Margaritaville at Sea now has two cruise ships, and both feature different drink package structures. To help you differentiate the packages and decide whether purchasing one is right for you, we’ve put together this complete guide to Margaritaville at Sea drink packages.

Complete Guide to Margaritaville at Sea Drink Packages (2024)

What drinks do you get free on Margaritaville at Sea?

While alcoholic drinks and specialty beverages cost extra on Margaritaville at Sea, there are some drinks that are included in the cruise fare. These include filtered water, tea (hot and iced), drip coffee, lemonade, and juice.

Beverages that cost extra include alcoholic drinks, soda, bottled water, mocktails, bottled/canned drinks, and specialty coffee.

Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Drink Packages

Instead of having a traditional alcoholic drink package, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise offers two options for guests to pre-pay for 10 drinks at a set price. This system essentially operates like a pre-paid punch card program, but with an RFID bracelet instead. There’s also the Blender Cup Package, which we’ll detail as well.

Boat Drinks

The Boat Drinks option allows for 10 cocktails, beer, wine, and/or mocktails worth up to $12 each. For top-shelf beverages, guests just have to pay the difference above the $12 limit. Boat Drinks costs $99 per person.

No Doubts

The No Doubts option allows for 10 specialty cocktails, liquor, beer, or wine by the glass. However, there is no price restriction. This option costs $119 per person.

Both the Boat Drinks and No Doubts programs include an RFID keepsake wristband that are preloaded with 10 drink credits. Both options require that you use two drink credits for double shots. The 18 percent gratuity is included in the price of the package.

Blender Cup Package

The Blender Cup Package includes a 22 oz. souvenir Blender Cup filled with a Boat Drink, and allows for five additional refills throughout the cruise. Boat Drinks, margaritas, and a limited selection of specialty cocktails can be used for the refills.

This comes in the form of an RFID keepsake wristband that is preloaded with six drink credits with no price maximum. The 18 percent gratuity is included in the price of the package, which is $119 per person.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander Drink Package

Unlike on Paradise, Margaritaville at Sea Islander has a more traditional beverage package that cruisers who are familiar with other lines will be used to. The ship’s alcoholic drinks package, called Ultimate Beverage Chill, costs $59.99 per person, per night.

It includes all beers, wines by the glass, cocktails, and Boat Drinks worth up to $20 each. Soda and 500 ml bottled water are also included, as are juices and mocktails. There’s also a 25 percent discount for wine and champagne by the bottle.

The package does not include bottles of liquor, buckets of beer, blender cups or blender cup refills, bottles of water larger than 500 ml, specialty coffee drinks from the Margaritaville Coffee Shop, canned/bottled items like Gatorade and Red Bull, in-room wine service and mini bar, or any beverages ordered from room service.

Drinks purchased through the Ultimate Beverage Chill package may not be shared with other cruisers. Only one drink may be ordered and served at a time. There’s a daily limit of 15 alcoholic and specialty beverages per guest (this does not include soda and bottled water).

If a beverage costs more than $20, the guest must pay the difference. The $59.99 per night price does not include an 18 percent service charge, which is included in the final price when purchasing the package.

Unlimited Soda Package

The Unlimited Soda Package is available for $10 per person, per day on both Margaritaville at Sea ships. It includes unlimited refills of fountain sodas (the cruise line carries Coca-Cola products) and a Margaritaville at Sea souvenir cup. An 18 percent service gratuity is automatically added to the package price at checkout.

Only one soda may be ordered at a time, and they cannot be shared with other guests. To redeem the package, head to the designated pickup location once on the ship.

How do you purchase drink packages on Margaritaville at Sea?

If you want to add a beverage package when you’re initially making your cruise booking, you can add it to your cart at checkout.

To add it onto an existing reservation, you will need to call Margaritaville at Sea at 877-553-5299. A guest management portal, called Cruise Control, is also in the works. This will give guests the ability to add a package to their reservation once their cruise booking is paid in full.

You also have the option to add a drink package to your cruise once on board, either on the first or second day of the sailing.

Margaritaville at Sea Drink Prices

To get an idea of how much drinks cost on Margaritaville at Sea, plan to spend about $12 to $15 for most cocktails. Signature cocktails on the high end at around $15. Wine costs around $10 to $12 per glass, and beer will run you around $8.50 to $9.

Bottles of water are $2.50 each, and soda costs $2.50. For specialty coffees, plan to pay similar prices to what you’d pay at Starbucks. For instance, an espresso is $3, a medium latte is $5.25, and medium iced frappes are $5.50.

Can just one person get a drink package on Margaritaville at Sea?

If one guest in a stateroom purchases the Ultimate Beverage Chill package, all other guests in the same cabin that are 21+ must also purchase the package. Limited exceptions to this policy (such as a documented medical condition) may be made at the discretion of the cruise line and may require authorized approval.

You must be 21 or older to purchase any alcoholic beverage package. Minors are not required to get the soda package when adults in the same cabin get a drink package.

Is the Margaritaville at Sea drink package worth it?

Margaritaville at Sea Paradise

When thinking about whether the Margaritaville at Sea drink package is worth it on Paradise, let’s talk about the Boat Drinks package first. If you plan to buy mostly $12 and $13 cocktails, the plan is easily worth it as it costs $99 and $12 x 10 is $120. For $13 cocktails, you’d only pay $10 in additional fees ($1 extra per drink) and that still puts you below the menu price at $109.

If you’re going to mostly be drinking beer and wine, the package may not be worth it. Those beverages generally cost less per glass than a cocktail. So, you’ll want to do the math to decide if the package is right for you.

The No Doubts package is similar: if you plan to mostly purchase $14 and $15 cocktails and top-shelf spirits, this is easily worth it as those incur a higher price tag. For example, ten $14 cocktails is $140 list price, and ten $15 cocktails is $150 list price — both above the $119 cost of the No Doubts package.

With the Blender Cup package, you get six 22 oz. Boat Drinks. Keep in mind that 22 oz. is about double the size of a normal cocktail, so it’s like getting the quantity of 12 cocktails for $119. Plus you get a Blender Cup souvenir. If you’re happy with drinking a lot (or sharing) with each serving, the Blender Cup package is a great value.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander

The package on Islander is $60 per day and includes drinks worth up to $20 each. If you drink around five cocktails per day, you’ll break even. The same goes for if you drink seven beers or five to six glasses of wine. The fact that some nonalcoholic beverages are included also helps with the value. Do remember that specialty coffee, room service drinks, and blender cup beverages aren’t included though.

Whether or not the drink package is worth the price ultimately depends on your preferences and what you plan to drink during your sailing.

Here are two things to keep in mind. Your cruise has port days where you’ll spend many hours off the ship and not take advantage of your drink package. You also need to remember that if you’re traveling with another 21+ adult in the same cabin, they must purchase the package too. If one person is a non-drinker, it may make more sense to go a la carte.

Soda Package

Lastly, you’ll break even on the soda package if you purchase four sodas (at $2.50 each). If you’ll be drinking that much or more per day, it’s probably easiest to prepay for the soda package. That way, you won’t have to think about the price at all during your cruise!

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Heidi and I were among the first cruisers to test out Margaritaville at Sea when the new cruise line launched in 2022. Now, the cruise line has another “new” ship. The former Costa Atlantica underwent a multi-million dollar makeover to re-emerge as Margaritaville at Sea Islander. We are back from a recent sailing and share what it’s really like on the second ship in this fleet with our honest Margaritaville at Sea Islander cruise ship review scorecard.

What It is Really Like on Margaritaville at Sea Islander

An Improved Layout and Design

Unlike the first ship in the fleet, the 85K gross ton Islander has a more familiar layout given it’s a Carnival Corp. Spirit class vessel. Likewise, it is very apparent that MVAS Islander received a more complete renovation than Margaritaville at Sea’s first vessel. Thus, the ship feels more in align with the lifestyle brand in terms of colors, décor, and atmosphere.

Although, elements of the old Costa Cruises ship are still peeking through in some areas. For instance, a large mermaid in the middle of the Tiki Pool still stands, now holding a giant margarita in her hand.

Additionally, the Hot Hot Hot Night Club presumably didn’t receive many updates either. In fact, the chairs and tables look like they were holdovers from the previous ship’s owner. There’s also some other signs of the ship’s age as evidenced in multiple maintenance issues that were being addressed.

However, Margaritaville at Sea Islander does boast over 10 bars and lounges that are well-themed, with new names, beachy colors, and funky furniture.

The two dining rooms on decks 2 and 3 offer unique dining experiences, but both have nods to island life as well. Pops of seafoam blue and small details like the nets on the lights in the Fins Main Dining Room give this restaurant a seaside vibe. The more upscale Islander Dining Room on deck 3 complements its counterpart with a similar aesthetic.

Further, cruisers can’t miss the brand’s signature flip flop in the 9-story atrium. Adorned with fish, parakeets, and a sea plane, this focal point is lively, open, and where everyone’s cruise begins. It is a fitting introduction to what’s in store on Margaritaville at Sea Islander.

The Staterooms on Margaritaville at Sea Islander

The staterooms on Margaritaville at Sea Islander are fresh and upbeat. The bright color palette, new furniture, and fun accents gave the cabin a beachy glow. Our balcony cabin, stateroom 7175, was an extended balcony cabin on the starboard side, forward of the midship bank of elevators.

This stateroom had plenty of space and storage for the two of us. Its layout ensured we had a comfortable stay during our five-day cruise.

Immediately upon entering the room, our closet was on the left, and the bathroom was on the right.

Inside, the cabin had a refinished desk/vanity setup with some drawers, the mini-fridge and the television, along with three small closets that featured a series of shelves and clothes bars with hangers, and a seating area. Nautically inspired lamps, shoreline art, and funky accents certainly put us “On Islander Time”.

The ship is 25 years old, so the desk only had one 220-volt and one 110-volt outlet. However, the new lamps on each side of the bed contained a USB and USB-C connection. Thus, we were able to charge multiple devices overnight without issue.

After a long day ashore, we had no problems falling asleep on the deluxe Margaritaville bedding and mattress.

The balcony was quite large, with more than enough space for the two chairs and table. It was our place to enjoy the views away from the crowds of the pool deck.

Of all the updates in the room, the bathroom seemed to have the fewest improvements. Still, it offered adequate storage, liquid hand soap, and bath products in the shower. We would have liked a shower door instead of the branded shower curtain. Yet, it was still a vast improvement over the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise bathrooms.

Wasted Away Again on the Pool Deck

The 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool and the Landshark Pool received some minor upgrades, but they made quite a difference. Some new tables and chairs, art, palm trees, and a few coats of paint breathed new life into this 25 year old pool deck.

Various loungers, tables, and some day beds are available next to these pools; though, we would have expected more. The pools and nearby hot tubs were definitely popular places to be on hot sea days.

Our ship was sailing at about 90% of double occupancy. Yet, it was never an issue getting a lounger on the deck 10 sundeck.

Aft on deck 9 is the Tiki Pool and Tiki Bar. This is an adults-only area. We liked the large and shaded bar in this area but felt the space overall received only a minor facelift. There were a couple of cabana-style huts, one hammock, three daybeds, and some lounge chairs.

Given its size though, this aft pool and sun deck could have used more fun and funky furniture to go with the island theme of the bar and nearby up-charge eateries.

With many onboard embracing the no shirt, no shoes, no problem mindset, the pool decks were a lively and fun place throughout the entire cruise. With a variety of poolside music, Fins Up crew activities, and plenty of margaritas, the vibe on the outdoor decks would make any parrothead proud.

Sports Deck

Forward on deck 11 is the Dis ‘N Dat sports deck. It is home to a small running track with approximately 16 laps equaling one mile. There’s also a 9-hole mini golf course and an interesting cornhole course. It wouldn’t be a new ship if there wasn’t a pickleball court here, too.

We appreciated the attempt at branding the mini-golf course, but half the course is located near the ship vents, so your golf balls are blown all over the course. Also, for many, it is confusing where the course begins and ends, as the first three holes are alongside the last 3 holes.

The cornhole course is a unique family-friendly touch not found on most cruise ships. It features very on-brand elements, but we weren’t sure how to score this game.

