Margaritaville Islander, the newest ship for the boutique Margaritaville at Sea cruise line, has had a necessary itinerary change caused by the delays due to Tropical Storm Debby.
Because the ship had to remain at sea for an extra day while Port Tampa Bay was closed, the next sailing has been shortened to a 4-night itinerary and one port of call is cancelled.
The ship’s original itinerary was to have been a 5-night cruise departing Tampa on Sunday, August 4, 2024. Because of the storm’s timing and the port’s closure, however, the ship remained out to sea and away from the severe weather until the port reopened on Tuesday, August 6.
As the ship was not able to return to the cruise terminal until later in the morning than typical, debarkation and embarkation were also subsequently delayed. Guests were asked to arrive two hours after their originally selected arrival appointment window to ensure enough time for all travelers to be processed.
“It is important that all guests follow their assigned arrival times to minimize waiting outside the terminal,” the notification explained. “Please be advised, terminal operations closes at 3:30 p.m., and no guests will be permitted to enter the terminal after this time.”
Embarkation has now been completed and Margaritaville Islander departed on her shortened sailing at approximately 6 p.m. The ship will not, however, be able to make both her originally planned ports of call – Key West and Cozumel.
Initially, the cruise itinerary included a port visit to Key West on Monday, August 5, followed by a day at sea before spending the day in Cozumel, Mexico on Wednesday, August 7. Another day at sea followed before the ship would return to Tampa on Friday, August 9.
With the delay of more than a day, however, it is not possible for Margaritaville Islander to adjust her itinerary and keep both ports of call. Instead, the ship will now visit Key West on Wednesday and spend Thursday at sea before returning to Tampa on schedule on Friday.
Read Also: Key West Cruise Port – Piers, Things Nearby, and Getting Around
There is no need for any changes to the ship’s next cruise, a 4-night sailing that will include two days at sea and a visit to Cozumel.
Margaritaville Islander just began sailing for Margaritaville at Sea in mid-June, following extensive renovations and rebranding from the vessel’s former identity as Costa Atlantica.
The ship is homeported year-round from Tampa, offering primarily 4- and 5-night itineraries to Key West, Cozumel, and Progreso depending on the sailing date and cruise length.
In August 2025, the ship will begin offering 7-night itineraries that will visit even more diverse ports of call, including Costa Maya, Belize, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman.
Latest Storm Update
Tropical Storm Debby – which was Hurricane Debby when she passed Tampa and made landfall in northern Florida – has impacted several cruise ships. Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Paradise had similar changes to Margaritaville Islander with one sailing extended a day and the next cruise shortened a day.
Carnival Elation in Jacksonville also shortened a sailing and moved up embarkation for the next cruise in order to be able to leave the port ahead of the storm’s approach.
Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas sailing from Cape Liberty, New Jersey also had to skip Port Canaveral as a port of call due to expected rough weather from the fringes of the storm.
Carnival Sunshine is expected to be impacted as well, as that ship is currently homeported from Charleston, South Carolina and the center of the tropical storm is now located just off the state’s east coast, approximately 70 miles southwest of Charleston.
The Carnival ship is scheduled to embark on Thursday, August 8, but the storm may not leave the region until Friday.
Current maximum sustained winds are at 40 miles per hour, with higher gusts at times. The storm is only moving at three miles per hour, and is bringing significant rain and flooding to the southeastern US. Charleston may see as much as 6-12 inches of rain, while some nearby areas may get as much as 12-16 inches.
Carnival Sunshine is the only ship scheduled for Charleston in August, and the cruise line is keeping guests updated about any changes or delays to the ship’s next sailing.
