Key Aspects:
- Margaritaville at Sea Paradise cancelled a visit to Freeport due to poor weather, and expected conditions at the Port of Palm Beach are also delaying the ship’s return by a full day.
- The ship will visit Nassau on Tuesday, October 27 as an extra port call since it cannot return to its homeport on that day.
- Guests on the next sailing have been notified of their now-shortened cruise and given the option to rebook on a different sailing date without any fees.
Guests aboard Margaritaville at Sea Paradise are unexpectedly getting a much different cruise than originally planned as the ship has been unable to visit one of its two port destinations and will be delayed returning to the Port of Palm Beach for debarkation. This extends the sailing by a full day, and a new port is being added to the now longer itinerary.
The cruise line notified guests of the extension at the same time the scheduled visit to Freeport, Bahamas was cancelled. That visit was to have been on Monday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but was not possible with local high winds and dangerous swells.
Margaritaville at Sea Paradise departed the Port of Palm Beach on Friday, October 23, for the 4-night itinerary and had already visited Key West, Florida, when the announcement was made that Freeport was no longer possible.
Any pre-paid tours booked through Margaritaville at Sea for Freeport were automatically cancelled and refunded to guests’ stateroom accounts. Instead of her time in Freeport, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise is spending Monday at sea.
Because of severe weather expected to impact the Port of Palm Beach, however, the ship’s sailing will not end on Tuesday as planned. The ship will now visit Nassau on Tuesday, when she was originally meant to disembark at the Port of Palm Beach.
“Extreme weather is also expected at the Port of Palm Beach, and the port authority has advised that we cannot return on Tuesday morning as scheduled,” a letter delivered to guests’ staterooms explained. “As a result, our sailing will be extended by one full day, and we will now return to Palm Beach on Wednesday, October 28.”
If guests had purchased any packages for the length of their cruise, including WiFi and drink packages, those purchases will be extended for the additional day at no extra charge.
Next Sailing Shortened
Since Margaritaville at Sea Paradise is unable to return to the Port of Palm Beach on Tuesday, the next sailing is now shortened and booked guests have been notified of the change via email and text message.
The Tuesday, October 27, 2026 departure was to have been a 3-night “Nassau Escape” spending Wednesday, October 28 at sea and enjoying a visit to Nassau from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 29 before returning to the Port of Palm Beach on Friday, October 30.
Because the Port of Palm Beach and Nassau Cruise Port are about 200 miles apart, it is possible the ship can still maintain most of her planned schedule, just without the planned day at sea. Margaritaville at Sea has not yet confirmed plans for the ship, however, as conditions may continue to change.
Guests booked on the now-shortened cruise are receiving a pro-rated “refund credit” for any per-day packages, such as drink packages or WiFi, and the cruise line notes that the amount may be changed.
“Refund amounts are based on the information available today and may be adjusted if weather conditions, the itinerary, or port guidance change,” the notification, which is also posted on the cruise line’s website, explained.
Guests will also receive a $50 future cruise credit usable on any future Margaritaville at Sea sailing, not just on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. If guests prefer to reschedule their cruise instead of continuing on the shortened itinerary, they can do so without any rebooking fees.