Currently, guests must secure pickleball equipment, mini-golf clubs, and golf balls from the towel stand down on deck 9. I’m not sure what this says about the cruise line or its guests that we were not trusted to have access to these necessities at the sports deck like every other cruise line.

Additionally, aft on deck 11 is the Caribbean Amphibian Play Pad and slide. This outdoor playground is designed for little kids, but it’s in direct sunlight with no shade. So, we never saw many junior cruisers testing out this addition.

There is also a small fitness center forward on deck 5. It has some new equipment, like treadmills, stationary bikes, and a small free-weight section. But this small space is not on par with modern gyms on most cruise ships.

Finally, on deck 9 is the St. Somewhere Spa and Salon. This renovated space offers traditional massages and treatments as well as hair, nail, and other beauty services. However, there is no thermal suite.

Main Dining Room

Perhaps the main dining room was the biggest letdown for us when it came to dining. For our cruise, the Fins Dining Room served sit-down breakfast and dinner daily, but there was no sea day lunch.

For breakfast, Margaritaville at Sea Islander offered omelets, eggs benedict, pancakes, and French toast.

At night, dinner is open seating from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Like most major cruise lines, the menu rotates each evening. However, there are no standard items, like steak or chicken. Although, there was at least one vegetarian dish on the menu each night.

Given its open seating, there are no set dinner times and guests can not pre-make reservations. This resulted in long wait times. The few times we tried to get a table, we were told it was a 40-45 minute wait.

So, we opted to eat at the Islander Dining Room on deck 3. This restaurant is reserved for suite guests, but other guests can pay $20 a person to dine here as well. For those with a dining package, one dinner at Islander is included.

Besides some linens on the table, the menu is mostly the same in the two restaurants. The Islander menu does include three upgraded starters, two unique entrees, and one dessert each evening in addition to the selections on the Fins menu.

We wouldn’t say that anything in the main dining room wowed us. The gumbo and flat iron steak on Night 4 were well-prepared with plenty of flavor. Night 5 featured a braised short rib and stir-fried rice, which were also among the better options we sampled. I also enjoyed the bread pudding dessert and the cruise line’s signature pina colada lush dessert.

However, most other dishes were either on par or subpar when compared to other cruise lines. Most dishes were also served lukewarm at best.

Overall, the main dining room food fell short for us when compared to the competition. Even the upgraded Islander menus didn’t include lobster or anything of that sort. Plus, guests are only allowed one entree with additional entrees an extra $7 each.

The one saving grace was the service. From breakfast to dinner, the service teams were mostly friendly and fast, especially when we were seated in I Made’s section. We never waited long for a server to take our order, and the pacing of our meals was also efficient.

Specialty Dining

As we mentioned already, Islander is technically a specialty restaurant for most guests. While the service was good, the food here is not worth the cover charge in our opinion.

In addition to nightly dinner, the Islander Dining Room also offers a Sparkling Wine Brunch on the two sea days. For $15 a person, this brunch includes a morning mimosa and an extensive menu with breakfast and lunch items. One brunch is also included in the dining package.

This menu features breakfast items like chicken and waffles, steak and eggs, and overnight French toast. In addition, guests can choose from lunch items like penne alla vodka or a “bubbles up” burger. We did enjoy this meal and would probably pay the up-charge again.

The only other sit-down specialty restaurant is the JWB Prime Steakhouse. This restaurant requires reservations that can be made as soon as you board the ship.

We dined here on Night 2 and our experience was hit or miss. The braised pork belly was perhaps the best starter I had all week. My medium-rare filet was perfectly seasoned and cooked to my ideal temperature. The banana cream pie and key lime pie were sweet endings to this meal as well.

However, the burrata and all the side dishes we sampled were not good. Further, if you’d like a lobster tail or surf & turf, this will cost an extra $24 on top of the already high $55 up-charge to dine here. After our experience dining at JWB on Islander, we probably would not return which is a disappointment as we enjoyed our meal at JWB on Paradise.

The rest of the specialty dining on Margaritaville at Sea Islander is casual fare. With the dining package, cruisers get a $25 credit to each of these three venues. So, we sampled food from two of the three eateries.

I am usually opposed to paying for casual dining while on a cruise. Although, for this Margaritaville at Sea Islander review, we wanted to try the offerings. And I was glad we did. Honestly, this food was among some of the best food on the ship.  

The buffalo wings were a crispy and spicy poolside snack available at the Tiki Grill. The conch fritters were light and airy, and the crunchy buffalo shrimp paired well with tangy cocktail sauce.

While I am usually skeptical of trying a Maine lobster roll on a cruise ship, the one available at Island Eats was full of tender chunks of lobster and came on a toasted split hot dog bun.

Both of these eateries are in the adult-only Tiki Pool area aft on deck 9. The third casual option is Far Side Sushi on deck 2. Within the Far Side of the World Lounge is a bar and sushi counter which offers sushi and a few other Asian dishes at a la carte prices. With only five days, I didn’t get to try any of the sushi though.

Finally, the Margaritaville Coffee Shop is located in the back of the buffet. And unfortunately, the Islander drink package does not cover the specialty coffees and drinks here like most other cruise lines.

The Coffee Shop also features up-charge menu items throughout the day. Among the offerings are breakfast pastries and sandwiches, all-day desserts, paninis, and grilled sandwiches. They ranged in price from $3 to $7. While a modest up-charge, items like these should be complimentary. I did enjoy the Muffin Man breakfast sandwich though.

Casual Dining

In keeping with the laid-back and relaxed vibe, MVAS Islander offers some complimentary casual dining options as well.

Near the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool is the Mexican Cutie Cantina. This taco stand is open for breakfast most days from 8 to 10:30 AM. Morning options include a bowl or burrito with Mexican eggs and a choice of breakfast meats, potatoes, and accompaniments.

Similarly, guests could choose from three different meat options when building a custom bowl or tacos at lunch. The nearby salsa bar had additional toppings for spicing things up. While not the best Tex-Mex at sea, this was a good quick service option that didn’t cost extra.

A better offering though was the Cheeseburger in Paradise, also nearby the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool. Open most days from noon to 6 PM, the freshly made burgers here rival the fast food equivalent of Guy’s Burger Joint on Carnival. While there are no signature burgers, there are staple toppings and the Islander sauce. Along with a few more additional customizations at the toppings bar, it is easy to craft your unique creation.

While the burgers were definitely standout, we can say the same for the pizza slices at Frank and Lola’s. Churning out pizzas from about noon to 2 AM, this pizza, too, rivals some of the best pizza at sea. We just wish it wasn’t in the Port of Indecision buffet. We missed the pizza parlor vibe from Paradise.

Finally, the Port of Indecision Buffet is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Given our aversion to buffets in general and the offerings, we didn’t need to try the buffet.  

To be honest, none of the selections looked all that appetizing. My few passes for breakfast looked like the buffet had pretty typical offerings. There was a salad bar, a daily soup offering, and rotating entrees for lunch. Most days, there was a chicken, fish, and beef main course with some side dishes.

Overall, it was small and underwhelming when compared to other cruise lines.

Bars and Lounges

If there is one thing the Margaritaville brand is known for, it’s drinks. So, we are happy to report that the bars on Islander are certainly the hub of activity.

Across the ship, most of the bars have a signature cocktail menu. In fact, each bar even has an exclusive margarita that is only available at that location.

Among our favorite drinks were the watermelon daiquiri and big guava margarita at Havana Daydreamin’. This sports bar had a weird layout and vibe though. Since it was previously a café, it maintained that similar feel only with Cuban decor and some random televisions.

Another popular venue for drinks and music was the Hemisphere Dancer. The smoky Mile High was on par with signature cocktails at the high-end cocktail bars on competitor cruise lines. The Bubbles Up bar’s flavored Spritzes and French 75 were some of the more refreshing drinks on the ship as well.

Other indoor bars include the Pacific-themed Far Side of the World. This venue was home to Far East inspired drinks. There is also the main atrium bar, the Flip Flop Bar, with classic cocktails like an Old-Fashioned. Even the casino bar has its own signature drink menu, as does the aquarium-themed Coral Reef Lounge.

Additionally, each themed pool had its own themed bar. Of course, the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar is the chief margarita and boat drinks bar on the ship. Here, cruisers can get something strong and tall, like the Pink Cadillac or Uptown Shelf margaritas.

The Landshark Bar serves frozen cocktails, along with poolside favorites like a Sunset Sangria, as well as beer and even shots.

The outdoor bar we frequented the most was the Tiki Bar. This bar features cruiser favorites such as a Mai Tai or Rum Runner and the most seats in the shade of any outdoor bar. Not to mention, there weren’t any little kids running around.

The Islander Drink Package

Unlike its sister ship, Margaritaville at Sea Islander does have a drink package. Onboard, the package costs $59.99 a day plus an 18% gratuity; cruisers can save 10% purchasing pre-cruise.  

With most cocktails and drinks being around $12 to $15, all it takes is about 5 – 6 drinks a day to make the package worth it. While bottled water and soda are included, other premium non-alcoholic drinks like Red Bull or Gatorade are not. Also, specialty coffees are not part of the drink package.

While there is a max of 15 alcoholic drinks a day, a drink package is a no-brainer if sailing on this ship.

Onboard Activities on MVAS Islander

The Fins Up Crew keeps guests busy from morning until night. The cruise ship serves up a variety of family-friendly entertainment as well as some adult-only activities. The Fins Up Crew were upbeat and visible around the ship at all times of the day.

Compared to our last sailing with the cruise line, we did notice considerably more children and families on this cruise. According to the youth director on the ship, there were over 425 kids onboard.

Luckily, the ship does have three themed youth areas. For younger kids, Jolly Mon and Parakeets is forward on deck 5.

Tweens can make new friends and chill at the Hangout forward on deck 3. Forward on deck 2 is the Far Out teens lounge. This lounge is home to video games, a pool table, and staff-led events and activities.

Throughout the ship, cruise director Zee-Jay and the rest of the activities staff made sure cruisers got involved and were having fun. The activities were typical for any contemporary cruise ship, including deck parties, trivia sessions, arts and crafts, games and challenges, dance classes, karaoke, and even the cruise line’s version of the Quest. A majority of these activities occurred in the Far Side of the World Lounge or the Coral Reef Lounge.

Tucked away forward on Deck 4 is Quietly Making Noise. Labeled as QMN on the deck plans, this unique onboard experience is reserved for a lucky few each cruise and is invite only.

Hosted by Kai, an enthusiastic member of the Fins Up Crew, cruisers can learn a little more about the Margaritaville brand and the man behind it, Jimmy Buffett, during this intimate experience. With some exclusive cocktails and music memorabilia like Jimmy’s first guitar, this onboard speakeasy is a great “secret” addition to the ship. It was actually the perfect way to end our cruise.

Live Music and Nightlife

Pretty much all of the bars and lounges on Margaritaville at Sea Islander had live music or other nighttime activities to keep cruisers entertained.

On Deck 1, the Coral Reef Lounge was the resident karaoke bar. This venue offered nightly sing-a-longs with family and adult sessions most nights. It also hosted the adult-only Quest game show.

On Deck 2, the Blaze Band rocked out the Hemisphere Dancer Bar, and DJ Kash spun late night hits at the Hot Hot Hot Night Club.

Further, several solo artists rotated sets during the early and late evening at the Atrium’s Flip Flop Bar. Among the musicians were guitarists Emman or Pedro and rock violinist Belén. The production cast also put on short pop-up performances here several nights of the cruise. Occasionally, there was live music or evening trivia in the Far Side of the World Lounge.

On Deck 3, Ellie tickled the ivories at the Bubbles Up piano bar, and the Latin duo Fama played in the Havana Daydreamin’ Bar along with an occasional name that tune game.

The Blaze band and rock violinist were among our favorites. I was fond of the piano bar as well, but the quirky pianist didn’t always jive with that night’s crowd, so the atmosphere in that lounge was hit or miss.

Up on the pool deck, the Six String Stage was home to various musical acts and events during the day. Along with pool games, one could jam out to island vibes from Opal, a steel drummer. Or, enjoy the Salt Air Sounds of the Prisma Band.  

On the other end of the pool deck, the Landshark Pool’s screen played Jimmy Buffett concerts during the day.

Thus, cruisers had plenty of options to enjoy live music alongside their cocktails on Margaritaville at Sea Islander day and night.

