Margaritaville at Sea Review: Is Islander Worth It?

By Melissa Newman

Published September 2026

Is Margaritaville at Sea worth it, or is it the budget cruise line horror story you’ve seen in cruise Facebook groups? If you’ve read anything about this cruise line online, you’ve probably seen more complaints than compliments, and I’ll admit that before my own sailing, I let a lot of that negativity get into my head. For someone who prides herself on forming her own opinions, that’s not my favorite thing to confess.

After sailing Margaritaville at Sea Islander round trip from Tampa to Cozumel, I came away with a very different picture. Some of the criticism is fair, some of it is aimed at the wrong ship entirely, and a few things about this cruise line surprised me in the best way. In this Margaritaville at Sea review, I’ll walk you through the ship, the food, the theme nights, the entertainment, the extras worth paying for (and the ones that aren’t), and what it all costs, so you can decide whether it’s the right cruise line for you.

Why Margaritaville at Sea Gets So Much Online Hate (and Why Islander Is a Different Story)

Margaritaville at Sea is a small, young cruise line in an industry full of giants. Next to Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian, it’s the David in a room full of Goliaths. The company began as Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line and rebranded as Margaritaville at Sea in 2022, and its first ship under the new name, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, had a rocky start. I’m convinced that launch, and that particular ship, are behind most of the negativity you’ll find online.

The context that matters most is that every Margaritaville at Sea ship is a former Costa Cruises ship. Instead of building new ships, the line buys older ones and gives them a full Margaritaville makeover, which is a big part of how it keeps fares so low. It also means the experience varies a lot depending on which ship you’re on.

Islander docked in Cozumel. You cannot miss this ship in a lineup.

Paradise was built in 1991 and sailed for years as Costa Classica before becoming Grand Classica and then Paradise. It’s the oldest and smallest ship in the fleet, sailing short itineraries out of Palm Beach, and it runs older, less fuel-efficient engines, which is why guests on Paradise pay a fuel surcharge. Many cruisers assume that surcharge applies to every Margaritaville at Sea sailing, but it doesn’t. It’s charged on Paradise only, not on Islander or Beachcomber.

Islander, the ship I sailed, is the former Costa Atlantica. It entered service in 2000 and sailed for Costa for nearly two decades before Margaritaville at Sea bought it in 2023 and sent it through a four-month refit at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, which redid all 1,100 staterooms and the public spaces. Islander debuted from Tampa in June 2024 with Savannah Buffett, Jimmy Buffett’s daughter, as its godmother.

Beachcomber, the former Costa Fortuna, is the fleet’s newest and largest ship, carrying around 2,700 guests and sailing from PortMiami starting in January 2027 before moving to Galveston. From everything I’ve seen, it’s shaping up to be an even better version of Islander. So my advice is simple: if you want to try Margaritaville at Sea, book Islander or Beachcomber.

Related: Tampa Cruise Port Guide: Hotels, Parking & Transport Tips

The Vibe Onboard Margaritaville at Sea: The Most Relaxed Cruise I’ve Taken in a Long Time

If you’ve read my other cruise line reviews, you know I pay close attention to the overall feel of a ship, and this is where Margaritaville at Sea completely won me over. There’s something special about Margaritaville cruisers and the atmosphere they create. The whole ship is chill and laid back, and I never saw the tension or the testy moments that pop up on so many sailings, whether it’s someone cutting in line, a standoff over pool loungers, or a meltdown at guest services.

It can be hard to relax on a cruise. Between the sensory overload, the crowds, and the constant activity, there are sailings where I come home needing a vacation from my vacation. That didn’t happen here, and the vibe ended up being my favorite part of the entire cruise.

Timing helped, too. We sailed during the school year, so there were very few kids onboard, and the ones who were there were well behaved. If a calm, adult-leaning atmosphere matters to you, a school year sailing is the way to go.

Sunset on deck. This is the pace of the whole cruise.

