14-05-2025
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.
