Margaritaville Islander Cruise Ship Review: A Seasoned Cruiser’s Take
Key West, Florida
By Angie & Jeff
October 23, 2024
If you make a purchase through an affiliate link on our website we might earn a small commission. There is no additional cost to you. We never recommend anything we don’t personally endorse. Clicking through our links is a way you can help support our website and help us keep writing quality articles for YOU. We appreciate each and every one of you and we thank you for your support. ~ Angie & Jeff
We recently sailed on Margaritaville at Sea’s newest ship, the Islander, and loved the playful touches and relaxed atmosphere but we also noticed a few shortcomings. As experienced cruisers, we’d happily sail on the Islander again if the price is right. However, we wouldn’t recommend it to first-time cruisers just yet, as poor communication led to confusion for many new cruisers.
Join us as we guide you through our trip from boarding to disembarkation, helping you decide if Margaritaville at Sea Islander is the right cruise ship for you!
Stepping Onto the Ship
Margaritaville at Sea Islander definitely got the first impression right. Immediately upon stepping onto the ship there were servers with trays of glasses full of delicious champagne.
Along with the sparkling bubbly, there were sounds of the Caribbean being played on the steel drum by musical artist Elton, who we later learned has been playing the pans since he was about 5 years old. Elton’s music flows through the atrium space filling the Flip Flop Bar area with happy sounds and relaxing vibes.
Along with immersive island sounds, the ship also brings in brightly colored visual components of the island feel starting with the 14 foot tall blown out flip flop located just across the dance floor from the Flip Flop Bar.
Surfboards and palm trees bring even more island appeal to the fun, beachy atmosphere. And when you look straight up, you’ll also notice a life-sized biplane hanging from the ceiling near Deck 10. Oh, and don’t forget to admire the chandelier of upside down margarita glasses!
For the most part we found it easy to forget that this is a 20+ year old ship. Margaritaville at Sea purchased the ship from Costa Cruise Line which is a division of Carnival Cruise Line. Margaritaville at Sea then spent $150 million dollars refurbishing the ship and turned it into Margaritaville at Sea Islander.
The island theme and vibe continues to be carried throughout the entire ship in the art, decor, and music being played everywhere. Where they could make a reference to Jimmy Buffett, they did.
If you are familiar with Carnival Spirit-Class ships, you’ll immediately feel right at home on Margaritaville at Sea Islander, because that’s the build of this ship, too.
Cabins and Amenities
Our cabins were ready shortly after we enjoyed our first champagne so we went straight to ours to drop our carry-on luggage.
We had a balcony stateroom on the port side of Deck 6 for this voyage, Cabin # 6151. The stateroom was super clean and felt new and welcoming.
We really liked how the island theme was carried into the stateroom. The main art piece in the cabin is several framed pictures of a bright blue and orange parrot, a tiki hut, and a beach scene with those turquoise blue Caribbean waters. Above the flat-screen television there is a Jimmy Buffett phrase posted in light blue lettering reading, “License to Chill, And I Believe I Will.”
The sofa is loveseat-sized and there is a king size bed. The bed is comfortable, better than many cruise lines we’ve sailed which have mattresses that are too hard for our liking. The pillows on the sofa are also island themed and the white bedspread has subtle tiny little parrots woven throughout the fabric.
There are nightstands on either side of the bed with storage and lamps on each which are fixed in place on top. In addition, there is a large closet with shelves and hangers and hanging space. We found the storage to be quite typical of a cruise cabin.
You step up about 4 inches into the bathroom that is typical for a cruise ship with a sink, toilet, and shower. The shower is small, as showers on most cruise ships are, about 2 foot by 2 foot standing space. The sink is the exact same vibrant blue and turquoise coloring we remember from our bathroom on the Carnival Spirit. You might perceive it as beachy or dated, depending on your perspective.
We did hear of air conditioning issues reported from other guests we spoke with throughout the cruise. Our room was fine; the air conditioning was blowing cold and working well. However, we did personally notice the air conditioning was downright chilly in some places on the ship and not working very well in other spaces on the ship so air conditioning consistency is an area that needs improvement for the Islander.