Margaritaville at Sea Islander Ship Review: Carnival Cruisers Will Feel Right at Home

I’ve fallen hard for the huge new ships that dominate the cruise world right now, so I had some hesitation about sailing on a ship that first entered service in 2000. Islander put most of that to rest quickly. For an older, smaller ship, it’s been beautifully redone, bright, pretty, and completely on brand, with Jimmy Buffett references tucked everywhere you look. A few spots show the ship’s age, like some of the bathrooms on the lido deck, but the staterooms and most of the public areas look updated and modern.

If you’re a Carnival cruiser, Islander will probably feel familiar the moment you step onboard. It’s a Spirit-class ship, the same design as Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend, and Carnival Miracle, and it has that classic Carnival-style atrium rising up through the center of the ship. I love an atrium-style ship because the atrium becomes the heart of everything, and on Islander, the Flip Flop Atrium on Deck 2 is where the live music, the Captain’s Margarita Toast, and the theme night parties all happen, under a giant flip-flop sculpture that nods to the “blew out my flip flop” lyric from “Margaritaville.”

The Flip Flop Atrium, where the parties, the live music, and the Captain’s Margarita Toast all happen.

What surprised me most was how uncrowded Islander felt. Our sailing was sold out, and outside of the pool deck on sea days, it never felt crowded. There were very few lines anywhere, and this was one of the rare cruises where the elevators weren’t a problem. If you’ve ever waited in an elevator lobby on a 6,000-passenger ship right before dinner, you know how big a deal that is.

Getting around was the one real challenge, and it’s partly the ship’s design. Like many ships of this era, Islander doesn’t let you walk from one end to the other on every deck. Some decks are cut off in the middle by the theater, dining rooms, or other venues, so if you’re not on one of the decks that runs the full length of the ship, you have to go up (or down) and over to reach the other end. That’s manageable once you learn the ship, but Islander doesn’t have deck plans or ship maps posted near the elevators, and there’s no app with a map either (more on that below). Wayfinding was harder than it needed to be, especially the first couple of days.

Our stateroom bedding was really comfortable, and for once, we didn’t notice the awkward crack running down the middle of the bed where two twins are pushed together. It’s a small thing, but frequent cruisers know it matters.

Our balcony stateroom. Comfortable bedding and no awkward crack down the middle of the bed.

I avoid cruise ship pools, but Islander’s pools are on the small side, and on sea days they looked very crowded, which is what you’d expect on a sold-out sailing. There are three: the LandShark Pool and the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool on the main pool deck (the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool has a retractable roof for bad weather), and the adults-only Tiki Bar Pool at the back of Deck 9. The water slides are up on Deck 11, and the ship also has a spa, a fitness center, and an arcade. Islander even has a tattoo parlor onboard, which is something only a couple of cruise lines offer. I have exactly one tattoo, and I got it at sea on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady, so I may be biased here, but I cherish the memory of getting a tattoo on a cruise ship. If that’s something you’ve ever considered, doing it onboard makes it part of the trip rather than just ink. (You can read more about that sailing in what you need to know about sailing Virgin Voyages.) If you want a quiet corner to read, look for A1A, a tucked-away corridor themed after the Florida coastal highway that was renamed in Jimmy Buffett’s memory.

The pool deck by the LandShark Pool. Small pools, and they fill up on sea days.

Yes, you can get a tattoo at sea on Islander.

The A1A corridor, named for the Florida highway renamed in Jimmy Buffett’s memory. A good quiet spot to read.

Related: Navigating a Cruise Ship: How to Not Get Lost

Theme Nights on Margaritaville at Sea: Pack White, and Forget Traditional Formal Night

About theme nights... Margaritaville at Sea, like a lot of cruise lines, doesn’t do a great job of telling you about its theme parties ahead of time, so this is one area where it pays to plan ahead.

The big one to know about is the white party in the atrium. We didn’t get the memo, but most other guests clearly did, because they understood the assignment and showed up dressed in white. Learn from my mistake and pack white!

The white party in the atrium. Everyone else got the memo, so pack white.

Elegant night also works differently here, and it’s the one that trips people up most. On our sailing, the first sea day was the Boots and Bubbles country theme night, and the daily Cruise News listed the dress code as “Coastal Country Elegance,” with a note to “come as you are.” The night kicked off with a Captain’s Margarita Toast in the Flip Flop Atrium, where the captain officially welcomed everyone aboard, followed by a country-themed production show called Conky Tonkin’ at Sea.

