October 27, 2026 — Margaritaville at Sea has stretched a weekend Bahamas cruise on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise by a full day after rough weather shut out both Freeport and the ship’s home port of Palm Beach, and the following departure has been cut short as a result.
What happened
Margaritaville at Sea Paradise left the Port of Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday, October 23 on a four-night cruise that included Key West. High winds and dangerous swells forced the line to drop the Freeport, Bahamas call planned for Monday, October 26, and the port authority told the ship it could not return to Palm Beach as scheduled on Tuesday morning because of severe weather expected there.
- Monday, October 26 became a sea day instead of Freeport.
- Nassau was added on Tuesday, October 27, when guests were originally due to disembark.
- The ship now returns to Palm Beach one day late, on Wednesday, October 28.
- Prepaid Freeport tours were cancelled automatically and refunded to onboard accounts.
- Guests on per-day packages, such as Wi-Fi and drinks, get the extra day at no added charge.
The next sailing is shortened
The three-night Nassau cruise that was due to leave on Tuesday, October 27 (with a Nassau call on October 29 and a return on October 30) has been shortened, and booked guests were told by email and text. Cruise Hive reports the ship may keep most of that schedule minus the sea day, but the line has not confirmed this. Guests on that sailing are being offered:
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Package refund | Pro-rated refund credit for per-day packages (amount may change) |
| Future cruise credit | $50, usable on any Margaritaville at Sea sailing |
| Rebooking | Move to a different date with no fees |
The line warned that refund amounts “may be adjusted if weather conditions, the itinerary, or port guidance change.”
What it means for airline travelers
- Guests coming off the October 23 sailing: you are now back in Palm Beach on Wednesday, October 28, not Tuesday. Move any Tuesday flights home, and if you are flying standby, check loads for Wednesday afternoon and evening rather than an early-morning departure, since disembarkation timing after a weather delay can slip.
- Guests booked on the October 27 sailing: your embarkation day and length have changed. Confirm the new times with the line before you fly in, and check whether your return flight still lines up with the revised arrival.
- Airports: Palm Beach International (PBI) is the closest airport to the Port of Palm Beach; Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Miami (MIA) are larger backups with more flights if PBI loads are tight.
- The line’s travel advisory page is the place to watch for updates. No change to travel-industry or interline rates was mentioned.
Sources
Get NonRev Travel News by email
A weekly recap newsletter, sent out every Sunday, with the airline, airport, cruise and travel-warning news that matters to airline employees and retirees. Free.
Subscribe free