The balcony is typical for many cruise ships. About 2 feet deep and about 5 feet wide with 2 chairs and 1 small table. The chairs on our balcony were very basic without any ability to recline, but fulfilled what we needed to follow Jimmy Buffett’s advice to chill and relax. This is one area where we spotted some signs of the age of the ship in terms of rust on the balcony edges.
An Issue Leads to a Late Night Cabin Switch
When we set sail, we noticed the balcony door was whistling away due to a loose seal on the door. It wasn’t ideal, but we decided we could live with it for a 3-night cruise as we had already fully unpacked in the space.
Around 10pm as we were tucking into bed we also began to smell cigarettes and marijuana. Someone was certainly smoking on their balcony even though this is strictly prohibited both due to the danger of fire hazards and for other guests’ ability to enjoy their balcony. And due to the poor seal on our balcony door, the smell was getting sucked right into our stateroom.
By 10:30pm the strength of the smell in our cabin had doubled and it was smelling strong enough that we were both getting nauseous and had headaches. We made the decision to call Guest Services and see what could be done.
Guest Services took the complaint very seriously, given that fire is a major danger to a cruise ship. Within 10 minutes, 2 officers arrived at our door. We welcomed them in and they both immediately noticed the smell in our stateroom too. The officers headed to the balcony to see if they could see anyone smoking nearby.
While they did not immediately find the person who was smoking, a report was written and cabin stewards near our cabin were notified to be on the lookout throughout the remainder of the cruise for signs of any prohibited smoking on balconies.
The officers were very kind and offered for us to move to another cabin. We accepted this offer even though it was a bit of a hassle to pack up our stuff, neither of us wanted to endure these smells any longer. Fortunately, our sailing was not at full capacity so moving to a different stateroom was relatively easy for the officers to arrange.
We moved to an identical cabin on the opposite side of the ship and spend the remainder of the cruise in Cabin #6146 on the starboard side. We were happy this balcony door sealed and was silent as well.
The next day a different senior officer stopped by our new cabin to thank us for the report particularly because of fire concerns, tell us they were following up on the issue, and to ensure we were happy in our new space.
On-Board Ship Staff Was Amazing
All staff members we talked with and interacted with on this ship, including cabin stewards, restaurant staff, bar staff, and other employees, were friendly, attentive, and provided great customer service.
We learned that lots of the staff members on Margaritaville at Sea Islander had many years of service with other high-end luxury cruise lines and have recently joined, and seem genuinely excited to be working with, Margaritaville at Sea.
This surprised us because some of the reviews of Margaritaville at Sea have been pretty lackluster. We asked several staff members what made them switch to this cruise line and the central theme was that they preferred the more relaxed vibe of Margaritaville at Sea over the other cruise lines they worked for in the past.
Corporate Customer Service Lacks Clear Communication
Corporate Customer Service at Margaritaville at Sea is in need of some improvement. We experienced minimal communication about what to expect pre-sailing. As experienced cruisers, this was fine for us but could be a source of stress for a new cruiser.
Our voyage was also complicated by Hurricane Debby which drastically changed our cruise. No one can control the weather. Itinerary changes or cancellations are a known risk of sailing during hurricane season, but a cruise line can control good communication. We learned through Carnival updates shared on social media when our cruise was likely to be delayed, as Carnival communicated promptly, unlike Margaritaville at Sea.
The 5-day cruise itinerary became a 3-day cruise. This meant that we were not going to Cozumel, Mexico. Rather, we’d only be going to Key West, Florida. We had about 6 hours in port at Key West, then the ship was turned around and we headed back to Tampa.
We were largely on this trip to experience the ship itself and have visited Cozumel before so we were fine with the changes. But, we did meet many disappointed Floridians who made comments that they could have just driven to Key West.
Poor Public Relations-Where’s the Salt … Where’s the Gosh Darn Salt ?
In our opinion, Margaritaville At Sea did the bare minimum for its customers to compensate for the lost cruise days due to Hurricane Debby.
If we hadn’t booked this cruise for the extremely low price we paid, we would have been very disappointed with the compensation Margaritaville at Sea provided for the 2 days lost and a Florida only itinerary. The cruise was shortened by 40% and the only money refunded was $28 per person, the port fees for Cozumel.
