What It’s REALLY Like on Margaritaville at Sea! Our HONEST Review.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ส.ค. 2024
- We have just returned from the new Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. We share our honest take on this new cruise line in our Margaritaville at Sea review.
-----MARGARITAVILLE AT SEA REVIEW -----
0:00 Introduction
3:13 Entertainment on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise
6:43 Fins Up! Crew and Staff
8:18 Complimentary Dining
10:50 Margaritaville at Sea Staterooms
12:38 Not Completely Renovated
-----MARGARITAVILLE AT SEA CRUISE Review-----
We start our Margaritaville at Sea review with what we liked about the ship. One new venue that we particularly liked was the 5 O'Clock Somewhere Bar and Grill. Located on Deck 10 aft, this al fresco area was the perfect spot for a drink. When we envisioned the Margaritaville at Sea cruise ship, this venue was exactly what we had in mind. Unfortunately, the food at the grill was not included in the cruise fare though.
Another thing we liked about Margaritaville at Sea Paradise was the entertainment. The main theater show, Jimmy's Ship Show, included a number of popular Jimmy Buffett songs. Although, you don't need to be a Jimmy Buffet fan to appreciate the show. The 45-minute production was high energy and very interactive.
For this Margaritaville at Sea cruise review, we were also able to attend a number of the other entertainment and activities on the ship. There was a variety of live music in several venues including the house band, a musical duo, and a piano player.
There were also a variety of activities on the Margaritaville at Sea cruise ship. Over the two days, there were all the cruise staples like trivia, karaoke, and a number of game shows like the Love and Marriage show, the Battle of the Sexes, and the adult Quest.
Further, the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Fins Up! Crew were great. The cruise director, Jeffe, and his assistant cruise director, Natasha, were amazing. They hosted a number of the events and were fun, energetic, and knew how to get the crowd involved. The crew too were also hard working and very friendly.
-----OUR HONEST MARGARITAVILLE AT SEA REVIEW-----
While there were a few things we liked, there were several areas where this new cruise line and the ship itself fell short. The main dining room and buffet food were rather average. The complimentary food options were also quite limited as well, with the buffet being the only included option for breakfast and lunch.
The Fins dining room served a sit-down dinner at either 6 pm or 8:30 pm. While we only ate here once, we would say that our entrees were on par with contemporary cruise lines, but the apps and desserts were not very good.
Perhaps the biggest let down of our Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Review were publics areas. While we understand that there is only so much you can do with a 31 year old ship, it was only partially renovated. Many of the venues were old and dated, and many of them needed a thorough cleaning.
While the cabins did get new décor, flooring, and bedding, the stateroom bathrooms did not look like they were updated at all.
The public bathrooms were even worse. Many of popular public venues were dated too. Some had musty smells, faded and old furniture, and some looked like the refurb wasn't complete.
In our opinion, the ship needed more time in dry dock and a more thorough update to put in on par with the Margaritaville brand resorts on land. We had high hopes for Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, but unfortunately, it fell short for us.
-----READ OUR COMPLETE MARGARITAVILLE AT SEA Cruise Ship REVIEW-----
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Do you have plans to sail on the new Margaritaville at Sea cruise line?
I am considering it for next week
@@yesyjam1 how was it?! Can you feel the motion of the ocean?
@@christinat5036 we didn’t go.
Oh no why not?
After your review, no we pass.
For that price, I think you were expecting a bit too much for a two night cruise that goes less than 100 miles from the USA.
Maybe, although the price is not that cheap.
Felipe agreed. Go to the Bahamas resort. It’s there newest and we just got back
It’s a definite stop in Nassau.
Cheaper then Atlantis 👍
$324 pp plus fuel charge plus automatic $14.95/pp/per night is not cheap.
@@ann35211able true. However if you factor in a hotel, food, travel, and expenses I imagine it would end up being a wash. Not cheap but what is?
He’s honestly comparing this ship to another cruise line.
You get what you pay for. In Florida we have a philosophy "never visit a theme park in the first year". I plan to sail on Margaritaville soon, as long as I get to relax I'll be happy.
I like this concept. At this price point, it is more like an elevated land based hotel getaway but at sea.
Thanks for your detailed review. We are going on this one soon, and we once sailed this ship years ago as I see some similarities. We haven't cruised since pre-covid so this was quick and easy for us as we live in Florida. We are hoping for the best but are simply going to catch some sea breezes we have not had for years. Thanks again and love your clear pronunciations. Makes a difference!
