Photos circulating online show the former Costa Fortuna with its name removed from the bow and stern while still wearing its distinctive Costa Cruises livery of yellow, blue and white.
The vessel, long a familiar sight in the Mediterranean, is now in the early stages of a complete rebranding as it prepares for a new life as Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber.
Margaritaville at Sea acquired the 102,500-gross-ton Destiny-class ship from Costa Cruises. After completing its final season of Eastern Mediterranean sailings for Costa in September 2026, the vessel was handed over and is now heading into an extensive conversion programme.
Where Transformation will take Place?
The major refit is scheduled as a 12-week drydock beginning in late September 2026 at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This is the same historic yard (now under Navantia ownership) that previously handled the conversion of another former Costa ship into Margaritaville at Sea Islander.
The project will fully transform the ship’s public spaces and staterooms to reflect Margaritaville’s relaxed, tropical “island-inspired” aesthetic — think breezy blues, sunny yellows, warm sand tones, and casual resort-style venues. One planned highlight is a large multi-deck “5 O’Clock Somewhere” pool complex at the aft, featuring a main pool, waterslide, hot tubs, stadium seating, live music stages and cabanas.New Role and Homeport.
Once the conversion is complete, Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber is scheduled to enter service in January 2027 from PortMiami.
It will become the largest ship in the Margaritaville at Sea fleet (roughly 30% bigger than Paradise) and will operate longer Caribbean itineraries of four to eight nights, expanding the brand’s presence in the North American market.
The ship was originally built in 2003 and can accommodate approximately 3,400–3,470 passengers. Its new identity marks a clear shift from Costa’s Italian-style cruising to Margaritaville’s laid-back, music-and-island-lifestyle concept inspired by Jimmy Buffett.
Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber is set to join Paradise and Islander as the brand continues its rapid expansion in the Caribbean cruise sector.
