Back in the day I used to work as stage crew for concerts and venues, and Jimmy was the first concert I ever worked. I was new, and his crew made it like everyone was at a day on the beach. His setup crew all wore Hawaiian shirts and beach gear. That was almost 20 years ago, and he's still going!
as a musician in central florida singer I sing Margaritaville and it never gets old people from young age dance as soon as I start singing that song, it amazes me how that song is just so cool if you were 10 20 30 40 50 60 or 70 yrs old.
Thank you for your honesty in reviewing the ship. I'm sure it will improve, & with honest reviews like yours, the ship will be at its best. It did seem like a great experience, & a lot of fun, thanks for sharing!
Sounds like it’s something to look into once they are able to make the necessary upgrades. I love the concept, but I will wait cautiously before booking.
My wife and I were on the inaugural cruise as well. They were / are not ready for the public. While it was cool to see the Margaritaville touches, the age is definitely showing. The furniture is old (wood panels were peeling), our bathroom had a puddle near the commode (a closet with the piping was next to our cabin, a pipe was cracked and being replaced as we waited for our luggage to be sent to our cabin [we arrived at noon. Luggage arrived about 5-ish]). While there WAS a bracket for the TV, there was no TV. We were at guest services next to the giant flip-flop while Jimmy was performing. We found out at that point (our 3rd visit to the desk) that there were not enough televisions ON the ship for every cabin. There were numerous other things wrong, but too numerous to mention here. I will give it another yr or two before trying it again.
It’s a rust bucket and no matter what they do it will be a rust bucket. You can’t fix a 30 old cruise into a decent ship unless you gut everything and rebuild with new technology. They certainly aren’t doing that. “My Big Mistake” should be Jimmy Buffet’s next song title
Thx for the heads up, we will be on it June 11th doing a cruise and stay in the Bahamas 🇧🇸 hopefully the ship will be better situated and prepared by then
Literally on it now. We haven't even left the dock and this is by far the worst cruise experience ever. Been here 3 whole hours and it is still renovations being made. The pool can hold 8 people total. Lunch was terrible with terrible options. The room is decent. Not the worst I've seen, definitely not the best. The ship needs to be discontinued as soon as possible.
@blank It was just above average for what it was, the cruise ship is old so you have to accept certain things, food was surprisingly good free and pay options, wasn't alot of people on it especially coming back to Palm Beach on a tues - wed morning. The resort in Bahamas we stayed was beautiful, the pool area and grounds were immaculate but ocean was dark full of seaweed and cloudy looking very disappointed. We had to go to a different beautiful beach. Resort food was good all inclusive but kinda dead both days not that many people. Weather stayed nice not too too hot. Enjoyed it 👍
@@kattmilk The prices for this old ship are like $499 a person right now on their site. Several other dates over $200....not even worth the $99 random sale because with taxes, still nearly $300 plus excursion fees. Plus cost of pizza on the ship...lol that's funny!
It seems like they really rushed the new venture out. J from the Shiplife was on the last cruise with the "old" version of the ship and it must have been a month turnaround at most. I would have preferred they renovated the rooms before they sailed the first time. I get they're wanting to get people on for a full Caribbean summer season, and make some revenue, but I'm getting cheap motel vibes. Water damage and mold are not nitpicky complaints!
Nice Video, The room has a master switch that turns off all the power to the room (imagine an electrical fire) The toilet flushes with a fancy electrical valve proximity switch. The fact that you turned off the master electrical switch means you did turn off the toilet... All power to the room. The second switch next to the master turns off and on just the bathroom light. I just got back, my room was much better, no mold, no dust. Cruise was a good time! Thank thanks for your thoughts.
Thanks for the honest review. There's nothing wrong with an old ship as long as it's kept up. Looks like they just put this out there too soon. The Carnival Celebration was my first cruise in 1992, I sailed on her under BPCL in 2019 - she was old but in good shape. I just had surgery and was on a knee scooter - older ships are not ideal for those with mobility problems. Had a long chat with my two friends that are wheelchair bound, newer ships are easier to navigate. We will finish up our NCL Cruise Next vouchers then consider taking this ship after they get some kinks worked out.
We are taking the Margaritaville cruise as part of our pre cruise vacation. We are excited about this mini cruise to get us ready for the big one, 15 days in the Caribbean. It would be awesome if Jimmy Buffet would show up. Thanks for the great description of the voyage!
Tool that ship on 2018 when it was under the former regime. I was on deck 6 in a double occy room. Different layout, bathroom had no issues. Boarding and leaving were not fun but the rest was very good.my wife and I have beentaking 2 cruises a year and accepted it for what it is and had a good time.
