Margaritaville at Sea has made its debut, welcoming several hundred VIPs, partners, community members and travel advisors for the official christening of its flagship vessel, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise last week.
The exciting one-night sailing included a traditional christening ceremony and a surprise live concert with singer, songwriter and best-selling author Jimmy Buffett.
The christening ceremony for Margaritaville at Sea Paradise was held at the Stars on the Water Theater, where John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville, Oneil Khosa, CEO of Margaritaville at Sea and Kevin Sheehan Jr, President of Margaritaville at Sea spoke about their partnership and participated in a traditional bottle-breaking ceremony to officially christen the ship, the company said, in a press release.
“This journey has not been an easy one, and we’ve battled many challenges, but the best part about Margaritaville at Sea is that this product is so truly innovative, we only have ourselves to compete with, as we push to deliver an unprecedented experience to travelers that gets better and better,” said Oneil Khosa, chief executive officer of Margaritaville at Sea. “It is an honor to celebrate this important milestone as we embark upon a new chapter as Margaritaville at Sea. This is a moment to remember, and we are fortunate to have so many friends, family members and valued partners onboard with us to mark the occasion.”
John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville, added: “We are excited to celebrate this watershed moment, pun intended, and the much-anticipated debut of Margaritaville at Sea. On behalf of the Margaritaville family, I’d like to thank everyone that helped us get here and we look forward to many years of smooth sailing ahead.”
As part of the christening ceremony, NFL Game Changer Award winner Shaquem Griffin was introduced as Godfather. As he spoke about what the title means to him, Griffin said, “it is an honor to serve as an extension of the amazing Margaritaville family and to be chosen as the godfather of Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. This company has continually strived to be better than it was before, and I am proud to be onboard as part of the journey.”
After Griffin spoke, Pastor Christine Bandy-Helderman blessed the ship. A video was shown depicting the ship’s transformation and preparation to be christened. In an emotional moment, Margaritaville at Sea President Kevin Sheehan, Jr. acknowledged his parents and spoke about the journey of their family cruise business before sharing a list of nationalities represented by the ship’s crew and encouraging guests to honor crew members from the Ukraine – including the ship’s captain and staff captain. The ceremony ended with a celebratory moment, as attendees were covered in streamers and beach balls.
On May 14th, following the christening and private inaugural sailing, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise set sail on her first passenger sailing.
