What are you willing to give up on a cruise ship in exchange for a big suite at a great price?
When you’re a travel writer—or just someone who loves to sail—it’s often a question of quantity vs. quality, balancing the square feet of your accommodations against the size of the price tag. For us last week, that added up to a Grand Terrace Suite on Margaritaville at Sea Islander, sailing a six-day round-trip Mexican itinerary out of Tampa.
For $1,491 per person, we got a king-size bed and comfy linens in a 370-square-foot suite, with a giant balcony and great perks, including priority boarding and debarkation, a special upgraded menu at mealtime, and free bottled water. We spent six days on board, including three full days at sea, and got to practice our high-school Spanish on a day each in Cozumel and Progreso, Yucatan, Mexico.
The vibe was chill; the weather was a perfect 80-85 degrees and sunny; the food was good. The three production shows were professional and entertaining. The crowd was well-dressed and largely Floridian, with a number of ex-military traveling on the free passes Margaritaville at Sea offers veterans.
So what do we think of the deal? It’s the best bargain at sea.
The Details
It’s all a matter of setting your expectations. You can’t get the Ritz-Carlton at this price. But it was a really fun, relaxing, and laid-back vacation; everyone in our party of friends agreed—and so, too, do the many travel advisors and past sailors with whom Cruise Addicts has spoken.
Like us, most of our fellow cruisers were looking for an easy vacation where they can wear flip-flops and shorts to dinner with no one raising an eyebrow—but still feel comfortable in an adult and professional experience. And indeed, that’s what we found. The staff is friendly and our Cruise Director, Zee-Jay, was fun and entertaining. The music is Margaritaville-esque, with tropical themes and easy listening predominating. In addition to the shows, there was live music around the ship and short pop-ups in the atrium.
Our suites were bright and colorful and spacious; the room attendants were on the case with ice and towels and such. The balcony spanned the length of three windows, with a table and chairs and two chaise lounges. The drinks were good, the burgers were yummy, the steakhouse was good quality.
All in all, we had a lot of fun.
The Trade-Offs
When you sell suites for $1,491 (and, I would assume, sometimes less), you have to cut some corners. But we agreed the ones Margaritaville at Sea chose did not overly impact our experience.
The most common complaints on social media center on the food—but the issue is more about the variety than the quality. At half the size of some mega-ships, Islander offers more limited menus in both the dining room and the buffet.
The dining room is easy and friendly; no reservations required and no lines. The food seemed to be fresh and of good quality. But there are only three main dishes at the buffet, usually a chicken, a pork, and a veggie dish. Of course there are always salads and deli, plus freshly made pizza, and yummy burgers and Mexican food by the pool. (And at this price, if you are really hungry you can pay extra for hot sandwiches at the cafe, crab legs or chicken wings or sushi at the specialty eateries, or prime ribs or steak in the steakhouse.) Suite guests also benefit from a special additional menu, with higher-end choices like Beef Wellington, in the main dining room.
A bigger issue is that there is no food available late night. If you are a 24-hour-pizza lover, you’ll have to stock up early and bring it to your room.
Bacon is served at breakfast only every other day, and there is no smoked salmon on the breakfast buffet. But there is an omelet station and the line moves quickly.
For gamblers, I’ve heard it takes between $2,000 and $2,500 in slot bets to be eligible for passes, and the payouts while you play are not plentiful.
As suite guests, we also had access to the Suite Lounge and Concierge service. Here too, the offerings were more limited than on the big ships, with the lounge serving only drinks and no snacks.
All that said, this is a cruise ship after all. You will not go hungry, even if you choose not to pay extra.
Excursions
Having been to Mexico often and recently—and settling into that Margaritaville state of mind—we opted for beach break excursions rather than sightseeing on both our days in Mexico. In Cozumel, we went to Kuza Beach and Adventure Park (and were a little disappointed to discover that the lazy river and adventure park actually are not included), and in Progreso, we went to the Kokomo Beach Club. Both offered plenty of chairs and shade, along with free drinks and a Mexican buffet, and we enjoyed our day at both.
(Note that Kuza does involve a rather long walk from the road to the beach that might be difficult for some.)
Input from the Pros
We asked a few travel advisors what their clients have thought of Margaritaville at Sea, and the feedback we got was overwhelmingly positive.
While she would not recommend it to clients who prefer “formal and upscale” cruising, Kimberly South of Top Tier Travel Associates says her two groups onboard—one of 16 ladies celebrating a 60th birthday and one of 20 from a retirement community—both “loved it and had no complaints.” Both the experienced cruisers and the first timers “loved the vibe and enjoyed the entertainment and food. And people from both groups have rebooked for another experience on the Islander.”
And Travel by Susan owner Susan Coda says Islander “is probably one of the best cruises I’ve taken. It’s a completely different vibe from all the other major lines. It’s laid-back and relaxed, and people just seem to get along. You can dress up or dress down. The food in the main dining room was pretty good for the most part but limited—but the tacos were one of my favorite of all the cruise lines that offer them. The crew was one of the friendliest I’ve interacted with, and crew members were everywhere cleaning public spaces. And the entertainment staff are top-notch.”
The Last Word
Prices are low on Margaritaville at Sea in part because it is a new cruise line, with just two ships and a third on the way. It’s trying to build a fan base and attract customers in a crowded field, and holding prices down by limiting food waste with a more limited menu.
But you will not go hungry. Insiders who are willing to forgo some amenities can take advantage of a great deal—and spend a week watching sunset over the sea from their private balcony in a spacious suite, for the same price as a smaller room on many other ships.
