Royal Caribbean's New South Pacific Beach Club Is Now Open for Booking — And It Looks Unlike Anything Else at Sea

Royal Caribbean has been on a tear with private destinations. After opening Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in the Bahamas last year, the line turned its attention south — far south — to the South Pacific. Today, March 18, 2026, the company opened bookings for sailings that will call at Royal Beach Club Lelepa, a brand-new private beach destination in Vanuatu scheduled to open in October 2027.

According to details published by Cruise Passenger, this will be Royal Caribbean’s first exclusive destination in the Southern Hemisphere — and the first of its kind anywhere in the South Pacific for a major cruise line.

Where Is Lelepa?

Lelepa Island sits inside Havannah Harbour in Vanuatu, about 25 miles from Port Vila. If you haven’t been to Vanuatu, it’s a Pacific archipelago nation that sits northeast of Australia and southeast of the Solomon Islands. It is not a well-worn cruise destination. That’s part of what makes this announcement interesting — Royal Caribbean isn’t planting a flag somewhere already crowded with ships. They’re building something genuinely new in a part of the world that mainstream cruising has largely left alone.

Guests will reach the island by tender, the standard approach when a port doesn’t have a dock large enough for a cruise ship to berth directly.

What’s Actually Included

The details here matter, because private cruise destinations have a wide range in what they actually give you for the base fare versus what they charge extra for.

At Royal Beach Club Lelepa, Royal Caribbean says the following are included with the price of your cruise:

• Access to all beach areas, including West Beach and East Beach
• Sun loungers, umbrellas, and towels
• Unlimited casual beachside food
• Access to the Adults Cove, a quiet section reserved for guests 18 and older
• A nature trail through the surrounding rainforest
• Accessibility accommodations, including beach wheelchairs

That’s a more generous baseline than a lot of private destinations offer. Premium water sports, private cabanas, daybeds, and drinks at the bar will cost extra — but the core beach day is covered by your fare.

Two Distinct Beaches

The design separates the island into distinct zones. West Beach is set up for water activities — kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling, and glass-bottom boat tours. East Beach is positioned as the more relaxed, family-friendly side, with beach volleyball and cricket available. The Adults Cove sits separately from both, offering a quieter retreat for guests who want to escape the noise of the main beach areas.

There’s also a cultural element built into the property: Fels Cave, which contains ancient rock art dating back thousands of years, is part of the island’s nature trail.

Which Ships Will Go There

The first ships assigned to Royal Beach Club Lelepa are Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas, both sailing from Sydney and Brisbane. Royal Caribbean has said more ships will be added to the rotation over time.

For Australian and New Zealand cruisers especially, this is a significant development. Lelepa gives those itineraries a destination that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the region, and it anchors Royal Caribbean’s Southern Hemisphere presence in a way that goes beyond just repositioning ships for the local season.

Why This Is Worth Watching

Private destinations have become one of the more interesting strategic moves in the cruise industry over the past several years. Lines invest heavily in them because they give passengers a controlled, high-quality shore experience — and because on-site spending goes directly back to the cruise line rather than local businesses. Royal Beach Club Paradise Island in the Bahamas showed that this model can work at a high volume when executed well.

Lelepa is a different beast. The South Pacific location means smaller ships, longer itineraries, and a fundamentally different type of traveler. Vanuatu is not a quick Bahamian day-trip from Florida. Getting there requires a committed voyage, and the guests booking those sailings are typically looking for something more than a pool party on a private island.

Whether Royal Caribbean can thread that needle — delivering the polish and predictability of a private beach club while honoring the genuinely remote, culturally rich setting of Vanuatu — is the real question. The ingredients are promising.

If you’re planning a South Pacific voyage for 2027 or 2028, today is the day to start looking at what’s available.

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Source: Cruise Passenger — Royal Caribbean’s Lelepa Private Destination