Margaritaville at Sea Islander

There are a grand total of 11 different types of staterooms on board the Margaritaville at Sea Islander, from budget-friendly interior cabins to six jaw-dropping Signature Grand Suites, each of which are named after a Jimmy Buffett song. All of the Islander’s rooms employ a white, beige, and teal color palette with colorful tropical artwork, on-brand decorative pillows, a TV, a mini fridge, a pull-out sleeper sofa, ample storage space in drawers and closets, a hair dryer, a safe, and either carpeted or faux-hardwood flooring. Each bed is outfitted with crisp white sheets, a luxurious comforter with birds embossed in white, and 4 soft bed pillows, with extra pillows available upon request from accommodating cabin stewards. Next to the bed are USB charging ports and a 110v and 220v European electrical outlet (this ship was originally a Costa vessel servicing the European market when built in 2000) and U.S. outlet, with more USB ports near the desk. Of the 1105 cabins, 700 have balconies including the Grand Terrace Corner Suites that each feature a wraparound balcony.

The Islander’s 6 Grand Suites are stunning cabins that, aside from the Caribbean decor, are so large you won’t feel like you’re on a cruise ship at all. They each have a spacious balcony with private loungers, chairs, and a small table, massive walk-in shower big enough for two people, two TVs, a separate seating area, and several exclusive amenities including priority 10 a.m. check-in and boarding, priority debarkation at the end of the cruise, complimentary dining in the Islander Dining Room for dinners nightly and sea day brunches, and a free margarita making station (complete with a stainless steel shaker and complimentary spirits to do so) at the cabin’s bar.

The Islander has a total of eight ADA statements, four partial oceanview on deck 4 and four cozy interiors, two each on decks 6 and 7. Each accessible stateroom offers guests ample space for turning wheelchairs and scooters, wider and zero entry thresholds into the cabins with no doorsill. The cabin’s showers feature fold-down bench seating and a shower curtain, raised toilet seats with grab bars, lower desks, sinks, safes, and dressing table, closets with lower shelves and a low bar for hanging up clothes. Additionally, each accessible stateroom has emergency call buttons and a hearing and visually impair cabin door ring bell.

If you require more information about accessibility or need to communicate specific needs before your Islander cruise, you can reach out to Margaritaville at Sea’s Guest Access Team at 1-877-573-2993.

The public spaces of the ship also have accessible features, including handrails on the stairs at the pools, braille deck indicators in the elevators and outside cabin doors, a lower front desk counter, and wheelchair-accessible public bathrooms on the decks with shops and restaurants (decks 2, 3, and 9).

Like the ship itself, the Port of Indecision buffet on Islander is not the largest at sea but you won’t find a more diverse array of food that focuses on quality rather than quantity. On a four-night sailing, you will find at least one seafood, one vegetarian, and a few carnivorous options at lunch and dinner. Diverse yet minimal choices should provide something for everyone at every meal, and helps reduce the food waste so many larger ships must grapple with. Some of the delicious choices at the buffet include coconut fish curry, kimchi fried rice, cheddar broccoli, bowtie pasta with pesto and chicken, blackened mahi mahi, saag paneer, Greek lemon rice, orange honey pork, Mediterranean chicken kebab, honey roasted carrots, mashed potatoes, and mac-n-cheese, with a different soup option for every lunch and dinner, as well as a salad bar—and everything is made with the quality you would expect to find in a specialty dining restaurant on another ship. It’s truly outstanding.

High chairs are available for babies in the buffet area and a fantastic pizza shop serves up slices of plain cheese, pepperoni, four cheese, and mushroom pizzas from lunch until deep into the night. Cheeseburger in Paradise and Cutie’s Cantina outside by the pools round out the free food choices on Islander, and both are stellar with some of the best French fries available anywhere on the open seas.

When it comes to sit-down dining, Fins is the main dining room serving breakfast and dinner daily. Above it is Islander, a premium restaurant that is complimentary for suite guests and for those who have purchased a dining package. It is available to everyone else for an upcharge of $15 per person for brunch and $20 for dinner. Islander serves that brunch on every sea day from a slightly more sophisticated menu than Fins and during dinner, it has the same menu plus 2-3 extra appetizers, 2-3 additional entrees, and one special dessert (including a phenomenal coconut tres leches cake).

Island Eats and Tiki Grill are two more dining spots outside by the adult-only pool and hot tub. These spots serve up tasty sautéed pick-and-peel tiger shrimp, mussels, crab legs, fried clams, and more for additional costs.