Very few cruisers dressed to the theme. I spotted some cowboy hats and boots, but most people wore whatever they wanted, and fewer than a handful of guests went with the traditional cruise elegant look. So if theme nights aren’t your thing, don’t worry about it. You won’t feel out of place. It all fits the intentionally laid-back personality of Margaritaville at Sea, where you’ll fit in dressed up or dressed down.

Related: What to Wear on a Cruise Formal Night

Dining on Margaritaville at Sea: Skip the Buffet, Head to Quick Serve

Food is where my feelings about Margaritaville at Sea are the most mixed. If I had to compare it to another cruise line, I’d say the overall food experience is most comparable to MSC: some real highlights, plenty that’s just fine, and a few misses. Where you eat on this ship makes a big difference, so let’s go venue by venue.

The Port of Indecision Buffet

The buffet on Islander, named the Port of Indecision after a Buffett song, is small, and the food is standard cruise ship fare. It’s edible and fine, but it’s not the best, and the desserts, sadly, taste of disappointment.

The Port of Indecision Buffet, named after a Buffett song like almost everything else onboard.

I do give Margaritaville at Sea credit for its hours. The buffet serves breakfast until 11:30 a.m. and dinner until 9:30 p.m., and there are later-night options from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. for anyone who needs a snack after the shows.

The Margaritaville Coffee Shop sits at the back of the buffet. The coffee itself was just okay, and it’s a bummer that coffee shop drinks aren’t included in the drink package, so if you need your daily latte, build that into your budget.

The Quick Serve Restaurants: The Real Standouts

I avoid cruise buffets as much as possible, so I always gravitate to the quick serve spots, where crew members prepare and serve your food instead of you serving yourself. This is where Margaritaville at Sea shines.

Mexican Cutie Cantina, one of the best reasons to sail this cruise line.

Mexican Cutie Cantina, right next to the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool, was outstanding, with build-your-own street-style tacos at lunch. Cheeseburger in Paradise was just as good, and exactly what you’d hope for from a burger joint named after one of Jimmy Buffett’s most famous songs. If you’ve sailed Carnival, you’ll recognize it immediately, because it seems closely modeled after Guy’s Burger Joint. The way the burgers are served, the taste, and the presentation are almost identical, right down to the seasoned fries and the self-serve toppings bar. And the pizza at Frank & Lola’s Pizzeria, near the buffet on Deck 9, was excellent. It stays open until 2:00 a.m., and you can even have a whole pie delivered to your stateroom for an extra charge. All three are complimentary, and they’re some of the best reasons to sail this cruise line.

Cheeseburger in Paradise. Carnival cruisers, this will look very familiar.

Islander has a few more casual options I skipped. I don’t eat fish or sushi, so I didn’t try Island Eats, an extra-charge, adults-only seafood shack in the Tiki Bar area with dishes like peel-and-eat shrimp and lobster rolls, or Far Side Sushi in the Far Side of the World lounge on Deck 2. The Tiki Grill, also in the Tiki Bar area, serves grilled and fried bites for an extra charge.

Fins and the Islander Dining Room: Beautiful Plates, Limited Variety

Islander’s main dining room is Fins, on Deck 2 aft, with the Islander Dining Room just above it on Deck 3. Presentation was on point, and the food quality was typically quite good.

Here’s something I really liked: even though this is a budget cruise line with a casual personality, and even though flip flops are perfectly welcome at dinner, the main dining room still feels nice. The tables are set with real tablecloths, which some cruise lines have done away with, and the room reads as elegant without asking anything of you. You can walk in straight from the pool deck and still feel like you’re having a proper dinner.

Fins and the Islander Dining Room, two levels with a palm tree in the middle.

