I went back onboard Margaritaville at Sea to see what has been improved

Table Of Content

• Fin’s Dining
• Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Cruise Scorecard Review
• Is food included in Margaritaville At Sea Cruise?
• Margaritaville at Sea Islander Will Feature More Family-Friendly Venues
• Add A Package to Your Cruise Option
• Additional Charges for Drinks
• Staterooms and Suites Available
• What is the Margaritaville Paradise?

This casual buffet serves an unlimited variety of foods you can load up on during the specified dining hours. In the morning, the buffet serves almost every American breakfast food you can imagine, and in the afternoon until 5 pm, you can expect to find different lunch foods. The cruise line will send an address to the port in the confirmation email you should have received. Once you get to the dock, an operator in a gate booth will give you a slip explaining how to navigate to where the cruise ship is in the area.

Fin’s Dining

The flagship vessel, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, encapsulates the brand’s ethos. It’s a medium-sized ship, which allows for a more intimate and personalized voyage. The ship’s decor is a vibrant mix of tropical hues, nautical touches, and whimsical elements like the oversized flip-flop sculpture that greets you in the atrium. It’s clear that every detail has been curated to transport you to a carefree, seaside state of mind. Did you find our Margaritaville at Sea Paradise inaugural cruise review helpful?

Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Cruise Scorecard Review

We were surprised to learn on our 2022 sailing that the Margaritaville at Sea appeal goes far beyond Parrotheads, as Jimmy Buffett's fans are called. Nearly 60% of the passengers on a typical Margaritaville at Sea sailing are taking their first cruise ever, we were told, and the vast majority of them have only a passing knowledge of Buffett. We noticed this particularly during the evening show, a jukebox musical of Buffett hits written by Jimmy himself. While some passengers enthusiastically sang along, fins up, other people smiled and tapped their toes, but clearly didn't know the words. As stated previously the room, like the rest of the ship, reflected its age. But I felt that Margaritaville At Sea had made an effort to bring a sense of their unique brand to the ship.

Is food included in Margaritaville At Sea Cruise?

Here, qualified youth counselors entertain kids with activities like games, arts, and crafts, shows, tours, and more. During my two nights onboard, I was impressed to see the counselors leading groups of fun-having children around the ship many times. While onboard Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, I noticed that there was more live music playing compared to my first time onboard. On my first cruise with Margaritaville, some aspects of the stateroom could have used a refresh.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander Will Feature More Family-Friendly Venues

But I can also see where having too much Buffett make alienate newer cruisers and -- let's face it -- younger and more diverse passengers. The classic Buffett audience is aging; Jimmy's songs may seem timeless, but most were released in the 1970s. Far smarter to focus on margaritas and parrots and palm trees, and keep the yacht rock to a minimum.

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

The ship received major updates during the takeover, including a full Jimmy Buffett-style makeover. A giant flip-flop statue greets guests in the ship's atrium, restaurants are Margaritaville-themed and each stateroom is decorated in the easy breezy style the Buffett empire is known for. In the weeks leading up to my first voyage aboard the Margaritaville at Sea cruise line, I was lost in research. Unlike its competitors, sailing on the Margaritaville Paradise seems downright cheap.

Perspective I took the Margaritaville cruise. It's like basic economy at sea. - The Washington Post

Perspective I took the Margaritaville cruise. It's like basic economy at sea..

Posted: Thu, 01 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Currently, reservations can be made in the terminal prior to boarding the ship. 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. Margaritaville at Sea Islander offers a range of itineraries and destinations, with a focus on the Caribbean and other tropical destinations.

Currently, Margaritaville at Sea also conducts karaoke sessions with the ship’s activity team here. They couldn't get the Wi-Fi to connect inside their staterooms and found that it only worked for them while they were in the hallway or other areas of the cruise ship. Margaritaville at Sea Islander will cater more extensively to families. The main venue for little cruisers will be the Caribbean Amphibian Splash and Slide pool.

The crew hosts different themed parties every night once everyone is aboard the ship and you’re headed to the Bahamas and back. Taking the escalators upstairs to the official check-in counters, where our passports, vaccination cards, and COVID test results were reviewed. You will also be given your room keys (one per person in a suite). During this step, you are asked for a card that will be charged at disembarkation once you have returned back from the Bahamas.

The ship’s crew is also passionate about providing a fun and relaxing vacation experience, with a focus on creating a carefree and laid-back atmosphere. Tonight, we were dining with friends at the ship’s specialty restaurant, JWB Steakhouse. In addition to the main dining room, the ship features this up-charge steakhouse, in a curtained off section of the main dining room portside on Deck 8. For this 2-day Margaritaville at Sea inaugural cruise review, the second day was a stop in Freeport, Bahamas. Since we were not given a daily, we had no idea what time we were calling in port. The cruise and stay option is an opportunity to extend your trip in the Grand Bahama Island.

While we made it a point to locate our assigned muster station, I can only imagine that many other passengers did not. Finished with our informal ship tour, we returned to our cabin for a bit. Typically, we would unpack at this point, but given this was a very short cruise, we just lived out of our suitcases for the two days. Thankfully, our portside oceanview room, 7129, was in much better shape than the cabin we stayed in during the one night special event. The room itself did receive renovations, including new bedding, paint, and accessories making it cheerful yet minimalistic. However, the bathroom was not updated and definitely showed the age of the ship.