Margaritaville at Sea CEO Teases 2027 Galveston, Annual Pass, and New Beachcomber Details
by Cheryl Rosen
Photo: Christopher Ivy
Forest Hills, Queens, NY—Christopher Ivy can’t reveal everything just yet. But the CEO of Margaritaville at Sea is more than willing to offer a few tantalizing hints about what’s ahead for the rapidly expanding cruise line.
The biggest news? Margaritaville at Sea is looking to partner with travel advisors as it launches its third ship and heads to Galveston in 2027—and its popular annual pass will return, covering all three ships in the fleet.
There’s more. New itineraries are in the works, the annual pass is getting a new name and some tweaks, and the cruise line’s newest ship, Beachcomber, is poised to bring a dramatically elevated version of the Margaritaville at Sea experience to the fleet.
Ivy shared the sneak peeks during an impromptu conversation with TMR at the Zac Brown concert at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens.
Sipping Zac Brown wine as the sun set over the stadium, he reflected on how far the brand has come since launching with a single ship and a single itinerary in 2022, to the current three, including the first new-build, the Beachcomber, launching in January.
And Ivy says the growth is just getting started.
Galveston Is Coming in 2027
Margaritaville at Sea is preparing a major expansion into Galveston, and Ivy promises the new deployment will offer something different from the typical Galveston cruise experience.
While he stopped short of revealing exactly which ship will sail from Texas or where it will go, he offered an enticing preview.
“It’s going to be a great ship for the trade,” he said. “We have great partners who are particularly excited about that ship, with longer itineraries out of Miami and perhaps Galveston.”
And wherever Beachcomber ultimately sails, Ivy says travelers can expect itineraries that venture beyond the usual cruise stops.
Whichever ship sails out of Texas, he promised, “those itineraries will be some of the most interesting options out of Galveston, to a lot of places others don’t go.”
The MAS team is working on “big announcements” about Galveston and the annual pass as we speak, Ivy said, but we’ll have to wait a week or two for the final details.
Margaritaville at Sea Annual Pass Returns for 2027
Ivy did give TMR one big scoop: the annual pass, which in 2026 started at just $899 per person for unlimited sailings booked within 30 days of departure, will be returning, but with a new name and a few tweaks. It will go on sale “before the end of Q3, most likely.”
While declining to cite exact sales figures for the 2026 annual pass, Ivy said “the reception was quite good—and the most interesting thing to me was that it was not just folks who can easily drive to the port. It was a much more national product, a unique planning tool that clearly has a loyalty component for people who love Margaritavile at Sea. Whether you’re going in and out of Tampa or Palm Beach or Miami or Texas next year, it’s a great product.”
The big news for today, though, is MAS’s growth story: from one ship and one home port to three of each, from one itinerary to more than 25, from short hops to 10-day journeys.
Rather than simply moving guests from one resort-style experience to another, Ivy says Margaritaville at Sea is increasingly focused on getting travelers deeper into the destinations they want to visit.
We continue to look for new places and new things to do in them, and at bringing new things to the ships, be it music or unique experience,” he said.
“We don’t have a private island. But I personally believe getting people to experience the Caribbean in a real way is the way Jimmy would have wanted it,” he said. “We’re looking at how to get people further into the destinations they want. We continue to look for new places and new things to do in them, and bringing new things to the ships, be it music or unique experiences.”
Inside Beachcomber: A New Level for Margaritaville at Sea
Launching in January, the 1,358-stateroom Beachcomber represents a significant step forward for Margaritaville at Sea.
The design team behind Margaritaville Hotels was charged with creating a ship that feels less like a traditional cruise ship and “more like an elevated beachfront hotel on land—but with the largest Cheeseburger in Paradise ever.”
Among the highlights:
- A four-level 5 o’Clock Somewhere poolside destination featuring tropical cocktails, bites and live music
- Mexican Cutie Cantina
- Adults-only cabanas with bar service
- The License to Chill Pool Deck, complete with a Six Strings Stage
- A new lineup of original, concert-style production shows
- A Daiquiri Shack
- Expanded suite accommodations
- An elevated cocktail program
- New dining concepts throughout the ship
Ivy is particularly excited about Cowboy in the Jungle, which he describes as “an incredibly elevated speakeasy.”
He also teased a new level of suites that he says are “about as good as it gets at sea,” along with what he calls the best cocktail program Margaritaville at Sea has created to date.
Dining is getting an upgrade as well.
The ship’s High Time Market will feature a collection of new concepts, including Sun Baked Barbeque and Kickin’ and Pickin’ chicken, alongside familiar Margaritaville at Sea favorites like JWB Steakhouse, Frank and Lola’s Italian Trattoria, Far Side Sushi, and the new Floridays.
Key Partners: Zac Brown and the Travel Advisor Community
In Queens, meanwhile, MAS was hosting the New York media at the Zac Brown concert to celebrate the new partnership with the country singer.
The collaboration will bring a dedicated live music experience to Margaritaville at Sea and reinforce one of the brand’s central promises: music is not simply entertainment on board. It’s part of the experience.
And while Margaritaville at Sea’s business remains predominantly direct-to-consumer, Ivy says the company hopes to build another key partnership, with the travel advisor community.
“We have two big focuses right now: ensuring Beachcomber is the best thing we’ve ever done, and looking at ways to grow our business,” Ivy said. “So we would love the opportunity to work with more travel advisors.”
The cruise line has strengthened its trade sales organization under senior vice president of sales Ron Gulaskey, a 20-year veteran of Celebrity Cruises.
And it recently took another step toward strengthening its advisor relationships, launching its first certified travel advisor program.
For advisors, the combination—one new ship, one new home port, expanded itineraries, upscale accommodations and a renewed focus on the trade—could make 2027 a pivotal partner for the new year.