My issue with the main dining room is variety. Margaritaville at Sea’s flavors lean heavily tropical, and the menus show it. One night, the entrées were Santa Cruz fish with chili gremolata, grilled brick chicken with hot honey, jerk pork loin with peach chutney, garlic shrimp, and a Mediterranean eggplant dish. Another night brought corn-battered pescado frito, Antigua shrimp with mango pineapple relish, huli-huli chicken with mole amarillo, Tuscan porchetta, and a wild mushroom ragout. That’s completely on brand, and plenty of cruisers will love it. But I’m a meat and potatoes kind of gal, so most nights none of the mains appealed to me, and I ordered appetizers instead.

A main dining room dinner menu. Notice how tropical the mains lean.

One night, I decided to pay for one of the menu’s “Special Appearances,” which are upgraded entrées at an added cost: an 8 oz filet mignon for $21, a lobster tail for $29, colossal shrimp for $18, or surf and turf for $35. I went with the filet, and it wasn’t worth the $21 upcharge. If you want a great steak on Islander, save your money for JWB Prime Steakhouse instead. The menu also notes that additional entrées cost $7 per guest, so ordering a second main isn’t free the way it is on some cruise lines.

The appetizers, called the “Opening Act” on the menu, gave me my biggest surprise: Margaritaville at Sea does soup, of all things, very, very well. Our sailing included a “Real Deal” tortilla soup, a baked potato soup with jalapeño and cheddar, a Caribbean cauliflower soup with jerk-ginger and coconut milk, and a Cajun gumbo cheekily subtitled “I will play for Gumbo.” The soups were delicious.

The tortilla soup. The soups here were the biggest surprise of the whole cruise.

Desserts, the “Encore” section of the menu, were hit or miss, and one in particular deserves its own warning.

The Key Lime Sponge Cake: Margaritaville at Sea’s Signature Dessert Miss

Every cruise line seems to have a go-to dessert. On Carnival, it’s the famous Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. On Margaritaville at Sea, it’s the Key Lime Sponge Cake, described on the menu as a “light sponge cake” with “creamy key lime mousse.” It showed up on the dinner menu every night, and it seemed to appear under different names elsewhere, like the “Conch Republic” dessert on the brunch menu (key lime sponge cake with citrus cream and raspberry gel), which looked like the same thing.

We all found it terrible. It was gelatinous and too wet, almost drippy, and I’m not sure why Margaritaville at Sea chose it as its signature dessert, especially when the key lime pie at the steakhouse is so good. If you’re craving key lime on Islander, skip the sponge cake and get your fix at JWB.

The key lime sponge cake. I do not recommend it.

Breakfast and the Sparkling Brunch

Breakfast in Fins was very good, with a classic cruise breakfast menu of omelets, eggs Benedict, vanilla French toast with caramelized banana, pancakes, waffles, and an express breakfast if you’re in a hurry.

The Sparkling Brunch, an extra-charge option in the Islander Dining Room on sea days, was also very good. The menu goes well beyond breakfast, with Mexican avocado toast, steak and eggs, huevos rancheros, hot fried chicken and waffles, and a “Bubbles Up” burger topped with a fried egg. The standout was the Overnight French Toast with Nutella, bananas, caramel, whipped cream, and strawberries. We all loved it, and it’s the dish I’d tell anyone booking the brunch to order. Your first mimosa, bellini, or glass of sparkling wine is included, and after that there’s a full menu of brunch cocktails and bubbly.

The Overnight French Toast at the Sparkling Brunch. Order this one.

Your first mimosa is included with the Sparkling Brunch.

Related: Secrets of the Cruise Main Dining Room

Gluten Free and Vegetarian Options

If you eat gluten free or vegetarian, Margaritaville at Sea handles it better than I expected for a budget cruise line. The main dining room menus mark items (GF) and (V) right on the page, and a good number of dishes are noted as gluten free available on request, including the Caesar salad, several of the soups, and some of the seafood mains.

There was at least one vegetarian main every night, and they weren’t afterthoughts. On our sailing, the options included a Mediterranean eggplant with vegetable couscous, beet and cashew cheese, and lemon tahini, and a wild mushroom ragout served over herb polenta. On the appetizer side, there were vegetarian choices like gnocchi arrabbiata, vegetable biryani, coconut rice with Trinidadian vegetable curry, a rotini with wild mushrooms and mascarpone, and a watermelon feta salad. Several of the soups are vegetarian, too, including that excellent baked potato soup and the Caribbean cauliflower soup.