Signature Entertainment

Even though I am not a huge Jimmy Buffett fan, the show on the first Margaritaville ship was enjoyable. So, I had slightly higher expectations for the two signature production shows on Margaritaville at Sea Islander.

Again, the cruise line did not disappoint.

While both were your typical cruise revue shows, the productions in the Stars on the Water theater were fast-paced, the set lists were spot on, and the cast were a talented group of singers, dancers, and aerialists.

Night 3 was Coastal Country Elegance night. Many fellow cruisers donned their cowboy boots and line danced their way to the theater for Conky Tonkin’ at Sea. While neither of us like country music, this 45-minute show had a set list of pop-country songs that even Heidi and I recognized.

So, like most of the crowd, we sang along and stomped our feet to favorites from artists like Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Shania Twain, and more.

The stage was more advanced than we expected for a ship of this age as well, giving the show added range and dimension. While not a Royal Caribbean signature production, this show was better than many cruise shows we’ve seen over the recent years.

On the final night of the cruise, we settled into the slightly more cheesy Caribbean Heat Remix. At least this time, we had the right outfits, as tonight’s dress was tropical resort wear. In this revue show, we traveled to several Caribbean destinations featuring music and artists from these locales.

With popular pop and dance tunes from Pitbull, Rihanna, Bob Marley, and even Ricky Martin, the show and set pieces went from one high-energy number to the next. Again, utilizing the aerialists and stage design to their fullest, this show was a fitting end to our cruise. Though, we did prefer Conky Tonkin’ at Sea more.

Even though the ship was near double occupancy, there was only one 9:30 PM showtime for each of these signature productions.

One drawback is definitely the theater design. The three-deck theater offers lounge-style seating on deck 2 and stadium-style seats on decks 3 and 4, but the sightlines weren’t ideal.

So, to ensure we had our preferred seats, we did arrive around 40 minutes before showtime.

In addition to the two production shows, there was a Variety show on the first night of the cruise. On the other two days, there were headliner acts, which consisted of a mediocre comedian and magician duo.

Overall Impressions of Margaritaville at Sea Islander

If your ideal vacation consists of relaxing poolside, with some live music and a cold drink in hand, then Margaritaville at Sea might just be your cruise line. The new Islander delivers well-themed bars, an equally energetic Fins Up Crew, and a variety of casual dining options.

This is the cruise where you can essentially live in your shorts and flip flops all day and be right at home.

At night, there is more of the same with live music, well-crafted cocktails, and upbeat theater productions.

The cabins are bright and cheery, with adequate storage and brand-new furnishings that go along with the nautical vibe of Margaritaville’s land-based resorts.

The crew were warm and friendly throughout the ship. While there are still some training and consistency issues, we are sure that with time, the ship’s teams will function more cohesively.

At 12 decks and around 2,000 passengers, this ship is the perfect size with just the right amount of amenities and features to not seem overwhelming. Yes, there are some signs of the ship’s age and maintenance issue present. But, there were plenty of crew and vendors out and about addressing these concerns during our sailing.

Besides the maintenance issues, the sit-down dining experience could use some work. However, Margaritaville at Sea Islander is a vast improvement over our first sailing with the brand on Paradise, inching the cruise line closer to realizing its potential.

Perhaps the only way Margaritaville at Sea can truly compare to its land-based resorts, and to newer ships from competitor cruise lines, is to build a brand-new ship itself. By relying on previously built ships from other cruise lines that are 20+ years old, Margaritaville at Sea will forever be constrained in what it can offer guests.

Still, it is a worthy contender for a budget-friendly trip. It’s also an obvious choice for those nearby to Tampa or Parrotheads.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander currently offers 4- and 5-night sailings from Tampa to Key West and Progreso and Cozumel, Mexico that could appeal to families, couples, and groups of friends looking for some island time.

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Margaritaville at Sea Islander is the second ship in the Margaritaville at Sea fleet. We’ve just returned from one of the ship’s first voyages and made sure to test out all the dining venues. Now, we are back and share all the details with you in our complete guide to the Margaritaville at Sea Islander restaurants with menus. See what we liked and what we suggest you skip during your cruise on this “new” ship.

Complimentary Margaritaville at Sea Islander Restaurants

When it comes to complimentary dining, Margaritaville at Sea offers a traditional main dining room and cruise ship buffet. There’s also free burgers, Mexican, pizza, and ice cream at various stations around the pool deck.

While the main dining room and buffet did fall a bit short for us, we enjoyed the casual options especially the burgers and pizza.

Fins Main Dining Room (Deck 2)

Fins is the main dining room on Margaritaville at Sea Islander. Unlike most cruise line MDR’s, Fins is completely open seating, nightly from 5:30 to 9 PM. There are no set dinner times; there is also no ability to pre-make reservations to dine here.

Each evening, guests need to wait in line to dine at this restaurant. If there are no tables available, you will receive a pager much like a restaurant on land. Unfortunately, the average wait time for a table of two was 40-45 minutes during our sailing.

The restaurant does feature a new menu each evening with a selection of starters, entrees, and desserts. Some of the highlights included the Cajun Gumbo, Caribbean Egg Rolls, Braised Short Ribs, and 48 Hour B&B Pudding. Overall though, we would say this main dining room experience was mediocre at best.

Of note, guests can enjoy all the appetizers and desserts they want, but extra entrees will cost $7 each. Yes, even a second entree costs extra money.

Fins is also open for breakfast from 7:30/8:30 to 9:30/10:30 AM serving typical breakfast selections like omelets, French toast, pancakes, eggs, and breakfast meats.

However, Fins is not open for lunch at all, not even on sea days.

Breakfast | Wine List | Dinner 1 | Dinner 2 | Dinner 3 | Dinner 4 | Dinner 5

Mexican Cutie Cantina (Deck 9)

Mexican Cutie Cantina is a poolside eatery on the portside of Deck 9 nearby the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool. This venue serves quick service style Mexican food for breakfast and lunch. Think BlueIguana Cantina on Carnival or El Loco Fresh on Royal Caribbean.

For breakfast, the venue is open 8 to 10:30 AM daily serving breakfast burritos with Mexican eggs, sausage, chicken, and potatoes, along with additional toppings.

The venue reopens for lunch from 12 to 2/3:30 PM serving tacos and rice bowls. The meat selections include chicken, pork, and beef. Guests can then further customize their meals at the small nearby toppings bar. Cheese quesadillas are also available. However, there is no burrito option for lunch, nor are there nacho chips.

Cheeseburger in Paradise (Deck 9)

Opposite the Mexican Cutie Cantina, you’ll find Cheeseburger in Paradise on the starboard side of the pool deck. As the name implies, this station serves customizable burgers from 12 to 6 PM daily. Toppings include lettuce, tomato, onions, islander sauce, mushrooms, sauteed onions, pickles, hot peppers, and more. Alongside the burgers, you can enjoy some pretty tasty seasoned fries.

If you don’t like burgers, you’re out of luck at this spot as there are no other options available like chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, or veggie burgers. However, if you do like burgers, you don’t want to pass these up as they definitely rival Guy’s Burger Joint on Carnival Cruise Line.

Port of Indecision Buffet (Deck 9)

The Port of Indecision Buffet is Margaritaville at Sea Islander’s pretty lackluster buffet. While technically three stations, there were only two identical stations open during our sailing. The Port of Indecion Buffet serves breakfast from 7 to 10:30 AM, lunch from 12 to 2/3:30 PM, and dinner from 6 to 9:30 PM daily.

Breakfast featured all your typical selections including continental items, eggs and breakfast meats, fruit, and more. For lunch and dinner, you can expect to find a small salad bar, a soup of the day, cold cuts, a limited selection of hot entrees, and desserts. At lunchtime, there’s an area for hot dogs and sausages as well.

In comparison to other cruise line buffets, this one was small and lacked variety. However, the gem here is Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria.

Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria (Deck 9)

Unlike MVAS Paradise which features a pizza parlor, Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria on Islander is found within the buffet. This centrally located station is open from 12 PM to 2 AM daily serving up slices of cheese, pepperoni, or mushroom pizza.

While still good, the slices are smaller and there wasn’t as much variety when compared to Paradise. The wait times for pizza also fluctuate as the pies are small and the staff do not make many at a time. Thus, you might need to wait in line for a bit to get your slice.

Still, it does rival the pizza on Virgin Voyages and Princess Cruises.

Ice Cream (Deck 9)

It’s not a cruise without some soft serve ice cream, right? Luckily, Margaritaville at Sea Islander has two stations, one on each side of the ship near the buffet entrance. These stands serve cones and bowls of vanilla, chocolate, and twist from 12 PM to 9:30 PM daily.

Specialty Margaritaville at Sea Islander Restaurants

While you don’t have to spend money on food while cruising on Margaritaville at Sea Islander, there are quite a few up-charge restaurants that might be worth the splurge. There’s a signature steakhouse along with several casual a la carte options and a Sparkling Wine Brunch.

While the JWB Prime Steakhouse was a bit of a letdown for us, we did enjoy the selections at Island Eats and the Tiki Grill as well as the brunch.

If you are considering dining at a few of these venues, you might want to purchase a dining package. The options available include:

• Ultimate Dining Chill- $119 per person
• Prime Dining Package- $69 per person
• Far Side Sampler Package- $59 per person

Additionally, the Islander Signature Chill Package (from $459 pp) and the Ultimate Islander Escape (from $739 pp) include specialty dining along with many other add ons.

The Ultimate Dining Chill package includes one of each of the following: JWB Steakhouse, Sparkling Wine Brunch at Islander Dining Room, dinner at Islander Dining Room, $25 dining credit for a la carte purchases at each Tiki Grill, Island Eats, and Far Side Sushi. The 18% gratuity is also included.

The Prime Dining package includes one of each of the following: JWB Steakhouse, Sparkling Wine Brunch at Islander Dining Room, and dinner at Islander Dining Room. The 18% gratuity is also included.

The Far Side Sampler package includes a $25 dining credit for a la carte purchases at Tiki Grill, Island Eats, and Far Side Sushi for a value of $75. This package is only available for guests 18+.

Far Side Sushi (Deck 2)

Margaritaville at Sea Islander doesn’t have a dedicated sushi restaurant, but it does offer sushi and a few other Asian-inspired dishes at the Far Side of the World Lounge.

This Pacific-themed venue hosts various activities during the cruise. So, if you get hungry along the way, you can order up a few items off this a la carte menu.

Far Side Sushi is open for lunch on sea days from 12 to 3 PM and nightly from 5 PM to late.

Far Side Sushi Menu

Islander Dining Room (Deck 3)

A bit odd, but the Islander Dining Room serves a dual function. It is the restaurant for suite guests, but also an up-charge restaurant for other guests. Guests can pay $20 per person to dine here for dinner or $15 per person to enjoy Sparkling Wine Brunch on sea days.

The Islander Dining Room is basically the second floor of the Fins Main Dining Room. It serves the same menu as Fins with an additional insert of a few upgraded offerings (3 apps, 2 entrees, and 1 dessert). Although, there’s really nothing all that upscale on these exclusive menus. There’s no lobster or escargot or anything along those lines. Some selections included shrimp cocktail, ahi tuna, crab cake, flat iron steak, blackened salmon, and beef wellington.

Personally, the only benefit to dining here for us was to avoid the wait times at the main dining room.

We did enjoy the Sparkling Wine Brunch though. This menu features both breakfast and lunch items, but given we dined here at 9:30 AM, we only sampled breakfast items. The chicken and waffles and the overnight French toast were both good. There’s also items like steak and eggs, huevos rancheros, and a burger on the menu.

Sparkling Wine Brunch is served from 8:30 to 11:30 AM, and dinner is served nightly from 5:30 to 9 PM. Just like Fins, additional entrees at the Islander Dining Room are also a $7 fee.

Brunch Menu | Dinner 1 | Dinner 2 | Dinner 3 | Dinner 4 | Dinner 5

Margaritaville Coffee Shop (Deck 9)

Also located within the Port of Indecision buffet is the Margaritaville Coffee Shop. This venue serves specialty coffee along with upcharge breakfast, lunch, and snack options. Unlike most cruise lines though, this specialty coffee is NOT included in the Islander drink package.

