Choose a Cruiseline or a ship
Question or 
quote?

Ask an agent

Margaritaville at Sea: 3 former Costa ships, 308 departures, and a licensed brand

Three ships in our inventory, 308 distinct departures across 266 dates and only 85 routes, from 26 July 2026 to 24 April 2028. Paradise leads with 147 departures, ahead of Islander at 117 and Beachcomber at 44. Eighty-five routes for 308 departures: these are short loops that come round again, and that is exactly the product.

What you are buying

Margaritaville is a restaurant and resort brand, licensed to a Florida operator — the former Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, renamed in May 2022. That operator has belonged since late 2023 to the same private equity fund that owns Azamara. Two pages in our catalogue, one owner, at opposite ends of the market. It takes nothing away from the pleasure of a three-night getaway; it changes what you are buying, and whom you deal with if something goes wrong.

Three former Costa ships

Paradise is the Costa Classica of 1991: the oldest ship in our whole catalogue, thirty-five years old this year. Islander is the Costa Atlantica of 2000, arrived in 2024 after a refit in Belfast. Beachcomber is the Costa Fortuna of 2003. None of the three is new, and it shows: these are refurbished ships, not modern ones, and the fare reflects that.

Beachcomber is not sailing yet

Our inventory carries 44 departures on this ship from 26 July 2026. Yet she does not leave the Costa fleet until September 2026 and does not enter service under her new name until January 2027, after twelve weeks in the yard. In other words, the first of those departures are sold on a ship that on that date still carries another name and another brand. If you book one, have the delay rule put in writing before you pay.

Two charges are added automatically

Gratuities per person per night, which the line describes as fixed, applied to every guest including children, and not removable. And a fuel supplement per person per night, which is most unusual in the industry in 2026. Both are added to the advertised fare: get the total before comparing with another line, or the comparison means nothing.

Timeshare is sold on board

The line writes it itself on its own about page: a separately owned entity sells timeshare products aboard its ships. If you would rather not sit through a sales presentation on your holiday, better to know before boarding than on the second morning. On upkeep, two facts belong together and are said together: Paradise failed an American health inspection on 1 May 2024, below the passing threshold, and the line has published perfect scores on later inspections.

What a Quebec client should know

The contract of carriage sets jurisdiction in Florida and binding arbitration in Orlando, under American maritime law: recourse before a court here is all but non-existent. And the line repeats in capitals that no refund is given to anyone arriving without the required documents, photocopies refused — a non-American needs a passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of the cruise. On accessibility there is a limited number of accessible cabins, accommodation requests are filed at least forty-five days before departure, and three ports are served by tender where a powered device cannot board, with no refund or credit if the guest cannot go ashore.

Frequently Asked Questions

Three ships in our inventory — 3 hulls — and 308 distinct departures across 266 dates and only 85 routes, from 26 July 2026 to 24 April 2028. Paradise leads with 147 departures, ahead of Islander at 117 and Beachcomber at 44. Eighty-five routes for 308 departures: these are short loops that come round again.
Not in the usual sense, and that is the first thing to grasp. Margaritaville is a restaurant and resort brand, licensed to a Florida operator — the former Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, renamed in May 2022. That operator has belonged since late 2023 to the same private equity fund that owns Azamara. It takes nothing away from the trip; it changes what you are buying.
From Costa. Paradise is the Costa Classica of 1991, the oldest ship in our whole catalogue. Islander is the Costa Atlantica of 2000, arrived in 2024 after a refit in Belfast. Beachcomber is the Costa Fortuna of 2003. None of the three is new, and the oldest is thirty-five years old.
No, and it matters. Our inventory carries 44 departures on this ship from 26 July 2026, while she does not leave the Costa fleet until September 2026 and does not enter service under her new name until January 2027, after twelve weeks in the yard. If you book one of those departures, have the delay rule put in writing before you pay.
Two, and they are added automatically. Gratuities per person per night, which the line describes as fixed, applied to every guest including children, and not removable. And a fuel supplement per person per night, which is most unusual in the industry in 2026. Get the total before you compare with another line.
Yes, and the line writes it itself on its own about page: a separately owned entity sells timeshare products aboard its ships. If you would rather not sit through a sales presentation on your holiday, know it before boarding rather than on the second morning.
Two things. The contract of carriage sets jurisdiction in Florida and binding arbitration in Orlando, under American maritime law: recourse before a court here is all but non-existent. And the line repeats in capitals that no refund is given to anyone arriving without the required documents, photocopies refused. A non-American needs a passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of the cruise.
A limited number of accessible cabins, and accommodation requests to be filed at least forty-five days before departure. Three ports are served by tender, and a powered device cannot board one — with no refund or credit if the guest cannot go ashore. Settle it before paying, not at the check-in desk.
One ship on one date. If the same ship leaves on the same day, that is one departure, not two. Our database holds more records than departures, and what we publish is the number of departures.
No. Everything given here — number of hulls, number of departures, dates, routes — comes from OUR inventory, measured on 1 September. What we carry is not necessarily everything the line sells.
Often, yes. Your advisor can look beyond what appears here. The online catalogue is a way in, not the limit of what exists.
Because a brand changes hands without changing its name, and the content of a package sometimes changes without the package's name moving at all. Knowing who owns what is knowing whom you are dealing with when something goes wrong.
It depends on the departure and the market, not on the line. If French matters to you, say so before booking: it is checked departure by departure.
It depends on the ship. On large ships you can still find space late. On a hundred-guest expedition ship, count on a year. Talk cancellation terms through with your advisor before you decide.
Your agency, and it alone. Voyages AquaTerra operates under a licence from Quebec's Office de la protection du consommateur, your payments pass through a trust account, and the compensation fund for travel agency clients covers your departure. That holds whichever line you choose.