Ship Overview
Margaritaville, known for its upscale resorts on land, just launched a brand new cruise line. To us, it just seems like a natural progression. After all, cruising delivers good food, entertainment, and plenty of island vibes.
Margaritaville at Sea is presently a one ship cruise line. The “new” Margaritaville at Sea Paradise is the former Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s Grand Classica. This 52K gross ton ship offers 10 public decks for guests to enjoy during their Bahamas jaunts.
With Margaritaville at Sea, you can opt for a 2-day cruise, or upgrade to a 4-day or 6-day cruise and stay package. These packages combine the cruise and a resort stay in Grand Bahama, with all-inclusive options at the Viva Wyndham and Grand Lucayan.
While this 31-year old ship did undergo a multi-million dollar update, unfortunately, some public areas do still show its age. Some notable upgrades include a brand new foyer with the signature Margaritaville flip flop. Deck 10 aft also received the updated and rebranded 5 O’clock Somewhere Bar and Grill. This vibrant spot is exactly what we would expect from the brand.
Further, the staterooms on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise did receive extensive updates as well. They come complete with new bedding, furniture, televisions, and colorful accessories. Though, the stateroom bathrooms remain dated.
Structurally, the ship’s design does not allow for many balcony cabins. If you are used to relaxing on your balcony with some ocean breezes, you won’t be able to do so on this ship unless you book one of the few suites available.
The Stars on the Water Theater has also been rebranded for the new signature production show Tales from Margaritaville: Jimmy’s Ship Show. The stage set, along with the talented cast, make for a great addition to the ship. This high energy and interactive show is comparable to production shows that you would find on any other cruise line.
While hints of Margaritaville shine around the ship, there are many elements that more resemble the former Grand Classica. From the main pool area, to the Oasis and Euphoria lounges, to the public restrooms, it’s evident that these areas did not receive many upgrades. The electrical and WiFi systems seem dated as well.
In terms of dining, all of the venues have been rebranded to include a main dining room, specialty restaurant, cruise ship buffet, coffee shop, grill, and pizzeria. However, besides the Fins main dining room and the Port of Indecision buffet, all of the other venues are up-charges. While the food at Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria and JWB Steakhouse were a step above the complimentary venues, the prices are on the high-end when compared to other cruise lines.
We share all the details of what it’s like to sail on this new cruise line in our day-by-day Margaritaville at Sea Inaugural Cruise Review.
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Margaritaville at Sea Inaugural Cruise Review – Day 1
Back Onboard, Again
While this was officially the inaugural cruise for Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, we were able to join a one-day preview sailing on the prior Thursday. So, we had a general sense of the ship and its offerings already.
Still, we arrived to the Port of Palm Beach cruise terminal early to get this Margaritaville at Sea inaugural cruise review underway.
By 10:30 am, there was already a small queue outside. Once we figured out the correct line to join, we entered the terminal building for security and check-in in an efficient manner.
Since this cruise line is the first to allow unvaccinated passengers to sail, there were three lines outside- one for those who were vaccinated and had a test in hand, one for those who were vaccinated but did not have a test, and one for unvaccinated guests who needed to undergo mandatory testing at the pier.
An antigen test at the pier costs $75, and a PCR test costs $150.
Since we were hosted by the cruise line on this Margaritaville at Sea inaugural cruise, we were told that there was no booking number. All we needed to do was show up at the port. As cruisers with 50+ sailings under our belts, that did not seem right to us.
Thus, it was no surprise that when we went to check-in at the cruise terminal, there was no record of our reservation. A few texts, emails, and two hours later, we had a booking and were back onboard the cruise ship.
Normally, this delay would have put us way behind our typical embarkation day routine. However, since we were able to tour the ship during the previous event, we were already “ahead” of other cruisers.
The good thing about boarding “late” was that our stateroom was ready. So, we dropped off our bags at the room first.
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.
Tip: Make sure to bring a power converter as there is only one 110V outlet in the cabin.
A Perfect Day for a Sail Away
Taking a few minutes to capture some photos and videos of the cabin and arrange our gear, we then headed to the top deck to continue capturing shots of the outdoor decks and interior spaces for about the next hour.