We sailed the Bahamas Paradise cruise probably 7 or 8 years ago, it wasn’t good. Food was horrible and the ship was so outdated. The pool was super small, the entertainment was lame and it was just lack luster. Plus it’s a smaller ship than most cruises and I too got really sea sick on it. However, being a resident in the Palm Beach area I think this is a nice upgrade compared to what use to be. Hopefully they can iron out all those issues because I think with the overall upgrades it’s not bad, but smelly old rooms would make me irritated I spent my money there. It seems like a good little weekend trip, but if you’re gonna pay over $250 a person I’d just book a Royal Carribean cruise. They don’t disappoint!
Small Edit. I meant to say FCC we have to let you know when it’s a paid to promote or an ad. This was a press event. Feel free to ask me anything and I hope this helps someone! Defamation is when you present false statements. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk lol.
There press said “all new cabins”. We went August 2021. It was horrible. The smell was bad They moved us to another cabin and it still smelled like a toilet.
Griff, we couldn’t agree more with your review of the ship from Thursday. Jodie had a great line when talking about the ship. She likens it to someone who just started their walk with the Lord but still has issues to get over and enjoys partying too much! We had a blast meeting you and Alissa and hope to catch you again on another cruise!
Pour water into the floor drain if your room smells like sewage. The drains get dried out, just like a p-trap in a bathroom that you rarely use, and let smells come through. Mold? Yeah. That's a whole 'nother thing.
Yes, not a good look for anyone with asthma and allergies. I think it also has to do with the toilet/plumbing issues and shower...the bathroom floor would be drenched the whole time.
My fear - especially where the staterooms are concerned - would be that that IS them being ready. Bahamas Paradise hasn't had the best reputation the past few years and, given they money they had to put into both the branding and the refurbishments (giant flip-flops don't come cheap!), corners are going to wind up being cut somewhere. And I'm sorry, but there is absolutely positive NO universe in which I would put someone who is on a media pass in a room with that shower curtain. Just because they say there's no such thing as bad PR doesn't mean it's actually true.
I went on this cruise with my GF and it was our first cruise. They definitely need to do some work. However, it wasn’t god awful because we just booked another one with them lmao 🤣 I’m excited to see the improvements let’s just say that haha
I am not a parrot head, but I do have parrots. I love the parrot things around the ship, the sheets and your lanyards is what I spotted. I live in CT and probably will not fly down for a short cruise.
I think it was RCCC that had the largest cruise ship's ignagral sailing with about 30% of the shows and stuff not ready and short staffed and didn't advertise it as such. So at least they said this ship wasn't ready yet.
Griff, I just subscribed! I am a 60 year old cruise party fanatic and my wife and I have been on 10 cruises since 2015 and we are going on the NCL Breakaway in August. We actually were on the Encore Alaska August 2021 (Ron Ron was the best in the District Brewery) where I think you were walking up the trail ahead of us in Icy Strait point as I have seen those videos. We live in South FL and have been looking forward to Margaritaville at sea and this video was awesome. We will wait to see if these issues have been addressed and will make our decision at that time. Huge Jimmy Buffett fans, (hence the age) and hopefully will be on the ship soon.
My husband and I were thinking of going but its a shame that they didn’t bother to take their time and make sure it was 100% ready before having guests sail on it. Hopefully they improved but it says a lot about their company if they are going out half ready.
I was in that ship lipstick on a pig, there is so much wrong they made a huge miss step bring press and travel agents on that ship at this point in time
They should issue you a check in time. If they didn’t I’d recommend showing up when early to avoid lines. Early is what your comfortable with but For us that’s 10-11am.
Totally agree - we sailed May 14th - Not ready yet.... Pros: • Dinner was very good both nights, however very slow night one. • Breakfast had a lot of options and was easy/good • The rooms were bigger than expected and nice (windows were not clean though which would have been a nice touch) • Boarding process and Excursion process were easy • Excursion to Wyndham was good, however they should be better staffed next time - long lines for drinks every time • Show was cute (although hoped Jimmy would jump out on inaugural cruise) Cons: • Chaotic and unorganized once on the ship. Few announcements on what to do. Staff seemed confused and not very good English when we’d ask where food was or try to get drinks • Drinks were inconsistent in size, quality and alcohol - finally got our own bottle • Margaritas - where were the frozen machines and refillable cups? That is what is needed. The one margarita I got was bad and there was no salt. I mean this is Jimmy Buffet’s signature drink - how is it not more prevelant • Need Jimmy Buffett themed activities (trivia, more songs playing everywhere, etc.)- nothing really on board which was disappointing for a lifelong parrothead (seemed like just painted the boat for the theme and didn’t do much else) • Casino - so small - should be much larger and more machines on ship this size • Lunch when we got on board was cold and barely anything there • Needed to be far more food options around meals. No free food anywhere we found - other than pizza which cost money. No snacks at bars or anything. It was bad. Even if we could have bought a package to have food available it would have been helpful
I get Sea sick easily, did you get sick because of the ships size and age causing you to feel every little thing? If so do you know if motion sickness pills help?
