Margaritaville at Sea Paradise enters dry dock for planned refit and refurbishment

Margaritaville at Sea Paradise is currently undergoing a drydock at the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, the Bahamas, as part of a scheduled programme of maintenance and onboard updates.

Built in 1991, the 1,300-passenger vessel arrived at the facility earlier this month for work that includes technical servicing, statutory inspections, and refurbishment of selected public spaces and accommodation areas.

Among the most significant changes planned during the drydock is the replacement of the ship’s traditional buffet with a new self-service dining venue called the High Tide Market.

According to Margaritaville at Sea, the new venue will introduce a food-hall-style layout designed to provide “more choices, energy and a modern approach to dining.”

Once introduced on Paradise, the High Tide Market concept is also scheduled to appear aboard Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber, which is expected to enter service for the brand in 2027.

Beyond the dining venue, the scope of work includes general upkeep throughout public areas, refreshes to staterooms, and routine technical maintenance required for the vessel’s continued operation. T

he drydock forms part of the company’s efforts to extend the service life of the ship while adapting its onboard offering to reflect changing passenger preferences on short-duration itineraries.

Paradise is scheduled to return to service on January 20th, 2026, at which point it will begin operating a revised schedule of short cruises from its homeport of Palm Beach, Florida.

Under the new deployment plan, the ship will alternate between weekday four-night sailings and weekend three-night cruises, calling at Key West, Freeport, and Nassau.

The vessel’s first itinerary following the drydock will be a three-night cruise to Nassau, which will also include a full day at sea. These itineraries continue the line’s focus on short, regional cruise products, a segment that has become increasingly competitive over the past decade.

Originally delivered in the early 1990s for Costa Cruises as Costa Classica, the ship later operated for Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line before becoming the inaugural vessel of the Margaritaville at Sea brand in early 2022.

Prior to entering service under its current branding, the ship underwent a substantial refit to adapt it for a series of short Bahamas cruises from Palm Beach aligned with the lifestyle theme associated with the Jimmy Buffett-inspired brand. Margaritaville at Sea has since expanded its operations with the addition of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander, which currently operates from Tampa, Florida.

The cruise line has also confirmed plans to introduce the former Costa Fortuna into its fleet in 2027, further strengthening its presence in the short-cruise market.