By now, it was time to grab lunch. The only option was the cruise ship buffet, the Port of Indecision Buffet. The food selections were rather typical. Along with a small salad bar, there were offerings like hot dogs and hamburgers, fried chicken, and hot entrees. The food quality was average, but it sufficed.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Margaritaville at Sea lunch without grabbing some signature margaritas too!
After lunch, we had to stop at Guest Services as we were having some connectivity issues. Apparently, we were not alone as the WiFi was currently not working. We also grabbed a daily while we were here. Since these daily programs are not delivered to the staterooms, we always seemed to miss important information about the day’s events.
Not to mention, we snuck in a selfie in front of the main focal point on Deck 5, the signature Margaritaville flip flop.
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.
Like clockwork, we were back upstairs to prepare for the 4:30 PM sailaway. Like many of the activities, the cruise director Jeffy and his Fins Up Crew hosted a fun sailaway party that was full of energy, loud music, and plenty of line dancing. Before we knew it, we were pulling away from the port and backing into the channel.
One thing that did surprise us was that there was no Muster Drill. There was a safety video on the television, but it was not required to visit your muster station. There was also no ship-wide Captain’s announcement. These steps are still requirements on all other cruise lines with digital muster drills.
The concerning part is that the television in our cabin was “buffering” for hours, so we didn’t actually watch the safety drill until hours after we had already sailed away. Even worse, the television in our deck 4 cabin during the preview cruise didn’t work. While we made it a point to locate our assigned muster station, I can only imagine that many other passengers did not.
By now, it was already approaching our 6 PM dinner time. After chatting with some cruise friends also onboard, we made the rare decision to go to dinner without freshening up or changing clothes.
The Main Dining Room on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise
Currently, the cruise line has set dining times of 6 PM and 8:30 PM. Prior to boarding, we “reserved” the 6 PM dining time. This did not really seem to matter, as there was a long line at the Fins restaurant when we arrived a few minutes past 6 PM.
As a side note, reservations for dining, shore excursions, spa treatments, and drink package purchases can be made in the terminal prior to boarding the ship.
Fortunately, the queue moved quickly, and we were escorted to a table for two at the very back of the restaurant.
Like most cruise lines, dinner in the Fins MDR consisted of a three-course rotational menu. However, the menu did not include any “standard” items. Instead, there are daily selections and some additional enhancements. These up-charge “enhancements” include things like lobster tail. It appears there is a beef, chicken, fish, pasta, and vegetarian option each night.
Our waiter came by relatively quickly to introduce himself and take our drink order. Then, we waited for close to 50 minutes for our drinks and first course. Sadly, we were not alone.
Once the food did arrive, the quality was pretty average. Thankfully, the remaining courses did come in succession with appropriate pacing.
For a starter, I went with the shrimp cocktail and the wife did the caprese salad. My short rib entrée was tender and hot. Further, it was served as requested, with rice instead of mashed potatoes. Typically, cruise ship desserts don’t wow us, and this was true on Paradise as well.
Checking All the Boxes on the First Night
Given the long delays with service, we did not finish dinner until close to 8 PM. This meant we were 15 minutes late for the 7:45 PM show in the main theater. Luckily, we already saw Tales from Margaritaville: Jimmy’s Ship Show once during the media event.
This production show is entertaining and interactive. It was exactly the type of theater production you would expect on a Margaritaville cruise ship. The talented cast performed several popular Jimmy Buffett songs during this 45 minute show.
The show was over just in time for those with second dinner. Leaving the theater, we found seats in the Euphoria Lounge for the first game show of the evening.
The assistant cruise director, Natasha, hosted this ship’s version of the Love and Marriage game show. Instead of questions, the three couples competed in three different challenges. Like most versions of this game, it was funny and entertaining to watch.
A Late Night on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise
The game show ended at 9:15 PM, and the house band took the stage. This was our queue to take a stroll.
We popped into one of the onboard shops to look for our obligatory cruise ship t-shirt and ornament. For this trip, I scored a pretty sweet t-shirt. Although, there were no ornaments. After quickly dropping off our purchase in the cabin, we returned to the central Euphoria Lounge on Deck 8 for the Battle of the Sexes game show.
The cruise director Jeffy was the host for this cruise staple. The contestants were an odd, and rather drunk, mix of passengers. Unfortunately, the men did not come out victoriously. Although, this did not surprise me.
