Latest news with #CostaFortuna
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Margaritaville at Sea acquires 3rd cruise ship, the largest yet
Related video: Margaritaville at Sea ship arrives in Tampa TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Margaritaville at Sea is expanding its fleet. The Florida-based cruise line announced Wednesday that it has purchased its third ship, the Costa Fortuna. The ship is currently operated by Costa Cruises. Costa will continue to operate the ship until late next year. Once it is renovated, the cruise ship will be the largest vessel in Margaritaville at Sea's fleet. The ship is over 102,500 gross tons and accommodates approximately 3,450 passengers. VIDEO: Gator shows up at Oldsmar home in 'Jurassic Park'-like moment The ship features three passenger decks, expansive outdoor spaces, and an 8-story center atrium. Christopher Ivy, the Chief Executive Officer of Margaritaville at Sea, said the new ship will sail from a new homeport in 2026. 'Margaritaville at Sea has been on an exceptional trajectory since its launch only a few short years ago. We're thrilled to once again expand the experience of our brand on the water and share the cruise line's signature experiences and amenities with even more guests,' said John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville. Margaritaville at Sea currently sails from Port Tampa Bay and the Port of Palm Beach. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Travel Weekly
14-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Margaritaville at Sea is adding a third ship
Margaritaville at Sea's fleet is growing, again. The cruise line will introduce a third ship in late 2026 or early 2027, its largest ship yet, and the line is optimistic after experiencing positive business and increasingly welcoming return guests, said CEO Christopher Ivy. "This, we think, is the perfect next step for us," he said in an interview Tuesday. The ship is Costa Cruises' 102,500-gross-ton Costa Fortuna, built to accommodate 3,450 passengers, about 30% more than Margaritaville's Paradise, which accommodates 2,650. The ship has 13 passenger decks and more than 1,340 staterooms. "We can do more in terms of new concepts, new venues, etc., onboard, leveraging a lot of what we do today that have really proven to be fan favorites," Ivy said, "but it really still sits in this nice size of vessel where for a seven night or less cruise, it's still not overwhelmingly large." Costa Cruises will continue operating the ship until late 2026, and then Margaritaville will transform it to fit the line's style, Ivy said. It should be sailing with the line by late 2026 or early 2027, he said. Margaritaville has not revealed where the ship will homeport. The line plans to introduce new features on the ship, Ivy said, hinting at a "whiteboard of ideas" he has. One, he said, may be a venue dedicated in some fashion to Margaritaville's "heroes," which include members of law enforcement, the military and medical fields. Margaritaville at Sea debuted its first ship, Paradise, in 2022 and its second, Islander, last year. Both were former Costa Cruises vessels. Margaritaville declined to provide financial details of the latest transaction.
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
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@
