Margaritaville's Beachcomber reaches Belfast for its refit before a January 2027 debut in Miami

ShipsBy Patrick KarshOct 15, 2026

Margaritaville at Sea's next ship has reached the shipyard that will turn it into Beachcomber. The former Costa Fortuna is now at Harland & Wolff in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for a refit worth about £40 million to the local economy. The ship is due to welcome its first Margaritaville guests at PortMiami in January 2027.

That is according to Cruise Industry News, which reported the ship's arrival on October 15. The shipyard first announced the contract in August, as Marine Log reported at the time.

What the refit covers

The shipyard says the work will add new venues, update the cabins and refresh the public areas. It called the job "a significant project for the yard." It is the largest cruise refit at the Belfast yard since Spain's Navantia bought Harland & Wolff, according to Marine Log.

Local firms will share the work. Marine Log named MJM, Mivan and Madden Marine as companies with major roles. The estimated £40 million figure is the money expected to flow into the Belfast region, not the full cost of the ship's makeover.

This is not the line's first trip to Belfast. The same yard refitted Margaritaville at Sea Islander, the former Costa Atlantica, in 2024. Minas Miliaris, the line's chief maritime officer, said that earlier job gave the company "the confidence to return" for Beachcomber.

The ship itself

Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber was built in 2003 by Fincantieri in Genoa for Costa Cruises. It is a big step up for the line. Cruise Industry News puts its capacity at 2,720 passengers. At just over 100,000 gross tons, it is much larger than the line's other ships, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise and Margaritaville at Sea Islander. It becomes the flagship of Margaritaville at Sea.

Where Beachcomber will sail

After the refit, the ship will cross the Atlantic to Miami. Its first season will include cruises to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Florida from PortMiami.

In mid-2027, the ship is set to move to the Port of Galveston. That will be the brand's first time sailing from Texas. Cruisers who live in the Houston area will no longer need a flight to Florida to try the line.

What this means if you are booking

A refit like this changes a lot inside a ship. The venues, cabin decor and some layouts that Costa guests knew may look very different by January. So treat any older photos or reviews of Costa Fortuna with care. They show the hull you will sail on, not the rooms you will sleep in.

It also pays to watch the schedule. A refit of this size usually runs on a tight timeline. The ship has to finish in Belfast, cross the ocean and be ready for guests in Miami. If you book one of the first sailings, keep your flights flexible and read the line's terms on schedule changes.

Finally, check what your fare includes. Margaritaville at Sea's pricing and package rules can differ from the bigger lines. Price the drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities you will actually use before you compare it with a Carnival or Royal Caribbean sailing from the same port.

My take

I like seeing an older ship get real money spent on it rather than a coat of paint. If you want a first look at Beachcomber, the January sailings from Miami are the obvious pick, but I would give the crew a few weeks to settle in. The Galveston season in mid-2027 may be the sweet spot for Texas cruisers.