Sandals Resorts Sells a 50 Percent Stake to Royal Caribbean for $3 Billion

Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts are getting a cruise giant as co-owner. Royal Caribbean Group said Wednesday it will acquire a 50% equity stake in the Caribbean all-inclusive operator for about $3 billion, valuing the business at roughly 10x forward EBITDA. The deal is expected to close in early 2027, pending customary approvals.

What stays the same for guests already booked

For travelers with confirmed stays, the companies say operations continue as usual. Existing reservations, resort loyalty programs, and day-to-day resort running are not being paused or rebranded as part of the signing. Adam Stewart remains Executive Chairman of Sandals and Beaches, and he will share board leadership of the joint venture with Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Jason Liberty.

That continuity matters if you already hold a deposit for Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Negril, or Beaches Negril. The product you reserved (meals, drinks, and resort activities bundled into one rate) is the product the companies say will keep operating through closing.

Why the partnership matters for future trips

Royal Caribbean is buying into land-based vacations after building private destinations and shipboard experiences under Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea. Sandals brings adults-only beachfront resorts across Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Curacao, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Beaches adds family all-inclusives in Negril and Turks and Caicos, with more properties planned for Exuma, Barbados, Runaway Bay, and Saint Vincent.

The stated upside for guests is faster resort growth and easier discovery across both companies' vacation platforms, not a sudden rewrite of how a week on property works. Butler suites, overwater villas, Kids Camps, and the usual all-inclusive inclusions remain the brands' pitch while the joint venture beds in.

Money and timing

Royal Caribbean has committed debt financing from Morgan Stanley to fund the $3 billion purchase. The cruise company says the investment should be accretive to earnings in the year after closing. Until then, booked Sandals and Beaches trips remain Caribbean all-inclusive stays under brands that have defined the category for more than four decades, with Stewart's family still guiding the resorts' long-term strategy.