Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts is the latest travel & leisure brand to expand operations to cruise ships.
The Florida-based hospitality company Margaritaville signed a partnership with Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line in order to rebrand the operation and cruise ship with the Margaritaville brand.
Setting sail on her first passenger voyage on April 30, 2022, from Port West Palm Beach (Florida) to Freeport (Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas), the company's only ship Grand Classica is to be renamed "Margaritaville Paradise", continuing to offer the 2-night Florida-Bahamas voyages.
The 52,900 GT ship will become the first in the new cruise travel brand "Margaritaville at Sea".
Jimmy Buffet’s company started with retail stores and launched restaurants prior to expanding (~10 years ago) into the hospitality business. Currently, it has 25+ hotels and resorts, 2 gaming properties, RV resorts, 60+ food and beverage venues, along with real estate communities, vacation clubs, consumer lifestyle products.
Prior to commencing her new sailings, the ship which was introduced by Costa Cruises in December back in 1991 as Classica, will undergo a multi-million refurbishment to feature food & beverage options inspired by Buffett, including Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria, JWB Prime Steak & Seafood, LandShark Sports Bar, Port of Indecision Buffet, and Margaritaville Coffee & Pastry Shop as well as the designs of the Sunset Bar, 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar, and Euphoria Lounge.
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line debuted in 2016 as the successor to a previous company that also operated short cruises between Florida-Grand Bahama Island. Bahamas Paradise is majority-owned by the family of former Norwegian Cruise Line President & CEO, Kevin Sheehan, and started with a single ship, Grand Celebration, which was sold for scrap this year during the pause in operations. Classica was acquired from Carnival Corp. in 2018.