Thus, all drinks here will cost you extra money. As an example of pricing, an espresso is $3, a medium latte is $5.25, chai tea is $4.50, and an iced frappe is $5.50. Further, you’ll have to pay $7 for a lunch sandwich, $5 for croissants, $3 for cinnamon rolls, and $4-6 for pastries.

While specialty coffees are a given for us on a cruise, we did try a few of the upcharge food items as well which were hit or miss.

The Margaritaville Coffee Shop is open daily from 6:30 AM to 10 PM. But, unlike Paradise, it doesn’t have that coffee shop vibe where you’d want to chill or maybe do a little work. The only seating is shared seating with the buffet.

Coffee Shop Menu | Breakfast and Pastry Menu | Food Menu

Tiki Grill (Deck 9)

Located aft on Deck 9 in the adults-only area are two up-charge food counters. The Tiki Grill is on the portside. This venue serves a menu of upgraded food items at a la carte prices. There’s chicken wings, conch fritters, buffalo shrimp, and more. Everything we sampled here was good, and we would definitely pay to dine here again.

However, the venue is only open from 3 PM to late. It would have been nice to have these offerings open at lunchtime on sea days as we ended up waiting until 3 PM for lunch on a couple days just to try these items.

Tiki Grill Menu

Island Eats (Deck 9)

Across the way on the starboard side, also right near the Tiki Pool and Tiki Bar, is Island Eats. Similar to Tiki Grill, this venue also serves a menu of upgraded items at a la carte prices daily from 3 PM to late.

While both menus are heavy on seafood, this one serves lobster rolls, ceviche, crab legs, mussels, and more. Even though it was $18, the lobster roll was good, and we would definitely recommend trying out some of the offerings here.

Of note, if using the dining package at either of these spots, the $25 credit must be used all at one time and can not be split over multiple visits.

Island Eats Menu

JWB Prime Steakhouse (Deck 10)

Lastly, JWB Prime Steakhouse is the most traditional of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander specialty restaurants. This restaurant is open nightly for dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 PM and has an upcharge of $55 per person.

This restaurant is located on Deck 10 overlooking the open atrium which does make it a bit noisy and takes away some of the ambiance that you’d expect at an upscale steakhouse.

The menu features a wide selection of starters from pork belly, to wagyu meatballs, oysters, burrata, onion soup, lobster bisque, and salads. For entrees, the cuts of beef are the obvious choice but there’s also short ribs, rack of lamb, pork chop, pan-roasted chicken, a catch of the day, and lobster on the menu.

Despite the $55 charge to dine here, lobster tail and surf & turf are both an additional $24 charge. If you want to add a 5 oz. grilled lobster tail to your entree that will cost an extra $20.

The filet we had here was perfectly seared to the requested medium-rare temperature. We also enjoyed the pork belly and bib & walnut salad; however, the meatball, burrata, and all the sides were disappointing.

Honestly, we probably wouldn’t pay to dine here again. Instead, we’d spend the money on the up-charge casual eats.

JWB Steakhouse Menu | JWB Steakhouse Kids Menu

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Do you have plans to sail on this MVAS cruise ship? What is your favorite of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander restaurants? Drop us an anchor below to share your dining preferences when cruising.

The post We Dined at All the Margaritaville at Sea Islander Restaurants: Here’s Our Complete Guide With Menus appeared first on EatSleepCruise.com.

As you might expect Margaritaville at Sea Islander offers a variety of bars and lounges all with signature drink menus inspired by Jimmy Buffett and the iconic lifestyle brand. Not sure where to start? Our complete look at all the Margaritaville at Sea Islander bars includes all of the bar menus to help you make the difficult decisions, like which bar to visit first!

Our Complete Look at All the Margaritaville at Sea Islander Bars With Menus and Drink Prices

When it comes to drinks on Margaritaville at Sea, guests can enjoy filtered water, brewed coffee, hot and iced tea, lemonade, and juices included in the cruise fare. However, all alcoholic beverages will cost extra. To help you budget appropriately, we have all the menus and current drink prices for each of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander bars.

If you plan to test out all the signature margaritas and boat drinks during your cruise, you may want to consider purchasing a drink package. The Ultimate Beverage Chill package is $59.99 per person, per day and covers all alcoholic beverages up to $20 as well as some non-alcoholic drinks.

Follow along as we test out all the bars and signature drink menus. After all, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere!

Coral Reef Lounge (Deck 1)

On Margaritaville at Sea Islander, you can head below deck to the aquarium-themed Coral Reef Lounge. This venue is typically only open in the evenings and hosts family and adult karaoke sessions along with a few other activities like the adults-only Quest game show. This is one venue that seemed rather under-utilized.

Nonetheless, if you need a little liquid courage during your karaoke session, there is a full bar here with a signature drink menu featuring ocean-inspired cocktails and mocktails.

Coral Reef Lounge Menu

Far Side of the World Lounge (Deck 2)

The Far Side of the World Lounge is a Pacific-inspired venue that features a bar alongside a small sushi menu. The lounge hosts a variety of activities including dance classes, game shows, the cruise director’s morning trivia, arts and crafts sessions, the family circus workshop, and more. While the venue occasionally hosted live music, it seemed a bit under-utilized in the evenings as well.

The signature drink menu here features bubble and fruit teas, some zero-proof cocktails, Far East libations like the Geisha or Far Side Margarita, sake, and Asian beer.

Far Side of the World Lounge tended to open around 11 AM on sea days or 3/4 PM on port days and remained open until late.

Far Side of the World Menu

Love and Luck Casino Bar (Deck 2)

The Love and Luck Casino Bar isn’t your typical casino bar as it too features its own signature drink menu. If you’re feeling lucky, you can even roll the die and get a drink based off your number rolled. The menu includes drinks such as the Moneyline Margarita, Aces High, or Vegas Sour. There’s also a similar menu for shots.

The casino and bar tended to open around 10 AM on sea days and after leaving port on the other days and remained open until late.

Love and Luck Casino Bar Menu

Flip Flop Atrium Bar (Deck 2)

The Flip Flop Atrium is a hub of activity on Margaritaville at Sea Islander. It hosts live music, various pop-up performances with the production cast, and a rather unique Captain’s reception. The central bar opens between 9 and 10 AM most days and closes at midnight.

So, whether you just want to take a selfie with the signature flip flop, are mingling with other guests, or enjoying the entertainment, you’ll definitely want to grab a drink off the signature cocktail menu.

The menu features drinks like the Flip Flop margarita, Old Fashioned, and Red Sky at Night. There’s also a Key Lime Pie martini on the menu, but they didn’t have the ingredients to make it during our sailing.

Flip Flop Bar Menu

Hemisphere Dancer Craft Spirits (Deck 2)

The Hemisphere Dancer bar is the signature cocktail bar on the ship. It usually opens between 4 and 5 PM in the evenings and remains open until late. This is where the rock band performs along with a rotating list of other musicians. The Blaze Band ended up being our favorite musical act.

In terms of cocktails, they are all travel-inspired with names like Frequent Flier, Mile High, and Jet Lag. If you like a smoky drink, definitely try the Mile High. This bar also makes a great espresso martini.

Hemisphere Dancer Bar Menu

Hot Hot Hot Night Club (Deck 2)

The Hot Hot Hot Night Club is the late night spot on Margaritaville at Sea Islander. It’s also one place where it’s evident there were few updates made. This venue typically only opened at 11 PM for the late night party with DJ Kash.

This night club doesn’t have a signature drink menu, but it does have a full bar where you can order up your favorite cocktails while dancing the night away. We don’t dance, so we didn’t really spend any time here during our cruise.

Havana Daydreamin’ Sports Bar (Deck 3)

Havana Daydreamin’ Sports Bar is one of the largest venues on Margaritaville at Sea Islander. With a bar, a few compartmentalized seating sections, a stage, and some additional cafe style seating in the nearby hallway, it resembled more of a Latin bar or cafe than it did a sports pub. But, it did have some requisite televisions that played sporting events.

Havana Daydreamin’ tended to open around 10 AM on sea days and 4 PM on port days. The venue hosted a Latin duo in the evenings and a few other activities like craft sessions, meet ups, and name that tune.

On the drink menu, the Big Guava Margarita, Watermelon Daiquiri, and Rum Old Fashioned were our favorites. But, there were other Cuban cocktails too, like mojitos or a Cuba Libre.

Havana Daydreamin’ Bar Menu

Bubbles Up Lounge (Deck 3)

The Bubbles Up Lounge is the piano lounge and champagne bar on Magaritaville at Sea Islander. This cozy venue is a great place to grab a pre-dinner drink as it’s located right before the Islander Dining Room and one deck above the Fins Main Dining Room.

This lounge opened most days between 4 and 5 PM and remained open until 10 or 11 PM. It also usually hosted live piano music; though, it certainly wasn’t the same lively vibe that you find at Carnival’s Piano Bar 88 or Royal’s Schooner Bar.

On the menu, there are a variety of sparkling wines, along with signture cocktails and spritzes. We enjoyed the limoncello and raspberry spritzes here as well as the French 75.

Bubbles Up Bar Menu

Landshark Bar and Lookout (Decks 9, 10, 11)

Heading outdoors, guests have three main bar options. The Landshark Bar and Lookout technically spans three decks. The main bar is located on Deck 9 nearby the Landshark Pool. There is a smaller bar upstairs on Deck 10, and there’s additional seating space (and views overlooking the pool deck) on Deck 11 at the Landshark Lookout.

This pool bar tended to open between 10 AM and noon each day and closed somewhere between 6 and 8 PM. The Deck 10 bar opening times varied, but it was usually open 10 to 5 PM on sea days.

The Landshark Bar menu is the same at both locations. It features the signature Landshark Margarita, frozen cocktails, sangria, beer, and more.

Landshark Bar Menu

5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar (Deck 9)

The 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar is what you could consider the main pool bar. It’s adjacent to the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool which has a retractable roof so guests can use this pool no matter the weather outside. It’s also nearby the Six String Stage which features live music and Caribbean vibes.

This bar was open 8 AM to 10 PM daily for all your beverage needs. The menu features all your favorite margaritas and boat drinks, perfect for enjoying during sail away or a deck party or while lounging poolside on a sea day.

5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar Menu

Margaritaville Coffee Shop (Deck 9)

Located within the Port of Indecision buffet is the Margaritaville Coffee Shop. This venue serves specialty coffee along with upcharge breakfast, lunch, and snack options. Unlike most cruise lines though, this specialty coffee is NOT included in the Islander drink package.

Thus, all drinks (and food) here will cost you extra money. As an example of pricing, an espresso is $3, a medium latte is $5.25, chai tea is $4.50, and an iced frappe is $5.50.

The Margaritaville Coffee Shop is open daily from 6:30 AM to 10 PM. But, unlike its sister ship Paradise, it doesn’t have that coffee shop vibe where you’d want to chill or maybe do a little work. The only seating is shared seating with the buffet.

Coffee Shop Menu

Tiki Bar (Deck 9)

The Tiki Bar is located aft on Deck 9 in the adults-only area. This area features a sundeck, pool, bar, and two up-charge food stations so you never have to leave. The bar is quite large and features a covered seating section for those who want to enjoy some food or drinks in the shade.

The Tiki Bar opened most days around 9 or 10 AM until late. This bar’s menu features a list of all your favorite island drinks. From the Frozen Crazy Mango, to a Rum Runner, Pina Colada, Zombie, or Mai Tai, you can’t go wrong with any of the selections.

Tiki Bar Menu

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Do you have plans to sail with Margaritaville at Sea soon? What is your favorite of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander bars? Drop us an anchor below to share your picks for best cruise drinks.

The post We Tested All the Margaritaville at Sea Islander Bars: Here’s Our Complete Guide With Menus and Drink Prices appeared first on EatSleepCruise.com.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander Cruise Ship Overview

Margaritaville at Sea Islander is the new cruise line’s second ship. Formerly Costa Atlantica, this 85K gross ton ship originally launched in 2000 as part of the Costa Cruises fleet. This ship was then sold to CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping for a new joint venture for the Chinese cruise market. However, it never entered the Adora Cruises fleet and was sold to Margaritaville at Sea in 2023 instead.