The only other compensation that Margaritaville at Sea gave was onboard credit of $100 per stateroom per day for the lost days. Yes, you read that correctly, $100 per STATEROOM per day, not per guest. So the compensation was $200 for the 2 days of cruise lost. In our opinion, that’s not nearly enough compensation for the lost days, given that many families paid significantly more to be on this cruise.
Also, keep in mind onboard credit is not the same as a refund. Onboard credit must be used aboard the ship during the sailing. Any unused portion is forfeited at the sailing’s end. Onboard credit is a “use it or lose it” currency.
As one might expect, the ship had inflated prices on almost everything: booking excursions, shopping, or buying drinks to name a few. With the inflated prices, typical on most cruise ships, the onboard credit doesn’t go very far.
The poor communication continued. On the last day of the cruise, we received a letter in our cabin stating that the onboard credit WAS actually refundable to the credit card on file.
We had already spent most of our onboard credit at this time, so you may spot us rocking our new Margaritaville apparel in future photos in posts and social media.
And the fact is Margaritaville at Sea didn’t have to give any compensation at all. Margaritaville at Sea’s contract states: “No Liability for Any Cancellation of Itinerary. Carrier reserves the right to change or cancel any scheduled call at any port for any reason at its option at any time whether before, or after sailing of the Vessel, without previous notice to the Guest, and without liability to the Guest for any loss, damage or delay whatsoever, howsoever consequential.”
To be fair, most cruise lines have a similar contract which guests must sign. However, other cruise lines in this same weather situation gave better compensation to guests. The other cruise lines seem to have a better understanding that these are goodwill gestures to maintain good relationships and encourage guests to return for future sailings.
Margaritaville at Sea could certainly learn from the other cruise lines’ actions. As things stand, we wouldn’t recommend booking a hurricane season sailing with Margaritaville at Sea at this time due to the likelihood of changes and poor compensation.
What Else Went Wrong ?
As we said above, the initial welcome onto the ship was amazing. We then proceeded to our stateroom and found our keycards waiting for us on the stateroom door.
Our names AND our stateroom number are printed on the keycards. For security reasons, this is something we hope Margaritaville at Sea changes immediately. If a keycard gets lost, anyone can easily find exactly which stateroom that keycard goes to and could potentially cause a lot of mischief and possibly crime. We have never seen stateroom numbers printed on the keycard on any other cruise line.
The next issue was the keycards did not open the stateroom lock. We were fortunate to find our cabin steward right away in the hallway and proved our identity to him and he keyed us into our stateroom with a universal key.
We dropped our luggage off in the room and proceeded directly to Guest Services to get our stateroom keys corrected. What we found there was a very long line of our fellow frustrated cruisers due to this issue. We came to learn, no one’s stateroom keys worked. Yikes!
The onboard staff did pivot quickly and set-up key re-printing in the photo gallery on the deck just above Guest Services and expedited folks only needing new stateroom keys to head up there. This meant what easily looked like an hours long wait was approximately 30 minutes for us in the end.
Another issue is that Guest Services is directly next to the Flip Flop Bar where live music is often playing. It is enjoyable if you’re there to listen to the music, but it makes it nearly impossible to have a conversation with anyone at the Guest Services Desk. The location of Guest Services is similar on other ships, but the noise issue was especially pronounced on this ship.
Finally, at the time of our sailing, there was no way to contact Guest Services without physically going to Guest Services and standing in line to talk to someone. On most cruise lines you can call from your cabin and some even allow chat via an app. The technology on the Islander is non-existent. This meant there was pretty much always a line of at least a handful of people at Guest Services day or night.
Islander Dining: How’s the Food ?
There are a good number of restaurants onboard Margaritaville at Sea Islander with fun names. Some of the restaurants are: Cheeseburger in Paradise, Mexican Cutie Cantina, Point of Indecision Buffet, Fins Dining Room, and the JWB Steakhouse, named of course for James William Buffett.
We found the food quality to be mixed on Margaritaville at Sea Islander. The Point of Indecision Buffet was really lackluster. The food will get you fed, but it’s nothing spectacular. The food, and even the desserts, were all kind of meh. There are complimentary soft-serve ice cream cones, but even those failed to impress us as they were not creamy but had more of an icy, sorbet consistency.