This show ended close to 11 PM. Wanting to ensure we saw all the entertainers, we headed to the Oasis Lounge on Deck 9. Here, there was a late night set from the ship’s piano player, John Massey. This performer was a member of the band that performs in the main theater. His set was entertaining with a wide range of songs from Bon Jovi to Britney Spears and the Commodores, just to name a few.
Finally, we decided to call it a night just before midnight.
Related Post: Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Ship Scorecard Review
Margaritaville at Sea Inaugural Cruise Review – Day 2
A Morning in the Shade
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. Regardless, our plan was to stay onboard the ship for the day.
The cruise line does offer some excursions, like all-inclusive beach breaks and swimming with the pigs.
This morning, I was up around 6:45 AM getting some additional videos and photos, along with Heidi’s morning latte.
For some reason, the ship’s Margaritaville coffee shop is not open in the morning. Though, guests can purchase espresso-based beverages at the Euphoria Lounge.
Ready for the day, we headed to breakfast around 8:45 AM. Unfortunately, the only dining venue open for breakfast is the buffet. While we generally skip the buffet completely on other cruise lines, we had no other options. Of note, the buffet is self-service, with staff only serving the custom-made omelets.
Surprisingly, breakfast was better than expected. The selections were diverse and the omelet passed the wife’s test.
If you’d prefer to sit outdoors, you can head to the seating area at the 5 O’clock Somewhere Bar and Grill. That is exactly what we did, as it was the perfect morning for some al fresco dining.
Following breakfast, we found some loungers on the starboard side of the License to Chill Pool (main pool area). This became our morning office for the next few hours. In the shade, it was the ideal temperature to get caught up on some work.
An Afternoon in the Sun
By afternoon, we decided to switch up our location for some sun and relaxation. Plus, it was time for a “boat drink”. So, we headed to the 12 Volt Pool and Bar at the aft of the ship.
This adults-only pool area was much busier than the main pool. Yet surprisingly, the bar did not open until 2 PM. However, there were bar servers making the rounds. So, we ordered a pina colada and banana daiquiri.
This completely exposed back deck was much hotter than we expected, and there are only a few loungers with nearby umbrellas. Even with multiple applications of sunscreen, we didn’t last more than an hour and a half.
With Frank and Lola’s Pizzeria not opening until 3 PM, we still decided to pack up and head inside early anyway. We chilled (literally) at the still-not-open coffee shop waiting for the pizza place to open up. We were not alone, as a few other cruisers were hovering in anticipation of the venue opening.
Luckily, the pizza was worth the wait. Though, it is an up-charge. These 14″ inch pies range in price from $12.99 to $16.99. Our pepperoni pizza was plenty for two to share. One unique feature of this venue is that robot waiters deliver the pizza to your table.
Lunch was quick, and we were done just in time to get to the pool deck for a special Junkanoo celebration. We suspect this Bahamian hallmark was to commemorate the ship’s inaugural call into the island nation.
Dinner and Drinks With Friends
After dancing along with the marching band, it was time to head back to the room to prepare for the evening. Given the heat, we both needed to shower and cool off.
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.
Predictably, we were a few minutes late for our 7 PM reservation. Thus, our friends were already seated at a table with a porthole view.
This food here was much better than the main dining room. My fried oyster appetizer was well balanced and flavorful, without being heavy. The filet was cooked to my requested medium rare temperature. Even the key lime pie had a tangy and slightly sweet flavor, making it the perfect end to my meal. The Princess enjoyed her deviled eggs, chicken entrée, and banana cream pie as well.
The waitstaff were friendly and accommodating even if the service was slow again tonight. Our drinks did arrive quicker this time, but it still took close to an hour for our appetizers to arrive.
At a cover charge of $58 per person, it is on the pricey side for a cruise ship steakhouse. However, we found that the up-charge food items were much better than the complimentary offerings on the ship.
Bouncing Around the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise
Following dinner, there were a number of events occurring this evening. Given the longer than expected dinner, we missed most of the Quest game show. So, we decided to head to the Oasis Lounge for the piano player’s 10:30 PM set. It was certainly busier here than the previous night. I guess the word got out that he put on a good show.
After a few songs, we meandered up to the Tropical Glow Party on the pool deck. Surprisingly, the party was not busy at all. Still, Natasha and the Fins Up Crew were dancing and engaging the crowd. Here, we grabbed our last drink of the cruise then returned to catch the final few songs of the piano player after about 30 minutes at the party.
