Margaritaville at Sea has announced that its newest ship, Beachcomber, will set sail from Galveston, Texas, beginning in October 2027. The ship will offer four-to-seven-night voyages to the Western Caribbean, including a new port of call in Veracruz, Mexico.
Beachcomber, currently sailing as Costa Fortuna, will undergo a massive refit programme at Harland and Wolff’s Belfast shipyard as part of its transformation into the Margaritaville at Sea brand.
What’s interesting about this announcement is that Beachcomber will debut in January 2027 as the first Margaritaville at Sea ship to sail out of the coveted Caribbean market at PortMiami. With Beachcomber repositioning to Galveston, that frees up a berth at PortMiami that Margaritaville at Sea is unlikely to leave.
The question then is: What ship will move to PortMiami?
Currently, Margaritaville at Sea operates the 1991-built Paradise from the Port of West Palm Beach, and the 2000-built Islander from the Port of Tampa. Paradise is unlikely to make the move to PortMiami, and Islander has a strong following in Tampa, which has proven to be an important market for the upstart cruise line.
If Margaritaville at Sea is set to acquire a fourth vessel, it would be the obvious reason for Beachcomber’s redeployment. To date, the line has not yet announced any plans to acquire a fourth ship.
— Aaron Saunders, Digital Editor