The watermelon feta salad, one of several vegetarian options marked right on the menu.

A few other things worth knowing: the desserts include gluten free ice cream, sugar free desserts are available on request, and the Sparkling Brunch offers gluten free pasta for the Pasta Alfredo. As always, if you have celiac disease or a serious allergy rather than a preference, talk to the dining room manager on the first night so the kitchen can plan ahead for you.

JWB Prime Steakhouse: The Splurge Worth Making

I love a cruise ship steakhouse, and JWB Prime Steakhouse, named after James William Buffett and located on Deck 10, was very good. It’s a prix fixe format where you choose a starter, a soup or salad, an entrée, two sides, and a dessert. The steaks include an 8 oz center cut filet, a 12 oz prime New York strip, and a 12 oz prime ribeye (you can add a lobster tail for an extra charge), plus options like braised short ribs, a rack of lamb, and a Duroc pork chop. Starters range from steak tartare to wagyu meatballs and burrata, and the soups include French onion and lobster bisque.

JWB Prime Steakhouse, named after James William Buffett. Worth the splurge.

The real standout was the key lime pie, which was everything the sponge cake wasn’t. If you’re only going to splurge on one specialty dining experience on Islander, make it this one. Reservations are required.

The Crew: The Friendliest I’ve Experienced on Any Cruise

Hands down, the Islander crew was the friendliest I’ve experienced on any cruise line, and I’ve sailed a lot of cruise lines. It’s something I’d heard over and over from Margaritaville at Sea cruisers before my sailing, and it held true from the first day to the last morning. From the bartenders to the dining room staff to the activities team, everyone was warm and welcoming, and I’m convinced it’s a big part of why the whole ship feels so relaxed.

A few people deserve a shout out by name. Amith, the hotel director, was great and clearly sets the tone for the whole ship. Anna, the concierge, was wonderful. Darwin, our room steward, took such good care of us. And Caiao, who led our speakeasy experience, was a fantastic host. There are too many others to name, which tells you everything you need to know about this crew.

Entertainment on Margaritaville at Sea: Pleasant, Not Spectacular

If you’re looking for big Broadway-style production shows, you won’t find them here. There are a couple of stage shows in the Stars on the Water Theater, like Conky Tonkin’ at Sea on country night and Caribbean Heat Remix, a Mexico-themed revamp of a fan favorite featuring an acrobatic duo. They’re fun, but fairly basic compared to what you’ll see on Royal Caribbean or Norwegian.

Caribbean Heat Remix, one of the production shows in the Stars on the Water Theater.

Islander does better with live music. On our first sea day alone, the Cruise News listed a guitarist and a steel pan player in the Flip Flop Atrium, a violinist and a band at Hemisphere Dancer, a pianist at the Bubbles Up champagne bar, and a DJ and live music on the Six String Stage by the pool. The daytime lineup had the usual cruise staples, too, like line dancing, trivia, bingo, Name That Tune, and an adults-only “Cowboys vs. Cowgirls” game show, plus a Jimmy Buffett concert film playing at the LandShark Pool.

It’s pleasant, easygoing entertainment that suits the ship’s personality. I cruise so often that entertainment isn’t a big factor for me, so this didn’t bother me at all. But if shows are a major part of how you choose a cruise line, keep your expectations in check.

No App on Margaritaville at Sea: What You Need to Know Before You Sail

This is a big adjustment for anyone used to the major cruise lines. At the time of my sailing, Margaritaville at Sea didn’t have an app, and the line planned to launch one alongside Beachcomber. There were plenty of things I didn’t miss about staring at a cruise app all day, but there were a few moments when I missed it.

The biggest one was ship time. Cozumel is one hour behind ship time, and Islander stays on ship time while in port. On most cruise lines, the app shows ship time front and center, but here it was tough to check quickly, and on a port day, that’s the one thing you can’t afford to get wrong. I also didn’t like that I couldn’t track my onboard spending or charges during the cruise.