This 24-year-old Spirit-class vessel holds just over 2,200 passengers at double-occupancy and underwent an extension renovation before re-entering service. Spending millions of dollars on this transformation, Margaritaville heavily invested in the accommodations. All 1,105 staterooms were fully renovated. They feature nautical decor with nods to the brand and were definitely a highlight of the ship.

With retheming of the pools, most of the bars and lounges, dining rooms, and sports deck, guests will definitely feel like they are on island time. There’s also a fun vibe with friendly staff, family-friendly activities like mini-golf and cornhole, and two new signature productions. We liked that the ship featured all the classic cruise staples with a Margaritaville twist.

There’s the Bubbles Up piano bar, Hemisphere Dancer cocktail lounge, Havana Daydreamin’ Latin bar, the lively Flip Flip Atrium Bar, and three well themed pool bars: 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar, Landshark Bar, and Tiki Bar, among others. Each features its own signature cocktail menu. Many also feature live music and various activities like trivia, dance classes, arts and crafts, or karaoke.

When it comes to food, Islander’s options were hit or miss. The casual options shined including Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria, Cheeseburger in Paradise, and the up-charge Tiki Grill and Island Eats. However, the main dining room as well as JWB steakhouse were a bit of a let down. From long wait times to dine in the MDR, to extra charges for entrees, to lukewarm food temperatures, we actually preferred the casual dining to the sit-down meals…well, with the exception of the Port of Indecision buffet.

We did like that Margaritaville at Sea now offers dining and drink packages, but the fact that specialty coffee is not part of the drink package was a big disappointment for us.

We also missed the lack of technology. There is no cruise app, not even a place on the television to view your account balance. They even took reservations for the steakhouse with pen and paper! This also lead to another complaint of ours– excessive in-cabin announcements. While most cruise lines have reduced the number of ship annoucements, Margaritaville was the other extreme.

Further, there’s currently no online cruise planner which means you need to call to purchase packages and other add-ons after booking the cruise. There’s also still an in-person muster drill rather than a digital muster drill like most other cruise lines.

Finally, the ship still had several maintenance issues present despite the recent updates. From clearly rusted areas just painted over on the outdoor decks, to broken seats at the bars and theater marked with caution tape, to ripped up flooring in a few different areas around the ship, we were reminded of the ship’s age.

There were also buckets collecting water from leaks and some signs of water damage found around the ship too. We couldn’t help laughing that every time we walked down a hallway, we seemed to pass maintenance staff. I guess that means they are at least addressing these issues.

Nonetheless, if you are looking for a budget-friendly cruise, Margaritaville at Sea Islander is a worthy contender. It’s an easy choice for those nearby to Tampa and hardcore Parrotheads. With the lively atmosphere and varied activity offerings, families, couples, and groups alike can enjoy themselves.

If you’re considering a cruise on this “new” ship, here’s the cliff notes version:

Pros-

• Newly renovated staterooms
• Signature bars and drink menus
• Most casual food options
• Family-friendly activities and entertainment offerings

Cons-

• Mediocre main dining room experience
• Lack of technology and excessive announcements
• Number of up-charges
• Ongoing maintenance issues

For a more in-depth look at our experiences on Margaritaville at Sea Islander, continue reading our day-by-day review below.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander Review – Day 1

On the Road Again

Home for just a short time since our Disney Fantasy cruise, we were heading back to Florida once again. This time to Tampa to sail on Margaritaville at Sea’s newly refurbished cruise ship, Islander.

We sailed on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise back in 2022 when it first launched, and unfortunately, the ship had quite a few issues. Simply put, it wasn’t ready for paying customers yet. So, we were eager to see how this experience compared. We had seen initial reports from the media sailing and were ready to form our own opinions.

Honestly, we couldn’t remember the last time we sailed from Tampa, Florida. We think the one and only time was our very first cruise together back in 2007! Since it had been a while, we planned to explore the Riverwalk a little and grab some dinner along the water.

But, with travel these days, we ended up with a flight delay of over 3 hours from Boston. So by the time we arrived at our hotel, Tampa Marriott Water Street, we ended up just ordering room service and going to sleep.

Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season

With an early embarkation time of 10:30 AM and the port of Tampa just a short distance away, we left our hotel right around that time.

We were uncertain what the day would hold. We were unfamilar with this port, and we also assumed there would be some changes to our itinerary given Hurricane Beryl. This 5-day cruise was supposed to visit Key West and Progreso, Mexico. Given its position on the Yucatán Peninsula though, it was highly unlikely we’d get to visit this port for the first time.

However, like all cruise lines, we were confident that Margaritaville at Sea would keep us out of harm’s way. When cruising during hurricane season, travelers need to be flexible. While cruises are rarely cancelled, there might be changes to itneraries and/or missed ports of call. But, an altered itinerary with still warm and sunny weather is certainly better than being in the path of a hurricane!

Arriving at the port, we noticed signage for arrival times starting at 11 AM. Thus, we attempted to bypass the line and soon realized there was quite a bit of disorganization. With staff doing little to keep the order, guests were just squeezing their way into the terminal regardless of arrival time.

Making our way through security and the actual check-in process took about 30 minutes, but we were able to board the ship immediately afterwards.

Stepping onto Margaritaville at Sea Islander, the signature flip flop in the atrium greeted us. While we wanted to explore, our first order of business was getting a JWB Prime Steakhouse reservation. With a spot secured for Day 2, it was time to begin our normal embarkation day routine.

Wasting Away Again in Margaritaville

Starting at the top of this eleven deck ship, we explored the outdoor areas like the Dis ‘N Dat Activity Zone which features themed cornhole and mini golf. There’s also a waterslide and the Caribbean Amphibian Play Pad for kids.

Additionally, there are three themed pool areas. The main pool deck, midship on Deck 9, features the Landshark Pool and Bar and the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool and Bar. In line with Carnival Corp.’s Spirit Class ships, the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool still has a retractable roof, meaning it’s a pool day no matter the weather outside. The third pool area is aft on Deck 9. This Tiki Pool and Bar is adults-only.

While in the area, we also peeked into the St. Somewhere Spa and Salon. Given the size of the ship, this area is rather small and does not feature a thermal suite. You can still get services like massages, facials, hair care, and manicures/pedicures.

Approaching 1:30 PM, it was time for lunch. The main lunch options are the Port of Indecision buffet and two poolside stands: Cheeseburger in Paradise and Mexican Cutie Cantina. We didn’t like the Port of Indecision buffet on Paradise, and this one didn’t look much better. Thus, we opted for some tacos from the cantina.

Of note, unlike MVAS Paradise, the Margaritaville Coffee Shop and Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria are actually kiosks in the buffet. Unfortunately, this does diminish the atmosphere of these two venues.

The Mexican Cutie Cantina features only tacos and rice bowls with chicken, pork, or beef. It would have been nice to have a burrito option or some nachos as well. We’d put this venue on par with El Loco Fresh on Royal Caribbean but still think that Carnival’s BlueIguana Cantina is better.

Time to Check Out Our Cabin

With the announcement recently made, we decided to head to our cabin following lunch. Our Deck 7 extended balcony stateroom, 7175, was located on the starboard side of the ship between the forward and midship elevators. At first glance, we were pleasantly surprised.

While the cabins on Paradise were refurbished too, these looked much nicer. In fact, it’s one of the ship’s biggest selling points. It didn’t appear that the bathroom had been fully refreshed, but the rest of the room looked brand new. It featured beachside decor and island vibes perfect for the brand.

Since the weather was so hot, we spent some time in our cabin cooling off and getting the necessary photos and videos prior to muster drill. Yes, unlike our huge red flag moment on Paradise, there was a muster drill on Islander. The unfortunate part is that muster drill on this ship occurs outside.

After being crammed outside in the Florida heat for about 20 minutes during this mandatory safety briefing, it was time to get this 4th of July cruise started. This is also when the Captain informed us that our itinerary was in fact changed. We would be visiting Nassau, Bahamas instead of Progreso, Mexico.

It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere

Up to the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar, we grabbed our first drink of the cruise, some margaritas and boat drinks of course. While we sailed away from Tampa, the Fins Up Crew hosted a pretty typical sail away party. While we were to sail under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge around 6:30 PM, the weather was starting to cloud up and I couldn’t take the heat anymore.

We decided to head back to the room to cool off and get ready for dinner. I watched the sail under the bridge from our balcony, and Don ran up to the pool deck to watch.

By now, it was close to 6:45 PM and time for dinner. Margaritaville at Sea Islander has one main dining room, Fins on Deck 2. However, it is all open seating and no reservations. When we arrived, the hostess told us there was a 45 minute wait. Back on land, we never dine at a restaurant without a reservation. We wouldn’t even wait 45 minutes for a high end restaurant, nevermind a cruise ship main dining room.

Slightly annoyed and hangry, we went upstairs to the Islander Dining Room on Deck 3. A bit odd, but this restaurant is where suite guests dine but also an up-charge venue for other guests. It’s basically just the second floor of the Fins Main Dining Room. Islander features the same main dining room menu with a small insert of additional items with a price tag of $20 per person.

There’s still no lobster or escargot or anything of that nature on the menu. So honestly, it’s not worth the up-charge but the only way to dine without a wait. With our Ultimate Dining Chill dining package, we did get one meal here for free. But, we ended up talking to the hotel director who allowed us to dine here the rest of the cruise without a fee.

Tonight, our waiter was I Made who provided some of the best service on the ship. He was friendly and attentive and went out of his way to make sure our needs were met.

For dinner, I ordered the cuban croquettes, watermelon feta salad, and grilled brick chicken. Don ordered shrimp cocktail, ahi tuna, and striploin steak all off the Islander exclusive menu. For dessert, we tried the hazelnut “honey do” cake and chocolate cappucino icebox pie. Aside from the ahi tuna, nothing was really a standout dish for us.

Our First Evening on Margaritaville at Sea Islander

Following dinner, it was showtime. Margaritaville at Sea Islander features two signature productions, along with typical headliner acts in the Stars on the Water theater. Tonight was a pretty typical welcome aboard show at 9 PM where we met the cruise director Zee-Jay, some of the production cast, and the headliners that would be performing full shows this week. While relatively new at the cruise director role, Zee-Jay did a great job and was very visible around the ship.

After the show, it was time to check out more of the interior of the ship. Margaritaville at Sea Islander has plenty of well-themed bars and lounges that all feature a signature drink menu. So, it was time to check off the second bar on our “drink around the ship”. The Flip Flop Bar on Deck 2 is the open atrium bar which has live music and pop-up performances throughout the cruise.

With a Key Lime Pie Martini on the menu, it was an obivous pick for me. Alas, they didn’t have the ingredients to make it. This seemed to be a reocurring theme during the cruise. Since it’s a “new” ship and new menus, you’d think they would have the appropriate supplies, but that wasn’t the case.

Nonetheless, we watched the Motown pop-up performance with production cast and listened to the guitar player Pedro for a bit before calling it a night around 11 PM.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander Review – Day 2

On Island Time

Day 2 of this Margaritaville at Sea Islander review was our first port of call in Key West. Though, we wouldn’t be arriving until 1 PM. Since this port is on few large ship itineraries, we’ve only visited Key West a few times. So, we certainly had plans to get off the ship for a while today.

Up around 8 AM, Don set off on his normal morning routine collecting pictures and videos around the ship while I got ready. Of course, he also returned with our morning coffees. A big miss for we espresso lovers, specialty coffee is NOT part of the Ultimate Beverage Chill drink package as it is on most other cruise lines.

This meant that our twice-daily drinks from the Margaritaville Coffee Shop cost us extra. In fact, everything at this coffee shop cost extra money. Unlike the coffee cafes on most other cruise lines, the sandwiches and desserts here all came with a fee too. Another miss for me was that even though menus around the ship indicated skim milk was available, we were told the only milk options were whole, almond, and soy. So much for my nonfat caramel latte this week!

Around 9:30 AM, we opted for sit-down breakfast in the main dining room. Thankfully, there wasn’t a wait this time. The menu selections were pretty typical breakfast items, yet nothing was served warm. This was also a recurring trend during the cruise.

Following breakfast, we caught the end of trivia in the Far Side of the World Lounge and walked around exploring the remaining areas of the ship. While this former Costa Cruises’ ship did undergo a multi-million dollar renovation, it was evident which areas of the ship had been updated and which hadn’t like the Hot Hot Hot Night Club.