I did get sea sick. It was the worst I’ve felt on a ship in years. I used motion bands and ginger chews. It took about 1hr to recover. Have fun & Good luck!
It is definitely a different product than the RCCL/NCL/Carn ot the higher tier lines. Once things are finished and souffed up, it could be great fun for a group of friends or couples. This is a new niche to the industry, and i wish them nothing but a happy and profitable life.
Is this the oasis of the seas no! But Margaritaville the brand is extremely strong! They have communities popping up all over Florida with homes and town squares very cool indeed! I just went to their website and they are offering buy one get one free on their cruise packages! It’s great for a starter cruise or if you are on a tight budget!
Think they jumped the gun sailing for sure. May hurt more than help. May have been on this years ago for short cruise to Bahamas out of West Palm Beach."Free" cruise not free, but 3 days we spent extra in Bahamas was great!
I didn't cruise with the other company and don't plan to cruise with Margaritaville until they iron out the issues from the start up. Maybe in the future I might support them.
Thanks for the review. BTW: Mac McAnally has been Jimmy's right-hand guy in the band and a songwriting partner for almost two decades now. He's huge in the Country Music world. At the annual Country Music Assoc. Awards, Mac won 'Musician of the Year' 10 times in the space of 11 years (2008 to 2018).
Wow! That's all I can say. I'm just gonna keep waiting on my Wonder of The Seas Cruise. As a matter of fact gonna go find some videos now to get the taste of Margaritaville out of my mouth. 🤔I'm sure it'll get better, and I'll just wait until then to partake.
@@victoriavalderrama7695 we had a great time! It was the perfect getaway and even more perfect for a bachelorette party! Food was yummy, and entertainment was fun! Definitely a smaller cruise, but we loved every minute of If!
100% not ready. I was on the ship with you guys, it needs a lot of work. The name does not go along with the ship. The AC did not work in my cabin, and plumbing had issues. I must say the bed was super comfy..
They should have done it right and renovated the entire shop before they launched! I would not pay for that! Maybe once they redo the rooms and other things maybe one day
My wife and I were on the inaugural cruise last weekend and were very disappointed. We feel they rushed into this. The ship and entertainment were so much less than we expected from the Margaritaville brand. The bartender, Arif, at the 5 o’clock bar was the most fun we had on the cruise.
Hey, I was wondering if you ever heard of Jameson Vaction? I won a contest for the vacation from Jameson Vacation on Margaritavile, and I’m not completely sure if it’s legit or not 😅 if anyone knows plz let me know!!
I saw a video from a guy that was on the last cruise from the other company, That was only about a month ago. Why would the go ahead and sail with all these concerns? I find it pretty crazy that they knew and had to provide an apologize for the condition of the ship. I know they invited you for your opinion and that’s great, I just can’t believe they would go knowing your review was not going to be all that good. I just hope they listen to all of the media there your opinions.
my update to my comment. It was obvious some spots on the ship needed repair or mold control. The smell wave of the 'poop deck' was discussed with friends and we decided that no matter what size of ship you were going to be on it was going to have this smell. It came and went some nights it had that smell and some nights no smell. The cabin I had was on deck 6 and it had no damage. I give a small cabin toure on my account, i think it is in the shorts because it was only 50mins long. The crew was amazingly helpful and super kind. I did hear complain of the rocking of the ship as we tracked back home to Florida but for me um hello you are on a small ship. For me because I was in my pirate atire for the whole thing it made it feel authentic. It did help rock me to sleep. The buffet food is just that buffet food but eatable, my package included this 24/7 free so I didn't complain. Bring your own cup and fill it up at the buffet we did learn. The food in the Fins restaurant was AMAZING. I can not speak for any other activity on board since i was spending time with my crew and we had parties 2 nights of the cruise. We got into the Bahamas and it was a blast! This being OFF SEASON kept it less crowded so if you hate crowdes go during off season.
For me the biggest plus is that you DON’T have to be vaccinated to cruise. For those that aren’t vaccinated. This is a decent on the water sailing option.