There’s a QR code on your stateroom card that you can scan to see the day’s activities, and a printed Cruise News is delivered to your stateroom every day with the schedule, venue hours, and theme night details. Even so, I had trouble finding some things, like the main dining room menus, and combined with the lack of ship maps near the elevators, it made the first few days more confusing than they needed to be.

Related: Cozumel Cruise Port Guide

WiFi on Margaritaville at Sea: What It Costs and How Well It Works

Margaritaville at Sea does have WiFi, sold through its Coconut Telegraph packages. There are two main tiers, and both are priced per device, so a couple who both want to be connected is buying two packages, not one. At the time of writing, the basic package starts around $27 per night per device and covers messaging, web browsing, email, social media, and audio calls. The premium package starts around $31 per night per device and adds high speed browsing, streaming, and video calling.

We had the basic package, and it was mostly reliable. We did run into some connectivity issues on the first sea day, which is worth knowing if you’re planning to work from the ship. But for basic browsing or checking email here and there, even the basic package is totally fine. If you’re planning to stream or take video calls, spend the extra few dollars a night on premium.

The Casino on Islander: Frustrating Now, But Watch This Space

I love that the Margaritaville Casino on Islander is non-smoking, and it’s a decent size, so it never felt overly crowded. But the machines are older, and several were glitchy or out of service each day. You also can’t charge casino play to your stateroom. You can bring your credit or debit card to the casino desk to get cash, but it’s an inconvenient extra step, and you need a separate player’s card to track your play.

The Margaritaville Casino. Non-smoking, which I love, but the machines need an update.

That said, Margaritaville at Sea’s casino program is clearly ramping up, and it seems to be aggressively courting big spenders with big perks. The loyalty program runs from Bronze up to Platinum, and the higher tiers include free cruise offers, free play, a free drink package, complimentary specialty dining, VIP check-in and debarkation, and even a free birthday cruise. If you’re a serious casino player, this could be a great opportunity to earn some very generous offers from a cruise line that’s working hard to win your business.

Related: How to Get Free Cruises Through Casino Programs

QMN: The Secret Jimmy Buffett Speakeasy on Islander

One of the most unique experiences on Islander is QMN, short for “Quietly Making Noise,” named after a Buffett album. It’s a hidden speakeasy tucked away near the front of the ship, and a fun bit of trivia: the space was the ship’s chapel back when Islander sailed as Costa Atlantica. QMN is an extra-cost experience with limited spots, booked through the shore excursions desk, and a portion of the proceeds benefits Singing for Change, one of Jimmy Buffett’s charities.

Inside QMN, the hidden speakeasy, with Jimmy Buffett’s guitars and records on the walls.

The experience is part drinking journey, part storytelling session. It tells the story of Jimmy Buffett, displays his mementos and memorabilia, including his vintage record collection, and plays his songs on vinyl throughout as the host walks you through his life and career, with cocktails served along the way.

A gold record on display in QMN. The room is full of Buffett history.

I’m not a drinker, and while I enjoy a Jimmy Buffett song as much as the next cruiser, I wouldn’t call myself a Parrothead, so QMN wasn’t really made for me, and I’m not sure it was worth the cost for me personally. But I can absolutely see why others would love it. If you’re a Buffett fan, or you simply enjoy a great cocktail with a good story, this could easily be one of the most memorable hours of your cruise.

The Hemisphere Dancer Mixology Class: More Storytelling Than Shaking

We also did the mixology class at Hemisphere Dancer, Islander’s craft cocktail bar on Deck 2 aft, named after Jimmy Buffett’s seaplane.

I expected a hands-on class where we’d make our own drinks, and that’s not what it is. Instead, the bartenders share Jimmy Buffett stories while explaining how each drink is made and the tools they use, and they were outstanding: knowledgeable, funny, and great storytellers. The class is built around the bar’s “Passport to Pour” flight, which on our sailing included a Watermelon Express made with muddled fresh watermelon and tequila, a Paper Plane with bourbon, Aperol, and amaro, and a Mile High, a bourbon cocktail smoked in a decanter before it’s poured. The last drink is a “Mixologist’s Choice,” a mystery pour chosen by the bartender. Every drink was sample size except for that final mystery drink, and you get an “HD Captain” wings pin at the end.

