Mexican authorities have rejected Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day Mexico development, which was due to open in 2027.
The cruise company unveiled Perfect Day Mexico, its new private destination for passengers on the Caribbean coast of Mahahual, last year.
Spanning more than 200 acres, the Perfect Day Mexico proposal included attractions such as Loco Waterpark, which featured 30 waterslides, including the longest coaster waterslide in the world.
However, the Independent reports that Mexico's environment minister Alicia Barcena told a press conference on Tuesday (19 May): "It is not going to be approved."
The project has faced opposition from local residents and environmental groups, including Greenpeace, concerned about its potential ecological impact.
Royal Caribbean withdrawing plans
Barcena said Royal Caribbean is in the process of withdrawing its plans, and the company said it remains optimistic about future investment opportunities in Mexico.
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday (18 May): "We must not do anything that affects that area, which has a very important ecological balance, and is particularly important for the reefs."
Perfect Day Mexico was planned for Mahahual, which is in close proximity to the Mesoamerican Reef – the largest transboundary reef system in the Western Hemisphere and the second-largest barrier reef in the world.
When the project was announced, Royal Caribbean's CEO and president Michael Bayley said: "Perfect Day Mexico is bigger and bolder than anything we have done to date."
Perfect Day Mexico was planned as part of an expansion of Royal Caribbean's land-based destinations, which include Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas.
Royal Caribbean recently unveiled its fourth Icon Class cruise ship, the record-breaking Hero of the Seas.
Images courtesy of Royal Caribbean
