Harland & Wolff Transforms Former Costa Fortuna into Beachcomber for Margaritaville

The former Costa Fortuna arrived at Harland & Wolff's shipyard in Belfast to begin a major conversion project that will turn her into Margaritaville at Sea's new flagship vessel, to be renamed Beachcomber. The ship will undergo an extensive refit before entering service as the cruise line's third and largest vessel.

According to Cruise Mapper, the drydock project will last approximately 12 weeks and will include refurbished staterooms, redesigned public spaces and new onboard amenities, aimed at delivering a new guest experience ahead of the ship's debut from PortMiami. Harland & Wolff noted that this is its largest cruise ship refit project in Belfast since the company became part of Navantia UK.

Sources differ on the estimated economic impact of the project for the region: Portal Portuario reported that approximately USD 55 million is expected for the regional economy through the program, while Cruise Mapper estimated an impact of approximately £40 million generated by shipyard activity, supplier contracts and associated businesses.

This marks the second collaboration between Harland & Wolff and Margaritaville at Sea, following the successful 2024 conversion of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander, converted from the former Costa Atlantica. According to Cruise Mapper, Margaritaville at Sea's Chief Maritime Officer, Minas Miliaras, stated that the quality of that previous project and the shipyard's technical expertise influenced the decision to choose Belfast again for this new conversion.

Once the refit is complete, the Beachcomber is expected to cross the Atlantic and begin welcoming passengers from PortMiami in January 2027, with an inaugural season that would include itineraries to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and destinations in Florida. Harland & Wolff also emphasized that it continues to expand its ship repair capabilities as part of Navantia UK.