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Margaritaville at Sea

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Margaritaville at Sea
FormerlyBahamas Paradise Cruise Line
IndustryTourism
Founded2014 as Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line
2021 as Margaritaville at Sea (as a cruise line)
HeadquartersDeerfield Beach, Florida, United States
Area served
The Bahamas, The Caribbean
Key people
Christopher Ivy
(CEO)
ProductsCruises
WebsiteMagaritaville at Sea

Margaritaville at Sea (formerly Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line) is a cruise line that operates cruises out of Florida to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. The company was incorporated in 2018 as Classica Cruise Operator Limited Incorporated. Originally founded as Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line in late 2014, they began operating its first cruises in February 2015 with the now retired Grand Celebration, and later in 2018 with the addition of the Grand Classica. In May 2022, the company was rebranded to Margaritaville at Sea following a partnership between Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line and Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville brand. The Grand Classica was refurbished and renamed the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. In 2024, a second ship was acquired; the former Costa Atlantica was also refurbished and renamed the Margaritaville at Sea Islander. Before the cruise line's rebranding, Margaritaville at Sea was previously a small chain of Margaritaville-style restaurants and bars that were included or later added to the newer Norwegian Cruise Line ships starting in 2015 with the Norwegian Escape. The partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line ended in late 2019. The restaurants were later unbranded and converted into other dining venues.[1][2]

The original Margaritaville at Sea dining venue aboard the Norwegian Escape prior to its closure

History

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The cruise line was formed after Celebration Cruise Line ceased operations following a grounding incident that left its only ship, the Bahamas Celebration, damaged beyond repair.[3] Former Celebration Cruise Line executives formed Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line and purchased the Costa Celebration to take over the route formerly operated by the Bahamas Celebration.[4][5] The cruise line's first cruise was scheduled to depart on February 1, 2015. Due to technical difficulties, the voyage was cancelled. Repairs were made and the ship set sail on February 3.[6]

The company is currently majority-owned by the family of former Norwegian Cruise Line President and former CEO Kevin Sheehan.[7]

On September 19, 2017 the Federal Emergency Management Agency chartered the ship for a 90-day period through December 2017 to house the National Guard in St. Thomas, which was devastated by Hurricane Irma.[8] The ship returned to service on December 23, 2017.

It was announced in December 2017 that the cruise line purchased the former Costa Cruises ship Costa neoClassica. It entered service on April 13, 2018 as the Grand Classica.[9]

Beginning in September 2019, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line began running Humanitarian missions to Grand Bahama Island in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.[10]

In November 2020, the cruise line sold Grand Celebration to an undisclosed buyer,[11] and in January 2021 she was beached in Alang for scrapping.[12]

In September 2021, all cruises were cancelled as Grand Classica was chartered to Entergy in New Orleans to house over 1500 workers restoring power to the area following Hurricane Ida.[citation needed]

Rebranding To Margaritaville at Sea

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On December 8, 2021, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville announced the partnership with the cruise line to rebrand it as Margaritaville at Sea while still retaining the same ownership and CEO as before. The last voyage under Bahamas Paradise took place on April 16, 2022. Upon the completion of the final cruise, the Grand Classica sailed to the Grand Bahama Shipyard for a rebranding and refit of the ship's interiors and venues to be themed under the Margaritaville brand. During the refit, the ship was renamed the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. It began sailing for the rebranded line on April 30.[13][14] It continues to offer two-night cruises, and additional three- and four-night cruises from the Port of Palm Beach to Freeport, Bahamas, Nassau, Bahamas, and Key West, Florida.[15][16]

On December 4, 2023, Margaritaville at Sea announced that a second ship would be acquired and sail four- and five-night cruises to Key West and Mexico from the Port Tampa Bay.[17] The ship is a sprit-class cruise ship previously operated by Costa Cruises, and was renamed to the Margaritaville at Sea Islander. The ship's inaugural sailing for the company was on June 14, 2024.[18]

Fleet

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Ship Class Built In service Capacity Tonnage Flag Homeport Notes Image
Current fleet
Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Classica class 1991 2018–present 1,308 52,926 GT  Bahamas Port of Palm Beach Renamed the Margaritaville Paradise in April 2022. Ex Costa Classica for Costa Cruises.[19]
Margaritaville at Sea Islander Spirit class 2000 2024–present 2,680 85,619 GT  Bahamas Port Tampa Bay Ex Costa Atlantica for Costa Cruises.
Former fleet
Grand Celebration Holiday class 1987 2015–2020 1,496 47,262 GT  Bahamas Operated for Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line prior to the rebranding. Former Celebration for Carnival Cruise Lines, Grand Celebration for Ibero Cruises, and Costa Celebration for Costa Cruises. In January 2021 she was beached in Alang to be scrapped.

References

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  1. ^ Saltzman, Dori. "Margaritaville at Sea Starts First Cruise Ship". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Norwegian Cruise Line Sets Sail for Exclusive Partnership with Margaritaville". Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Celebration Cruise Line rebrands as Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line". 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  4. ^ Susan Salisbury (30 January 2015). "Grand Celebration ship could launch in February - Protecting Your Pocket". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  5. ^ South Florida Sun-Sentinel (24 December 2014). "Port of Palm Beach to get new cruise ship in February". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  6. ^ Jamel Lanee (3 February 2015). "Grand Celebration to set sail Tuesday, cruise line says". WPTV. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line Launches Hurricane Dorian Relief Effort". 5 September 2019.
  8. ^ "FEMA Charters Grand Celebration to House National Guard in St. Thomas". Cruise Industry News. 19 February 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Bahamas Paradise: Ship Upgrades and New Vessel Named Grand Classica". Cruise Industry News. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line Launches Hurricane Dorian Relief Effort". 5 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Bahamas Paradise confirms the sale of Grand Celebration". seatrade-cruise.com. 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  12. ^ Staff, C. I. N. (14 January 2021). "Another Cruise Ship Is Beached for Scrapping". www.cruiseindustrynews.com. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  13. ^ "Margaritaville To Operate Cruise Brand; Does Deal with Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line". Cruise Industry News. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line To Become Margaritaville at Sea". Travel Pulse. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Paradise New 4-Night Itinerary". Margaritaville At Sea. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  16. ^ "Cruises to Nassau, Bahamas". Margaritaville At Sea. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  17. ^ "Introducing the All-New Islander". Margaritaville At Sea. 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  18. ^ "The Islander Sets Sail". Margaritaville At Sea. 2024-06-04. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  19. ^ "Costa Confirms: Victoria Back to Europe, neoClassica Sold". Cruise Industry News. 2 August 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
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