Just got back from a two day cruise the other day. We had an absolute blast!!! Each bar had their own different drink menu. The food was decent. Any cruise is going to be as good as you make it. Euphoria lounge was a hot spot. We participated in several games in the Oasis lounge. The main show was awesome in the theater. There is now a pub bar performer. The late night dance club was crazy cool to take your fun into the wee hours of the night. The staff was always helpful and wanted you to have the best time while onboard. We will definitely take this cruise again and again.
Hi DB, you're the second cruise vlogger we've watched regarding this ship. Both you and Bill from Cruise Habit shared the same downsides of the ship. Hopefully the ship will get its act together. We sail on the Celebrity Summit in a week and a half for a 10 night Bermuda cruise. We were last there in 2019 and look forward to returning. Hi from Bob and Jill in Connecticut
Yes, we sailed with Bill and Larissa and I think we agreed on many aspects of what we liked and didn't about the ship.
Thank you so much for your review!
We just got off this ship today November 18. We were supposed to sail on the 8 th but hurricane Nicole forced us to reschedule. We were able to reschedule to the sailing with Mac macanally at no extra charge . The service was great. The ship is old yes but I will say they have made positive changes since you made this video. The euphoria room was given a better make over with sea green carpet and parrot covered throw pillows. We spent a lot of time there enjoying the entertainment. There were no lines and all the food venues ran smoothly but I do agree there needs to be more complimentary options for food beside the buffet. The pool area also has been updated. Our cabin was fine , the bathroom was just like your video but it had pretty floral shower curtain . Our cabin also seemed a bit warm , but. Slept well. So a second look may be necessary, they seem to be listening to criticism and making positive changes.
We appreciate the honest review. We have been interested in this ship.
Thanks. Glad you found the review informative. Thanks for watching.
I loved my cruise with this company, it's not perfect, it's not fancy but it's fun and affordable!!
Nice thorough review! Just subscribed.
Thanks for the sub! When is your next cruise?
Yeah you did the right thing by going to your master station anyway and finding out exactly where you need to go if abandoned ship is called over the intercom
We went in January and had a decent time, but went in with low expectations based on some other reviews we had seen. It's definitely not for everyone, but you can have a lot of fun on it.
Thanks for your feedback.
Is there a specialty dining in ala carte package you can get also I know they have alcohol packages but do they have drink packages for non-alcoholic drinks
Thanks a lot for this very interesting video. I'm considering to book a short cruise in April 23 to visit Bahamas, and this one is an option. Maybe it improved since the date of this review? Any recent views? Also, Freeport as a destination, is it a good option for a well spent day? Many thanks ;)
A little bit of paint goes a long way when it goes to decorating especially somebody can go in there with a brush and paint some flowers and some parrots on the bulkheads and stuff like that and it would have really spruced up the pool deck without having to break the bank
Have never been on a cruise and have no plans to ever try one.
Much better vacation options out there than a cruise.
Great review. I think the biggest drawback of this ship is how they nickle and dime you on alot of the food items.
Thanks for watching. We agree with the food.
My thoughts exactly.
I found that hard to believe you had to pay for food. I realize you pay for specialty dining
the staff bugging the crap out of us to buy drinks was nuts. but over all we enjoyed this ship going back on it next spring to freeport.
That's every cruise ship. That's why it's a good idea to buy an inclusive package
The most concerning issue to me was that soggy AstroTurf there must be massive deterioration of the duck below it and it's just rotting while it's wet like that they need to address that immediately and replace any steel plates that do not make thickness requirement
Hi, thanks a lot for sharing this video! I do have a question how long was the walk from the parking lot to the boat? I notice some were walking down a tunnel/hallway looking thing?
Also how far was the walk from the ship to the island once y'all arrived to the Bahamas? I am asking because I have walking limitations and this is making me anxious. Thanks in advance
They only had 6 weeks and a budget to remodel. I plan on traveling in them just for the theme.
your videos tell it all. I would have to be out of my mind to cruise with this company. I could imagine what it would look like close up
Nooo thank you
Did you feel the boat? Like on the bigger ships they have equalizers that help you not feel the motion of the ocean. This boat is not as big as some of the other boats and so my concern is do you feel the motion of the ocean on this boat specifically below deck level?
The ship doesn’t have stabilizers, so you can feel it a bit.
