Harland & Wolff is transforming the former Costa Fortuna into Margaritaville at Sea’s new flagship, Beachcomber, with an extensive refurbishment underway at its Belfast shipyard.

The project will give the 2003-built vessel a new look and onboard experience ahead of its scheduled debut in January 2027. Updated staterooms, redesigned public areas and new venues will form part of the conversion into the cruise line’s third and largest ship. The work is expected to take approximately 12 weeks.

For Belfast, the refurbishment brings a significant boost to the maritime industry. The programme is expected to generate around £40 million for the regional economy through shipyard work, supplier contracts and related business activity. This is the estimated economic impact, rather than a disclosed value of the shipyard contract.

Harland & Wolff, part of Navantia UK, says Beachcomber represents its largest cruise ship refurbishment project in Belfast since the acquisition. Its workforce and specialist local suppliers will carry out the transformation as Margaritaville at Sea expands its fleet.

The cruise line has returned to the same yard that refurbished Margaritaville at Sea Islander in 2024. That project converted another former Costa ship, Costa Atlantica, for its new role. Margaritaville’s Chief Maritime Officer, Minas Miliaras, said the workmanship and expertise shown on Islander gave the company confidence to choose Belfast again.

Following the refit, Beachcomber is scheduled to cross the Atlantic and begin welcoming passengers at PortMiami in January 2027. Its opening season will feature itineraries to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Florida.