by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 10:50 AM ET, Wed March 4, 2026
Royal Caribbean is taking aim at sargassum, the large, stinky brown seaweed that tends to pile up on beaches and affect coastal health and quality of life.
The company has established a community-driven working group in close partnership with residents, businesses, environmental specialists and the Mexican Navy. The group hopes to identify the most effective and sustainable mitigation strategies, as rising sargassum blooms continue to affect beaches, natural habitats and air quality across Mahahual, Quintana Roo.
Royal Caribbean is developing a new private destination on the coast of Mahahual called Perfect Day Mexico, which is slated to open in 2027.
Early efforts include adding new anchor points, in partnership with the Mexican Navy, to reinforce net systems that help prevent incoming blooms from reaching the shoreline. Royal Caribbean is also deploying seaweed skimming equipment designed to efficiently remove floating sargassum before it accumulates on beaches.
The company is also committed to ongoing community beach clean-up efforts to ensure coastlines can continue to thrive.
In the long run, the company hopes to automate the collection process, with a low-noise, low-impact, state-of-the-art system able to gather the seaweed from the water while avoiding the collection of sand and other debris. This will facilitate composting and other circular economy uses.
The initiative is aligned with Royal Caribbean’s SEA the Future initiative, which seeks to offer the best vacation experiences responsibly, sustaining the planet, energizing communities and accelerating innovation.
“Clean and thriving shorelines are essential to the people of Mahahual,” says Ari Adler, President of Royal Caribbean Mexico. “The community told us protecting this coastline is a top priority, and we’re acting on that commitment—deploying new equipment, strengthening barriers, and working hand-in-hand with local partners and the state of Quintana Roo to keep these beaches clean.”
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