Calling all Parrotheads: Margaritaville at Sea adding third cruise ship in 2026
Calling all Parrotheads: Margaritaville at Sea adding third cruise ship in 2026
Show Caption
Hide Caption
How to find the best price, perks when booking a cruise
Find the cruise that works for your budget with these tips.
Problem Solved
Margaritaville at Sea will add a third ship to its fleet in 2026, acquired from Costa Cruises.
The new ship, the largest in the fleet, will accommodate around 3,450 passengers.
It will feature amenities similar to the Islander, with new concepts and potentially a dedicated space for the "Heroes Sail Free" program.
Calling all Parrotheads: Margaritaville at Sea is expanding its fleet.
The cruise line will add a third ship in 2026, according to a Wednesday news release. The line is acquiring the vessel from Costa Cruises, which will continue sailing as Costa Fortuna until late next year.
The line's second ship, Margaritaville at Sea Islander, 'really outperformed expectations' following its launch last summer, the line's CEO Christopher Ivy told USA TODAY ahead of the announcement.
'I think we've been able to really refine the model with Islander, and had the opportunity to acquire the Fortuna and it just made sense, given all the momentum that we have at the moment,' Ivy said.
During a preview cruise last year, USA TODAY found that the Islander had plenty to offer Jimmy Buffett fans and non-listeners alike.
While the new ship will bear some similarities to Islander – which was also a former Costa vessel, Costa Atlantica – it will be the largest in the fleet at more than 102,500 gross tons and room for around 3,450 passengers (Islander has a capacity of 2,650 guests). The ship will be similarly reimagined in Margaritaville style.
The 'nice incremental size upgrade gives us the ability to bring over a lot of the things that people really love about Islander,' Ivy said, while also adding others. Guests can expect to see 'fan favorites' from both Islander and Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, and the line is in the early stage of developing new concepts.
Given the popularity of its 'Heroes Sail Free' program, for example, Ivy said the line is considering how it could 'bring a physical space to life to help celebrate the significant number of heroes that we have on board our ships.' Additional details about onboard amenities – as well as the ship's homeport and itineraries – are still to come.
The cruise line, which celebrates its third anniversary on Wednesday, has also been expanding its range of sailings with longer itineraries after launching with round-trip, two-night cruises to the Bahamas from Palm Beach.
'I always say, like, a two-night getaway, everybody needs one, but it's not a replacement for a vacation,' said Ivy. Passengers will still find plenty of shorter sailings – roughly 70% of cruises aboard Paradise are between two and three nights – but the company wants to offer guests variety.
'As we look to this (new) vessel, what we're really looking for and what we will do is continue to provide optionality,' he said.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
15 hours ago
- USA Today
Jared Leto denies allegations of sexual misconduct with teenage girls
Jared Leto denies allegations of sexual misconduct with teenage girls Jared Leto is denying allegations of inappropriate behavior with young women. In a report published by Air Mail on Saturday, June 7, multiple women alleged that the "Suicide Squad" actor, 53, behaved inappropriately with them when they were teenagers. A representative for Leto told Air Mail that "all of the allegations are expressly denied." The representative also denied an earlier allegation from Allie Teilz, a DJ who posted last month in a since-expired Instagram Story that she was "assaulted and traumatized" by Leto when she was 17, according to Air Mail. In a 2012 Facebook status update that she reposted on Instagram, Teilz wrote, "Youre (sic) not really in L.A. until Jared Leto tries to force himself on you backstage ... In a kilt .. And a snow hat." The representative said that "Ms. Teilz's allegations are demonstrably false." USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Leto for further comment. One woman, model Laura La Rue, told Air Mail that in 2008, the actor approached her at a benefit in California and asked her how old she was. When she said she was 16, La Rue alleged Leto, then 36, still asked for her number. She said she was living in Ojai, California, at the time but that they began emailing and that she eventually went to visit him in Los Angeles in 2009. "I remember him teasing me the whole time I was there," she said. "He was flirting with me. He'd lean in close, then pull away, like it was a game." La Rue said she continued visiting Leto sporadically and claimed that on one occasion, when she was 17, he walked out of a room completely nude. A