I’m going on this ship on June 3rd. I’m not happy with all the “nickel and dime” nonsense. I cruised on that ship when it was the Grande Classica and I was hoping for a bit of a change. How was your embarkation experience? I’m taking my aunt who will need a wheelchair. I wonder if this is going to be a nightmare. Thanks for such an honest review. ❤️
Embarkation was okay. Get there early. There were plenty of people at the pier to help. We hope you have a nice cruise.
The price menu was put in the furthest position from the counter so it'd be hard for people who don't have perfect 20/20 visions to see it they need to make the price menu larger and put it in a more conspicuous place that's not shadowed
We live right next to Riviera Beach and are going next week, I know the reviews seem negative, but this ship looks awesome for the price. Good enough for a quick get away
Just got back from taking this cruise. It was really good. No it’s not like an NCL cruise, but doesn’t cost as much. If you want to take a short, cheap cruise, I highly recommend.
We wanted to go on this ship! The decor looks awesome with the renovations, crazy to think how old this ship was it looks so modern. Sucks to hear about the dining experience
We too were really excited about this new ship, so hopefully things improve onboard.
Go to the Bahamas resort instead. At least it’s a true margaritaville experience.
The ship… not so much 🤦♂️
Thinking of going on a girls outing in June. Any recent reviews? (past month )
Thanks for your review. I'm going to be the Ft Lauderdale area in June and was thinking about taking this cruise. Looks like it's going to be a pass for me, mostly because of all of the nickle and dimming you mentioned. I know it's going to take some time to get things right, so maybe next year.
We hope they work out the kinks soon.
@@Eatsleepcruise1 Good thing I didn't go. I came down with COVID on my trip.
@@Eatsleepcruise1you think it’s better now?
Wish they had kept the other ship they had, went on it twice and liked it. Would not try this one. I also went on their Regal Empress ship. LOVED that old ship. I'll stick to Port Canaveral Cruises. (I'm from Cocoa Beach). I do feel you were a little rough on them Ward, first cruise should have lots of problems though cleanliness should never be a problem. Thanks.
I too sailed on the Regal Empress many times with Regal cruises and once when this company owned it. It was a favorite of mine, a true ocean liner (originally the Greek Lines Olympia ) that had one of the most beautifully classic wood paneled dining rooms at sea. It is a shame she was not preserved! This company also had a ship that was used as a car ferry in Europe and I sailed on that once too.....once was enough!
There is a bigger underlying issue with that soggy AstroTurf it means the deck is rusting underneath it and it's going to get thin if they do not address that situation immediately they're going to have deterioration that might put the ship out of commission permanently they need to pull up that AstroTurf seal it and then put down new AstroTurf
I guess that Margaritaville at Sea is not awash in liquidity, seeing how they sent a product into circulation and it failing in so many areas. We've seen this already with Ambiance in the UK, sending a ship into service that was "Not quite ready for prime time!" If they had the money to do a refit correctly, that ship might have been stripped to the steel and reworked. We see now what Covid has done to liquidity and cash flow. I think the reveal was premature. They should have spent the cash for flash instead of putting lipstick on a pig.
Yes, a more complete update would have made this a game changer.
Was there a place to park at ? When about to board in palm beach
The terminal offers valet parking.
thanks for your review. after watching your review, I will pass on this trip. I was ready to book 2 staterooms.. not now. I really thought it would be more of a fun party boat... I am disappointed that the company that owns this brand would approve of this set up. it still needs a lot of work. I will wait.
I took this to the Bahamas recently and stayed on a resort at the Bahamas. There are a lot of extra fees and costs. The 2 pools were so small which I wasn’t expecting and someone threw up in one of them so it was unavailable for a while. It was ok but the Carnival ship that was nearby looked bigger and better lol
Looks the same as it did when we sailed in August. The whole ship had a bad smell.
Do they have a casino ?
I'm sorry but where did those pants at 19:26 come from?!
Thanks for your honest review! I have stayed at the Margaritaville Hotel in Pennsacola (which is beautiful) and I would have thought the ship would look similar. Disappointing to see the cruise ship doesn't come close. I find it surprising the Margaritaville company lets this run down looking decor represent their brand. And shame on them for no muster drill or safety announcements. Their passengers' safety should be top priority.
Hi Lisa, we too were disappointed that not all of the venues were updated. We think Margaritaville at Sea could be a hit with the right ship!
We live near this port and are going in Sept.......hey what do you expect for both of us going $149. Think of it as a great big fun water taxi to Freeport. Fins up forever!!!
