Key Aspects:
- Margaritaville at Sea will begin sailing from Galveston, Texas in October 2027, becoming the port’s seventh cruise line.
- Weekly Friday departures will operate from Cruise Terminal 28, with itineraries visiting the Caribbean and Central America.
- The cruise line has not yet revealed which ship will be based in Galveston, with an announcement planned for September.
Margaritaville at Sea is expanding beyond Florida and will begin sailing from the Port of Galveston in October 2027. In a unanimous vote, the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees approved an agreement with the cruise line on August 25, 2026.
The cruise line will offer weekly sailings from the Port of Galveston, departing Fridays from Cruise Terminal 28. Cruises from the Texas port will visit destinations in the Caribbean and Central America.
The agreement with Margaritaville has an initial one-year term, with the option to renew for two additional five-year terms. Though specific itineraries sailing from Galveston have not yet been announced, the cruise line says they will feature both new ports for the brand as well as familiar favorites.
“We’re incredibly excited to bring Margaritaville at Sea to Galveston for the first time,” said Christopher Ivy, Chief Executive Officer of Margaritaville at Sea. “Galveston is an important and growing cruise gateway, and this agreement represents another significant step in the continued expansion of our brand.”
The cruise line has also not revealed which ship will homeport in Galveston. Margaritaville at Sea currently operates two ships: the 52,926 gross-ton Paradise and the 85,619 gross-ton Islander. A third ship, Beachcomber, will debut from PortMiami in January 2027 after an extensive transformation of the former Costa Fortuna.
The new Galveston announcement does not identify whether any of Margaritaville’s existing deployments will change when Texas service begins. The ship and itinerary details will be unveiled at a special event at the Port of Galveston in September.
Galveston’s Cruise Industry Continues to Grow
Margaritaville at Sea’s arrival continues a period of rapid expansion for Galveston’s cruise industry. The Texas port currently ranks as the fourth busiest cruise port in the United States. It forecasts 446 sailings and a record 3.9 million passenger movements in 2026.
With this agreement, Margaritaville will become the seventh cruise line to serve Galveston. It joins Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Princess Cruises at the Texas port.
MSC Cruises reported strong demand from Texas after its first six months there. This followed the arrival of MSC Seascape as well as the opening of Terminal 16 in November 2025.
The addition of Margaritaville comes as Galveston considers even further expansion. Cruise Hive reported in July that the port is studying the feasibility of constructing a fifth cruise terminal between Terminals 10 and 16 as part of its updated 20-Year Strategic Master Plan.
Margaritaville at Sea’s arrival will add another option to that growing market. Texas cruisers will have to wait until September, however, to learn which ship will call Galveston home.