I was blessed to be there too. My cabin was fine but I can relate to the flushing issue. Now I know why! It is far from a new ship. I would definitely go again but remember it is an older ship and temper expectations.
Ugh. So gross. Looks like a really cheap cruise. That bathroom alone is 🤮. I know EXACTLY what you mean by that sewage smell. A lot of those super old cruise ships have that really bad smell. Margaritaville, shame on you. Holding a “press” cruise and not being prepared. Terrible move. I could tell you and Alyssa looked super uncomfortable in that room. Thanks for the review.
This brand is strong. I was surprised they would go the route of fixing up an old ship. Should have started fresh with a custom build. A lack of balcony rooms is no good. Take away Jimmy and you have your basic booze cruise. To see a seasoned cruiser get sick several times, not good.
Because it’s easier for a brand who is new to the cruise industry to start off with old ships. As commissioning a newly designed ship costs starting at $550 million with just a 500 passenger capacity. Margaritaville the brand is an infant in regards to entering the cruise industry with the big boys.
All in all, not too bad for a 30 year old ship. They probably should have taken another week to make it right. They really rushed it. Jimmy Buffet has lots of dollars so I am sure another week would not break the bank. No one wants to be on a ship when they are doing active construction. I guess that cabin steward will hear about it for the dust on the walls. Granted, there is going to be dust with construction, but they should have really checked all the areas once the air was circulating around the ship. It looks like it's not a bad 2 night get away.
Back in the day I used to work as stage crew for concerts and venues, and Jimmy was the first concert I ever worked. I was new, and his crew made it like everyone was at a day on the beach. His setup crew all wore Hawaiian shirts and beach gear. That was almost 20 years ago, and he's still going!
Haha that’s amazing ! Thanks for sharing!
as a musician in central florida singer I sing Margaritaville and it never gets old people from young age dance as soon as I start singing that song, it amazes me how that song is just so cool if you were 10 20 30 40 50 60 or 70 yrs old.
I have just one word about that cabin. YUK!!!!👹👹 I’ll stay with RCL♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
Love your floral hat and shirt where did you get it?
So long ago, can’t remember.
I'm going on this ship in Jan. 2023 for a girls trip . I hope they have ironed some things out by then.
How was it?
Thank you for your honesty in reviewing the ship. I'm sure it will improve, & with honest reviews like yours, the ship will be at its best. It did seem like a great experience, & a lot of fun, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your honest thoughts. Y’all are the best💗🌹💗
How much time does the ship spend in port in between sailings? There has to be some down time for the maintenance personnel to take care of things.
Sounds like it’s something to look into once they are able to make the necessary upgrades. I love the concept, but I will wait cautiously before booking.
My wife and I were on the inaugural cruise as well. They were / are not ready for the public. While it was cool to see the Margaritaville touches, the age is definitely showing. The furniture is old (wood panels were peeling), our bathroom had a puddle near the commode (a closet with the piping was next to our cabin, a pipe was cracked and being replaced as we waited for our luggage to be sent to our cabin [we arrived at noon. Luggage arrived about 5-ish]). While there WAS a bracket for the TV, there was no TV. We were at guest services next to the giant flip-flop while Jimmy was performing. We found out at that point (our 3rd visit to the desk) that there were not enough televisions ON the ship for every cabin. There were numerous other things wrong, but too numerous to mention here. I will give it another yr or two before trying it again.
I've reviewed a few videos regarding this cruise all say the same, not completely ready. I will be sailing in November any updates from when you went?
@kyle Pallo just went yesterday so he might have some new information!
@@GriffandAlyssa His information was the ship still sucks. 😐
It’s a rust bucket and no matter what they do it will be a rust bucket. You can’t fix a 30 old cruise into a decent ship unless you gut everything and rebuild with new technology. They certainly aren’t doing that. “My Big Mistake” should be Jimmy Buffet’s next song title
Thx for the heads up, we will be on it June 11th doing a cruise and stay in the Bahamas 🇧🇸 hopefully the ship will be better situated and prepared by then
Literally on it now. We haven't even left the dock and this is by far the worst cruise experience ever. Been here 3 whole hours and it is still renovations being made. The pool can hold 8 people total. Lunch was terrible with terrible options. The room is decent. Not the worst I've seen, definitely not the best. The ship needs to be discontinued as soon as possible.
