Margaritaville Partners With Norwegian Cruise Lines For New Offshore Adventures
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
Norwegian Escape Liner to Feature Jimmy Buffet Restaurant, 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar
Norwegian Cruise Line has announced that it is ready to set sail for an exclusive partnership with Margaritaville®, Jimmy Buffet’s trademark restaurant. 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."
The Norwegian Escape liner will soon feature the first-ever floating Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant and 5 O'Clock Somewhere Bar, according to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd
The exclusive partnership with Margaritaville Holdings LLC extends to Norwegian's island destinations including the new Harvest Caye in Belize and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas, as well as other ships in the fleet.
"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 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar will feature live entertainment nightly, and signature margaritas and “boat drinks” like Rum Runners and Bahama Mamas while enjoying the majestic Caribbean Sea.
“Norwegian Escape's Margaritaville restaurant and bar will embody that essence of escapism with a laid back atmosphere inspired by the lyrics and lifestyle of Jimmy Buffett. Nostalgic island moments will come to life with a menu that invites guests to take a bite out of paradise with signature items like the Cheeseburger in Paradise and Who's to Blame Margarita,” reads the press release.
"This partnership is a perfect match between two brands that celebrate escapism, relaxing and having fun," said John Cohlan, chief executive officer of Margaritaville. "Opening our first Margaritaville at Sea on Norwegian Escape will be a huge milestone for our company. We can't wait to bring the Margaritaville experience to Norwegian guests and let the floating ?fin' begin!"
Along with the venues on Norwegian Escape, the partnership also includes Margaritaville branded food and beverage locations on Norwegian's new island destination in Harvest Caye, Belize, set to open in fall 2015 and a 5 O'Clock Somewhere Bar on Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas, planned to also debut in 2015. In the future, the partnership will extend to other ships in the fleet.
The weekly Norwegian Escape seven-day cruises will begin November 14, 2015, and the ship will carry 4,200 guests to tropical Caribbean destinations including St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.
Margaritaville is also teaming up with Wyndham Worldwide to open a vacation ownership resort on the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Thomas, and a new flagship resort in Hollywood, Fla., that will have eight restaurants, including two new concepts: the upscale JWB Prime Steak and Seafood and a food truck called Floriday’s Food Trailer, according to the Nation’s Restaurant News. Margaritaville restaurants have also begun streamlining and upgrading their menus, mirroring industry trends.