Carnival Corporation has officially confirmed the sale of its ship Costa Atlantica through its Adora Cruises joint venture with China State Shipbuilding Corp. Carnival's spokesperson Jody Venturoni disclosed this development on Monday, although additional details about the sale were not provided.
According to VesselsValue, Costa Atlantica has been renamed "Margaritaville at Sea Islander". The current owner remains undisclosed. The Bahamas-flagged vessel was constructed by STX Finland, has an estimated market value of US$64.6 million.
"Margaritaville at Sea" is a new cruise brand (December 2021-established) through a partnership between Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line and Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts. Currently, the brand operates only one vessel - Margaritaville at Sea Paradise/fka Grand Classica.
Adora Cruises currently has two newbuildings on order since late November 2022 at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding. The 5,246-berth Adora Magic City, with an estimated newbuilding value of US$804 million and a market value of US$634 million, is expected to be delivered late this November and will embark on her maiden voyage in January 2024 from Shanghai. Additionally, the company anticipates taking delivery of a to-be-named 5,000-berth ship in late October 2024, with a newbuilding value of US$802 million and a market value of $685 million.