New Margaritaville at Sea ship to sail from Tampa

The four- and five-night sailings will call at Key West, Cozumel and Progreso.

'Since we launched our first ship, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, last year, we've been working to expand what our guests have been asking for: more amazing views, longer itineraries and new ports of call,' said Christopher Ivy, CEO of Margaritaville at Sea.

Larger and newer than Margaritaville at Sea Paradise

The 85,861gt ship with capacity for 2,650 passengers is larger than Margaritaville at Sea Paradise at 53,000gt. Built in 2000, it is also newer than Paradise, constructed as Costa Classica in 1991.

Margaritaville at Sea said the 12-deck Islander is undergoing an extensive transformation, with all 1,100 staterooms to be redesigned with custom styling reminiscent of the sand, sea and sky and all new furnishings including Margaritaville's signature bedding, pillows and linens.

The Margaritaville at Sea Islander's 14-story atrium will have a giant nautical Margaritaville flip flop

The ship's 14-story atrium will have a giant nautical Margaritaville flip flop and an atrium bar with three multi-story floating margarita glass chandeliers.

Further features are a three-story poolside LandShark Bar at Sea and a Margaritaville-inspired cornhole and mini-golf course alongside new family-friendly spaces like the Caribbean Amphibian Splash and Slide and signature favorites like JWB Prime Steakhouse and Rita's Taco House.

More than 250,000 have sailed on Margaritaville

The more than 250,000 passengers who have sailed aboard the Palm Beach-based Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, which operates two-night cruises calling at Freeport, Grand Bahamas, will find several familiar venues, including Paradise Pickleball at Sea, Frank and Lola's Pizzeria, Margaritaville Coffee Shop and Cheeseburger in Paradise.

'We're honored Margaritaville at Sea has chosen Port Tampa Bay to homeport this new addition to their fleet and we welcome them to the Gulf Coast,' Port Tampa Bay President/CEO Paul Anderson said. 'Our port's cruise terminals are easy to navigate and provide a variety of unique and interesting activities just steps from the Margaritaville at Sea Islander. The ship will be a great addition to our portfolio of cruise lines and a fantastic new option for cruisers from Florida's west coast.'

The first scheduled cruise, on June 14, is a four-night trip to Cozumel with two sea days.

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