Finally, the one true sit-down specialty restaurant on board the Margaritaville at Sea Islander is the JWB Steakhouse, costing $55 per person for dinner. This fine dining spot is found up a set of stairs, but a world away, from the buffet on deck 9. There’s a scale replica of Jimmy Buffett’s seaplane, Hemisphere Dancer, hanging from the ceiling, a quiet atmosphere, comfortable chairs, superb food, and refined service. The cut of filet mignon is perfection, the fresh catch (halibut, for example) is, on a ship already serving perfectly sauced and seasoned fish for free daily, is a beautiful, flavorful, and worthy splurge for dinner for any pescatarians on board, and the sides (asparagus, creamed spinach, immaculately smooth whipped mashed potatoes, and more) are well-portioned and wonderful.

There are ten bars, lounges, and nightclubs on board the Margaritavilla at Sea Islander, from the 360-degree views at the top of the three-story Landshark Bar at the center of the ship to the Flip Flop Atrium below on deck three, and from the elegant Bubbles Up and Hemisphere Dancer cocktails bars outside Fins and Islander on decks 2 and 3 respectively to the discrete Quietly Making Noise Speakeasy. Regarding the latter, this exclusive immersion experience with crew member Kai costs $50 (or you may be ‘tapped on the shoulder’ to attend as a free gift to random cruisers).

The unique speakeasy experience starts with a complimentary coconut rum and coconut water cocktail in Havana Daydreamin.’ Fun fact: this drink was Jimmy Buffett’s only request on his concert rider. It’s one of the many facts and stories shared with you inside the speakeasy located in an unmarked room high atop the ship near the fitness center. The space holds 10 guests at a time, and is warm and welcoming with a leather sofa, and a mix of other comfortable chairs. You will be offered four exclusive cocktails from a bar cart, drinks that are available only in this former cruise ship chapel lined with guitars used by Jimmy Buffet (his first ever guitar), as well as from Bono and Paul McCartney, and a vinyl collection that mirrors Buffett’s own, from which you can choose any album to spin during the 45-60 minute speakeasy session.

Back out in the public areas of the ship, guests will find unique margaritas, of course, with a variety of fruit infusions and floats (including Grand Marnier and Landshark beer), and an array of other tempting cocktails, beers, and a focused wine menu in diverse locations ranging from the casually elegant Hemisphere Dancer to the ultra-casual 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar poolside.

For such a relatively small ship, there is plenty to keep guests occupied during 4 and 5-night sailings in the Caribbean, the most common of Islander’s itineraries. There’s an indoor arcade room along with cornhole and mini-golf set beside family-friendly outdoor spaces like the Caribbean Amphibian Play Pad and its adjoining three-deck tall water slide. Sporty cruisers will enjoy the two side-by-side courts of Paradise Pickleball at Sea. To cool off, there are three pools and hot tubs, two each for general use and one of each located at the front of the ship designated for adults only.

For cruisers feeling lucky, the Islander has a surprisingly spacious casino with $10 blackjack tables regularly spotted throughout each cruise and special 3-hour spells where the cost per hand drops to $5. Three games of bingo can be played during a typical 4-night cruise, the cost of which is $30 for three blocks or $50 for six game cards, with the final prize of the final game being a free cruise for two.

For travelers preferring live entertainment to games, there is stand-up comedy and three different stage production performances in the Stars on the Water Theater, including a high energy magic show and the Conky Tonkin’ country music extravaganza complete with acrobatics. Expect to hear music from Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, and of course, a bit of Jimmy Buffett as well. The colors and rhythms of the islands are on full display during Caribbean Heat Remix, a vibrant musical and acrobatic show that has held full crowds in rapture on every cruise—arrive early to guarantee your seat to that one!

The Hot, Hot, Hot Nightclub is where you can dance the night away in a room full of glitter and glitz, with glam decor untouched from the original ship decades ago, and The Coral Reef Lounge hosts many karaoke nights for families and adults to sing their hearts out while on vacation.

No cruise experience, especially not one as chilled out as on this ship, would be complete without a bit of pampering. The Margaritaville at Sea Island spa and salon offers extra rest and relaxation in the form of hair and nail care on one side of deck 10 and massages on the other. Like many spas at sea, the prices are elevated, but the Swedish massage is the best value. The professional technicians will leave cruisers feeling like aromatic, oil-coated babies floating on air after either a 50 or 75-minute service.

The fitness center at the top forward portion of the ship is sparse but is literally the coolest spot on a ship that is still struggling to pump out even air-conditioned air to do battle with blisteringly warm summer days in the Caribbean. Inside the gym is a mix of five treadmills, three spin cycles, two rowers, and a cluster of yoga mats, yoga balls, and free weights.