Margaritaville at Sea Opens 2028 Bookings for Costa Rica, Panama
Converted from Costa Fortuna, the 3,450-passenger Beachcomber will begin Galveston service in October 2027 and become Margaritaville at Sea's largest vessel.
Margaritaville at Sea has opened bookings for its 2028 season, offering 30 itineraries across 25 destinations. The schedule includes the cruise line’s first visits to Limón, Costa Rica, and Colón, Panama, alongside new holiday departures and music-focused sailings.
The two new ports will feature on eight-night cruises from Tampa aboard the 2,680-passenger Islander, with Grand Cayman also included on those routes. Beachcomber will add itinerary combinations from Galveston, including a Mexico sailing linking Cozumel, Progreso and Veracruz.
“We’ve built our 2028 lineup around the idea that no two escapes have to look the same,” said Christopher Ivy, chief executive officer of Margaritaville at Sea.
Limón sits on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, and cruise ships there normally berth directly at the Hernán Garrón Salazar passenger terminal, a short walk from the city center. From Colón, excursion options include the Panama Canal, Gatun Lake and Panama City.
Tampa departures pair longer routes with holiday stays
A separate Islander voyage will combine Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. Margaritaville at Sea says it will be Tampa’s only cruise in 2028 to include all three ABC islands on one itinerary.
New Orleans will feature in two specialty departures. Islander’s Mardi Gras cruise will include an overnight stay, while its third annual Halloween sailing will also spend a night in the city before continuing to Progreso for Día de los Muertos.
A five-night cruise departing June 25, 2028, will visit Key West and Bimini. That sailing is timed to coincide with International Parrothead Day on June 28.
Islander began operating from Port Tampa Bay in June 2024. Its established deployment includes cruises of four to 10 nights to Mexico and the western Caribbean.
Beachcomber shifts to Texas
The 3,450-passenger Beachcomber’s Mexico Trio cruise is scheduled to depart January 14, 2028. Veracruz joins the ship’s Texas program as a destination the line says is new to the Galveston cruise market.
Beachcomber is scheduled to start Galveston service in October 2027, operating cruises of four to seven nights after an inaugural season from PortMiami earlier that year. The ship is being converted from Costa Fortuna and will become Margaritaville at Sea’s largest vessel.
The temporary move to Texas is tied to PortMiami’s Bulkhead Rehabilitation Project and construction-related berth constraints. Margaritaville at Sea’s initial Galveston commitment runs through October 31, 2028, with two five-year renewal options at the company’s election.
In Galveston, the line has secured primary use of Cruise Terminal 28, with some calls at Cruise Terminal 25. Its longer-term Miami agreement extends through April 2031 and includes a waiver of the annual guarantee payment for 2028.
Onboard, Beachcomber will feature Same Boat, a live music venue developed with three-time Grammy Award winner Zac Brown. The venue is among more than 15 experiences created specifically for the ship.
Across the 2028 program, Margaritaville at Sea is also planning additional cruises built around musical artists and exclusive onboard performances. Further details of those sailings are due in the coming months.