Cheeseburger in Paradise – A Must Try
The Cheeseburger in Paradise is a different story. We are declaring this the new best cheeseburger at sea, knocking out the previous champion, Guy’s Burger Joint, found on most Carnival ships. The burgers on any other cruise line other than Margaritaville At Sea and Carnival are not worth eating in our opinion.
The cheeseburgers are cooked all the way through with no pink, yet they remain juicy without being too greasy and have a great flavor. The crew is making the burgers by the sheet pan full. The seasoning is just right.
Cheese goes on just long enough to create melty goodness. A buttery tasting white bun is used to load the initial toppings for the burgers as you move through the ordering line. Choices are lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and a special sauce.
The burger is fantastic just like this, but there is also a condiments bar nearby where you can add more of these toppings and also add sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions if you’d like. There is also ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise.
We highly recommend you try Cheeseburger in Paradise when you sail on Margaritaville at Sea.
Frank & Lola’s Pizzeria – Runner Up for Best Pizza at Sea
We love pizza. A LOT. We had read that the pizza onboard the Islander was excellent so we were excited to try it.
You can watch it being made fresh in front of you in a variety of topping options that you can select. They serve it on a plate, piping hot to you with as many pieces as you’d like.
We only had a short time onboard the Islander, but managed to enjoy the pizza several times because it was worth repeat visits. In fact, we debated if it was worthy of the top spot for best pizza at sea. It was a tough call. But, our favorite for best pizza at sea, MSC Cruises, still keeps the top spot. Frank & Lola’s however is a very close 2nd.
Don’t miss this pizza if you’re a fan of pizza like us!
Mexican Cutie Cantina – A Breakfast Option We Prefer
Mexican Cutie Cantina is also pretty good. This is a build your own burrito restaurant that starts with a flour tortilla or a bowl and offers choices of chicken, steak, and shrimp for meats.
There is also lettuce, pico de gallo, cilantro, sour cream, and shredded cheese which can be added. There is a condiments bar that has many different salsas. They also offered breakfast burritos that were a nice alternative to the other lackluster breakfast options in the main dining room and buffet.
JWB Steakhouse – Worth the Current Upgrade Cost
The JWB Steakhouse was very good and for the current upcharge of $55 +18% gratuity per person to eat here, we find this to be an excellent value considering the quality of the meal you are getting. The filet mignon was some of the best we’ve had on a cruise.
The side items were also delicious. The JWB Steakhouse is on Deck 10 and surrounds the air space open to the Flip Flop Bar down on Deck 5. While you’re up here, you’ll get a great closeup view of the lifesize biplane hanging from the ceiling.
One weakness is the ambience is very casual compared to the more upscale steak restaurants we have enjoyed at sea. If you’re looking for a fine dining experience in the look and feel of the restaurant – this isn’t it.
One more weakness for the Islander in regards to the steakhouse was the inability to reserve a date and time before sailing. Even when onboard, you had to go to the venue in person to make a reservation. Other lines have the ability to do this online before sailing or via an app or phone call from your stateroom. The only option on the Islander was to make the reservation in person.
Islander Main Dining Room – Skip the Breakfast. Try the Dinner.
Due to our shortened cruise, we were only able to fit in two meals at the Islander Main Dining Room, a breakfast and a dinner.
Breakfast Review – Islander Main Dining Room
Breakfast was subpar. Jeff tried the eggs benedict which arrived looking good on the plate. The poached eggs were overdone with hard yolks. The Hollandaise sauce was ok but mostly flavorless. The English muffin was like any other English muffin. The ham was delicious and the best part of the dish.
Angie tried the vanilla french toast which was surprisingly basic. We both tried bites and detected no flavor of vanilla at all. The french toast was mostly dry too and even adding additional syrup didn’t really help it.
Judging strictly by these two dishes, we’d probably skip the main dining room breakfast. If we’d had a cruise longer than our shortened 3-day voyage we’d probably have tried it again and given it another chance.
Dinner Review – Fins Main Dining Room
Dinner was much better. Jeff ordered clam chowder, chicken marsala, and Pineapple in Paradise dessert. Angie ordered Caesar salad, crusted salmon, and Pina Colada Lush dessert.
The clam chowder was quite good and Jeff would order it again given more time onboard. Caesar salad was also good.