A bartender smoking a cocktail during the mixology class at Hemisphere Dancer.

The Passport to Pour flight. Everything is sample size except the final mystery drink.

Even as a non-drinker, I enjoyed it, and a lot of that comes down to those bartenders. Go in expecting a demonstration and storytelling session rather than a hands-on class, and you’ll have a great time.

Is Margaritaville at Sea Good for Families? What the Kids Clubs Look Like

Even though our sailing had very few kids, Islander is set up for families, and the kids program looked well organized. There are four clubs: Jolly Mon Kid’s Club for ages 3 to 5, Parakeets for ages 6 to 9, The Hangout for ages 10 to 12, and The Far Out for teens ages 13 to 17. Each day’s schedule follows the ship’s theme nights, with activities like a Boots and Bubbles country jamboree for the little ones and a Tropical Tiki Bash, plus scavenger hunts, lip sync battles, gaming tournaments, and neon body painting for teens.

The kids menu in Fins comes with a coloring sheet.

A few details parents should know: the younger clubs close for a couple of hours at lunch and dinner, late-night “After Hours Chill Time” from 10:00 p.m. to midnight comes with an hourly fee per child, and teens have a midnight curfew unless they’re with an adult. There’s also Parrots, Pirates and Pancakes, a family character breakfast held on the last morning of the cruise. It’s an added fee and you book it by calling from your stateroom phone, but if you’re sailing with little ones, it’s the kind of thing they’ll talk about for months.

Parrot and pirate ship table centerpieces for the Parrots, Pirates and Pancakes family breakfast.

How Margaritaville at Sea Does Drink Packages

Drink packages work a little differently here than on some other cruise lines, so this is worth understanding before you board.

The main one is the Ultimate Beverage Chill package. At the time of writing it starts around $50 per person per night, plus a 20% service charge, and the price varies by the length of your sailing. It covers beers, wines by the glass, cocktails, and specialty drinks priced up to $20 each, with a cap of 15 alcoholic drinks per person per day, plus unlimited soda, bottled water, juices, and mocktails. You also get 25% off bottles of wine and champagne.

A bar menu onboard. The drink package covers drinks up to $20 each.

Here’s the catch that surprises people: if one guest 21 and over in your stateroom buys it, every guest 21 and over in that stateroom has to buy it too. So if you’re traveling with someone who drinks and you don’t, or the two of you drink very differently, do the math before anyone commits.

The other big thing to know is what’s not included: specialty coffee drinks from the Margaritaville Coffee Shop. If you’re a daily latte person like me, that’s an extra line item on your bill even with the full package. Bottles of liquor, sharing cocktails, pitchers, buckets of beer, in-room wine service, and minibar purchases are also excluded.

If you don’t drink alcohol, there’s a soda package for around $10 per person per day that comes with a souvenir Margaritaville cup.

One more practical note: don’t wait to decide. Beverage packages have a purchase deadline onboard, and on our sailing, the second day was the last day to buy one.

Margaritaville at Sea Gratuities, Fees, and Value: What It Really Costs

Before you book, know that Margaritaville at Sea’s gratuities are among the highest in the cruise industry. At the time of my sailing, they were automatically added at $22 per guest per night for standard staterooms and $25 per guest per night for suites. That’s more than you’ll pay on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, or Celebrity, and it can be a surprise for a budget-friendly cruise line.

But look at the whole picture and the value is huge. Base fares are often dramatically lower than the major cruise lines, and Margaritaville at Sea says 100% of gratuities go directly to the crew. After sailing with what I consider the friendliest crew I’ve ever experienced, that’s a lot easier to accept. Build the gratuities into your budget from the start, and remember that the fuel surcharge only applies to Paradise.

A couple of other money notes: onboard credit automatically applies to your incidentals, but it can’t be used for the casino, the arcade, bingo, service fees, or gratuities, and any unused onboard credit is forfeited.

