Australian market, with a growing focus on year-round sailings.”

Bailey was quoted as saying: “We think [the Royal Beach Club Lelepa is] going to really tick the box for the Australian market, and our intention would be over time to grow that market because of that destination.”

Indeed, there was a lot of discussion at the media meet on board Legend of the Seas, the line’s newest ship, about Royal spreading its wings to other markets.

Jason Liberty, CEO and chair of Royal Caribbean explained the group looks for destinations that “come to life” and markets that can support high levels of long-term investment.

Bayley noted that most global travellers can reach a company vessel within five hours. He added that entering new regions was one of the most effective ways to grow the line’s “new-to-cruise” passenger base, drawing parallels to the brand’s entry into China a decade ago.

Lelepa is already on sale

Lelepa is already on sale, with some good prices for its first season. Find them here.

Bayley revealed big changes were being made to ensure it’s perfect for Australians, not just for cruisers in general.

“There are a lot of differences and nuances between the Australian consumer and the American consumer. And we’re creating that experience. So we think the beach club is going to really tick the box for the Australian market.”

He added: “It’s an exceptionally beautiful destination, and we’re building something which is really in harmony with the environment. And it’s going to be a really special place.”

This isn’t the first time that Royal Caribbean has dropped hints about year-round cruising in Australia.

Perhaps the most intriguing sign was a cryptic yet deliberate Facebook comment on Royal Caribbean’s Facebook page. When a Facebook user inquired about the possibility of year-round cruising, the page replied “You’ll be the first to know.”

The fact that Royal Caribbean is investing in the island has made many suspect that year-round cruising is certainly on its way, rather than leaving their new investment without visitors for half the year. 

Brisbane is closer to Vanuatu than Sydney, leading most to believe that Brisbane could be the destination that gets the year-round ships. It’s also known that NSW Ports is going to introduce new pricing incentives over the non-peak months to attract new ships, so it’s possible that Sydney could be in the running as well.

Furthermore, Royal Caribbean continues to launch big ships at a rapid rate, with Legend of the Seas just beginning to sail, and marking itself as the third ship of Royal Caribbean’s Icon-class and tied as the biggest cruise ship in the world.

More Icon-class ships are set to come in 2027 and 2028, and given that they’ll likely all sail in the Caribbean, this could free up some tonnage for Royal Caribbean to send more ships to Australia, or keep at least one ship here over the winter. 

The other logical reason for Lelepa to be a year-round destination is that the Aussie summer is hurricane season in the South Pacific and generally a time when it’s more common for cruisers to experience poor weather conditions. If Royal Caribbean can’t get its passengers to the island a couple times each summer, they won’t be able to ensure maximum use of the destination they’ve invested in. 

It would make a lot more sense for Lelepa to be a year-round destination, so Aussies can be tempted with a tropical destination over the winter, and visit outside of the cyclone season and the worst time of the year for sea conditions. 

The quick facts on Lelepa

On the northwest side of Vanuatu, just northeast of Australia, the Royal Beach Club Lelepa features two stunning beaches, the family-friendly East Beach and “adventure-primed” West Beach, along with an adults-only area for passengers 18+.

Special food and drinks will be available, all included at no extra charge. 

Royal Beach Club Lelepa will be included in cruise fares, unlike other beach clubs and private islands. Everything from admission to tender transportation, lounge chairs, umbrellas, beach games, restrooms, food, is included, though there is no Wi-Fi.

• You can find a full list of itineraries here, with seven-night sailings out of Brisbane starting from $998 and nine-night sailings out of Sydney starting from $1569.
• The beach club will offer access to two beaches, feature an adults-only area, several eateries, beach games and water sports, a walking trail and more. 
• Sailings begin from the 2027/28 season.  
• It isn’t yet known if you’ll be able to use your drinks package at Lelepa.