Bringing Margaritaville On The Water
Margaritaville at Sea will be a new, exciting, and fun way for guests to escape and vacation in Margaritaville,said John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville.From oceans to lakes, Margaritaville has an organic tie to the water and with Margaritaville at Sea, were able to put our iconic lifestyle, resort experiences, and elevated service directly on the sea. We look forward to seeing guests on, and in, Paradise.
To me, the only thing better than being on a beach by the ocean, is to be on the ocean. Now you can follow in our wake,said singer, songwriter, and best-selling author, Jimmy Buffett, the voice, lyricist, musician, and personality behind the 1977 hit song, Margaritaville.
Cruise passengers are already familiar with the Margaritaville brand, which includes over 25 hotels and resorts, two gaming properties, RV resorts, and over 60 food and beverage venues, along with real estate communities and vacation clubs.
Since the first successful Margaritaville retail location opened in Key West in 1985, the brand has become a popular highlight of many cruise ports, including locations in Jamaica, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Grand Turk, and The Bahamas.
Can We Trust Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line
This started as a simple article about the public relations problems of a little known cruise line sailing from the Port of Palm Beach. The Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line sails the MV Grand Celebration on two night trips to Grand Bahamas Island. Cruisers leave Palm Beach, FL in the early evening, sail overnight, and arrive at Grand Bahamas Island in the morning. Cruisers spend the day on the island and head back to Florida in the evening and arrive the next morning. There are options to extend your stay on the island. Long time cruisers know the MV Grand Celebration well, having been one of the early ships of Carnival Cruise Lines Holiday class, the MV Celebration.
According to guests, they were not offered any refunds and most felt it was necessary to return on the ship the next day. Many guests took to sleeping on the deck due to the extreme heat inside the staterooms and the entertainment venues were also too warm to enjoy.
Upon the return to Palm Beach, guests were ensured they would receive a free cruise credit and a refund. The outgoing cruise was delayed, however, so that repair parts and manufacturer repairmen could repair the air conditioners. Outbound guests were offered a refund if they wanted to cancel and a cruise credit. Guests taking the cruise were offered a free cruise credit and a $50 on board credit.
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line Rebrands As Margaritaville At Sea
Anne Kalosh | Dec 08, 2021
The ship, Margaritaville Paradise, is the former Grand Classica. It’s scheduled to depart April 30 on its first cruise from Florida’s Port of Palm Beach to Grand Bahama Island.
This will follow a multimillion investment and refurbishment. The ships 658 cabins and common spaces will feature Margaritavilles signature casual-luxe design with subtle nautical details and colors influenced by the sea, sand and sky.
New food and beverage options
Food and beverage options will include JWB Prime Steak & Seafood, Frank and Lolas Pizzeria, Port of Indecision Buffet, LandShark Sports Bar and Margaritaville Coffee & Pastry Shop as well as the Euphoria Lounge, Sunset Bar and 5 oClock Somewhere Bar. Additionally, the ship will offer activities and entertainment, including the Par-A-Dice Casino, a Stars on the Water Theater, St. Somewhere Spa, Fins Up! Fitness Center, pools, a retail shop and more.
‘Margaritaville at Sea will be a new, exciting, and fun way for guests to escape and vacation in Margaritaville,’ said John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville. ‘From oceans to lakes, Margaritaville has an organic tie to the water and with Margaritaville at Sea, were able to put our iconic lifestyle, resort experiences and elevated service directly on the sea.’
In late November, Bahamas Paradise said it was taking Grand Classica out of service for a three-week drydock at Grand Bahama Shipyard.
Oneil Khosa becomes CEO of Margaritaville at sea
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#1. Seven Seas Explorer. Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Itinerary Of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line
In May 2018, Grand Classica joined MS Grand Celebration as the 2nd ship in the fleet of the Florida-based company “Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line”. At the end of August 2017, Port Palm Beach District Commission signed a 10-year agreement for the former Costa cruise ship, to service the Florida-Bahamas route West Palm Beach–Freeport.
Both ships have a regularly scheduled itinerary program of 3-day / 2-night Bahamas cruises to Freeport and back to Palm Beach FL.
In 2017, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line signed with The Bahamas a 3-year deal to bring both vessels to Grand Bahama Island on 2-night itineraries. With both ships, the company now has an annual passenger shipping capacity of over 0,5 million.
Grand Celebration itinerary program was based on 2-night / 3-day Bahamas cruises leaving from Palm Beach Florida. The ship offered mini-cruises to Bahamas 3 or 4 times a week. Sadly, in January 2021 the vessel was beached and scrapped at Alang India.
Since Hurricane Matthew damaged Freeport, the Grand Celebration ship was diverted to Bimini Islands but resumed calling on Freeport on January 3, 2017.
