ORLANDO, Fla. — Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville empire has found itself a party ship.
The bar, restaurant and resort chain is launching Margaritaville at Sea, taking over control of the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s Grand Classica ship and rebranding it as the Margaritaville Paradise.
“To me, the only thing better than being on a beach by the ocean, is to be on the ocean. Now you can follow in our wake,” said Buffett in a press release.
The nearly 53,000-gross-ton, 1,308-passenger ship, will continue the two-night voyages between the Port of Palm Beach and Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas. Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line launched service in 2016 with its original vessel Bahamas Celebration, since sold and scrapped. Grand Classica began service in 2018, and is still available for sailings from December-April on its website.
What the company calls a multimillion rebranded version is slated to debut April 30, 2022, and will feature the signature Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville stylings in its cabins, suites and open spaces, calling it “casual-luxe design with subtle nautical details and colors influenced by the surrounding sea, sand, and sky.”
“Margaritaville at Sea will be a new, exciting, and fun way for guests to escape and vacation in Margaritaville,” said Margaritaville CEO John Cohlan. “From oceans to lakes, Margaritaville has an organic tie to the water and with Margaritaville at Sea, we’re able to put our iconic lifestyle, resort experiences, and elevated service directly on the sea. We look forward to seeing guests on, and in, Paradise.”
On board will be the brand mainstays JWB Prime Steak & Seafood, Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria, Port of Indecision Buffet, LandShark Sports Bar, Margaritaville Coffee & Pastry Shop, Euphoria Lounge, Sunset Bar and 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar.
The casino will now be called the Par-A-Dice Casino while other ship amenities include the Stars on the Water Theater, St. Somewhere Spa, Fins Up! Fitness Center, plus pools and retail.
The ship was built in 1991 at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy, and originally sailed for Costa Cruises in Europe as the Costa Classica.
This isn’t the first time the Margaritaville brand has dipped its toes into the cruise industry. The brand in 2014 announced a partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line, then headed by CEO Kevin Sheehan. Sheehan’s son was the prime investor behind Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line.
The ship Norwegian Escape debuted with a Margaritaville restaurant and 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar, and a presence was in the works for two of the line’s private port of call destinations, but that partnership dissolved after a few years.
Current CEO of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line Oneil Khosa will retain the role as CEO of Margaritaville at Sea.
“We’re excited about this new partnership as we launch Margaritaville at Sea out of the Port of Palm Beach,” Khosa said. “We are incredibly proud of what we’ve built at Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line and are appreciative of our loyal customers and trade partners who have stood by us through so much. We’re excited about this next phase of our evolution, rebranding as Margaritaville at Sea. The collaborative concept will add a different dimension to the cruising industry, appealing to a new audience of travelers.”
More details about the ship are at margaritavilleatsea.com.
———