@@adriannahp1833 did it get any better as the cruise went on ? Were headed to the ship now
@blank It was just above average for what it was, the cruise ship is old so you have to accept certain things, food was surprisingly good free and pay options, wasn't alot of people on it especially coming back to Palm Beach on a tues - wed morning. The resort in Bahamas we stayed was beautiful, the pool area and grounds were immaculate but ocean was dark full of seaweed and cloudy looking very disappointed. We had to go to a different beautiful beach. Resort food was good all inclusive but kinda dead both days not that many people. Weather stayed nice not too too hot. Enjoyed it 👍
@@ryanfuller7108 Thank you. It's 30 years old and a cheap ticket, so I wouldn't be expecting Disney or Norwegian experience.
@@kattmilk The prices for this old ship are like $499 a person right now on their site. Several other dates over $200....not even worth the $99 random sale because with taxes, still nearly $300 plus excursion fees. Plus cost of pizza on the ship...lol that's funny!
It seems like they really rushed the new venture out. J from the Shiplife was on the last cruise with the "old" version of the ship and it must have been a month turnaround at most. I would have preferred they renovated the rooms before they sailed the first time. I get they're wanting to get people on for a full Caribbean summer season, and make some revenue, but I'm getting cheap motel vibes. Water damage and mold are not nitpicky complaints!
Nice Video, The room has a master switch that turns off all the power to the room (imagine an electrical fire) The toilet flushes with a fancy electrical valve proximity switch. The fact that you turned off the master electrical switch means you did turn off the toilet... All power to the room. The second switch next to the master turns off and on just the bathroom light. I just got back, my room was much better, no mold, no dust. Cruise was a good time! Thank thanks for your thoughts.
Excellent!!! Happy yours is good to go!
Nice informative video! Thanks for all the honest info. Question: where did you get your hat you're wearing on the ship? I love it!
Thanks for the honest review. There's nothing wrong with an old ship as long as it's kept up. Looks like they just put this out there too soon. The Carnival Celebration was my first cruise in 1992, I sailed on her under BPCL in 2019 - she was old but in good shape. I just had surgery and was on a knee scooter - older ships are not ideal for those with mobility problems. Had a long chat with my two friends that are wheelchair bound, newer ships are easier to navigate. We will finish up our NCL Cruise Next vouchers then consider taking this ship after they get some kinks worked out.
We are taking the Margaritaville cruise as part of our pre cruise vacation. We are excited about this mini cruise to get us ready for the big one, 15 days in the Caribbean. It would be awesome if Jimmy Buffet would show up. Thanks for the great description of the voyage!
Thanks for sharing this with me! 💖🛳⚓️🛟
Tool that ship on 2018 when it was under the former regime. I was on deck 6 in a double occy room. Different layout, bathroom had no issues. Boarding and leaving were not fun but the rest was very good.my wife and I have beentaking 2 cruises a year and accepted it for what it is and had a good time.
We sailed the Bahamas Paradise cruise probably 7 or 8 years ago, it wasn’t good. Food was horrible and the ship was so outdated. The pool was super small, the entertainment was lame and it was just lack luster. Plus it’s a smaller ship than most cruises and I too got really sea sick on it.
However, being a resident in the Palm Beach area I think this is a nice upgrade compared to what use to be. Hopefully they can iron out all those issues because I think with the overall upgrades it’s not bad, but smelly old rooms would make me irritated I spent my money there. It seems like a good little weekend trip, but if you’re gonna pay over $250 a person I’d just book a Royal Carribean cruise. They don’t disappoint!
Great job giving an honest review! It really helps people out! I would rather stay at the hotel on land not the ship!
Small Edit. I meant to say FCC we have to let you know when it’s a paid to promote or an ad. This was a press event. Feel free to ask me anything and I hope this helps someone!
Defamation is when you present false statements.
Thanks for coming to my TedTalk lol.
There press said “all new cabins”. We went August 2021. It was horrible. The smell was bad They moved us to another cabin and it still smelled like a toilet.
I was supposed to be on the inaugural sailing on April 30, but was canceled due to ship still being in dry dock. Hoping to re-book for the fall!
I used to work on her in 1998 as Costa Classica. That moldy smell in the bathroom was there then. It's just that ship I guess.
Thank you for giving us the full scoop.
Griff, we couldn’t agree more with your review of the ship from Thursday. Jodie had a great line when talking about the ship. She likens it to someone who just started their walk with the Lord but still has issues to get over and enjoys partying too much! We had a blast meeting you and Alissa and hope to catch you again on another cruise!
Im excited to see what other renovations are in store for that ship. I hope their final product tackles those imperfections. Thanks for the video!
😳 Oh my! Hope things get better before October.. Thnks for the info
Same
Very classy, very honest. I'll be watching in the future!
I’m totally not a prude but I could not stay in a room that has a smell or possibly have mold. Y’all did good!
