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[ 2021 ] Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Cruise Line - Whoo Hoo!

I see it is going to sail out of Palm Beach. I also know that one of the Bahama Paradise Cruise Line ships is in dry dock at the moment. Are these sailings going to be facilitated by Bahama Paradise Cruise Lines? If not, I doubt this is a brand new ship and likely one bought from one of the other cruise lines when they offloaded a bunch of their smaller vessels. Hopefully this doesn't turn out like the Guy Harvey Resort, I have not heard many good things about that place.

Edit: Okay, I found this. It is indeed Bahama Paradise Cruise Lines
www.travelpulse.com

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line To Become Margaritaville at Sea

The cruise line is set to become a Parrot Head experience.
www.travelpulse.com www.travelpulse.com
 
Boy, an oldie, but goodie. No balcony cabins. But lots of lounges. I wonder if they have a tattoo parlor?

"Dubbed Margaritaville at Sea, the company’s new cruise program will begin in April with sailings on the 1,680-passenger Grand Classica, a 30-year-old ship that is being rebranded as Margaritaville Paradise, the company said.

Originally built for Costa Cruises, the 10-deck-high vessel currently is operated by West Palm Beach, Florida-based Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, which will be a partner in the new venture."
 
It will sale out of the Port of Palm Beach. I wonder how this will affect occupancy at Ocean Pointe. I could see a small increase of 1 night reservations as MVC owners book something g close before taking one of these cruises.

I suppose one could look at Beach Place Towers reservation requests. We’ve used BPT for single night reservations when flying the early morning flights out of FLL. Interestingly we’ve never used them pre-cruise, electing to stay at a hotel that offered free shuttle services to the cruise ports.
 
Passepartout said:
Boy, an oldie, but goodie. No balcony cabins. But lots of lounges. I wonder if they have a tattoo parlor?

"Dubbed Margaritaville at Sea, the company’s new cruise program will begin in April with sailings on the 1,680-passenger Grand Classica, a 30-year-old ship that is being rebranded as Margaritaville Paradise, the company said.

Originally built for Costa Cruises, the 10-deck-high vessel currently is operated by West Palm Beach, Florida-based Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, which will be a partner in the new venture."
Click to expand...
You are correct this is a very old cruise ship with some suites and with mainly ocean views staterooms.

There are no staterooms with balconies on this cruise ship.

Sound liked this is going to be a party ship.
 
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dougp26364 said:
It will sale out of the Port of Palm Beach. I wonder how this will affect occupancy at Ocean Pointe. I could see a small increase of 1 night reservations as MVC owners book something g close before taking one of these cruises.

I suppose one could look at Beach Place Towers reservation requests. We’ve used BPT for single night reservations when flying the early morning flights out of FLL. Interestingly we’ve never used them pre-cruise, electing to stay at a hotel that offered free shuttle services to the cruise ports.
Click to expand...
This cruise ship normally only does two days cruises to the Bahamas and back to Palm Beach. This cruise ship was launched in 1991 by Costa Cruises Lines.

The key selling point of this old cruise ship will be the rebranding of this ship name the Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Cruise Lines. IMHO
 
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Well, it might not be everyone's cup of tea. Yes, it's an older ship being rebranded and yes, mostly likely a party ship. It will be interesting to see how it does but don't underestimate the Parrothead crowd (Buffett fans for those of you who are unaware) because they are a powerful group that have money to spend - and for those with a bit less money they save, save, save to do the Buffett things they want to do; they love the Margaritaville life-style (even if only for a short cruise), and they do A LOT of charity work. Buffett hasn't built his brand by chance. The man is a brilliant businessman and wouldn't have undertaken this if he didn't think it was going to be a success. He knows his business market.
 
JanT said:
Well, it might not be everyone's cup of tea. Yes, it's an older ship being rebranded and yes, mostly likely a party ship. It will be interesting to see how it does but don't underestimate the Parrothead crowd (Buffett fans for those of you who are unaware) because they are a powerful group that have money to spend - and for those with a bit less money they save, save, save to do the Buffett things they want to do; they love the Margaritaville life-style (even if only for a short cruise), and they do A LOT of charity work. Buffett hasn't built his brand by chance. The man is a brilliant businessman and wouldn't have undertaken this if he didn't think it was going to be a success. He knows his business market.
Click to expand...
I am not really sure how much Jimmy Buffett is really involved in this other than lending (and being paid for) his name to the cruise line. I mean, there are resorts and restaurants, but it seems they license his name and brand to be able to market the product. I am sure Jimmy will be on the first sailing of the cruise line, but other than that he is 100% hands off. Just getting paid to so a company can put his name on the ship. Given the music, resorts, restaurants, mixers, frozen grocery items, alcohol and other ventures, I was actually surprised to learn that Jimmy Buffett wasn't a billionaire. He has more money than he would ever really need, but I really was expecting him to have a much higher net worth than he does given all the places you see his name and brand.
 
This will appeal to a segment of the cruising public. They will peel off some of Carnival's party crowd. But after they've done one Bahama overnighter and back to Florida, spent the return trip hugging the toilet, are they going to want to experience it again?