The crusted salmon was just a bit overdone and some of the fish was a little dry because of this, though the salmon did flake apart as it should and the flavor was very good. The panko breading on the outside of the salmon was crisp. The salmon was set on a puree of orange squash. For us, the squash puree had a baby-food-like consistency which was unpleasant. The flavor of the squash was quite good though.
The chicken marsala which included buttered noodles, creamy mushroom sauce, and asparagus tips and just a bit of sun dried tomato on top of the chicken was very nicely plated. The dish looked great on the plate. The chicken was just slightly overdone and a bit dry because of this. The mushroom sauce had very good flavor and the asparagus tips were prepared perfectly, still crisp and bright green from blanching.
The desserts we ordered were pretty disappointing. The Pineapple in Paradise and the Pina Colada Lush were both mostly “meh” in terms of plating and flavor too. The pineapple cake was dry. The pina colada lush said it was going to have “great filling” but was mostly lacking in flavor. We’d probably just skip dessert judging strictly by what we’d ordered.
The Fins Main Dining Room has beautiful decor and that alone can make it worth at least one visit.
We were impressed with the Islander staff’s ability to quickly accommodate tables for 2 in the main dining room. On many other cruise lines, this is a challenge for them. You’re often pressured to sit at a large table with others if you’re a party of 2. We didn’t experience this once onboard the Islander. We’re not certain if this is just because we were at a bit lower capacity due to the itinerary changes or if it is standard practice on the Islander.
Islander Upper Dining Room – For an Upcharge
For an upcharge of $20 per person, at the time we sailed, you could eat at the Islander Upper Dining Room which is 1 deck up from and circles the Fins Main Dining Room.
There are a few additional first and second courses to pick from and different dessert offerings. You also get white linen tablecloths on this level. This is also included with some of the more premium cabins. We chose to skip it and would likely stick with that decision even on a longer cruise.
Bubbles Up! Sparkling Brunch – Worth the Splurge?
Currently exclusive to the Islander is the Bubbles Up! sparkling brunch for an extra cost of $15.00 per person +18% gratuity. This brunch included a mimosa (you might get 3 if you’re really nice to your server) and a different menu than the regular dining room. But, the prices continue to fluctuate with this cruise ship and we believe a mimosa is no longer included, strangely. We’re not sure how it’s a sparkling brunch without at least one included mimosa.
Jeff tried the steak and eggs with a side of bacon. Angie got the pancakes with blueberry compote. We shared the Key Lime Sponge Cake.
The strip steak was super tender and flavorful and the eggs were done perfectly. Bacon was crisp. The potatoes were also well seasoned and very good.
The pancakes were certainly better than the vanilla french toast in the main dining room the morning before, but not a wow. The key lime sponge cake dessert was bright green but despite this lacked any noticeable key lime flavor. Overall, it was another meh dessert from the Islander.
The mimosas were great!
Despite the ups and downs we experienced and based on the visual appeal of some of the dishes we saw at tables near us, we think the sparkling brunch is a good value and worth the upgrade cost with an included mimosa. If they are indeed no longer included, we would be more inclined to skip this experience.
How About the Drinks?
There are 10 different bars on Margaritaville at Sea Islander and many have fun names referencing Jimmy Buffett music. Some of the bar names are Flip Flop Bar, Five O’Clock Somewhere Bar, Far Side of the World, Love and Luck Casino Bar, and Bubbles Up Bar. Many of the bars had music playing throughout the day. Live music was also offered at select times.
The most impressive looking drink we tried was the Bubbles Up Margarita at Bubbles Up Bar. The smoked margarita is served in a martini glass with a bubble on top of the glass that when popped, releases the smoke inside and puts on a little show for all to see.
Cocktails (regular and frozen) are priced $12 to $15 at most bars. Beers were $7 to $9. Wine by the glass was $10 to $12. Bottles of wine are also available to purchase. These were the prices during our sailing in August of 2024, but we would not be surprised to hear of changes because the cruise line seems to be in flux with a lot of their pricing and offerings onboard.
Blender Cup Option?
Maybe you like mixed drinks but don’t like paying approximately $14 per drink + 18% gratuity?
Maybe you also can’t stomach the high cost of an all-inclusive drink package which is currently $64.99 per day per person + 18% gratuity times the length of your cruise? We’ve done the math for you; for a five day cruise for 2 people that works out to $766.88 additional cost.
