Cruise passengers will no longer need to wait to reach land to enjoy the delights of Margaritaville. Jimmy Buffett’s popular restaurant and the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar are coming to the new Norwegian Escape in 2015, according to tweets from the line’s Twitter account.
The first Margaritaville at sea was announced today by Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Kevin Sheehan at a company meeting in Miami, where singer Jimmy Buffet performed on stage.
Buffet also confirmed the announcement via Twitter, writing: “Jimmy Buffett’s #Margaritaville & 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar coming to #NorwegianEscape of the @CruiseNorwegian line in 2015! #FinsUpAtSea.”
In a statement, Norwegian confirmed the exclusive partnership with Margaritaville Holdings LLC extends to other ships in the fleet as well as the line’s island destinations. Set to open next year, Margaritaville-branded food and beverage locations are slated for the new Harvest Caye in Belize, while A 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar is planned for Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.
“Jimmy Buffett is an icon who embodies the island lifestyle and his Margaritaville lifestyle brand which includes restaurants and bars in its portfolio is a perfect fit for Norwegian Cruise Line and the incredible new Norwegian Escape, that will sail the Caribbean and offer our guests the first and only Margaritaville experience at sea,” said Sheehan. “We are more than thrilled to form this exclusive partnership with Jimmy and his talented team and we know our guests are going to love the new tropical experiences.”
The Margaritaville restaurant will be one of the ship’s complimentary dining venues. In addition to the restaurant, Escape will feature the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar, which will host live nightly performances, a separate music venue, and an outdoor bar on The Waterfront.
The 4,200-passenger Norwegian Escape begins weekly seven-day cruises from Miami to the Eastern Caribbean from November 14, 2015.
There’s no word yet on which other ships will receive the new venues, but we’ll keep you posted.