A Sunny and Hot Day in Key West

Back to our room around noontime, we watched Islander sail into Key West. It was a beautiful day with no signs of Hurricane Beryl lurking. But for us New Englanders, the weather was quite hot and oppressive.

With the ship finally cleared around 1:30 PM, we made our way to the gangway located on Deck A. While we had seen a few maintenance issues around the ship, nothing really impacted our experience thus far. But, disembarking the ship in Key West was a different story.

Not only was it disorganized and crowded, we could have done without this behind-the-scenes tour.

Nonetheless, we strolled Front Street and Duval Street for as long as we could take the heat. We also stopped in at Kermit’s for some key lime ice cream. While we contemplated grabbing some lunch ashore, we had reservations at JWB tonight so decided against it.

Back onboard, we grabbed our afternoon coffee and cooled off in the air conditioning for a bit. Next, we continued our drink around the ship at the Tiki Bar. This bar is located in the adult-only area and has a fairly large shaded seating area.

While the Tiki Pool itself is rather small, the sun deck is spacious. It features rows of standard loungers along with some patio-style furniture on the starboard side, two coconut-shaped loungers under a thatched-roof frame, and just one hammock.

Specialty Dinner and Some Laughs

This evening, we had a 6:30 PM reservation at JWB Prime Steakhouse. Since this was a highlight of our Paradise experience, we were looking forward to dining here once again. The price to dine at JWB is $55 per person.

This menu does feature a chicken dish for myself, along with a catch of the day, and several cuts of beef. However, a lobster tail and surf & turf were both an additional $24 up-charge which seems a bit excessive. This would mean that cruisers are paying nearly $80, more than many restaurants on land would charge for a similar offering.

Don’s filet was perfectly seared to a medium-rare temperature and was certainly on par with comparable steakhouses on other cruise lines. He also enjoyed the braised pork belly. Though, my burrata and all the sides we sampled were a letdown. Honestly, we probably wouldn’t pay to dine here again.

Following dinner, we watched the country pop-up in the atrium and grabbed some drinks at Bubbles Up while listening to some piano tunes. The Bubbles Up menu features champagnes and spritzes. We enjoyed the drinks, but the piano player was rather quirky.

Next up was a double feature in the main theater. First was Adrenaline Magic at 9:30 PM featuring a pretty standard set of disappearing acts. Then, there was an adult comedy show with Jay Whittaker at 10:45 PM. While he had a great personality and was also repping our home state of MA, he didn’t have much material. He literally just talked to the audience for most of the show.

Finishing up around 11:30 PM, we called it a night.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander Review – Day 3

Happy 4th of July

Day 3 of this Margaritaville at Sea Islander review was a sea day and the 4th of July. And what better way to start the day than sea day brunch?

Up around 8 AM, Don headed out on his normal morning routine returning with lattes in hand. Showered and ready for the day, we made our way to the Islander Dining Room for the “Sparkling Wine Brunch”.

While the Fins Main Dining Room offers complimentary breakfast most days of the cruise, this brunch is an up-charge of $15 per person and was only available on our two sea days. It’s also included in the dining package.

This brunch was one of the better meals of the cruise as I enjoyed the overnight French toast with nutella, bananas, and strawberries and Don liked his chicken and waffles. While we would probably pay the $15 again to dine here, we aren’t really sure that it was much better than Carnival’s Sea Day Brunch which is free.

Since the weather was so hot this cruise, we alternated being outside with soaking in the air conditioning in our cabin while doing a little work for the remainder of the morning. A bit later, Don took a tour of the kids’ clubs to collect some photos and videos. He may have got a sneak peek at a secret venue on the ship too. More on this later.

Then, we enjoyed some late lunch at the Tiki Grill.

The Tiki Grill is one of the two casual up-charge food stalls in the adult-only area on Deck 9 aft. These menus feature a la carte items. With a dining package, guests get a $25 food credit at each. While they are heavy on seafood (which you probably know by now that I don’t eat), Don did enjoy the offerings. The only critique is that they should open earlier on sea days.

Today, Don enjoyed the Why Knot Wings and Buffalo Shrimp. If the cruise was longer, he would have easily ordered these items again. As for me, I grabbed a couple slices of pizza from Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria in the nearby buffet. This became my near daily lunch as there was not much else that I liked. On a positive note, it was some of the best pizza at sea rivaling Virgin Voyages and Princess Cruises. I only wish it were more like a restaurant as it is on sister ship Paradise.

After lunch, we headed midship to the pool deck for the 4th of July party and red, white, and blue parade where guests donned their best American outfits in hopes of winning the best dressed competition. We also grabbed some drinks from the nearby Landshark Bar…except they were out of Landshark beer today.

Continuing our drink around the ship, we then headed back indoors to check out the Havana Daydreamin’ Sports Bar. While it doesn’t look much like a sports bar, it’s very Cuban-inspired with a few televisions thrown into the mix. While enjoying our cocktails, we got sucked into watching the hot dog eating competition on tv.

A Captain’s Toast Unlike Any Other

Tonight was Margaritaville at Sea’s version of formal night. The dress code was “coastal country elegance”, which meant there were lots of cowboy boots on display. The captain’s toast was also ocurring at 6 PM and the first production show, Conky Tonkin’ at Sea, at 9:30 PM.

Thus, it was time to head back to our room to change up for the evening’s festivities. As we all gathered around the Flip Flop Atrium, we witnessed Captain Theo do a bit of a striptease, swapping out his captain shirt for a Caribbean one and giving a toast unlike any other–with a giant margarita!

We then headed off to dinner at the Islander Dining Room. For research purposes, we did pop into Fins a couple evenings to check on wait times, and they were always around 40 to 45 minutes. We really hope the cruise line figures out a better system. Perhaps, suite guests AND those with packages are allowed to dine in Islander nightly and the remaining guests have Fins but with the option to go standby or make reservations ahead of time.

Unfortunately, we were not sat in I Made’s section tonight. So, we went from having some of the best dining room service with him to the worst of the trip.

Additionally, there are definitely some inconsistencies on the dining room menus in terms of labeling and ingredients. Each evening, there is a signature pasta dish, which is not labeled as vegetarian but also does not detail if seafood, meat, etc. are included.

For instance, there was creole pasta which simply states “creamy vodka sauce, basil oil”. While I certainly would have ordered this dish if it were just pasta, I hesitated as I thought it might have seafood in it. When I questioned our waiter, he had no idea…which was a huge red flag. While it’s a preference not an allergy for me, waitstaff not knowing ingredients (or menus not detailing such) could lead to issues.

He eventually returned to tell me that his colleague “said there’s seafood in it”. So instead, I went with a Caesar salad, Mediterranean chicken, and pina colada lush dessert. Don did the salmon poke, sausage and onion flatbread, blackened salmon, and tiramisu. While he also enjoys cioppino and frito misto, he actually does have an allergy to scallops so passed on them just in case. Once again, nothing that we ate tonight wow’ed us.

Of note, while some cruise lines have begun charging for extra lobster tails on formal night or Carnival has begun charging for the third (and beyond) entrees, Margaritaville actually only allows one. This is true even in the up-charge Islander Dining Room. All menus state that there is a $7 supplemental charge for additional entrees, which really seems like nickel and diming to us.

A Conky Tonkin’ Good Time

Following dinner, we made our way to 90’s Name That Tune in Havana Daydreamin’. This was a standing room only activity. While we didn’t win, it definitely took us back to our high school days and was a lot of fun.

Next up was a drink at the Far Side of the World Lounge. This Pacific-inspired venue is quite large but seems under utilized in the evenings. So, we ordered a round from the signature menu and moved on to the theater for tonight’s signature production show.

Since neither one of us like country music, we weren’t expecting much from Conky Tonkin’ at Sea. Yet, it pleasantly surprised us. While still a pretty typical cruise revue show, it was high energy and fast moving keeping us entertained throughout. It also featured a talented cast and many popular hits that even non-country enthusiasts will know. Of course, it’s not a Royal Caribbean signature production, but it was better than many cruise shows we’ve seen over the recent years.

In an upbeat mood after the show, we headed to the Hemisphere Dancer Craft Spirits Bar for some cocktails and live music. Here, the Blaze Band was performing, which turned out to be our favorite musicians on the cruise. We also ordered up some drinks from the signature menu, but neither one of us liked our choices. So instead, we ended the night with some espresso martinis which were quite tasty.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander Review – Day 4

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

Day 4 of this Margaritaville at Sea Islander review was our itinerary change due to Hurricane Beryl. Instead of visiting Progreso, Mexico, we were visiting Nassau, Bahamas. Even though we’ve been to Nassau several times, nice weather here over tropical conditions in Mexico was the obvious choice.

Ready for the day and caffeinated by around 9 AM, we decided to try the breakfast burritos at Mexican Cutie Cantina. While not as good as BlueIguana on Carnival, they were still a pretty solid alternative to the buffet.

With the ship cleared and many passengers already ashore, we decided to check out the Dis ‘N Dat Activity Zone. You know we are always good for a friendly mini-golf competition. We really liked the theming of this area, and it’s a great family offering too. Although, there were a couple things that had us asking why.

First, you need to sign out golf clubs and golf balls at a towel stand that’s not even immediately nearby the mini-golf course on Deck 11. Second, the course wraps back onto itself, meaning Hole 3 and 7 are side-by-side, 2 and 8, and 1 and 9. This wouldn’t be a huge deal except there is a giant air vent near Hole 3 which makes it nearly impossible to play as the ball just rolls across onto the Hole 7 course due to the air current from the vent. Oh well, we just called the game a tie.

With the Nassau cruise port recently updated, we had yet to get off a ship in port to check it out. So, today was the day we decided to do so. It’s actually a really nice area with some shops, a Junkanoo museum, and more. You can also exit the gated area to the Straw Market which is directly across the street.

Instead, we headed for Starbucks! Since specialty coffee isn’t part of the drink package anyway, I convinced Don to go so I could get my properly made iced caramel latte with nonfat milk.

Cheeseburger in Paradise

After a couple hours ashore, we headed back onboard Islander first cooling off in the room then grabbing some lunch. For lunch today, Don decided to try a Cheeseburger in Paradise. This pool deck stall is opposite the Mexican Cutie Cantina and serves burgers only. This meant more pizza for me. While not all cruise ship burger stations serve chicken sandwiches, it would have been nice if this one did.

By Don’s assessement, these burgers were really good and defintely rivaled Carnival’s Guy’s Burger Joint. It wouldn’t be a cruise without some soft serve ice cream to top off the lunch as well. There are two soft-serve stations on Islander that are open most days from 12 to 9:30 PM.

We spent the rest of the afternoon doing a little work in our cabin and enjoying the sail away from Nassau.

Falling into Our Normal Evening Routine

Tonight was more of the same on Margaritaville at Sea–dinner, drinks, live music, and a theater show.

Back to the Islander Dining Room around 6:30 PM, we requested a table in I Made’s section. Yet, we were sat is a different section with a third different waiter. This waiter, Hedi, was good but we had I Made for two other meals and just prefer consistency.

Tonight’s dinner menu was one of our favorites. I had the Caribbean egg rolls, tortilla salad, and rotini pasta. While this pasta was also not marked vegetarian, our waiter did confirm that it only contained mushrooms. Don ordered the Cajun gumbo, flat iron steak, and 48 hour B&B pudding. All courses were solid choices this evening.

Following dinner, we grabbed some drinks at the Bubbles Up bar. Since there wasn’t much else happening this evening, we decided to attend the family comedy show in the Stars on the Water theater. While we debated heading to Hemisphere Dancer to enjoy more from the Blaze Band after the comedy show, we were tired so called it a night instead.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander Review – Day 5

Last Mango…at Sea

Day 5 of this Margaritaville at Sea Islander review was already the last day of the trip; it was also our second sea day.

Wanting to test out as many of the food and drink options on the ship as possible, we decided to try the a la carte breakfast items at the Margaritaville Coffee Shop this morning. I tried the cinnamon roll for $3 and Don the muffin man sandwich for $4. While pretty good, we did miss complimentary grab-and-go options on the ship.

