Is the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Cruise Worth It?

We recently sailed the 4-night Key West and Grand Bahama cruise on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. We went as travel advisors on a special certificate to explore and experience this ship. Our goal was simple. We wanted to experience the ship ourselves so we know exactly who it fits and who it does not. Some things surprised me in a good way. Other things confirmed what I expected going in.

If you are thinking about booking Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, keep reading for our honest breakdown…

The Quick Positioning

Paradise sits firmly in the value cruise category. It is built for people who want an easy, affordable getaway. The vibe is casual from the moment you board.

You will see a lot of:

• Retirees
• Florida based cruisers
• Easygoing couples
• Groups of friends looking for a quick escape

It is not trying to compete with larger cruise lines. If you start comparing this ship to Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Virgin Voyages, or Princess, you are going to notice the difference pretty quickly. That does not mean it is bad. It just means expectations matter.

Pricing: Look Beyond the Headline Price

One thing that can catch people off guard is the extra charges.

Parking at the port ran about $20 per day. You pay upfront at arrival and it’s first come first served.

Then there are the daily fees:

• Gratuities: $22 per person per day
• Fuel supplement: $15 per person per day

The fuel supplement is the one that surprises people. It usually does not show up in the headline cruise price, so guests see it later in the process. Even if you sail using a free cruise promotion or certificate, those charges still apply. Also worth noting. Onboard credit cannot be used toward the fuel supplement.

When we compare this cruise to others for clients, we always add those numbers in. Once you do that, the price gap between Paradise and other cruise lines gets smaller.

Ship Feel and Atmosphere

The ship went through a refurbishment recently, and the updates are noticeable in several public areas. Spaces like the lounges, casino, and buffet area have been refreshed with new carpets, lighting, and updated finishes. It gives the ship a cleaner, brighter feel than you might expect from a vessel that first launched in the early 1990s.

Even with the updates, the overall vibe stays very casual. The Margaritaville theme runs throughout the ship, and nobody is worried about dressing up or pretending the ship is something it is not. The ship itself is smaller than most modern cruise ships, which actually makes it feel more intimate. Getting around is easy and the layout is simple to learn quickly.

The crowd leaned older overall, as most guests appeared to be 55 and up. Younger couples in their 30s or 40s may feel fine if they are socially adaptable. If someone is expecting a younger crowd, they may feel a little out of place.

The atmosphere felt social and easygoing. People were chatting at bars, playing trivia, and enjoying the music around the ship. Late at night you might see a few people who had one too many drinks, but it never felt like a chaotic party ship.

Cabin Review: Ocean View Room

We stayed in an ocean view cabin with a big round window, and the space worked well.

The positives:

• Pretty spacious for the category
• Nice color scheme
• Large TV
• Functional layout

The room felt comfortable, but the cleaning could have been a little tighter. When we arrived we noticed a few smudges on the walls. There were also some crumbs, a rogue Advil pill, and a hairpin on the floor. Nothing alarming, but not spotless either.

Balcony cabins are limited on this ship. Paradise is not really designed as a balcony-focused cruise experience. If someone wants long romantic balcony mornings, this probably would not be my first recommendation.

Helpful tip – Try to stay within two decks of Deck 10 and near the buffet. It makes moving around the ship much easier as the elevators can take a while.

Buffet Dining

The buffet actually exceeded my expectations for this price tier. A few things stood out right away.

The taco bar was one of our favorites. Pork, chicken, and vegetarian options were available, along with toppings like pickled onions. You could also build a rice bowl from the same station. And it wouldn’t be Margaritaville without Cheeseburger in Paradise. Their cheeseburger station with paprika seasoned fries delivered exactly what you want from cruise comfort food. The cookies were also one of my favorites things. Chocolate chip and sugar cookies both disappeared quickly when we walked by. This was one thing we wished we had on our last cruise with MSC, so this was a nice surprise.

Vegetarian and gluten-free options were available and late night pizza was offered too. Although the pizza itself was inconsistent. The first day it had clearly been sitting under a heat lamp.

