Paradise lost and regained: Margaritaville ship back at sea after failing safety inspection
Guests on board Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville at Sea Paradise cruise ship were forced to return to dry land this week when the U.S. Coast Guard issued a no-sail order for the recently christened cruise ship.
The Margaritaville at Sea Paradise is a 30-year-old ship (previously run by Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line) that recently underwent a multimillion-dollar Margaritaville-themed refurbishment.
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The ship was scheduled to sail from Florida's Port of Palm Beach to Freeport, Grand Bahama, on July 13, but when passengers awoke on July 14, the boat had never left the port. The passengers disembarked that same day, according to local news station WPTV in West Palm Beach.
All guests were compensated due to the cancellation.
During the ship's annual "Certificate of Compliance" exam, Port State Control officers from Marine Safety Detachment Lake Worth identified issues that had to be rectified for the safety of crew and passengers.
Related: Margaritaville at Sea sets sail on choppy waters: Why you should wait to book a cruise
Typically, if the Coast Guard finds minor issues during an inspection, they will still allow the cruise line to address the issues over time. They will only issue a no-sail order for safety issues that must be fixed immediately.
In this case, "the ship’s certificate of compliance was temporarily suspended while work onboard was completed in the port, primarily related to the closure of automated doors," according to a statement from Oneil Khosa, CEO of Margaritaville at Sea. "We cooperated fully and completed all necessary work to return to safe service and welcome guests back onboard in under 48 hours."
"Margaritaville At Sea’s top priority is to ensure the safety of our guests and crew members. Our cruise line's shoreside and shipboard teams worked closely with the United States Coast Guard to expeditiously address the issue and were cleared for sailing this morning following an inspection of work completed," the statement continued.
Margaritaville at Sea cruise line, which operates two-night sailings to Freeport and back every other day, has resumed normal operations for this weekend's sailing. It will leave today at 5 p.m. for Freeport and return to Port of Palm Beach on Sunday morning.
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Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
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Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees