Zac Brown has a new title to add to the résumé: ship godfather. Margaritaville at Sea has named the country-rock frontman Godfather of its upcoming ship, the Beachcomber, and he'll do the honours in person at a christening ceremony in Miami on January 9, 2027. After the naming, he'll play a set for guests before the vessel sails off on its inaugural cruise.
It's not a random celebrity booking. Brown has been working with the line for a while — he helped design the Beachcomber's Same Boat venue, a live music space that will host a rotating lineup of artists throughout the ship's first season. "It's been so much fun working with the Margaritaville at Sea family to bring Same Boat on Beachcomber to life," Brown said in the announcement. CEO Christopher Ivy called the godfather role a natural next step for a partnership that keeps expanding.
The tie-up goes beyond the ship. Margaritaville at Sea is the presenting sponsor of the Zac Brown Band's 27-date Love & Fear U.S. Tour, and Brown went big at the Fenway Park stop — giving a Margaritaville at Sea cruise to every single fan in the ballpark. There's more live music on the horizon, too: on January 28, 2027, Brown will headline an exclusive concert in Nassau when the Beachcomber, Islander and Paradise converge in port for the first-ever gathering of the entire Margaritaville at Sea fleet.
As for the ship itself, the Beachcomber launches from PortMiami with more than 15 bars, restaurants and entertainment venues, alongside the laid-back favourites regulars already know. Its debut season covers four- to eight-night sailings to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, then it shifts homeports to Galveston, Texas in October 2027 for itineraries to Mexico and the Western Caribbean.
Why should this matter to you? If you like your cruise with a soundtrack, the opening season is the time to book — Same Boat's live acts, a godfather performance on day one, and a one-off fleet party in Nassau all land within the first few weeks. Short four-night sailings also make it an easy first cruise or a quick winter escape from Florida, and Galveston departures open the line up to travellers in the middle of the country who'd rather skip the Miami flight.