I see a short life for this venture, but wish them well.

Jim
 
Passepartout said:
This will appeal to a segment of the cruising public. They will peel off some of Carnival's party crowd. But after they've done one Bahama overnighter and back to Florida, spent the return trip hugging the toilet, are they going to want to experience it again?

I see a short life for this venture, but wish them well.

Jim
Click to expand...
Those Bahama Paradise cruises out of Palm Beach have been somewhat successful. They have operated since 2014. So it isn't like they will be offering something drastically new. I also know that these cruises were often offered as a "free cruise" for attending some timeshare sales presentations. Perhaps it will be something for Wyndham to offer as part of their Margaritaville affiliation.

There was obvious concern during the pandemic as to if the cruise line could survive. They did sell off one of their ships (former Carnival Celebration) for scrap. I suspect there will be some early demand for these cruises. Mostly for people wanting to try them out. Not sure there are enough Parrotheads to make it work, but they are offering a unique selling point to get people on the ship. I anticipate a bunch of tribute bands on board many sailings.
 
dioxide45 said:
I was actually surprised to learn that Jimmy Buffett wasn't a billionaire....
Click to expand...

His net worth (~$600 million) isn't bad for a singer-songwriter,
who made his mark by singing about Mondays and drinking.

But it's only half of Paul McCartney's (~$1.2 billion). Still...
More than Mick Jagger (~$500 million) and Barbra Streisand (~$400 million).
.
 
dioxide45 said:
Those Bahama Paradise cruises out of Palm Beach have been somewhat successful. They have operated since 2014. So it isn't like they will be offering something drastically new. I also know that these cruises were often offered as a "free cruise" for attending some timeshare sales presentations. Perhaps it will be something for Wyndham to offer as part of their Margaritaville affiliation.

There was obvious concern during the pandemic as to if the cruise line could survive. They did sell off one of their ships (former Carnival Celebration) for scrap. I suspect there will be some early demand for these cruises. Mostly for people wanting to try them out. Not sure there are enough Parrotheads to make it work, but they are offering a unique selling point to get people on the ship. I anticipate a bunch of tribute bands on board many sailings.
Click to expand...
As @JanT said, they know their market. More options to get people traveling is better than less. Good Luck to 'em!
 
Talent312 said:
His net worth (~$600 million) isn't bad for a singer-songwriter,
who made his mark by singing about Mondays and drinking.

But it's only half of Paul McCartney's (~$1.2 billion). Still...
More than Mick Jagger (~$500 million) and Barbra Streisand (~$400 million).
.
Click to expand...
True. He certainly has done well, and I am not discounting that, but his brand became far more reaching than just writing and singing songs. I was just expecting much more for a man with his name on hotels, resorts, food in the grocery aisle, restaurants, small kitchen appliances and now a cruise ship.
 
I was pretty involved with the Parrothead scene for alot of years. During that time, I founded and ran a successful business related to Parrotheads, Buffett, etc. We actually appeared on the Today Show as part of a Buffett expose, met him, donated a trip to Key West to support one of his benefits in Sag Harbor, NY, spoke with his management company about branding some products bearing his/Margaritaville name. He doesn't lend his name or brand lightly or cheaply - LOL, so we decided against it.

So, I will guarantee you he is very involved in this venture. Most people won't know this but he has always held a tight reign on his career and anything associated with it. He's incredilby shrewd. Back early in his career he kept possession of his own receipts and money from his concerts every night; literally taking it to his room and counting the receipts with it spread out all over his bed. One night one of his band members knocked on the door and Buffett let him in but literally "shooshed" him, saying, "Don't tell anyone I've got this in here. It's the receipts/money from tonight." Obviously he has a whole organization that takes care of that for him but believe me when I tell you he knows exactly what's happening with his brand and controls it tightly. If something doesn't meet his criteria, yeah, it's gone - note some of the Margaritaville restaurants that have closed.

And nope, I wouldn't count on him appearing on that first cruise. He might take a select group of people out for a private voyage but he won't be on it's first maiden cruise with actual passengers. Parrotheads are rabid and once they know for certain he is going to play somewhere they swamp the place. He loves his fans but he got tired of "locals" not being able to get into some of his benefit concerts, etc. because Parrotheads just bought out tickets within minutes. Now, he rarely announces he's going to appear somewhere outside of his normal tour. So, at some point down the line when people least expect it, he'll just pop up on the cruise ship without any announcement beyond some key people that will coordinate it. Just like he did when he popped in at the Daytona Beach, FL Latitude Margaritaville development years back. Imagine your doorbell ringing and you open your door and Buffett's standing there asking you how you like living there. Holy cow!

