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The U.S. Coast Guard has some good news for Jimmy Buffett fans and others who love cruising the high seas.
The Margaritaville at Sea Paradise cruise ship has been cleared to set sail.
The Coast Guard confirms it has lifted a No Sail Order given to the ship that's been docked at the Port of Palm Beach since earlier this week.
It was supposed to set off for Freeport in the Bahamas on Wednesday, but passengers woke up on Thursday to discover they were still at port. They were finally allowed to disembark the ship sometime Thursday afternoon and given compensation for their inconvenience, according to the ship's CEO.
The order was issued after some safety concerns cropped up during a routine examination which is held twice a year, in accordance with federal law.
The Margaritaville at Sea Paradise ship is operated in part by Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Resorts.
We received the following statement on Friday.
Chief Executive Officer of Margaritaville at Sea, Oneil Khosa:
On July 13, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise was unable to move forward with its planned departure due to corrective action the United States Coast Guard flagged during a routine inspection. All guests were disembarked from the ship and received compensation for the inconvenience.
Margaritaville At Sea’s top priority is to ensure the safety of our guests and crew members. Our cruise line's shoreside and shipboard teams worked closely with the United States Coast Guard to expeditiously address the issue and were cleared for sailing this morning following an inspection of work completed.
For purpose of clarification, the ship’s certificate of compliance was temporarily suspended while work onboard was completed in the port, primarily related to the closure of automated doors. We cooperated fully and completed all necessary work to return to safe service and welcome guests back onboard in under 48 hours.
Margaritaville at Sea is appreciative of our partnership with the USCG and their commitment to aiding and ensuring the safety of all guests and crew members.
Margaritaville at Sea Paradise returns to its regular sailing schedule, departing from the Port of Palm Beach at 5 p.m. today.