representative for Leto told Air Mail that the actor's communications with La Rue "contain nothing sexual or inappropriate," adding that "Ms. La Rue later applied to work as Mr. Leto's personal assistant, further underscoring the absence of anything inappropriate in any of their interactions." La Rue told Air Mail she did not apply to work as Leto's personal assistant. An unidentified model and music producer told Air Mail that in 2006, when she was 16, Leto grabbed her arm while she was on her way to the bathroom at a café and got her number. Days later, the actor, who would have been in his 30s at the time, allegedly called her home in the middle of the night and invited her to a party at his house, which she declined. But the woman alleged Leto continued to call her over the next three weeks, "always at one, two, three a.m.," and that the "conversations turned sexual," with the actor asking inappropriate questions about her past sexual experiences. The woman said she was shaken by Leto's behavior, and her mother, who said she overheard one of the phone calls, vouched for her daughter's account to Air Mail. "He changed − his voice, the way he talked. It scared me," the woman told Air Mail. Another woman claimed she began a texting relationship with Leto when she was underage. She said things could turn uncomfortable when she visited his home, with the actor asking her sexual questions. In an alleged encounter when she was 18, the woman claimed Leto "suddenly pulled his penis out and started masturbating," then "walked over, grabbed my hand, and put it on him." Leto's representative denied her allegations. Leto, who won the best supporting actor Oscar in 2014 for "Dallas Buyers Club," has starred in films like "Morbius" and "House of Gucci" and is the frontman of the band Thirty Seconds to Mars. He also stars in Disney's upcoming "Tron" sequel, "Tron: Ares," set for release in October.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Love Island confirms first bombshell to enter villa in show first
Love Island has confirmed the first bombshell of season 12. The ITV2 dating show kicks off a new season tomorrow night, introducing a new batch of singletons looking for love in the sun. Ahead of the launch episode, the first bombshell who will be entering the villa to shake things up for the original 12 Islanders has been confirmed. Toni, a 24-year-old pool cabana server from Connecticut, will make a bombshell entrance, marking the first American contestant to appear on the UK version of the show. The news was first teased in a video shared to Love Island's official Instagram page yesterday, in which host Maya Jama received a voice note from a mystery American. Related: Best streaming services "Hey Maya. I heard you want more twists. How about an American bombshell? Get ready. I'm on my way," the Islander teased, to which Maya added: "Alright, there's the sweet, sweet sounds of an American." Toni was officially confirmed today, revealing in a pre-entrance Q&A that she's looking for someone who "can make me laugh" and who's "quite active". She's also excited about the prospect of dating a British man, saying: "I've lived in three different states and I'm still single. It's time to try something new! "I have some British friends and they're pretty charming. I think all Americans love a good accent. British men are just more polite, with better manners." Related: Toni, who works as a pool cabana server in Sin City, Las Vegas, said she is "willing to relocate" for love, though it "would just break my heart to not have my job anymore". As for what kind of Islander she'll be, Toni said: "I don't want to be super messy. I'm not really like that. "I'm hoping to come out with friends of course. I guess I'm the party starter, I want everyone to have fun." Love Island starts Monday at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX. Read more Love Island news on our dedicated homepage Digital Spy's first print magazine is here! Buy British Comedy Legends in newsagents or online, now priced at just £3.99.£18.99 at at Audible£99.00 at Amazon at at at EE at at £328.00 at at at at at EE at at at at at at at Amazon at at at at Sky Mobile at at at EE£19.00 at Game at Pandora at at at at at Game£259.99 at at Three at at Pandora at at at at at at at $15.00 at at £1199.00 at AO at at Fitbit£49.99 at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at John Lewis£39.97 at at at Amazon£157.00 at John Lewis at at at at at at at John Lewis & Partners at at at at at at at Fitbit at at Three$29.85 at at Amazon at at at Amazon£184.00 at John Lewis & Partners at at at Apple£699.00 at at at at at Amazon at at at at at at Three£379.99 at at at at Audible at at EE£249.00 at John Lewis at at at at at at at at John Lewis at EE at at £379.00 at at at at Amazon at at at Apple at at at Samsung at at at at Three at Apple at at John Lewis at $365.00 at Microsoft at crunchyroll£1199.00 at AO£79.00 at Samsung£449.00 at John Lewis£79.98 at at Amazon at at at at at John Lewis & Partners£79.98 at at at Microsoft at at at Microsoft at at at at at at John Lewis£39.99 at Amazon at at John Lewis & Partners at at now at at at Microsoft at at at John Lewis at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at at You Might Also Like PS5 consoles for sale – PlayStation 5 stock and restocks: Where to buy PS5 today? IS MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 THE BEST IN THE SERIES? OUR REVIEW AEW game is a modern mix of No Mercy and SmackDown