Pour water into the floor drain if your room smells like sewage. The drains get dried out, just like a p-trap in a bathroom that you rarely use, and let smells come through. Mold? Yeah. That's a whole 'nother thing.
Yes, not a good look for anyone with asthma and allergies. I think it also has to do with the toilet/plumbing issues and shower...the bathroom floor would be drenched the whole time.
My fear - especially where the staterooms are concerned - would be that that IS them being ready. Bahamas Paradise hasn't had the best reputation the past few years and, given they money they had to put into both the branding and the refurbishments (giant flip-flops don't come cheap!), corners are going to wind up being cut somewhere. And I'm sorry, but there is absolutely positive NO universe in which I would put someone who is on a media pass in a room with that shower curtain. Just because they say there's no such thing as bad PR doesn't mean it's actually true.
I wonder what they plan to charge, seems like motel 6, but with a badass party in the parking lot
What brand of ship is this located
I went on this cruise with my GF and it was our first cruise. They definitely need to do some work. However, it wasn’t god awful because we just booked another one with them lmao 🤣 I’m excited to see the improvements let’s just say that haha
Any updates on the second cruise improvements?
Excellent review!!! Thank you!!!
I am not a parrot head, but I do have parrots. I love the parrot things around the ship, the sheets and your lanyards is what I spotted. I live in CT and probably will not fly down for a short cruise.
Hi Griff and Alyssa!
Excellent and very honest review 👍🏻
Thank you!
I think it was RCCC that had the largest cruise ship's ignagral sailing with about 30% of the shows and stuff not ready and short staffed and didn't advertise it as such. So at least they said this ship wasn't ready yet.
Griff, I just subscribed! I am a 60 year old cruise party fanatic and my wife and I have been on 10 cruises since 2015 and we are going on the NCL Breakaway in August. We actually were on the Encore Alaska August 2021 (Ron Ron was the best in the District Brewery) where I think you were walking up the trail ahead of us in Icy Strait point as I have seen those videos. We live in South FL and have been looking forward to Margaritaville at sea and this video was awesome. We will wait to see if these issues have been addressed and will make our decision at that time. Huge Jimmy Buffett fans, (hence the age) and hopefully will be on the ship soon.
Would you say they concentrated on redoing the venues and the restaurants instead of the rooms? Or did everything seem “not done yet”?
My husband and I were thinking of going but its a shame that they didn’t bother to take their time and make sure it was 100% ready before having guests sail on it. Hopefully they improved but it says a lot about their company if they are going out half ready.
They are greedy it seems. Plain and simple. This is the type of ship I'd genuinely be concerned about something happening out at sea.
Thanks for the heads up review & warning not to waste time & money on this cruise..
no problem,!
I was in that ship lipstick on a pig, there is so much wrong they made a huge miss step bring press and travel agents on that ship at this point in time
Thank you for the info :) I appreciate it
I'm planning to go on this cruise myself, do you know when I should reach the port to depart?
They should issue you a check in time. If they didn’t I’d recommend showing up when early to avoid lines. Early is what your comfortable with but For us that’s 10-11am.
Totally agree - we sailed May 14th - Not ready yet....
Pros:
• Dinner was very good both nights, however very slow night one.
• Breakfast had a lot of options and was easy/good
• The rooms were bigger than expected and nice (windows were not clean though which would have been a nice touch)
• Boarding process and Excursion process were easy
• Excursion to Wyndham was good, however they should be better staffed next time - long lines for drinks every time
• Show was cute (although hoped Jimmy would jump out on inaugural cruise)
Cons:
• Chaotic and unorganized once on the ship. Few announcements on what to do. Staff seemed confused and not very good English when we’d ask where food was or try to get drinks
• Drinks were inconsistent in size, quality and alcohol - finally got our own bottle
• Margaritas - where were the frozen machines and refillable cups? That is what is needed. The one margarita I got was bad and there was no salt. I mean this is Jimmy Buffet’s signature drink - how is it not more prevelant
• Need Jimmy Buffett themed activities (trivia, more songs playing everywhere, etc.)- nothing really on board which was disappointing for a lifelong parrothead (seemed like just painted the boat for the theme and didn’t do much else)
• Casino - so small - should be much larger and more machines on ship this size
• Lunch when we got on board was cold and barely anything there
• Needed to be far more food options around meals. No free food anywhere we found - other than pizza which cost money. No snacks at bars or anything. It was bad. Even if we could have bought a package to have food available it would have been helpful
I get Sea sick easily, did you get sick because of the ships size and age causing you to feel every little thing? If so do you know if motion sickness pills help?