When the musician called it a night around 11:45 PM, so did we. Well, sort of. Getting back to the room, there were no instructions for the next day’s departure nor did we have our final invoice. So, I headed back down to Guest Services.
Like others on the cruise, we were disappointed in the lack of communication, especially important announcements like what time we needed to be ready to disembark tomorrow morning.
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Margaritaville at Sea Inaugural Cruise Review – Disembarkation
Getting Off the Ship
The night before, Guest Services had informed me that disembarkation should start around 8:30 AM and that breakfast was from 7:30 to 9 AM. Our flight wasn’t until 3:30 PM, so we didn’t have to rush off the ship today.
Unfortunately, neither of us got much sleep as there is no sound proofing, and there was a lot of rowdiness in the hallway well past 2 AM. So, I struggled to get out of bed this morning.
Through the porthole window, we could see the ship was already close to the port. Thus, we anticipated being cleared earlier than originally stated.
Around 7:30 AM, the Captain announced that the ship had already been cleared by local authorities. So, we decided that we would pass on the buffet breakfast and grab coffee and sandwiches at the airport Starbucks instead.
We were ready to exit the ship slightly after 8 AM. Surprisingly, we did not need to wait long for an elevator ride down to deck 5. Further, there was virtually no line to check-out.
The entire process from getting off the ship, through customs, and curbside for an Uber took only about 15 minutes. This was much smoother than the media event’s disembarkation process a few days earlier.
Finally Home
We got to the airport early in hopes of changing our flight. Unsuccessful with that, we took up shop for several hours in the pre-security area with Starbucks and laptops in hand.
As luck would have it, our flight was delayed an hour. Thus, we did not get home until around 10 PM.
It was a long few days on this new cruise line, and we needed to rest up!
Comments
Did you find our Margaritaville at Sea Paradise inaugural cruise review helpful? Would you sail on this new cruise line? Drop us an anchor below with your thoughts on Margaritaville at Sea.
Just got off the ship yesterday! As a 10 plus cruiser we got exactly what we expected! We had sailed this ship prior to the rebranding of Margaritaville and it was okay. Needed updates and cleaned up which was exactly what the ship has now received!
If you are flying in expecting the large ship experience and beautiful island adventure you are making a mistake!
(keep in mind we cannot comment on staying at resorts, we have been to the island before and decided to stay on the ship.)
Our opinion is, if you are looking for that quick get away where you can be served, relax at the pool, enjoy some cruisy entertainment (shows, games, bands, read a book etc.). This get away is just fine. Staff was more than accommodating/friendly. We felt the food was good, some very good. Many choices to please the pallet.
Down sides. Buffet has its hours only, breakfast/lunch is buffet only and closes at 4p. Dinner is dining room only until 8p. (did not, would not use the steakhouse option). first night dinner Escargots, soup, salad and a perfectly brazed rib. Second dinner, perfectly cooked prime rib, other options available. After that you are on your own and must purchase food! No walk up snacks/mini buffet or drink options everything after 8p food or drink is to be purchased. (our grand daughter joined us on the original Bahama Princess cruise that offered walk up ice cream and snack bar 24/7. She would have been very disappointed). Casino is small and was empty, empty at all times. Disembarkment instructions were nonexistent , but being experienced we know the drill. Get up, pack up, get breakfast, sit around as everyone crashes the deck to get off the ship, at last call walk off the ship, go through customs, had our car within 10 min and was off to home.
We were fortunate to meet one of the Margaritaville executives on board and he knows exactly where they stand and what needs to be done as some refurbishment is still being completed.
In closing:
If you are flying in just for this cruise and are the parrot head of parrot heads you may be disappointed. If you are coming to area for vacation or business and this is an add on, a local looking for that get away or using the ship as a tender to utilize the resorts do it! I don’t think you will be disappointed!
KEEP THE KIDS AT HOME UNLESS YOU ARE GOING TO THE RESORTS!
We enjoyed it as a quick local get away.
Don…your posts were interesting and helpful as I/Husband are planning trip in August. With all the upcharges, what was initial cost of ticket and final check-out bill? Thanks Mary
Don, were you required to wear masks in the indoor public areas? We are strongly considering this for a little get away in October.