If you don’t like either of those options, the Margaritaville at Sea Blender Cup may be an option you’d like to explore. On our sailing, the cost to purchase the Blender Cup onboard was $29.49 which was inclusive of the 18% gratuity. It also comes filled with your first cocktail.
The Blender Cup holds 22 ounces of beverage so it’s pretty much the equivalent of 2 drinks in 1 cup. On our sailing in August 2024, each refill of the Blender Cup cost $8 plus 18% gratuity, so $9.44. If you can agree on the same drink and share 1 Blender Cup like we did your drinks quickly fall below $5 per person.
All the bars around the entire ship, except the Bubbles Up! Bar, let us refill the Blender Cup with mixed and frozen drinks. Each bar has a different menu so be sure to explore and check out each one to find your favorites.
Purchase a Used Blender Cup?
Also – Some people have had the seemingly genius idea of buying used Margaritaville at Sea Blender Cups on sites such as Ebay and bringing them along for their sailing, thus saving part of the $30 bucks to get a new one while onboard Margaritaville at Sea Islander.
Margaritaville at Sea Islander is onto this trick and they change the color of the Blender Cup between many sailings and between their two ships. So unless you are willing to bring a suitcase full of used Blender Cups in all the different colors of the rainbow , the chances of bringing the correct color Blender Cup on your sailing is slim to none. A final note, from what we have read, the drink package options seem to differ between the two Margaritaville at Sea ships, the Islander and the Paradise. That’s pretty unusual for a cruise line, but this seems to be an unusual cruise line.
Did Someone Mention Coffee?
There is also the Margaritaville Coffee Shop [Deck 9 Aft] which has all things coffee (lattes, cappuccinos, etc) as well as fancy cakes and treats.
We tried 2 of the fancy treats for an upcharge of $4 each +18% gratuity for a total of $9.44. The desserts we tried were the BeachComber, a pina colada inspired cake, and the Breeze, a caramel dessert. The desserts were very pretty. And, we both agreed they were better than the fairly lackluster desserts on the ship overall but they weren’t good enough for us to recommend you spend $9.44 for 2 of them on your sailing.
Entertainment & Theater Accessibility
As we already mentioned, there is music playing everywhere throughout the ship, even during the day which isn’t always the case on a cruise. Live music is offered at select times and the daily Checklist to Chill gives information on where to find the performers you want to see.
The production shows were very entertaining and with fun themes. They were much more than just variety shows. High energy dancing and computer generated graphics and video were used in both production shows we watched.
It is rare for us to see anything in cruise ship entertainment we haven’t seen before after so many cruises, but the entertainer who hung and spun from her hair above the stage was definitely a first for us both!
The Stars on the Water Theater had a really nice, inclusive design. The lower deck of the theater featured a flat, sloped entry allowing wheelchair users to come to the front of the theater, if they choose instead of being forced to only watch from the back row.
In addition, that lower deck of the theater seating was size inclusive as it was long sofas with small cocktail tables every so often. The upper deck of the theater had a more traditional tiered design and individual chairs. We really appreciate when cruise ship designers are inclusive in their design choices.
Demographic and Crowd of Ship
There were lots of Floridians on our sailing, perhaps because Tampa is such an easy cruise port to drive to for many. The crowd was diverse across generations, including families; younger and older.
We found the crowd to have a casual feel – chill, down-to-earth, and without pretension. There was none of the stuffiness or putting on airs that we’ve sometimes seen on other cruises we’ve been on. We really were impressed with the kind way people acted toward each other even with the hiccups of the shortened cruise due to the hurricane.
As we mentioned earlier, “License to Chill, and I Believe I Will” is posted above the television in each stateroom and guests seemed to be embracing this way of being, living it out via their actions on the ship.
Most people were wearing shorts and t-shirts. Many had Hawaiian print shirts which was great because it just added to the island vibe that we were already immersed in on this ship.
We can very safely say on Margaritaville at Sea, no suit, NO problem, to borrow from and slightly modify those famous Kenny Chesney lyrics. You’re not going to need a suit on Margaritaville At Sea.
Pool Deck: Swimming Pools & Hot Tubs
Margaritaville at Sea Islander has 3 swimming pools: 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool and Hot Tubs [Deck 9 Mid], Landshark Pool [Deck 9 Forward], and Tiki Bar Pool (18+) [Deck 9 Aft].