I did get sea sick. It was the worst I’ve felt on a ship in years. I used motion bands and ginger chews. It took about 1hr to recover.
Have fun & Good luck!
It is definitely a different product than the RCCL/NCL/Carn ot the higher tier lines. Once things are finished and souffed up, it could be great fun for a group of friends or couples. This is a new niche to the industry, and i wish them nothing but a happy and profitable life.
Is this the oasis of the seas no!
But Margaritaville the brand is extremely strong! They have communities popping up all over Florida with homes and
town squares very cool indeed!
I just went to their website and they are offering buy one get one free on their cruise packages! It’s great for a starter cruise or if you are on a tight budget!
But not really for a budget because everything is extra $$
What would you say to someone who is going to work there?
do they have a Beverage package?
Think they jumped the gun sailing for sure. May hurt more than help. May have been on this years ago for short cruise to Bahamas out of West Palm Beach."Free" cruise not free, but 3 days we spent extra in Bahamas was great!
I’m about to get on this cruise so can y’all tell me if any of these “imperfections “ can harm me or have the ship sink
If a smelly toilet made a ship sink there wouldn’t be any ships in any Navies left lol
Fellow travel agent went on this. They said what you did and that’s why we/others have come to trust and love you guys!
I didn't cruise with the other company and don't plan to cruise with Margaritaville until they iron out the issues from the start up. Maybe in the future I might support them.
Thanks for the review.
BTW: Mac McAnally has been Jimmy's right-hand guy in the band and a songwriting partner for almost two decades now. He's huge in the Country Music world. At the annual Country Music Assoc. Awards, Mac won 'Musician of the Year' 10 times in the space of 11 years (2008 to 2018).
And it's pronounced "MACK uh nally" lol
Ohhhhh lol!
Love that!
Did they have Raspberry Margaritas?
You are lucky to have seen Jimmy Buffet live! I feel fortunate to have seen Zachary Richard before he had a stroke in Vancouver.
Wow! That's all I can say. I'm just gonna keep waiting on my Wonder of The Seas Cruise. As a matter of fact gonna go find some videos now to get the taste of Margaritaville out of my mouth. 🤔I'm sure it'll get better, and I'll just wait until then to partake.
We are cruising on Margaritaville at Sea the end of June for my friends bachelorette getaway!! Thanks for the review!! I’ll let you know how it is!!
How was it?
@@victoriavalderrama7695 we had a great time! It was the perfect getaway and even more perfect for a bachelorette party! Food was yummy, and entertainment was fun! Definitely a smaller cruise, but we loved every minute of
If!
@@aubreygrassley731 Y'all were just too damn trashed to notice. That ship is busted sorry but it is.
100% not ready. I was on the ship with you guys, it needs a lot of work. The name does not go along with the ship. The AC did not work in my cabin, and plumbing had issues. I must say the bed was super comfy..
Lights on and like magic, the toilet flushes! Who knew? LOL
Alyssa fake drinking that margarita was hilarious 😅
They should have done it right and renovated the entire shop before they launched! I would not pay for that! Maybe once they redo the rooms and other things maybe one day
But even then, the pipes and engine are still going to be too old.
My question is: Why would they have a press event thats not complete yet? They should have waited until it was up to standards.
Cash flow!
Are margaritas really that good though?
Wow you guys got lucky with Jimmy Buffet there to join. Definitely makes for an unforgettable cruise.
Think 6 months for it to be fully ready for faster than that? Also did they explain vax policy? not finding that on website.
Vaxx shows card = good entry
Non-vaxx = take test 3 days prior to show negative results, or test at port.
My wife and I were on the inaugural cruise last weekend and were very disappointed. We feel they rushed into this. The ship and entertainment were so much less than we expected from the Margaritaville brand. The bartender, Arif, at the 5 o’clock bar was the most fun we had on the cruise.
Any recommendations on excirsion
Freeport is a dump. Stay on the boat.
Alyssa is so funny. You guy's really compliment each other as a couple.
Hi Griff, where can I get the Straw Sun Hat you guys have?
Www.paradiseadventureco.shop
Hey, I was wondering if you ever heard of Jameson Vaction? I won a contest for the vacation from Jameson Vacation on Margaritavile, and I’m not completely sure if it’s legit or not 😅 if anyone knows plz let me know!!
Never heard of it!
This was an inaugural sailing and there was DUST ON THE WALLS...a blanket of dust...what the heck?
Well I can tell ya I won’t be on that cruise anytime soon. Thanks for the warning!!!!