I'm planning to go on this cruise myself, do you know when I should reach the port to depart?
You can arrive around 11 am. That will give you plenty of time to board.
@@Eatsleepcruise1 Thank you
Bring the price up of the cruise and drop the prices of the specialty dining and I guarantee you things will go a lot more smoother
I was on this ship 2019 when it was still with Bahama Paridise. The food was not good at all.
Listen La Lido Coca review of this ship. They had a great time. I been on 77 cruises all over world. If you aren’t a walk on Floridian that the great majority only sail out of Florida. Watch reviews from non resident reviewers. Many things aren’t addressed. Travel arrangements, laundry , real rates that you pay as non residents , sailing out of foreign countries, long cruise itenaries , local issues in different foreign ports , smaller or older vessels, medical options , arranging local operator tours rather than ship tours , etc etc. most Florida reviewers sail most the time only in Caribbean
You can tell the company is hurting for money by the pricing of their specialty dining and fewer things are included in the fair now another Cruise blogger went on one of their voyages aboard that ship one was still the grand classic and it was like the second sailing after the pandemic and there was only 100 passengers on board that's not even enough to pay for the fuel it burnt much less the food and other consumables and salaries and wages so I know they're strapped for cash but these maintenance issues the biggest one that you mentioned is that soggy AstroTurf because that means you got deterioration going on
Sounds like the work on the ship was not ready for customers
I was thinking the change would help the cruise line
The dry dock looks cheap
The whole ship should be done from bottom to top
I like old stuff though!
Did you need to be vaccinated? Provide a negative test?
You don’t need to be vaccinated. But yes, a negative test. If unvaccinated they test you again at the pier.
What about interior rooms
oh no! is this the ship that failed health inspection a few months ago? it's hard to remember the name since all the ships sound the same..except for the last word..at first i just thought the name of the ship that failed was margaritaville and made a note to avoid it but then i kept seeing the name pop up and realized "margaritaville at sea" is the redundant part...
I probably will not sail on the line. The concept works but on a 30 year old ship not so much. If they truly build a new ship I am sure it will be much better.
We agree. A new ship with this brand would be great.
We just got back from Margaritaville in Nassau
(Video to come) way better experience check it out 👍
I don’t mind the older, smaller ships, I actually prefer them to the mega-ships
Think it's a good starter for the the BOGO price.
Is this a family friendly cruise ?
There are kids spaces, but we would recommend other cruise lines offering 3 day weekend cruises for families over this one.
I won this sailing. I was to sail last year . The cruise line canceled and rebooked me for this year.
Thanks for the review. 2 nights is too short. The ship reminds me of the old ships that used to sail from Miami to the Bahamas in the 60s. All they did was slap a new coat of paint on them and off they went. Remember the Yarmouth Castle disaster? Painted ropes on the lifeboats caused the lifeboats not to work.
Yes 🥰🥰🥰
They use the name Margaritaville under a license and another company runs it.
Some of the games and activities they had, ended up being canceled due to no one showing up.
That’s too bad. Most of those events did occur on our cruise.
The nickel and diming should have been expected for a budget cruise line.... It's only a rebrand of the same cheap line.
Unfortunately, you are correct. We expected more from the rebrand.
seems you are missing the point, its a quick cheap, weekend get away, not an entire cruise, its also transportation to Bahamas to stay and travel back. The safety video is before you check in.
And that's another thing that I'm a bit irritated about Fred and ginger are gone in the main lobby and have a feeling they destroyed them and I even sent emails to the cruise line that if they were ever going to sell the ship or want to get rid of the Fred and ginger statue I would buy them from them I would have paid them good money for it and then I bet they probably wound up in a dumpster
I think any prophets this company makes needs to be immediately turned around into refurbishing different portions of the ship and it's mechanicals for every venue that you refurbish you should refurbish one engine at and then keep on going until you got the ship in a situation that it will be pleasing and profitable
Wow! A theater where most
of the seats don't actually face the stage. How.....not good.
Actually, the theater was fine. It was one of the better venues!
As a strong Parrothead since the ‘90’s, I was so stoked to hear there would be a Margaritaville cruise line forthcoming.
I watched videos when it started up. Very objectively.
The reasons I likely won’t sail with them is it usually takes me a few days to transition from Real Life Mode to Vacation Mode. That won’t work on this short journey. Also, the fare seems great - until you see all the add-ons. Videos I’ve seen are consistent about small and out of date cabins.