There is also a multi-colored, multiple story, curly-Q water slide located at the aft of the ship [Deck 11 Aft].
St. Somewhere Spa
Margaritaville at Sea Islander has a spa similar to many cruise ships where you can schedule massages, facials, etc. We typically do not spend for the services of a spa and so did not spend much time here other than to take a quick look at it.
Fins Up! Fitness Center
The fitness center on Margaritaville at Sea Islander feels a bit drab and very basic. The gym is the smallest we’ve seen on a cruise ship, about 1/3 the size of gyms on many new cruise ships. The gym has all the necessary equipment to get a good workout (treadmills, a few rowing machines, some universal machines, and free weights with weight benches) but you might find yourself waiting in line to use the equipment because there are not enough stations to meet demand at peak times.
The gym itself feels very basic and stark with little to no visual appeal, like just a step or two up from having a workout bench in your garage. The floor is a flat tan color, rubber-like surface which is perfect for weights but it smells funny and is not visually appealing.
There are porthole windows which bring in some natural light but this is not the “running on the treadmill looking out across the expanse of the sea” sort of gym that is found on many cruise ships.
The gym is also accessed in a somewhat strange way. Right off the theater there is a long wide hallway which has portholes looking out to sea. Under each porthole in the hallway there are 2 chairs and a small table. Margaritaville at Sea has labeled this hallway The Florida Scenic Highway. You must first walk through The Florida Scenic Highway to the very front of Deck 4 Forward. Here you will find a half flight of stairs on the port side. Go up the stairs. At the top of the stairs you will arrive at Fins Up! Fitness Center.
Outside Recreation Activities
There are lots of different places to have fun out in the fresh sea air on Margaritaville at Sea Islander and at varying activity levels. On Deck 11 Dis ‘N Dat Activity Zone has a basketball court (which can also be set up and used for pickleball), a mini golf course which includes a giant cheeseburger, and a cornhole/bean bag toss course which we’ve never seen on a cruise ship until now.
These activities are all in addition to the swimming pools and waterslide mentioned earlier.
Also – If you’re sailing out of Tampa Bay, you’ll very likely have an opportunity to checkout the underside of the Skyway Bridge as the ship passes under it soon after you leave port. Make sure to head up to the top deck to get the best views. If you’re up for an early morning, you can do the same the morning of disembarkation.
Inside Recreation Activities
There is the Far Out Arcade on deck 2 forward which can be a fun place to play some video games; just keep in mind this one costs extra money. The same goes for the Margaritaville Casino which is nearby the arcade; nothing is free to play in the casino either. And Bingo game, also available and also extra cost.
The Love & Luck Casino only took cash or you had to use the onboard (and likely pricey) ATM. The lack of technology on the ship was definitely visible here because you can typically charge your cabin directly in the casino on most ships. On the plus side for us, the Islander had the only smoke-free casino we have ever experienced onboard a cruise ship.
Fortunately, there are also a LOT of included planned ship activities that you can also participate in that don’t cost extra. Make sure to check the daily Checklist to Chill to see what times the recreation events are taking place.
Some of the included inside recreation events throughout the length of the cruise are: Ship Tour Presentation (great for the 1st day onboard to help be more aware of what’s offered on Margaritaville at Sea Islander), Sail Away Party by the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool, Lip Service Family Karaoke, Comedy Shows (many are family-friendly), listening to any of the music acts onboard the ship, and checking out the Hot, Hot, Hot Nightclub for some dancing (there are times which are teens only and others that are 18+).
Often on the first day of the cruise, all day long there are FREE 2 minute mini-massages available in the spa. Keep in mind their goal in the spa is to upsell you into a full massage or other spa treatments so decide ahead of time if this is something you want to spend on or be prepared to say no.
Value for the Money
So is Margaritaville at Sea Islander worth the price? As compared to other cruise lines running similar itineraries, we’d say yes it is. As we have said previously, we don’t recommend sailing with them during hurricane season and it is probably not the best line for a first-time cruiser due to the lack of communication both before embarkation and while sailing.
