Margaritaville Beachcomber Coming to Galveston: A Look at the Itineraries
Last month, Margaritaville at Sea and the Port of Galveston announced that the growing cruise line would begin sailing from Texas in October 2027. The announcement generated a lot of excitement, but it also left one big question unanswered: which ship would be coming?
Today, Margaritaville at Sea finally revealed the details. The cruise line’s newest and largest ship, Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber, will be heading to Galveston.
The move gives Margaritaville at Sea its fourth homeport, joining Palm Beach, Tampa, and Miami, and will significantly expand the cruise line’s presence outside Florida.
Beachcomber Coming to Galveston
Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber will begin sailing from Galveston in October 2027, operating weekly Friday departures from Cruise Terminal 28.
The ship will be the newest addition to the Margaritaville at Sea fleet. It will first debut from Miami on January 9, 2027, before eventually making its way to Texas.
Like Margaritaville at Sea’s other ships, Beachcomber isn’t a new build. The ship currently sails as Costa Fortuna and will undergo a massive renovation before joining Margaritaville at Sea.
For cruisers familiar with Carnival Cruise Line, the ship should feel somewhat familiar. Costa Fortuna is a Destiny Class ship with a very similar design to Carnival Sunrise and Carnival Radiance, including a massive eight-story central atrium with glass elevators. But after the renovation, the onboard experience will be completely Margaritaville.
At up to 3,450 guests, Beachcomber will be the largest ship in the Margaritaville at Sea fleet, coming in nearly 20% larger than Islander.
The ship will also introduce more than 15 new venues and experiences.
One of the biggest additions is Same Boat, a new live music venue created in partnership with three-time Grammy Award winner Zac Brown. The venue will feature a rotating lineup of live performers in a space designed specifically around music and the atmosphere of a Nashville-style live music venue.
Up on the pool deck, guests will find what Margaritaville calls the world’s largest 5 o’Clock Somewhere. The massive venue stretches across four levels and stands 50 feet tall, combining the pool, bar, food, live music, and other outdoor spaces into one large complex.
Other additions include the hidden cocktail bar Cowboy in the Jungle, the Dis ‘N Dat Activity Zone with pickleball, basketball, mini golf, and other activities, and the Tropical Twist Waterslide.
The ship will also debut three new production shows, “Friday Night Country,” “Red, White & Margaritaville,” and “Club Fuego.”
New Itineraries for Margaritaville Beachcomber
Beachcomber will sail mostly 7-night itineraries, but the new ship will have some surprising options. These aren’t just cruises to Costa Maya and Cozumel.
Roughly one-third of the sailings will visit George Town, Grand Cayman, and Montego Bay, Jamaica. An itinerary like that has been a relative rarity for cruises leaving from Galveston in the past few years.
25% of the sailings will head to Belize and Progreso, while 18% will visit Belize and Roatán.
There are some unique sailings as well, including 12 that visit Key West. The Key West sailings include three different itineraries that visit ports such as Bimini, Freeport, and Nassau. While these are staples for cruises leaving from Florida, they’re relatively rare for cruisers sailing from Galveston.
The variety is what really stands out. Galveston has no shortage of Western Caribbean cruises, but many ships stick to familiar combinations of Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatán. Beachcomber‘s schedule mixes in Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Key West, and several Bahamas ports, giving Texas cruisers some options they don’t see nearly as often.
More Ships Coming?
With Beachcomber coming to Galveston, does that mean Margaritaville is pulling out of Miami? Not quite.
In July 2026, Miami-Dade County approved a new five-year preferential berthing agreement with Margaritaville at Sea. The agreement begins with the cruise line’s first call on January 9, 2027, and runs through April 30, 2031. It also includes two optional five-year extensions.
According to Miami-Dade County, the agreement is expected to account for approximately 1 million passenger movements during its initial five-year term. So, if Beachcomber moves to Galveston in October 2027, Margaritaville doesn’t appear to be done with Miami.
That leaves a couple of possibilities.
One of Margaritaville’s existing ships could eventually move to Miami, although that would mean changing the cruise line’s operations in either Palm Beach or Tampa.
Or Margaritaville could have another ship on the way.
So far, the cruise line hasn’t announced a fourth ship. But its expansion has happened quickly. Margaritaville at Sea launched with just one ship in 2022, added Islander in 2024, and will grow again with Beachcomber in 2027.
With Galveston now joining the mix while Margaritaville also has a long-term agreement with PortMiami, it certainly looks like the cruise line may not be done growing.
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