Margaritaville at Sea will bring its cruise ships to Costa Rica for the first time in 2028, adding the Caribbean port of Limón to its schedule. The Florida-based line announced the new port call as part of a 2028 lineup of 30 itineraries. The company’s ship Islander will call at Limón on new eight-night voyages from Tampa. The route also stops in Colón, Panama, and Grand Cayman and includes four days at sea, according to the company.
Limón and Colón are the only ports on the 2028 schedule that the line has never visited. The company is marketing Limón as a gateway to Costa Rica’s rainforests and Caribbean coastline, and the sailings are already on sale. “We’ve built our 2028 lineup around the idea that no two escapes have to look the same,” said Christopher Ivy, chief executive officer of Margaritaville at Sea.
The announcement adds yet another brand to a port that has been drawing new cruise lines. Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady made its first call in Limón in January. In February, the Norwegian Escape, the largest ship of the 2025-2026 season, docked there for the first time with 4,094 passengers and 1,608 crew members aboard, according to Japdeva, the state agency that runs Costa Rica’s Caribbean ports.
Japdeva reports that Limón averaged 188,931 cruise passengers over its last three seasons. It projects 286,900 passengers in 2027, about 98,000 more than that average. Limón’s cruise season generally runs from October through May. Japdeva has said visitors spread out across all six areas of the province, with stops ranging from Parque Vargas in the city center to the canals of Tortuguero.
The new calls come as Costa Rica moves ahead with plans for a marina and cruise terminal in Limón. In July, President Laura Fernández signed a law reforming Japdeva’s founding legislation so the agency can partner with private investors on the project. Japdeva’s master plan covers about 27 hectares (67 acres) at the Hernán Garrón Salazar terminal. It includes an expanded cruise pier able to berth two large ships at once, handling between 8,000 and 10,000 passengers on a peak day.
The agency estimates the maritime works, including a breakwater, dredging, cruise piers and the marina, at $155.3 million for the first phase and $89.9 million for the second. It expects to select a private partner in 2027, part of a broader push to upgrade Limón as a tourism and port city.
Margaritaville at Sea began sailing in 2022 through a partnership with the Margaritaville brand built around the music of Jimmy Buffett, who died in 2023. Islander, a former Costa Cruises ship, joined the line in June 2024.
