A familiar ship on the European cruise circuit has officially changed hands. The Costa Fortuna, which sailed for Costa Cruises since 2003, has been renamed the Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber after completing its last voyage for the Italian line. The switch happened during a technical stop in Brindisi in mid-September, and the vessel now sails under the Portuguese flag.
The ship is currently en route to Gibraltar, due September 21, before heading to Belfast for an extensive refit at the historic Harland & Wolff shipyard. There it will get a new livery and a full dose of Margaritaville's brand of laid-back, Jimmy Buffett-inspired fun. Expect signature venues like the 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar, the JWB Steakhouse and the Cheeseburger in Paradise Burger Bar, plus updates to public areas throughout the 2,720-passenger, 103,000-ton ship.
The Beachcomber launches its maiden season in January 2027 from PortMiami, sailing three- to eight-night itineraries across Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Planned stops include Cozumel in Mexico, Freeport on Grand Bahama and George Town in the Cayman Islands.
There's more for 2027 travellers: the ship repositions to Galveston in late 2027, marking Margaritaville at Sea's first-ever Texas homeport. From Galveston it will run Western and Southern Caribbean routes calling at Aruba, Curaçao, Belize and beyond. One itinerary stands out — a sailing that includes Veracruz, one of Mexico's oldest cities and a port rarely featured on mainstream cruise schedules.
For anyone who likes short, affordable Caribbean cruises without a mega-ship atmosphere, this is worth watching. Margaritaville at Sea has built its niche on casual, value-priced sailings with a fun-first vibe, and adding a second-generation ship to its fleet means more choice out of both Miami and, for the first time, Texas. Fares on short Bahamas and Caribbean loops from the new homeports are typically among the cheapest ways to get a taste of cruising, and the refit should mean refreshed spaces rather than a well-worn hand-me-down.
Bookings for the January 2027 debut season from Miami are expected to open ahead of the refit's completion, so travellers eyeing a early-2027 escape or a Galveston departure later in the year should keep an eye on the line's schedule.
