Family Entertainment Group to Manage Margaritaville at Sea Arcades

Family Entertainment Group LLC will manage onboard family entertainment centers across the Margaritaville at Sea fleet under a new agreement that takes the venue operator to 100 managed locations. The deal is FEG’s first with a cruise line.

The fleetwide agreement covers Margaritaville at Sea Paradise and Margaritaville at Sea Islander, the cruise line’s two current vessels. The companies did not specify an implementation schedule or disclose financial terms.

FEG expands beyond land-based venues

FEG will oversee the ships’ family entertainment venues, including the Fin City Arcade aboard Islander. The announcement did not detail planned changes to the arcades, their game inventories or other onboard programming.

“Reaching 100 locations taught us how to build and run family entertainment centers in almost any environment. A cruise ship is one of the most demanding of them all,” FEG CEO Rex Jackson said.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, FEG has primarily worked with hotels, resorts, casinos, developers and land-based entertainment centers. The company runs venues and develops arcades and attractions, and also handles merchandising, marketing and technology. FEG did not provide staffing details for the cruise venues.

Margaritaville at Sea hands its arcades to an outside operator

Margaritaville at Sea is operated by Classica Cruise Operator Ltd. under license from Margaritaville Enterprises LLC.

“Family Entertainment Group brings an exceptional track record of creating engaging family entertainment, and we’re excited to welcome them aboard,” said Kyle Anderson, chief commercial officer at Margaritaville at Sea.

Anderson said the partnership is part of the cruise line’s continued investment in multigenerational onboard experiences. Margaritaville at Sea did not identify additional entertainment-center projects.