Keep in mind that Margaritaville at Sea currently only has 2 ships and both ships run similar routes to ports in Mexico, Bahamas, and Key West, Florida depending on the sailing you chose. The line is expanding destinations to include Honduras, Belize, Cayman Islands, and Jamaica in 2025.
We have not sailed aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, but we have seen it from another cruise ship during a port day in Nassau. It has a very different look than the Islander without any balcony rooms visible. Honestly, our first impression of that ship was that it was some type of ferry and not a full cruise ship. We can’t say what the onboard experience on that ship is like, but it is important to note that these two cruise ships, the Islander and the Paradise, do not appear to be interchangeable experiences.
Hidden Costs ?
We were pleased that Margaritaville at Sea was pretty forthright with its pricing.
The only critique we have to mention regarding pricing was that we considered purchasing the Ultimate Beverage Chill drink package on the 2nd day of the cruise since we had onboard credit we’d need to spend. It is pretty typical that drink packages are only available pre-sailing and maybe on the first day for most cruise lines. However, the Checklist to Chill daily newsletter advertised the drink package on day 2 of the 3 day cruise, which led us to pursue adding the package for the 2 days remaining on our trip.
We were told by Guest Services that we’d have to buy all 3 days of the Ultimate Beverage Chill drink package at $64.99 +18% gratuity per person per day. They don’t have a “button” to charge us for only 2 days of beverage package.
Well, some quick math tells us that is $153.38 of cost for a day that was already over. And we’d also spent some money on the first day of the cruise buying drinks at regular menu prices.
It was annoying to see in print in the Checklist to Chill daily newsletter that Day 2 of the cruise was the last call for beverage packages but no disclosure that we’d have to fork out costs for Day 1 too, even though we never even got to use it on Day 1.
Fortunately, it all worked out and we personally think the Margaritaville at Sea Blender Cup was a better deal for us anyway.
Pro Tips for the Best Experience Onboard the Islander
Given the hiccups that Margaritaville at Sea is still experiencing with things that should be routine, we would not recommend Margaritaville at Sea for first time cruisers.
If you’ve already been on cruises, know the cruising routine, and the changes possible with itineraries; we say go for it. We think you’ll be able to roll with the issues and still have a great time.
We also recommend you do not sail Margaritaville at Sea during hurricane season. Bad weather is not within the control of a cruise line, but proper communication is. Margaritaville at Sea did a poor job of updating its guests of when we’d sail, if at all, and compensating for lost days when the changes were determined.
We recommend you keep track of your costs throughout the cruise so that you know what you’re being charged for; this makes reconciling the bill much easier at the end of the cruise.
Speaking of your bill, make sure to go to Guest Services and get a printout of your bill, periodically. This is the only way you can check your account balance. There is no app nor are there any electronic kiosks where you can check your bill like on other cruise lines. We did find one error on our bill that we had to visit Guest Services to fix.
You don’t want to miss trying the burgers at Cheeseburger in Paradise or the pizza at Frank and Lola’s. Both are excellent, particularly for complimentary dining options.
Don’t waste your money splurging on the desserts available for an upcharge at the Margaritaville Coffee Shop. They’re not worth it. But, we do feel it is worth the splurge for the JWB Steakhouse experience one night of your cruise.
Definitely make time to see the Coral Reef Lounge and onboard mini golf course because both are impressive spaces not to be missed.
We’ve also heard there is a secret speakeasy on the Islander that you can visit for an upcharge located near the fitness center at the forward of the ship. We didn’t have time to visit with our shortened itinerary.
Our final insider tip is that there is a space on deck 9 forward with fantastic views that others didn’t seem to know about during our sailing.
To access it, you go to the very forward of the 9th deck past all the staterooms and you will see beige doors with small portholes on both the port and starboard sides. Either door leads to the same space. Next, there is a short hallway leading to a wooden door with a small porthole that you pass through.
And finally, a glass door and you will find yourself on a large deck, just above the bridge where the ship is controlled, with wraparound views on three sides. It is a bit strange because those who have deck 9 forward cabins have balconies that are facing this area, but they are encased in glass dividing their space from this public space. It’s an excellent spot to enjoy a sunrise or sunset!
Overall, the Margaritaville at Sea Islander will take you to ‘changes in latitudes’ leading to ‘changes in attitudes’ and we hope to sail this ship again in the future!