The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

ROYAL Caribbean Group’s $3 billion acquisition of a 50 percent stake in Sandals Resorts International could provide a major financial boost to the long-awaited redevelopment and reopening of the Sandals property in Exuma, Education Minister Chester Cooper said yesterday.

Mr Cooper, the Exuma MP, said Royal Caribbean’s acquisition of a 50 percent stake in Sandals could provide additional investment for the planned Beaches Exuma resort, which remains closed.

“I think it creates a cruise-and-stay potential. I'm not sure whether that's a part of their strategy, but it seems like an obvious part of the strategy to me,” Mr Cooper said yesterday.

Royal Caribbean Group recently announced that it had agreed to acquire a 50 percent stake in Sandals Resorts International for $3bn. The deal is expected to close in early 2027 and would bring Sandals’ 20 resorts into a joint venture with Royal Caribbean.

Mr Cooper said he was hopeful the investment would benefit the redevelopment of the Exuma property, which is expected to involve more than $100m in investment.

“We are hopeful that the additional financial injection for Sandals will accrue positively to the growth and development of beaches in Exuma that we understand will be in the 100 million-plus range, and hopefully this will result in new investments in the Bahamas as well,” he said.

The Sandals Emerald Bay resort closed in August 2024 and remains closed as plans continue to transform the property into a Beaches-branded family resort. The redevelopment is expected to include new accommodation, restaurants, a water park, sports facilities and other amenities.

Mr Cooper said Sandals has been an important part of the Exuma community for many years and said he was proud of its growth as a Caribbean brand.

“Sandals is a brand we know very well. Sandals has been a part of the Exuma community for a considerable period of time. It's a brand that I am very proud of as a Caribbean brand that has gone global, all around the region and elsewhere, made in the Caribbean. That makes me very proud that this is now a global brand.”

He said combining Royal Caribbean’s cruise operations with Sandals’ resorts could create opportunities for visitors to combine cruise and resort holidays.

“RCL, combining the strength of its transportation with the hospitality of Sandals, creates a win-win proposition that could only benefit Exuma and New Providence, where Sandals exists, and all of the other islands of the Bahamas,” Mr Cooper said.

“RCL is one of the largest cruise lines in the world, one of the cruise lines that bring most passengers to the Bahamas by sea, and therefore this is a big deal for Exuma. As a member of Parliament, I'm pleased with this announcement. I look forward looking forward to what it might mean for the people of Exuma. All positive, I see,,” he said yesterday.

Sandals, founded in 1981 by the late Gordon "Butch" Stewart, operates all-inclusive resorts across the Caribbean under the Sandals and Beaches brands with properties in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, and other destinations.