We then spent the next few hours checking off some of the remaining items on our to-do list, getting a little work done, and packing. This took us to lunch time, where Don sampled more of the food from the Island Eats and Tiki Grill using our dining package credit. On his menu today were a lobster roll and conch fritters, both of which he enjoyed.

Besides the complimentary burgers and pizza, our takeaway was that you have to pay for better food on Islander. Further, the casual food (both complimentary and for-fee) were better than most of the main dining room options. Of note, there’s also sushi at Far Side Sushi, but we can’t comment on this as we didn’t try it.

Dinner and a Show

Since we had express disembarkation and planned to carry off our own luggage tomorrow morning, we didn’t have to worry about putting our bags outside our cabin tonight. Still, we wanted to make sure that we mostly packed our bags, as disembarkation was early at 6:45 AM.

Still ready rather early, we grabbed some drinks at the Hemisphere Dancer Bar and listened to part of Emman’s set before dinner. The drinks we got this time around were much better.

For our final evening in the Islander dining room, we were seated in our requested section with I Made. While this was Don’s second overall favorite menu, there wasn’t much that I would eat on the menu.

Don sampled the crab cake, stir-fried rice, and braised short rib. I did a Caesar salad and was just going to get the mushroom and goat cheese app as my entree. However, our waiter insisted that he would talk to the chef to custom the stir-fried rice to include only chicken for me (no shrimp or beef). While I said it wasn’t necessary, he did it anyway. This was appreciated as I realize I’m a picky eater. We then rounded out the meal with some apple pie.

Finishing dinner a bit too early for the show, we attempted to get espresso martinis at both the Flip Flip Bar and Bubbles Up but were told they couldn’t make them. So, we just waited in line to get into the theater instead. Tonight was the second production show Caribbean Heat Remix.

This show takes guests on a musical journey through popular Caribbean spots like Cuba, Barbados, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and more. Of course, it featured songs of artists from these destinations. While this production was also upbeat, we actually enjoyed the Conky Tonkin’ at Sea show better.

Quietly Making Noise

Earlier in the cruise, we were invited to a secret event. It was supposed to occur earlier in the day but got rescheduled to immediately following this production show. This hush, hush event is invite only and reminded us of Virgin Voyages where guests get invites to the crew bar for a secret magic show.

We were escorted down A1A and through some firedoors to a secret room, which we later learned was formerly the chapel on Costa Atlantica. This speakeasy featured memorabilia near and dear to the Buffett family, including Jimmy’s first guitar and an extensive record collection.

While not complete just yet, this intimate event will eventually include signature drinks from a whiskey cart and stories from the life of Jimmy Buffett. Kai, one of the Fins Up Crew, did a great job recounting events, his interactions with Savannah Buffet (Jimmy’s daughter and godmother of this ship), and explaining the story behind each guitar in the room. There were 6 of them!

This was actually the perfect way to end our cruise on Margaritaville at Sea Islander.

If you are lucky enough to get an invite to this speakeasy during your sailing, you’ll return home with a Quietly Making Noise guitar pick as a souvenir.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander Review – Disembarkation

Given the congestion during embarkation, we weren’t sure what to expect from disembarkation. We had priority disembarkation which meant we needed to meet in the Fins dining room at 6:45 AM.

By 6:30 AM, we were still coasting into the Port of Tampa so took our time getting ready as we knew there was no way we’d be cleared to leave by then.

We did have an early flight, but we figured as long as we were off the ship along with the self-assist departure guests, scheduled for 7:30 AM, that we’d be fine.

Departing our cabin just after 7 AM, we quickly secured an elevator down to Deck 2. We could see that disembarkation hadn’t started yet, and there was a small queue of self-assist guests starting to form near the gangway. So, we figured we might as well head to Fins to meet the rest of the priority disembarkation group.

But, as luck would have it, just as we were passing the gangway, they opened it. Instead, we hopped in line and were among the first twenty or so guests off the ship. From here, it was a quick Lyft ride to the Tampa Airport. And suprisingly, our 10:30 AM flight was right on time. I think this was our first flight all year that didn’t have a delay!

Home by late afternoon, we had under two weeks to settle in before our busy stretch of travel. Next up is back to back trips on Utopia of the Seas and Atlas Ocean Voyages World Traveller. Stay tuned!

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Margaritaville at Sea has announced that Savannah Buffett, the daughter of Jimmy Buffett, will be godmother of its newest ship Margaritaville at Sea Islander.

Debuting in June, the vessel’s inaugural sailing with Margaritaville at Sea will take place on June 14th — a four-night itinerary from Tampa to Cozumel, Mexico.

“I’m beyond excited to be named Godmother of Margaritaville at Sea Islander and look forward to rendering the right concoction of love and luck so she may plow the seas amidst smooth, untroubled waters in search of that one particular harbor,” said Savannah Buffett.  “As a descendent of captains and boat builders, I accept this honor in tribute to the legacy of my seafaring ancestors. Cheers to many a lovely cruise!”

Savannah spent much of her childhood traveling on seaplanes, sailboats, and tour buses with her father. Raised amidst the rhythms of the waves and the allure of sandy shores, her childhood was immersed in maritime culture.

From acting and literature to music history and photography, Savannah delved into a myriad of disciplines, drawing inspiration from her father’s diverse range of talents. Throughout her career she’s worn numerous hats, serving as a creative and music consultant, hosting her own radio show on SiriusXM’s Radio Margaritaville, and co-authoring two children’s books with her father: “Jolly Mon” and “Trouble Dolls.”

“Jimmy would be thrilled that Savannah is the Godmother of the Islander,” noted John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville Holdings and Buffett’s partner of 28 years. “With his eldest daughter holding this honor, the christening of the Islander will be a very, very special day for all of us.”

Margaritaville at Sea Islander (formerly Costa Atlantica) spans 12 passenger decks and can accommodate 2,650 guests at full capacity. It will offer four to seven-night voyages to Key West, Cozumel, and Progreso — the longest sailings that cruise line has ever offered.

On board, passengers will find familiar favorites including Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria, Cheeseburger in Paradise, and Paradise Pickleball at Sea. New spaces and experiences will include a three-story LandShark Bar, the Mexican Cutie Cantina, a Margaritaville-inspired mini-golf course, and spaces for kids like the Caribbean Amphibian Play Pad and Slide.

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Margaritaville is known for its high-end resorts, funky restaurants, and island vibes. So, it seemed like a natural fit that the brand would launch a cruise line, the new Margaritaville at Sea. How well does the brand’s laid-back lifestyle translate to cruising? Well, we have just returned from the inaugural sailing and have our honest Margaritaville at Sea Paradise scorecard review for this new cruise line’s first ship.

Watch our deck-by-deck ship tour of Margaritaville at Sea Paradise

Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Cruise Scorecard Review

Outdoor Decks

There are 10 public decks on the 52K gross ton Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, which is the former Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s Grand Classica.

While this 31-year old ship did undergo a multi-million dollar update, the pool deck and outdoor spaces did not see much renovation.

On Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, there are two pools, including the adults only 12-Volt Bar and Pool aft on Deck 11. The main pool, located in the center of this deck, is a rather small sunken pool. These pool areas feature chairs, loungers, and daybeds that are a mix of old and new.

The deck 12 sundeck also features loungers all the way forward as well as overlooking the midship pool. Oddly, this deck has Astro Turf flooring, which was a bit of a turn off for us. Not to mention, the deck plans label this area as the jogging track.

There is no sports deck or similar amenities on the outdoor decks of Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. Although, you will still find a spa and fitness center on the ship. The fitness center has newer cardio equipment, free weights, and some weight machines.  

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Complimentary Restaurants

As part of our Margaritaville at Sea Paradise cruise scorecard review, we dined at several of the ship’s restaurants to get a complete overview of the food on this new cruise line. The Port of Indecision on Deck 10 aft is your traditional cruise ship buffet.

It was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The buffet served up typical selections and was on par with other contemporary cruise lines.

For breakfast, you could enjoy eggs, bacon and sausage, pancakes, waffles, continental items, and even a custom omelet bar. For lunch and dinner, there was a salad bar, a pasta bar, and a decent selection of warm entrees that varied each day.

There are two sit-down options for dinner on Deck 8. The complimentary restaurant is the large main dining room, Fins. This venue looks like a pretty typical main dining room on a cruise ship. We suspect this restaurant was not updated much during the refurb.

During our cruise, Fins served a sit-down dinner (unlike the buffet we had during the prior media sailing). Some menu items include short rib, ginger glazed salmon, jerk chicken, pasta dishes, and a vegetarian option.

The Fins dining room offered your traditional early and late dining times of 6 pm and 8:30 pm.

Since this was the inaugural cruise, service was predictably slow. Further, the food quality was average at best.

Specialty Dining Venues

The second dining venue on Deck 8 is the up-charge specialty restaurant, JWB Steakhouse. As part of this Margaritaville at Sea Paradise cruise review, we dined here on the second night of our cruise.

This restaurant, actually a small curtained off section of the main dining room, serves up prime cuts and seafood selections. The up-charge to dine at JWB Steakhouse is $58 per person, and reservations are required. Currently, reservations can be made in the terminal prior to boarding the ship.

For appetizers, we enjoyed the fried oysters and deviled eggs. The wife’s chicken entrée was your typical steakhouse selection, while my filet was tender and cooked medium-rare as ordered. The banana cream pie and key lime pie desserts were both quite tasty as well.

While service here was also slow, the food was served warm and the waitstaff were personable.

Additionally, you will find the casual, yet up-charge, Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria on deck 9. This venue offers sit-down dining, or you can get one of the custom pizzas to go. The menu features 14″ pizzas at a la carte pricing. Pricing ranged from $12.99 to $16.99. The cruise line indicated it does have plans to expand the offerings to include salads, sandwiches, and more at this venue.

Right next door to the pizzeria, there is the Margaritaville Coffee Shop. This venue serves up espresso-based drinks, along with sweet treats. Items like croissants, cinnamon buns, doughnuts, and ice cream are all an up-charge. Of course, the coffee drinks will cost you extra too.

Finally, there is the 5 O’clock Somewhere Bar and Grill located aft on deck 10. Again, food from the Grill is an up-charge. Menu items included burgers, tacos, chicken wings, and more at a la carte prices. Given the short duration of our cruise, we did not have time to dine here.

In our opinion, it’s rather unfortunate that all the signature Margaritaville dining options are up-charges. They also come at a higher price than you might expect for a cruise line.

Related Post: Day-By-Day Margaritaville Inaugural Cruise Review

Nightlife and Entertainment

For a short cruise, there were a variety of onboard activities. Jeffy, the cruise director, and his Fins Up Crew, were high energy and visible throughout the vessel. They made the entertainment that much more enjoyable.

The main theater on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, Stars on the Water, is located on decks 8 and 9. This venue is home to the signature production show Tales from Margaritaville: “Jimmy’s Ship Show”.

The aptly named 45-minute production occurred each evening at 7:45 pm. Even though we are not huge fans of the musician, I found the show entertaining and very interactive. This was exactly what I expected to find on a ship barring the Margaritaville name.

Other entertainment included live music and game shows in several venues around the ship.

At night, there was live music at the centrally located Euphoria Lounge on deck 8. The Sunset Band played an eclectic mix from ABBA, to Bruno Mars, and Latin hits.

The Euphoria Lounge was also home to games shows, like trivia, the Love and Marriage show, and Battle of the Sexes. Even though the cruise was just two days, the Fins Up Crew fit it all in, even the popular adult scavenger hunt “The Quest”.

Of course, there was also a bar here to enjoy a drink during your favorite activities.

The Oasis Lounge on deck 9 aft is another venue with live music. The Oasis Lounge hosted karaoke, dance classes, a piano performer, and a musical duo, along with a bar.

Oddly, the ship was missing a pub, or bar featuring live acoustic music. The outdoor 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar advertised such a performance; although, it never occurred during our cruise.

Lastly, there is the Hangout on deck 14, which seemed like a rather hodge-podge venue. Near the entrance on both sides are arcade style games, like skee ball. Then, all the way forward is a small dance floor and a DJ booth, hosting the late night nightclub experience. There is a bar here as well, yet it never seemed to be open.

While the Stars on the Water theater was renovated, it is clear that these other venues did not receive much work during the rebranding.