Port Palm Beach receives around USD 4 million a year from the ship in port fees and cruise parking. Port commissioners signed the agreement with the new shipowner on December 15, 2016. With LOA length 223 m , MS Grand Celebration is the max size the Palm Beach port can handle. The fleet-mate MS Grand Classica’s length is 220 m .
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Do I Need A Passport To Go To Bahamas
U.S. citizens are generally required to present a valid U.S. passport when traveling to The Bahamas, as well as proof of anticipated departure from The Bahamas. U.S. travelers coming for tourism will not need a visa for travel up to 90 days. All other travelers will need a visa and/or work permit.
How It All Started
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line first set sail in 2016 with a unique visionto provide quality getaways to The Bahamas that are fun, easy, and affordable for all with stellar customer service, the friendliest staff at sea, and a sailing experience as enjoyable and adventurous as the destination itself.The company is majority-owned by the family of former Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO, Kevin Sheehan.
My father, Kevin Sheehan Sr., introduced me to the opportunity of getting involved in the cruise industry based on his extensive experience of being the former CEO at Norwegian Cruise Line. We purchased Grand Celebration, our first ship, back in December 2016 after identifying a niche in the market with Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line. The growth in demand for people wanting to get away for just a couple of days, at an attractive price, and something different gave us the confidence to add a second ship to sail between Palm Beach and The Bahamas, so we added Grand Classica, to our fleet in the summer of 2018.We are proud of what we have accomplished as a family by leading the cruise industryas the only provider of two-night cruises with daily departures on our unique Grand Classica ship from Palm Beach to Grand BahamaIsland and Nassau.- Kevin Sheehan Jr.
OUR MISSION
We are the ultimate micro-cation travel partner. We provide safe and reliable travel experiences through continuous improvement in quality, care and service.
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Cruise Deal Of The Week December 24 2021
Happy Holidays, cruisers! It may be too late to get your last-minute online shopping packages delivered before Santa Claus gets here, but its not too late to book your holiday cruise for next year! A holiday cruise is a great way to keep the stresses of hosting family and friends far away while youre waited on hand and foot by attentive staff. And whats even better, is we have a cruise
New Company Offers Two
Cruise Line & Cruise ShipCosta CruisesTheresa Norton December 24, 2014
A newly formed company, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, is tentatively set to begin two-night cruises from the Port of Palm Beach to Grand Bahama Island in February.
Costa Cruises Unveils Costa Firenze, Presents…Cruise Line & Cruise Ship
The 1,800-passenger Grand Celebration will replace the damaged Bahamas Celebration, which remains out of service after striking an underwater object on Halloween.
That ship was operated by Celebration Cruise Line some of its executives are involved with the new Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, said Glenn Ryerson, who moved to the new company as executive vice president.
The only connection will be that some of the people who worked at Celebration will have the good fortune to go with the new cruise line, Ryerson said. We have a lot of new players as well, along with a new ownership group.
The Grand Celebration was built in 1987 as Carnival Cruise Lines Celebration and formerly operated for Carnival Corp.s now-closed Iberocruceros brand and was briefly transferred to Costa Cruises in November.
Its in just beautiful shape, Ryerson said. The only thing we need to do is brand it.
This is a tremendous day for the Port of Palm Beach and Palm Beach County, said Manuel Almira, executive director for the port. The MV Grand Celebration is absolutely gorgeous, and we are ecstatic to have this wonderful cruise ship sail out of our port.
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Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line Rebrands
Were excited about this new partnership as we launch Margaritaville at Sea out of the Port of Palm Beach. Were excited about this next phase of our evolution, rebranding as Margaritaville at Sea,said Oneil Khosa, CEO of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, who will serve as CEO of Margaritaville at Sea.The collaborative concept will add a different dimension to the cruising industry, appealing to a new audience of travelers.
Margaritaville at Sea is planned to provide guests with Margaritavilles authentic culture, entertainment, and food while sailing to Grand Bahama Island. Onboard the flagship, guests will enjoy personalized service from start to finish, including exclusive cruise terminals for smoother embarkation and disembarkation.
Its the perfect partnership in paradise,Khosa said.
Racial And Ethnic Groups
According to the 99% response rate obtained from the race question on the 2010 Census questionnaire, 90.6% of the population identified themselves as being , 4.7% and 2.1% of a . Three centuries prior, in 1722 when the first official census of The Bahamas was taken, 74% of the population was native European and 26% native African.
Since the colonial era of plantations, or have been the largest ethnic group in The Bahamas, whose primary ancestry was based in . The first Africans to arrive to The Bahamas were freed slaves from they arrived with the looking for new lives.
The community in The Bahamas is also largely of African descent and numbers about 80,000. Due to an extremely high immigration of Haitians to The Bahamas, the Bahamian government started deporting illegal Haitian immigrants to their homeland in late 2014.
