Miami-Dade County commissioners are scheduled to vote July 21 on a five year preferential berthing agreement that would give Margaritaville at Sea priority use of PortMiami’s Cruise Terminal C on specified dates. The proposal covers about 170 calls, starts with the line’s first scheduled call on January 9, 2027, and carries a guaranteed county revenue estimate of $23.15 million.
The vote matters most to travelers considering Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber, the line’s incoming flagship and planned Miami ship. The agreement would create a durable terminal framework for its first several seasons, but it would not guarantee that every passenger always uses Terminal C because PortMiami retains defined reassignment rights.
- Vote date: The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to consider matter 260906 on July 21, 2026.
- Initial term: The proposed agreement runs from the first vessel call on January 9, 2027, through April 30, 2031.
- Port commitment: Margaritaville at Sea would receive first priority at Cruise Terminal C on confirmed dates, not exclusive ownership of the terminal.
- Financial floor: County staff projects at least $23.15 million in guaranteed revenue and about one million passenger movements during the initial term.
- Traveler limit: Construction, government directives or a force majeure event could still move a sailing to another available terminal.
What Miami-Dade is being asked to approve
The county’s official agenda packet for matter 260906 asks the Board to approve an agreement with Classica Cruise Operator Ltd., which does business as Margaritaville at Sea. It would authorize the county mayor or the mayor’s designee to execute the contract and exercise its approval, denial and termination provisions.
This is still a proposed agreement as of July 14, not a completed Board approval. An earlier county committee advanced the item, but the July 21 Board vote is the next formal decision point and should not be described as a finished authorization before commissioners act.
Seatrade Cruise News reported that the arrangement would be PortMiami’s first preferential berthing agreement with a new cruise line since its 2019 agreement with Virgin Voyages. That makes the item more than a routine call schedule because it formalizes the young line’s position at the port for several years.
How the Terminal C rights would work
Preferential berthing means a Margaritaville at Sea vessel would have first priority at Cruise Terminal C on the dates confirmed in the agreement or in a later county approved berth schedule. The rights are not exclusive, and the agreement does not lease Terminal C or transfer any county property interest to the cruise line.
The initial term would begin with the first scheduled vessel call on January 9, 2027, and continue through April 30, 2031. The parties could mutually agree to as many as two additional five year renewal terms, provided they give the required written notice before the current term expires.
County staff says the attached schedule represents approximately 170 calls. Margaritaville at Sea would guarantee payment around those confirmed calls, with the minimum annual guarantee calculated as if each listed vessel sailed at full occupancy unless the county directed a cancellation.
The first year combined wharfage and dockage fee would be capped at $24.87 per passenger movement. The rate could then rise with PortMiami’s tariff, subject to an annual cap of 3 percent, while water, shore power, fuel and other defined charges remain separate.
Why the agreement does not promise one terminal every time
PortMiami would keep the right to temporarily reassign a Margaritaville at Sea call when a force majeure event, government directive or construction work requires it. The construction language specifically includes the North Bulkhead Rehabilitation Project and the Berth 10 project, both of which can affect how the port allocates available facilities.
The county says it would make reasonable efforts to give at least 12 months of notice and reduce operating disruption when using that reassignment power. That is a planning protection for the line, but it is not a promise to individual passengers that a terminal change will always be known a year before their cruise.
For travelers, the practical rule remains to verify the terminal assignment in final cruise documents and again close to departure. Anyone arranging a transfer from Miami International Airport can use Deep Arrival’s Miami airport to cruise port guide for distance and ground planning, then follow the operator’s current instructions for the exact drop off point.
Beachcomber is the central ship in the Miami plan
Margaritaville at Sea identifies Beachcomber as its largest ship and says it will sail from Miami beginning in 2027. The line’s official Beachcomber page lists Caribbean itineraries, including four to eight night options, while the county agreement names Beachcomber alongside Paradise and Islander as vessels that could use the berthing rights.
Beachcomber is currently Costa Fortuna and is due to undergo a substantial conversion before joining the brand. The berthing agreement does not approve that ship conversion, set cruise fares or replace the line’s passenger contract, so travelers should separate the county’s port decision from the operator’s sales and onboard product promises.
The county projects about one million passenger movements during the five year term rather than one million individual travelers. Its definition counts embarkations, disembarkations and passengers remaining in transit, so the figure is a port activity measure and should not be read as a guaranteed number of unique guests.
What changes if commissioners approve the item
| Question | If approved | What remains open |
|---|---|---|
| Where does the line get priority? | Cruise Terminal C on confirmed dates | The county may reassign calls under defined conditions |
| How long is the initial commitment? | January 9, 2027, through April 30, 2031 | Two later five year renewals require mutual agreement |
| What revenue is guaranteed? | At least about $23.15 million during the initial term | Higher passenger volume could add revenue |
| Does the vote finalize every cruise detail? | No, it authorizes the county agreement | Fares, final schedules and passenger instructions remain with the line |
Approval would give the operator and port a defined framework for berth priority, fees, incentives and minimum payments. It would also give travelers a clearer reason to expect PortMiami to remain the line’s planned base for Beachcomber through the first several seasons.
A delay, amendment or rejection would not automatically cancel a booked cruise. It would mean the proposed county framework had not taken effect in its current form, so travelers should wait for an operator notice before drawing conclusions about any itinerary or departure.
What travelers should verify
- Before the vote: Treat the Terminal C agreement as pending and avoid presenting the county item as final approval.
- Before booking transport: Use the port name for early planning, but wait for final documents before locking a terminal specific pickup or drop off.
- Near departure: Recheck the terminal assignment because construction and other defined events can trigger a reassignment.
- When comparing cruises: Evaluate the published Beachcomber itinerary and passenger terms separately from the county’s port agreement.
- After July 21: Look for the Board result or a direct operator update rather than relying on reports that still describe the item as proposed.
The useful takeaway is narrow: PortMiami and Margaritaville at Sea have put a detailed multi year operating framework before the full county Board. If approved, it would support Beachcomber’s Miami deployment while preserving enough county control that passengers must still verify the terminal assigned to their own sailing.
Has Miami-Dade already approved the Margaritaville at Sea agreement?
Not at the full Board level as of July 14. Matter 260906 is scheduled for consideration by the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners on July 21, 2026.
Which PortMiami terminal would Margaritaville at Sea use?
The proposed agreement grants preferential rights at Cruise Terminal C on confirmed dates. PortMiami could temporarily reassign a call for defined construction, government or force majeure reasons.
When would the five year term begin?
The initial term would begin with the first scheduled vessel call on January 9, 2027, and continue through April 30, 2031.
Does the agreement guarantee that Beachcomber will always depart from Terminal C?
No. It gives the line first priority at Terminal C on confirmed dates, but the county retains specific reassignment rights and passengers should verify the terminal for each sailing.