I saw a video from a guy that was on the last cruise from the other company, That was only about a month ago. Why would the go ahead and sail with all these concerns? I find it pretty crazy that they knew and had to provide an apologize for the condition of the ship. I know they invited you for your opinion and that’s great, I just can’t believe they would go knowing your review was not going to be all that good. I just hope they listen to all of the media there your opinions.
This will be my first cruise August 26 for my birthday. Did you all try any excursions? How is it when you get off of the ship??
So how was it?
I appreciate your honesty! I will pass on this ship, it's just to small for me.
I am going in January 2023! I will do my best for an update. 🍸🚢
my update to my comment. It was obvious some spots on the ship needed repair or mold control. The smell wave of the 'poop deck' was discussed with friends and we decided that no matter what size of ship you were going to be on it was going to have this smell. It came and went some nights it had that smell and some nights no smell. The cabin I had was on deck 6 and it had no damage. I give a small cabin toure on my account, i think it is in the shorts because it was only 50mins long. The crew was amazingly helpful and super kind. I did hear complain of the rocking of the ship as we tracked back home to Florida but for me um hello you are on a small ship. For me because I was in my pirate atire for the whole thing it made it feel authentic. It did help rock me to sleep. The buffet food is just that buffet food but eatable, my package included this 24/7 free so I didn't complain. Bring your own cup and fill it up at the buffet we did learn. The food in the Fins restaurant was AMAZING. I can not speak for any other activity on board since i was spending time with my crew and we had parties 2 nights of the cruise. We got into the Bahamas and it was a blast! This being OFF SEASON kept it less crowded so if you hate crowdes go during off season.
Was on the last sailing and my wife was woken up at 2am by a large roach crawling on her face. Needless to say, we won’t be going back!
OK - enough said
😮 no way
This is all I needed to hear ..nope
woaaaahhhhh no way 😭😭😭
Just a water bug.......Palmetto
is it fun for kids on board
I’m surprised that you get sea sick and go on so many cruises.
This ship is super small and probably not smooth like all the newer ones.
For me the biggest plus is that you DON’T have to be vaccinated to cruise. For those that aren’t vaccinated. This is a decent on the water sailing option.
Well mostly every other line except Disney's silly self's are not requiring vaccination. All of them still doing testing requirements 🤪 it seems.
Love your shirt!
I hope you got this cruise for free!
What cabin was that?
Deck 04 Ocean view
Do you remember the specific number, I should be on deck 4 as well, I would call ahead and try to change
@@DNMonty1 4018. But ours wasn’t the only one with these issues. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@@DNMonty1 Cabin 18
I was blessed to be there too. My cabin was fine but I can relate to the flushing issue. Now I know why! It is far from a new ship. I would definitely go again but remember it is an older ship and temper expectations.
This ship was completely overhauled in May 2023. New Entertainment, new food options, new gym equipment, New Decor and Carpet.
Ugh. So gross. Looks like a really cheap cruise. That bathroom alone is 🤮. I know EXACTLY what you mean by that sewage smell. A lot of those super old cruise ships have that really bad smell. Margaritaville, shame on you. Holding a “press” cruise and not being prepared. Terrible move. I could tell you and Alyssa looked super uncomfortable in that room. Thanks for the review.
Old dirty cruise !!!!
It’s looks fun 🎉
Thank you sharing this video
Great review, wow your cabin was worse than cheap motel room. I can't understand why they would offer such a cabin in that condition.
I hope you guys don't get sick from that room 🥺
We are on the ship now, it’s pretty bad.
So not just my room?
I'm here now. This is terrible. I was under the impression this was the grand classica. BAIT ans SWTICH. Not the best experience thus far
The toilet thing is very weird!
That cabin was so gross!!!!
Thank u for the ho est review
This brand is strong. I was surprised they would go the route of fixing up an old ship. Should have started fresh with a custom build. A lack of balcony rooms is no good. Take away Jimmy and you have your basic booze cruise. To see a seasoned cruiser get sick several times, not good.
Because it’s easier for a brand who is new to the cruise industry to start off with old ships. As commissioning a newly designed ship costs starting at $550 million with just a 500 passenger capacity. Margaritaville the brand is an infant in regards to entering the cruise industry with the big boys.
All in all, not too bad for a 30 year old ship. They probably should have taken another week to make it right. They really rushed it. Jimmy Buffet has lots of dollars so I am sure another week would not break the bank. No one wants to be on a ship when they are doing active construction. I guess that cabin steward will hear about it for the dust on the walls. Granted, there is going to be dust with construction, but they should have really checked all the areas once the air was circulating around the ship. It looks like it's not a bad 2 night get away.