The white Bahamian population are mainly the descendants of the and escaping the who arrived in 1649 and 1783, respectively. Many Southern Loyalists went to the , half of whose population was of European descent as of 1985. The term white is usually used to identify Bahamians with Anglo ancestry, as well as some light-skinned Afro-Bahamians. Sometimes Bahamians use the term to describe people of Anglo descent.
A small portion of the Euro-Bahamian population are , descended from labourers who came to help develop the sponging industry in the 1900s. They make up less than 2% of the nation’s population, but have still preserved their distinct culture.
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Where Does Bahamas Paradise Cruise Go
Welcome to the only 2-night cruise sailing from the Port of Palm Beach to Grand Bahama Island and Nassau every day of the week!
One may also ask, do you need a passport for Bahamas Paradise Cruise? U.S. Citizens: All U.S. citizens must have valid proof of citizenship. While a passport is highly recommended, passengers can travel with an original birth certificate issued by a U.S. government agency and a valid government issued photo ID, in place of passport.
Also to know, who owns Bahamas Paradise cruise line?
ABOUT BAHAMAS PARADISE CRUISE LINEThe company is majority-owned by the family of former Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Kevin Sheehan.
How much are drinks on Bahamas Paradise Cruise?
Drink packages are available for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Wifi packages are available for $15 per day or $25 for unlimited access. Each guest is permitted two pieces of luggage, each below 50 pounds.
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line Launches Humanitarian Effort After Hurricane
The ship, Grand Celebration, will be loaded with food, water, and other supplies, as well as first responders and volunteers, to help provide aid to the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian ravaged the small island. Photo: Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line announced today that its Grand Celebration, which returned to the Port of Palm Beach, is set to depart to Freeport, Grand Bahama Island on a humanitarian cruise effort.
Grand Celebration will be loaded with food, water, and other supplies, as well as first responders and volunteers, to help provide aid after Hurricane Dorian ravaged the small island.
Hurricane Dorian, one of the strongest hurricanes in modern records, devastated communities in the Bahamas, with a storm surge as high as 23 feet, and destroying some 13,000 houses in the Grand Bahamas and Abaco Islands.
Grand Celebration will also transport Bahamian residents who were stranded in South Florida due to the hurricane, home at no cost to any volunteer or Bahamian resident. The ships previously planned departure has been canceled.
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, which has operated round-trip cruises from the Port of Palm Beach to Freeport for the past decade, is known for stepping up to the plate during times of crisis.
The company deployed Grand Celebration to St. Thomas in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, working alongside Federal Emergency Management Association to house more than 2,000 first responders for two months after the storm.
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Carnival Cruise Line Heads
Carnival Cruise Line sends out a pre-cruise update to guests detailing the changes to protocols, a warning that there could be COVID cases on board and that specific ports of call may deny or limit a vessel.Carnival Pre-Cruise UpdateWith the growing concern of Omicron on cruises and at ports, Carnival Cruise Line has started to send a pre-cruise update to guests, letting them know all the latest
Bahamas Resort And Hotel Deals
The company partners with some of The Bahamas’ most popular resorts fitting with any budget and vacation style.
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| Wyndham Viva Fortuna |
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| Lighthouse Pointe at Grand Lucayan |
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Seasoned Travel Industry Veteran Recognized For Strategic Leadershipincluding Innovation Through Hurricane Dorian Crisis & Covid
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. April 289 2021 Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, the only family-owned operator of two-night cruises to the Bahamas, today announced the promotion of Francis Riley to Chief Commercial Officer. In this newly created role, Riley will maintain his current responsibilities while placing an added focus on driving top-line revenues. This will include maximizing the brands existing sales channels, identifying new revenue opportunities, and forging new strategic partnerships to lay the groundwork for future domestic and international growth.
Francis has been an outstanding addition to our senior leadership team and during the difficult times that have faced the cruise and travel industries over the past two years, he has become someone I appreciate and consistently lean on for support, partnership and guidance, said Khosa. Francis is a critical thinker who understands every aspect of this business, and he has the leadership style and relationships we need to take this company into the future. We are embarking upon a very aggressive, ambitious growth strategy coming out of the pandemic and I have every bit of confidence in Francis and his team to help get us to where we want to be.
For information, visit www.BahamasParadiseCruise.com. Follow Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line on Facebook at BahamasParadiseCruiseLine,BPCruiseLine.
What Company Owns Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises/Parent organizationsChairman and CEO-Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. More than five million guests sail each year aboard the companys cruise lines. RCL owns and operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises and is part of joint ventures that operate TUI Cruises, Pullmantur and SkySea Cruises.
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Family Owned And Operated
The Sheehan family is excited to welcome you onboard our beautiful ship. As the only American-owned family cruise line in Florida, we take great pride in providing the best experience for our customers. If you see us onboard, please say hello. Our children will be waiting by the ice cream bar!
Our Leadership