Related: How Much to Tip on a Cruise

Related: Cruise Money Tips: How to Avoid Hidden Fees and Overspending at Sea

The Margaritaville at Sea Heroes Program

Margaritaville at Sea’s Heroes program is one of the most generous cruise line programs I’ve seen. Through a partnership with GovX, verified U.S. active duty military, veterans, first responders, law enforcement, medical professionals, government employees, and educators (including professors!) can get free cruise fares on select staterooms (with a paying guest) and discounts on other sailings, along with perks like priority boarding. The appreciation carries over onboard, too. Margaritaville at Sea holds a heroes tribute in the atrium during the sailing to honor the service members and first responders onboard, which is a lovely moment to witness even if you don’t qualify yourself, and our daily schedule even included a Heroes’ Discount in the ship’s shop. If you or someone in your household qualifies, it’s worth checking before you book anything else.

The heroes tribute in the atrium, honoring the service members and first responders onboard.

Embarkation Day: Staterooms Open at 1:30

One thing to plan around on embarkation day: staterooms don’t open until 1:30 p.m. If you board early, you’ll be carrying your bags around with you until then, so pack a small carry-on with anything you want for the first few hours, like your swimsuit, sunscreen, medications, and a change of clothes.

Tiki check-in at the Tampa cruise terminal. The theme starts before you board.

The upside is that the ship is open and the food is flowing, so head up to the quick serve spots or the buffet, grab a drink, and settle in on the pool deck while you wait.

1:30 p.m. is the official time staterooms open, but in my experience they often open earlier.

Debarkation Day on Margaritaville at Sea Islander

Debarkation was wildly efficient, and one of the smoothest I’ve experienced. Everything was clearly explained in a letter delivered to our stateroom the night before. If you want luggage assistance, bags go outside your door the last night between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. Staterooms must be vacated by 8:00 a.m., self-assist guests start walking off around 7:30 a.m., and every single guest was off the ship by 9:00 a.m. There were lines, but they moved swiftly, and nothing about the morning felt chaotic.

Walking off in Tampa. Every guest was off the ship by 9:00 a.m.

Related: Cruise Disembarkation: Luggage Tips for a Smooth Exit

So, Is Margaritaville at Sea Worth It?

Would we sail Margaritaville at Sea again? On Islander or Beachcomber, absolutely. Would I recommend it? Yes, to the right cruiser. Margaritaville at Sea is best for people who want to cruise on a budget, because the value here is hard to beat. It’s also a great fit for destination-focused cruisers who don’t need the razzle dazzle of a giant ship with amenities around every corner and massive production shows.

You can often find four- and five-night Margaritaville at Sea cruises for a family of four for under $950, and there are free cruise offers for military, law enforcement, educators, and first responders, which is a tremendous bargain with what travel and food cost these days. As someone who grew up with a struggle life, I deeply appreciate that Margaritaville at Sea keeps cruising, and the chance to see the world, within reach for working families at a time when cruise fares keep going up and up and up.

If you’re a travel agent, Margaritaville at Sea is a cruise line worth getting to know. It consistently offers some of the strongest discounted travel advisor rates in the industry, which makes it easy to sail the ships yourself before you sell them. And if becoming a travel agent is something you’ve been curious about, take a look at Atlas Coast Travel Group.

So, is Margaritaville at Sea worth it? Absolutely yes. You cannot beat this bargain, and I say that as someone who cruises constantly and compares value obsessively. The one thing I’d add is this: go into it with a positive mindset. If you board expecting a mega ship with Broadway shows, a slick app, and a huge buffet spread, you’ll be disappointed. If you board expecting a friendly, laid back, affordable cruise with great quick serve food and a crew that treats you like family, you’ll have a wonderful time. Your attitude going in makes all the difference here.

Ready to plan your own Margaritaville at Sea sailing? Our team would love to help you find the right itinerary. Start here and we can work out the details together.

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Curious how Margaritaville at Sea compares to a more refined cruise line? Read my honest Celebrity Cruises review.

New to cruising or need a refresher? Start with my ultimate first-time cruise guide.

Wondering whether a travel agent is worth it? Read about the benefits of booking a cruise with a travel agent.

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