Parrotheads will support this venture. They'll book cruises for all sorts of things, going back over and over again to the Bahamas. They have a huge Parrothead convention every year in Key West -31 years now. They support Buffett in a way that even he's been surprised at. I'm guessing this venture will be wildly successful. I could be wrong but I don't think so.



dioxide45 said:
I am not really sure how much Jimmy Buffett is really involved in this other than lending (and being paid for) his name to the cruise line. I mean, there are resorts and restaurants, but it seems they license his name and brand to be able to market the product. I am sure Jimmy will be on the first sailing of the cruise line, but other than that he is 100% hands off. Just getting paid to so a company can put his name on the ship. Given the music, resorts, restaurants, mixers, frozen grocery items, alcohol and other ventures, I was actually surprised to learn that Jimmy Buffett wasn't a billionaire. He has more money than he would ever really need, but I really was expecting him to have a much higher net worth than he does given all the places you see his name and brand.
Click to expand...
dioxide45 said:
I am not really sure how much Jimmy Buffett is really involved in this other than lending (and being paid for) his name to the cruise line. I mean, there are resorts and restaurants, but it seems they license his name and brand to be able to market the product. I am sure Jimmy will be on the first sailing of the cruise line, but other than that he is 100% hands off. Just getting paid to so a company can put his name on the ship. Given the music, resorts, restaurants, mixers, frozen grocery items, alcohol and other ventures, I was actually surprised to learn that Jimmy Buffett wasn't a billionaire. He has more money than he would ever really need, but I really was expecting him to have a much higher net worth than he does given all the places you see his name and brand.
Click to expand...
 
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dioxide45 said:
True. He certainly has done well, and I am not discounting that, but his brand became far more reaching than just writing and singing songs. I was just expecting much more for a man with his name on hotels, resorts, food in the grocery aisle, restaurants, small kitchen appliances and now a cruise ship.
Click to expand...

A smart man licensees his name and takes a little less money for a lot less risk. At least when he has enough money to live comfortably without worry.
 
I learned this from a millionaire. It is better to lease your land for 99 years,then to sell it.
Thus, it is better for Jimmy Buffett to use his brand name than to actually own an old cruise ship. IMHO.
 
It's like the disney pixie dust. For some the premium is worth it and others just don't see the attraction.
 
I listen to a off beat talk show when I happen to be in my car in the mornings, Dave and Chuck the Freak. The chatted about this. If I recall they said they were only running 2-3 night cruises and started at $299. They also said a Marguritaville resort was coming to the same general location in FL.

For all you parrot heads. We were in Key West over Thanksgiving and on a food tour and the tour guide asked us what we thought this building was. Rest rooms was our guess. It is actually a recording studio for Buffet and still gets used when he is down there. this is a pic from the internet, when we were there the long white wall had alot of stickers on it.


Capture.PNG
 
JanT said:
And nope, I wouldn't count on him appearing on that first cruise.
Click to expand...
It looks like he made it on the first cruise. I beleive the sailing that is departing today is just for one day as a media event.
 
mdurette said:
It is actually a recording studio for Buffet and still gets used when he is down there.
Click to expand...

When bands are recording there, they used to leave a cooler full of beer in front of that door. "My youth" is the reason bands no longer leave coolers of beer in front of that door.
 
If you are a big Jimmy Buffet fan, Omaze has a drawing to travel to the Antarctic with Jimmy Buffet, meet/greet and see him perform.

www.omaze.com

Win an Adventure to Antarctica With Performances By Jimmy Buffett

Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime voyage to Antarctica, curated by the premiere travel company, Insider Expeditions. Meet Jimmy Buffett, take a photo with him, and even enjoy a couple concerts and a Q&A during your journey. Experience the beauty of Antarctica—plus musical workshops, photography...
www.omaze.com www.omaze.com
 
RX8 said:
If you are a big Jimmy Buffet fan, Omaze has a drawing to travel to the Antarctic with Jimmy Buffet, meet/greet and see him perform.

www.omaze.com

Win an Adventure to Antarctica With Performances By Jimmy Buffett

Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime voyage to Antarctica, curated by the premiere travel company, Insider Expeditions. Meet Jimmy Buffett, take a photo with him, and even enjoy a couple concerts and a Q&A during your journey. Experience the beauty of Antarctica—plus musical workshops, photography...
www.omaze.com www.omaze.com
Click to expand...
Antartica? No, thanks. I hear it’s cold there.
 
I have been a JB fan from the start. I actually have his "Cumberland Express" LP. Hearing that there is going to be a "Euphoria Lounge" brings back fond memories of the Euphoria Tavern in Portland, OR where I saw him perform in the early 70s. Heck, when the Margaritaville song first came out and hit the top 40s I whined "Jimmy sold out".
 
sorry hit the wrong button! In continuation.....I saw him in concert again that year (and by then he had moved up to the Coliseum, the biggest venue in Portland) with the "Coral Reefers" doing the "oooh, ooooh" thing in the background and was appalled. But I got over it. The best part was when he sang us part of an (at that time) unfinished song "we are the people our parents warned us about".

Even all these years later, my ears perk up if I hear an "early" JB song. I am happy for his success and wish him well, but IMHO for a true diehard fan, the best times were pre-Margaritaville.
 
I was a student at a University in the early 70's when Jimmy and Coral Reefer Band performed free in an open air concert on the Lawn...

His most recent album - A1A - would be played at block parties, along with significant quantities of alcohol and "reefer." -- The next day, we'd partake of the leftover warm beer and cold pizza.

Those were the days...

.
 
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