Mexico’s Environment Ministry has killed Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day Mexico megaproject in Mahahual, Quintana Roo, ending a plan that environmental groups said would have scarred mangroves, reefs and the region’s fragile aquifer.
Greenpeace and other advocates are hailing the decision as a victory for public pressure and a model for tougher coastal protection.
The cancellation late Tuesday came one day after President Claudia Sheinbaum ordered a fresh environmental review of the private cruise-ship playground on Mexico’s Caribbean coast.
Mahahual, home to fewer than 3,000 people, is known for its clear, warm waters and its proximity to the Mesoamerican Reef, the largest reef in the Western Hemisphere. Turtles nest along the coast, which gives way to dense mangrove forests and tropical jungle that are home to jaguars.
There had been months of backlash over the project, which Royal Caribbean touted as including more than 30 waterslides, the world’s longest “lazy river,” and roughly 12 eateries and 24 bars — including the Tipsy Sombrero Bar, a standalone structure topped by the “world’s largest sombrero.”
Opposition was coming from many angles, including fans of K‑pop group BTS and singer Taylor Swift launching social media campaigns and Change.org petitions, including one that drew more than 4.8 million signatures.
“It is very sad to see that the fate of a community that has been forgotten for so many years is being decided on social media thousands of kilometers away when the people attacking the project don’t even know it,” said Ari Adler Brotman, president of Royal Caribbean Mexico. “Many of them, I think, couldn’t even point to Majahual on a map.”
Critics said the property would have spread across about 90 hectares of jungle and mangrove, with deep foundations, heavy construction and even more strain on an ecosystem already under pressure. Hundreds of cruise ships, including Royal Caribbean Icon-class ships that can carry 7,600 passengers, annually berth at one of Mahahual’s three piers.
Royal Caribbean said Perfect Day Mexico would be able to receive as many 20,000 to 21,000 cruise visitors a day.
Alicia Bárcena, head of the Environment Ministry (Semarnat), said Tuesday the project “will not be approved,” adding that the company was also moving to withdraw it.
Semarnat had previously said the project remained under environmental review and did not have authorization for development, construction or operation, even as Royal Caribbean marched forward with plans and on-the-ground work.
Greenpeace said the outcome should be written into formal rejection of the environmental impact statement and argued that Mahahual’s mangroves, reef system and local community all stood to benefit.
The group also urged the federal government and Yucatán Peninsula states to protect the Maya jungle and its aquifer.
Royal Caribbean, which operates a similar property in the Bahamas called Perfect Day at CocoCay, said it regretted the decision but respected Mexico’s environmental authorities.
The company said it still believes in investing in Mexico and wants talks in coming weeks about jobs, environmental infrastructure and community programs.
With reports from La Jornada, Expansión, Reuters, El País and El Universal