USA Today
17 hours ago
- USA Today
Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro tease 'Meet the Parents 4' with Ariana Grande
Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro tease 'Meet the Parents 4' with Ariana Grande Show Caption Hide Caption Ben Stiller talks new holiday movie 'Nutcrackers' Ben Stiller tells USA TODAY's Marco della Cava what it was like working with kids and animals on his new Hulu movie 'Nutcrackers.' NEW YORK − They "Meet" again! "Meet the Parents" director Jay Roach and stars Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Teri Polo reunited on Saturday, June 7, at Tribeca Film Festival for a 25th anniversary screening of the classic 2000 comedy. During a post-screening panel discussion, they teased the upcoming "Meet the Parents 4" and confirmed Ariana Grande has joined the cast. John Hamburg, who co-wrote the three previous films, will direct the new sequel. "What spurred the idea was that at this point in time, I'm the age that (De Niro) was when we did the first movie," Stiller, 59, said. "It felt like this mirror to the first film in terms of the fact that my kids are grown, and one of my kids is thinking about introducing his person to the family." But the actor added that there had to be a "reason to make" another sequel, and "this new point in our lives, where the characters are, felt like it really was an organic reason." While he said he's thinking of the fourth movie as a "new thing," Stiller said it will also benefit from the audience's relationship with the characters. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox "The cool thing about doing the next one, too, is that the audience has this history with the characters, and they're going to bring that to the film," he said. "There's something that's kind of emotional about it for me, for the actors: the connection that people have with the movies." Stiller starred in the original "Meet the Parents" as Greg Focker, who meets his girlfriend Pam's (Polo) mother (Blythe Danner) and father (De Niro) while getting ready to propose to her, only for absolutely everything possible to go wrong. It spawned two sequels: 2004's "Meet the Fockers" and 2010's "Little Fockers." De Niro praised the script for the fourth film as "really good." He also recalled telling Stiller and Hamburg they should start working on another sequel while on the set of "Little Fockers." "They said, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure, sure, sure.' They were humoring me," De Niro said. "They didn't want to do it. But it was fine. And now, finally, we are doing another one." Roach noted that the relatable predicament made the original "Meet the Parents" work, and he teased that Hamburg has come up with a similarly great setup for the fourth film. "Everybody's going to love squirming through it, just like they did the old ones," he said. And with Grande joining the family, Stiller joked, "The name of the movie is 'Wicked 3.' " Ben Stiller on 'Nutcrackers': The actor thought his sweet Hulu movie might be a 'parody' While looking back on the original "Meet the Parents" during the Tribeca panel, Stiller pointed out that its events mirrored his own life at the time. During rehearsals, he had just met his future wife, actress Christine Taylor, and decided he was going to propose to her "Her parents lived in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and her dad owned a security company," Stiller said. "We had to go back for her grandfather's funeral, and I found myself in the basement of her house with her father after the funeral telling him that I loved his daughter and wanted to marry her. It was good research for the movie." 'People are seeing me' for first time: Ariana Grande on taking off the pop star mask Stiller also noted that to this day, people still scream Focker, his character's last name, at him in public "all the time." "I don't dislike it. It's just when someone yells 'Focker,' it doesn't necessarily feel respectful," he quipped. Polo recalled joining the film shortly before filming began and remembered thinking during her screen test that "if I mess this up, I will never forgive myself. I will never have this chance again." She added, "It was an amazing, amazing experience, and I thought it would never happen again. And now look at us."
