Welcome, Guest Writer John Edwards! Edwards is a Florida resident who, until recently, hadn't given Margaritaville at Sea much thought, as he's a loyal Royal Caribbean cruiser. When a casino offer popped up that let him sail for next to nothing, he decided to finally try Margaritaville at Sea's newest ship, the Islander, out of Tampa, Florida.
After a dozen cruises only on Royal Caribbean in the past few years, it was time for a change. Living in Florida, we have a good selection of cruise lines to pick from; however, I recently heard about the refurbished Margaritaville at Sea Islander and gave it a try.
I should disclose that I received a “free” cruise by getting a casino comp using my Casino Royale points. This provided us with a balcony stateroom and some other perks. The best part was that, for a little extra, I upgraded to a Grand Terrace Suite. This was excellent since upgrading to a Jr. Suite on Royal Caribbean always seemed much too expensive.
First, I was greatly impressed with the ship's refurbishment. There are a few hints that it was built in 2000, but it looked like a brand-new ship to me. I loved the wood accents and, of course, the Jimmy Buffett themes everywhere. The music played throughout the ship was all Jimmy Buffett tunes. This might be a turn-off to some, but I enjoyed it as a fan.
Here are some other observations for my first cruise on Margaritaville.
Read more: I tried a cruise line I'd always overlooked
Boarding
Having sailed out of Tampa a few times, this was an easy process. No surprises here. Usually, when going on a Royal cruise, my first stop is the muster station to check in. However, Margaritaville does things differently.
I assume the safety drill on Islander was the old way to do a muster drill, and it was not fun. Everyone met at the same time outside on deck (in the heat).
Shoulder to shoulder and three in depth. Fortunately, it did not take long to demonstrate the life vest and safety talk, but they could have left out the part about leaving your clocks on ship time, which was repeated many times.
Phone App
There is no app for Margaritaville at Sea. This was a big disappointment to me, being a retired software engineer. I had become reliant on the Royal App to remind me of shows, dinner reservations, ship maps, account info, etc.
However, there was a QR code on the daily “cruise compass,” which provided the daily information and maps. Once downloaded, I referred to the files saved on my phone many times. To me, it seemed like having Wi-Fi is a must-have, but one could do without it by downloading while still in port.
On the plus side, I had no problems with the Wi-Fi, except for losing the connection a few times. Some people complained they did not have a good reception, but my connection was always good.
Stateroom
We loved the décor in our suite. A big plus was having 110V outlets next to the bed. No need for extension cords for CPAPs! Other staterooms may vary, though.
The bathroom had all new sinks/faucets, as were in all the bathrooms on the ship. Talking with the stateroom attendant, he said we had the best stateroom. The larger, more expensive staterooms apparently have a problem with soot collecting on the balcony, which he had to clean every day.
For a couple of days, we also noticed a distinct sewage smell. This lasted only a short time and then dissipated. I could not determine the source, but it may have come through the ventilation. The stateroom was well decorated, clean, functional, and comfortable.
Dining
The buffet was called the Port of Indecision. However, I kept forgetting the name, so from henceforth, I called it the Windjammer. The buffet line wasn’t bad, but finding seating was somewhat difficult.
This varied greatly by time of day. As noted by others, the food selected was limited by Royal Caribbean standards; however, I would say that it was sufficient and varied enough for most. On the plus side, the food was better than Royal's on just about everything in my opinion.
The main dining rooms were comparable to Royal. The food and service were good. No reservations are required, like My Time Dining. We only had one breakfast and one dinner in the main dining rooms, as we tried to go to as many of the other dining places as possible.
We didn’t get to the Mexican Cutie Cantina, but tried the Cheeseburger in Paradise Burger Bar, which was a good burger. The Far Side Sushi was basically a bar that sold sushi, and the food was great.
However, the prize for the best complimentary food was definitely Frank & Lola’s Pizza. Someone wrote it was the best pizza on any cruise ship. I couldn’t agree more. Pre-dinner, post-dinner, and midnight snack, it was always excellent.
We purchased the Ultimate Dining Chill for the specialty restaurants, which seemed rather inexpensive...until you learn the rules. It was a mess compared to Royal's Unlimited Specialty Dining Package.
Each person must buy their own; they must be used together; it’s a $25 credit towards your purchase; and you can only eat at each restaurant once per cruise. However, the package did include the JWB Prime Steakhouse, which was a highlight of the voyage.
My experience was superior to Chops, Royal Caribbean's fleet-wide steakhouse. I had the New York Strip Steak, and I thought it was the best I’ve ever had. The dessert was a chocolate coconut shell with crème and was fabulous.
Bars
We only purchased the soda package, so we had no opinion on the alcoholic drinks. I did notice the bartenders were very generous when pouring. One negative is that the bars were obviously understaffed. It was a long wait to get a drink.
The soda cups (shark and alligator heads) were larger than Royal’s and held plenty of ice. Did I mention it was very hot when I sailed? I made plenty of stops at the bars.
And, if you are actively playing in the casino, ALL drinks are free. Comparatively, you have to earn free drinks in Royal's casino. There was a minor inconsistency here last night, but I think that bartender had a bad night.
Read more: I tried Margaritaville at Sea's drink package that costs $81 per day
Entertainment
We only caught a few shows, which were on par with Royal’s smaller ships. A lot of singing, acrobats, comedians, and music.
I especially liked the Cowboy/Cowgirl themed night and show as something different. There was no Broadway-style show, but I didn’t expect that on a small ship.
My impression is that Margaritaville at Sea is trying to match Royal Caribbean
In some areas, they surpass them, and in others, they are trying to catch up. Their efforts to improve are evident. As Royal Caribbean builds massive ships with ever-increasing prices, I found Margaritaville at Sea to be the little guy with a unique style, fighting the giants in the industry, and with a much lower cost.
Sailing to Coco Cay and Nassau has become repetitive with Royal Caribbean, so Key West and Cozumel for less money were a welcome change. The passengers and crew were friendly and courteous, which was especially helpful with the smaller elevators.
I would say this is an excellent choice for a first-time cruiser or those seeking to spend less on something different. There was something for every age as well. Overall, I enjoyed this cruise very much. Royal Caribbean remains a notch above Margaritaville at Sea, but not by much.
Read more: 8 things I wish I'd known before going on my first Margaritaville cruise
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
