Key Aspects:
- Margaritaville at Sea Islander is expected to arrive late at Port Tampa Bay on November 7, 2026, following an unexpected itinerary diversion.
- Guests embarking on the November 7 sailing have been instructed to arrive approximately four and a half hours later than the times on their boarding passes.
- The cruise line has not disclosed the reason for the diversion or announced whether the upcoming voyage’s itinerary will be affected.
Cruise guests booked on the November 7, 2026 departure of Margaritaville at Sea Islander from Port Tampa Bay are facing an embarkation delay of more than four hours. Due to an itinerary diversion on the current sailing, the ship will arrive in Tampa later than expected.
Guests were informed of the adjustment on November 6 through an emailed advisory and a Facebook post. Passengers booked on the November 7 sailing are being told to arrive four and a half hours later than their originally scheduled time.
“At this time, we are anticipating a delayed embarkation for your November 7, 2026 sailing aboard Margaritaville at Sea Islander due to circumstances beyond our control,” the advisory reads.
Arrival times were originally scheduled for between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Instead, guests are now scheduled for arrival times between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
The cruise line emphasized that guests should follow these revised arrival times rather than those printed on their boarding passes. The revised schedule is intended to minimize waiting times as the ship completes its delayed turnaround.
Islander’s seven-night New Orleans and Mexico itinerary was originally scheduled to depart from Tampa at 3:30 p.m. The cruise line has not yet confirmed a revised departure time, but with the latest assigned terminal arrival time now set for 6:00 p.m., a later departure appears certain.
This sailing is scheduled to visit New Orleans on November 9, Progreso on November 11, and Cozumel on November 12 before returning to Tampa on November 14. No adjustment to this itinerary was included in the advisory.
Cause of the Diversion Remains Unconfirmed
The ship’s current six-night Mexico and Western Caribbean cruise departed Tampa on November 1, 2026. It was scheduled to visit Cozumel on November 3, Belize City on November 4, and Roatan on November 5 before its return to Tampa on November 7.
Margaritaville at Sea did not provide details of the itinerary adjustment on this sailing. However, Cruise Hive’s ship tracker shows the vessel returned to Cozumel after its November 5 call in Roatan. Unconfirmed passenger reports suggest it was due to a medical debarkation, but the cruise line has not disclosed the circumstances.
Past Margaritaville Cruise Delays
Previous Margaritaville at Sea sailings have experienced significant disruptions due to a number of factors, including weather. For example, in October 2026, severe weather conditions delayed Margaritaville at Sea Paradise’s return to the Port of Palm Beach by a full day. A scheduled call in Freeport was also cancelled as a result.
In November 2025, both Margaritaville at Sea Islander and Carnival Paradise were delayed in their respective returns to Tampa. Dense fog decreased visibility and led to the temporary closure of Port Tampa Bay.
Weather is far from the only cause of cruise ship diversions, however. Other issues that have led to last-minute cruise adjustments include mechanical problems, emergency medical evacuations, and port congestion.