Bars and Lounges

Like much of our Margaritaville at Sea Paradise cruise review, we found there were a mix of new and old when it came to the bars and lounges as well. First, there is the perfectly situated and rebranded 5 O’clock Somewhere Bar and Grill. This deck 10 aft venue is bright and lively, offering a bar with signature drinks.

We were informed that over the next couple of weeks each venue will receive its own signature drink menu; however, there was not a bar menu to be found onboard just yet.

One deck above, the License to Chill Bar is located on the portside of Deck 11. This bar lacked any theming. It was essentially the ship’s former pool bar, with a new sign.

The 12 Volt Bar on deck 12 is a new addition to the ship. This bar is conveniently located near the adults only pool area.

As for the two indoor lounges, Euphoria and Oasis, both of these venues’ color palette, furniture, and atmosphere felt more like Grand Classica than Margaritaville at Sea.

While these public spaces featured a variety of entertainment, some updates would have been nice. The same can be said about the Hangout on deck 14.

Finally, there is the Stars on the Water Bar, which is located in front of the theater. This venue is a pretty standard theater bar.

Most drinks averaged around $12 and are included in the Boat Drink Package. This package includes 10 alcoholic drinks for $99 (inclusive of gratuities).

Cabins

For this Margaritaville at Sea Paradise cruise review, we stayed in an Ocean View Cabin, 7129. According to the deck plans, this portside stateroom is 176 square feet. Given the age of the ship, there are very few balcony cabins. It has been a while since we stayed in an ocean view cabin. Although, there was plenty of space for a 2-day Bahamas cruise.

The main cabin itself has been updated with a bright, yet minimalistic, island décor.

The bed was new, with signature Margaritaville bedding. There were also two new chairs near the porthole, some cheery artwork that was definitely on brand, and a new flat screen television.

This room certainly felt more complete than the cabin on deck 4 that we stayed in for the prior media event.

However, the one glaring omission to the update was the bathroom! All of the features were functional, but it certainly felt dated. While I thought it was manageable for two nights, the wife struggled with the size of the shower, which was small even by cruise ship standards.

Service

For a new cruise line and a maiden voyage, we always expect a few hiccups. The staff were hardworking and accommodating; although, many of them had only been on the ship for a short time.

Perhaps it will be resolved once staff become more efficient in their duties, but the venues did feel understaffed.

Bar service did improve over our few days onboard; however, service in the dining rooms remained slow.

Dinner took over two hours both evenings, with very uneven pacing. At the Fins main dining room, our drinks and first course took close to an hour to arrive. At the JWB Steakhouse, our drinks did arrive quicker, but it still took quite some time for our food courses to arrive.

Despite the service being slow, the waitstaff were friendly.

Our shout-out goes to Novi at the Euphoria Lounge who was always quick to deliver the wife’s morning latte with a smile. Further, Jeffy and the Fins Up Crew were a highlight of the trip.

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Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Cruise Scorecard Review Recap

It seems like a natural fit for Margaritaville to have its own cruise line. After all, cruising delivers good food, plenty of entertainment, and island vibes. During our 3 total days on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, we certainly got a glimpse of what this cruise line could look like in the future.

The retail plaza and the 5 O’clock Somewhere Bar and Grill were exactly what we would expect to find on a cruise ship bearing this name. Not to mention, the main theater show rivaled the offerings found on other contemporary cruise lines.

Further, the ship delivered many classic cruise experiences, including trivia, game shows, and live music.

When it comes to dining, it is unfortunate to see that all the Margaritaville-inspired venues did cost extra money. Yes, there is the specialty restaurant JWB Steakhouse, but even the pizza parlor and grill came at an up-charge. In fact, even the continental items at the coffee shop cost extra.

Really, the only complimentary venue for breakfast and lunch is the buffet. It would be nice if there was an alternative venue offering small bites and snacks throughout the day similar to cafes on other cruise lines.

We also hope that the brand continues to make updates to public spaces, including the restrooms.

We understand there is only so much you can do with a 30 year old ship, so we look forward to seeing what the cruise line has in store for the future. With such potential in the cruise market, we hope the brand continues to improve and grow its fleet with newer and more innovative ships that can truly showcase the signature Margaritaville experience at sea.

Unfortunately, we had high hopes going into this sailing, and the ship did not live up to these expectations.

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Margaritaville at Sea has announced a variety of unique and original entertainment offerings aboard its newest cruise ship, Islander. The vessel is scheduled to set sail on its maiden voyage from Tampa in June.

“The lineup of entertainment we’ve created is going to blow guests away as the highlight of their experience onboard the Islander,” said Karen Maybury, Vice President of Entertainment at Margaritaville at Sea. “Live music is the heartbeat of the ship, providing a breezy soundtrack to every voyage, and our other offerings blend familiar favorites with exciting new elements from Tampa, Key West, Mexico, and the Caribbean to immerse our guests in the Margaritaville lifestyle.”

Production Shows

Conky Tonkin’ at Sea

Join headliners Bella, Lenny, and the gang for a boot-stomping trip to Nashville during this one-of-a-kind, country-themed spectacular at sea. The musical journey features the perfect mash-up of contemporary and classic country favorites that will have the crowd singing and dancing the night away.

Caribbean Heat Remix

An amplified version of a fan favorite, this show fires up the audience with a celebration of the colorful, sensual, and alluring world of Caribbean Heat through electrifying dance, acrobatics, and the beats of Key West and Mexico.

Themed Experiences

Boots and Bubbles (Dress to Impress)

Saddle up for a memorable evening at sea as guests pull on their best boots for an evening of coastal country with a dash of elegance. The night includes a captain’s margarita toast, high-energy entertainment including Conky Tonkin’ at Sea, themed dining and cocktail menus inspired by champagne and bourbon, line dancing classes, and other family-fun activities.

Rock the Trop

This yacht rock extravaganza combines tropical vibes with rock ‘n’ roll energy. During the day, the family-friendly event will feature the Parrot Quest scavenger hunt, character meet-and-greets, and more. By night, the deck will come alive with a live DJ, late-night poolside bites, themed dining and cocktail menus, a nightclub variety act, and the headliner production of Caribbean Heat Remix.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander

Rounding out the entertainment lineup will be Islander‘s pool decks, which offer three distinct settings. Guests can feel the beat with an energetic party vibe at the LandShark Pool, soak up some fun at the laid-back 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool with music and bites, or drift away in the relaxing adults-only retreat at The Tiki Pool.

Currently undergoing an extensive transformation, Islander will feature 1,105 redesigned staterooms with custom styling and new furnishings including Margaritaville’s signature bedding, pillows, and linens.

The ship will feature a 14-story atrium with a nautical Margaritaville flip flop and a lively atrium bar with three multi-story floating margarita glass chandeliers. Exclusive innovations like the only three-story poolside LandShark Bar at Sea and a Margaritaville-inspired cornhole and mini-golf course will also be found on board. New family-friendly spaces like the Caribbean Amphibian Play Pad and Slide and signature restaurants like JWB Prime Steakhouse and Mexican Cutie Cantina will make sailing aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Islander a journey of discovery.

Familiar features of the ship will include Paradise Pickleball at Sea, Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria, Margaritaville Coffee Shop, and Cheeseburger in Paradise burger bar.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander‘s inaugural sailing will be a four-night voyage departing June 14th from Port Tampa Bay. The voyage will include two sea days and a stop in Cozumel, Mexico.

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MARGARITAVILLE AT SEA LAUNCHES “HEROES PASS” OFFERING UNLIMITED CRUISES IN 2024

One pass includes unlimited Bahamas cruises for Active Military and Veterans, First Responders, and Educators aboard Margaritaville at Sea Paradise

Margaritaville at Sea launches unlimited cruises in 2024! The new Heroes Pass offers U.S. military service members (active duty and veterans), police, fire, EMS personnel, and educators unlimited cruises to the Bahamas from the Port of Palm Beach now through the end of 2024.

For just $299*, the Heroes Pass mirrors the popular Ultimate Paradise Pass launched earlier this year. It offers passholders and one guest unlimited, non-consecutive, sailings aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise.

“The Heroes Pass is another way to show our gratitude to the hardest-working people out there, tirelessly supporting our communities,” said Christopher Ivy, CEO of Margaritaville at Sea. “In our first two years, we’ve launched the unprecedented Heroes Sail Free program, as well as the cruise industry’s first season pass. We’re excited to add the Heroes Pass as a way for our heroes to relax with a quick escape to the Bahamas, as often as they want.”

Coordinated through a partnership with GovX, qualifying guests can purchase the Heroes Pass online.

In addition to the Heroes Pass, the Ultimate Paradise Pass will be available in 2024 for $999*.

Both passes include unlimited sailings for passholders and one guest in the best available, double occupancy cabin. They can be used immediately for sailings starting in November 2023, giving passholders an extra two months.

Additional benefits for passholders include a 10% discount on packages and excursions booked onboard, access to exclusive previews, and events designed just for passholders. They also include a free express pass on the first sailing, exclusive retail discounts, and more. Only limited quantities will be available and sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sailings booked with the Heroes Pass and Ultimate Paradise Pass can only be booked 24-72 hours in advance. This makes the passes ideal for those with flexible schedules. “Our short itineraries make it a breeze to sail to the Bahamas multiple times a year without using up weeks of vacation time,” said Ivy.

More on Margaritaville at Sea

Margaritaville at Sea brings the Margaritaville brand’s hospitality to the open ocean for a one-of-a-kind vacation where guests can relax and unwind in comfort.

Among the 10 passenger decks, guests will enjoy endless entertainment, including two Stars on the Water shows – Caribbean Heat and Radio Margaritaville: LIVE! At Sea. Several dining venues feature a variety of island-inspired cuisine. While bars and lounges provide non-stop excitement paired with premium cocktails.

The ship also features a regulation-sized pickleball court, renovated kid’s clubs for all ages, an action-packed casino, pools, hot tubs, a rejuvenating spa and salon, and plenty of quiet spaces to soak up the Caribbean sun. 

For more information on the new Heroes Pass or Ultimate Paradise Pass, visit margaritavilleatsea.com/current-offers/2024-heroes-pass and margaritavilleatsea.com/current-offers/ultimate-paradise-pass. 

*Does not include taxes, fees, and port expenses, which must be paid for each guest at time of booking. Booking fees are variable between weekday and weekend sailings for both passes. Limited quantities are available. November and December 2023 sailings included. Limited blackout dates. 2024 passes expire 12/31/2024.

SOURCE Margaritaville at Sea

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Margaritaville at Sea Salutes Teachers with “Back to School, Back to Sea” Sale at Just $49 for Two

Margaritaville at Sea, the only cruise line offering 2-night voyages from the Port of Palm Beach, launches its “Back to School, Back to Sea” Sale. With school back in session, Margaritaville at Sea is sending a special thanks to teachers and other heroes by offering an incredible rate for a quick getaway.

Now through Nov. 15, educators may cruise aboard the newly renovated Margaritaville at Sea Paradise to the Bahamas for just $49. This special offer includes one interior stateroom with dual occupancy. There is the option to upgrade to an Ocean View stateroom for a standard upcharge.

This exclusive offer is available to teachers, support staff, and employees who book their reservation by Aug. 28 for sailings through Nov. 15. The offer also applies to other Heroes, including U.S. military service members (active duty and veterans), police, fire, EMS personnel, and government healthcare workers. The Heroes program is coordinated through the company’s partnership with GovX for additional verification.

Margaritaville at Sea brings the Margaritaville brand to the open ocean. Guests will enjoy endless entertainment, including two Stars on the Water shows – Caribbean Heat and Radio Margaritaville: LIVE! At Sea. Several dining venues feature a variety of cuisine, while bars and lounges provide non-stop excitement paired with premium cocktails.

The ship also features a regulation-sized pickleball court, renovated kid’s clubs, an action-packed casino, pools, hot tubs, a rejuvenating spa and salon, and plenty of quiet spaces to soak up the Caribbean sun.

To make a reservation, visit MargaritavilleAtSea.com/thank-you-for-your-service for details.

The advertised price of $49 is for the lowest category interior stateroom for Sunday-Wednesday departures. The price of $99 is for Thursday-Saturday departures. Advertised prices exclude taxes, fees and port expenses, which are extra, apply to all guests, and are due at the time of booking.

SOURCE Margaritaville at Sea

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