Margaritaville at Sea

Margaritaville at Sea (formerly Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line) is a cruise line that operates two-day voyages out of West Palm Beach, Florida to Grand Bahama Island. The company was originally founded as Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line in late 2014, and began operating its first cruises in February 2015 with the now retired Grand Celebration. In May of 2022 the company was rebranded to Margaritaville at Sea following a partnership between Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line and Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville brand. Their sole ship the Grand Classica was refurbished and renamed the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. 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
Margaritaville at Sea
IndustryTransportation
Founded2014 as Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line
2021 as Margaritaville at Sea (as a cruise line)
HeadquartersDeerfield Beach, Florida, United States
Area served
The Bahamas
ProductsCruises
WebsiteMagaritaville at Sea

History

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 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 ship neoClassica. It entered service on 13 April 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.

Rebranding To Margaritaville at Sea

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 is scheduled to take place on April 16, 2022. Upon the completion of the final cruise, the Grand Classica will sail to the Grand Bahama Shipyard for a rebranding and refit of the ship's interiors and venues to be themed under the Margaritaville brand. Also during the refit the ship will be renamed the Margaritaville Paradise. It is scheduled to begin sailing for the rebranded line starting April 30. It will continue to offer 2 day cruises from the Port of Palm Beach to Freeport, Bahamas.[13][14]

Fleet
ShipClassBuiltIn serviceCapacityTonnageFlagNotesImage
Current fleet
Margaritaville at Sea ParadiseClassica class19912018–present1,30852,926 GT BahamasRenamed the Margaritaville Paradise in April 2022. It began sailing for Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line as the Grand Classica in 2018. Prior to that, the ship was the Costa NeoClassica and originally the Costa Classica that operated for Costa Cruises. [15]
Margaritaville at Sea IslanderSpirit class2000TBA2,68085,619 GT BahamasOriginally transferred to Adora Cruises in 2020, but in October 2023, it was sold to Margaritaville at Sea.[16]

Former Fleet
ShipClassBuiltIn serviceCapacityTonnageFlagNotesImage
Former fleet
Grand CelebrationHoliday class19872015–20201,49647,262 GT BahamasOperated for Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line prior to the rebranding. Previously was the Celebration for Carnival Cruise Lines, Grand Celebration for Ibero Cruises, and Costa Celebration for Costa Cruises. The ship was purchased on November 21, 2014, one day before she was to operate for Costa Cruises.[17] In November 2020, the company confirmed she had been sold to an undisclosed buyer,[11] in January 2021 she was beached in Alang to be scrapped.[12]

References
  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. "Costa Confirms: Victoria Back to Europe, neoClassica Sold". Cruise Industry News. 2 August 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  16. "Carnival and CSSC joint venture Adora Cruises sells 2000-built ship".
  17. "Costa Celebration Moves Elsewhere". Cruise Industry News. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
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