Sir, I cannot and won’t give any credence to your review. Review on an inaugural sailing? Ridiculous! I assume there will be bumps, inconsistencies and even disappointment. It’s like going to the first games of a brand new professional sports team. Perfection, even adequacy, shouldn’t be expected. Please do better in your timing of reviews.
Well u told him huh! 🤣
I sailed this past Saturday and was very disappointed. I didn't think it would be that bad either. You can tell it is a 30 year old ship. My bathroom was disgusting, the bedroom very dated, the ship decor also dated. I nicknamed the ship "The Titanic". Since the experience was only for 2 days, I sucked it up. We ate at the 2 specialty restaurants and the food was good. My friends and I purchased the Celebration License To Chill package and I highly recommend getting that or the other express packages. It is worth it. Embarkation especially disembarkation was a snap, skipping lines and getting straight on and off the ship. 10 free drinks, seating at the show, access to the VIP lounge upon embarking, free wifi also free dining and breakfast both mornings at JWB. The crew was friendly and I know they were trying really hard.
Can we buy the Celebration package at boarding? We are going next week
We went last week, really was not a good experience. It fell short in many areas, hoping maybe they’ll get it together so we can give them another shot in a year or so
Yes, we hope things improve as well.
Did you feel safe on this cruise ship is my main question?
Yes, we feel safe cruising. We don't recall this ship being any different. Happy cruising.
I have mixed reviews about this shop as well. It was cheaper and I knew it was older. But it was unorganized and communication was terrible. Which made vacation terrible. The room and the bathroom were okay from me. The drink package and WiFi were great shows were good. But pools were nasty and staff were rude.. It wasn't a complete bad ship. I had fun. And a day at the Bahamas excursion was really nice. But I wouldn't recommend this ship nor would I book it again.
Thanks for your review. Seems like we are on the same page. Happy cruising.
Wow! I've heard of Carnival being referred to as the Wal*Mart of cruises but this one looks to be like the .98¢ store of cruising. Not appealing at all and it sounds like a rip-off as well. We have an upcoming cruise in a month on an old ship too, Celebrity edge, 5 years old.
Was their any free food on board???
Just the buffet and the main dining room for dinner.
looks like hell on earth
Looks like the only inaugural cruise worse than this would be the Titanic
Bottom line is it's an Old Shitter!!!
Lmaooo I literally just got off this ship and when I tell you I hate it I mean every word
Now they need to go and spend a couple hundred million dollars refurbishing all the parts of the ship that the guests cannot see like the engines the fire suppression system watertight doors safety systems lifeboats things that will make sure the ship will offer long trouble free service for many years to come
Are you aware that this was only phase one of the rebranding.
It’s a pig with lipstick
Not very good 🤦♂️
I wish I saw this before going. HORRIBLE experience
What a RIPOFF even with military person free in room (spouse still pays)....the price overall with dinner, drinks, unattractive excursion(s) costs, nearly $200 in taxes...the price overall is ~$800 for a couple nights. Not worth it to swim with pigs for 8 hours...what a joke. Appears to be a "Freebee" for a start....to sucker folks in....as the addons really add up price wise! Suppose could go cheap by eating buffet and staying on boat...thus $150 plus $180 in taxes. Then I read online the coast guard recently shut the ship down for violations'
Military vet here, I agree! We are sailing in this next week.
Their hotels are marvelous but this cruise ship looks absolutely disgraceful and embarrassing.
It certainly didn’t compare to the resorts.
You got a free cruise and you are complaining? Some people really are truly the definition of entitled.
Pools look horrific!!!!
It's so small 😂😂😂😂
I'll give him two and a half million dollars for the ship cuz I know I can get scrap value for that and make money
I see a little nit-picking if you ask me...
Reading a lot of reviews, mediocre at best seems to be the overall opinion
That about sums it up.
We just got back . We won't go again.
Same here. lol.
No thank you.
Sounds like a massive rip off.
This video is giving me Karen…lol
Yikes. This cruise looks super depressing and run down. HARD pass for me.
Jimmy's Ship Show sounds too much like shitshow
We think that is what they were going for with the name.
Like I said they're strapped for cash
Is this a joke? Omg 😂😂😂 they need to retire that old thing!
This looked depressing
Sorry about the cruise. Not for me. Thank you
Wahhhhhhhh cry baby
You did not have my permission to post my picture.
🙄He doesn’t need to🙄 You’re in a public place🙄🙄🙄