A couple areas could improve:

The scrambled eggs at breakfast were extremely runny, and some of the salad items looked like they had been sitting out a bit too long. Also, hot food cooled down pretty quickly in the buffet area, leading to some items being cold. My other suggestion would be to have some guacamole at the taco bar.

Buffet Strategy Tip

The buffet can get busy, and certain stations can develop lines. Here is what worked well for us:

1. Grab a table first. Have one person in your party stay there while the other goes to the buffet to get food, then swap.
2. Start by grabbing drinks and cold items first. Then go back and pick up your hot food.

If you grab hot food first and then hunt for a table, it will probably be cold by the time you sit down to eat. We noticed that since the main dining room wasn’t open for breakfast or lunch it made the buffet area really busy and there often wasn’t enough seating for everyone.

Main Dining Room

We ate in the main dining room three out of the four nights. For this price tier, the experience was honestly impressive. Meals followed a multi-course structure and the presentation was thoughtful. It is not real fine dining, but it’s kind of what they’re going for. I would rate it about 8.5 out of 10.

The seafood dishes were the highlight. The salmon stood out as one of the best dishes we had during the cruise. A few sauces were thickened with cornstarch and some dishes leaned slightly bland. If you walk in expecting a solid multi-course cruise dinner, it performs very well.

If I sailed this ship again, I would choose the main dining room over the buffet for dinner almost every time.

Specialty Dining: Sushi

We decided to try their new sushi restaurant (Far Side Sushi) for our anniversary dinner, and this was a pleasant surprise.

The sushi tasted fresh, and the ramen had a nice mild spicy kick. Some rolls leaned heavily on vegetables, which may not appeal to everyone, but the quality overall was solid. Prices were very reasonable and reservations were not required.

Pro tip – Try to time dinner when live music is playing in the nearby Euphoria Lounge. It adds a great atmosphere. Overall I would rate the sushi experience 9 out of 10.

Bars and Drink Scene

You’ll find several casual bars around the ship. What you will not find here is a refined cocktail program. Drinks are simple, tropical, and easygoing. There is also a karaoke bar behind the casino that gets lively later in the evening.

Drink packages felt overpriced unless someone plans to drink seven or more drinks per day. But keep in mind that you are also only allowed 15 drinks per day. For most people, paying per drink probably makes more sense. If you are like us and only really drink tea, coffee, water and the occasional orange juice at breakfast, those are already included and you won’t need a drink package.

Pools and Deck Space

One thing that we noticed were that the pools are very small. Therefor this is not a ship people choose for glamorous pool deck days. There are also two hot tubs that too are fairly small, and they stayed busy most of the time.

The weather during our sailing was on the colder side since we went in February, so it limited deck usage a bit, which made it easy to grab a chair or a spot at the pool to get some sun.

Entertainment

Entertainment on board included:

• Trivia
• Game shows
• Theater shows
• Stand up Comedy
• Free cruise giveaways
• Drink and swag prizes

The comedian, Chris Simpson, performing during our sailing. We were brave and sat in the front row, and we had a good laugh as we were getting roasted by him cracking jokes about us being newlyweds.

The popular events filled up quickly, so arriving about 15 minutes early helped secure good seats.

Cleanliness and Overall Confidence

Overall the ship felt clean enough. It did not feel luxury clean, but it also never felt concerning. There were a few minor inconsistencies here and there, and as travel advisors, this is how we look at it and evaluate it for you, our clients. I would not feel proud recommending this ship to a premium honeymoon client, but I would feel comfortable booking it for the right budget-minded traveler, as long as expectations are set clearly.

Who Is Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Best Suited For?

Margaritaville at Sea Paradise works best for:

• Budget-minded adults
• Florida based cruisers
• Retirees
• Easygoing couples
• Travelers who want a quick tropical escape

It is not the right fit for:

• Premium honeymoon travelers
• Balcony-focused guests
• Food-obsessed cruisers
• Travelers looking for luxury or elegance