Some observations from our recent Margaritaville cruise

[Tapi]

Good morning! We just got off the ship 2 hours ago with a few observations to share with this community. 
 

- We booked this cruise using an airline employee rate. $49pp for an oceanview stateroom. 

 

- We did NOT purchase License to Chill or any other enhancement packages and we’re glad we didn’t. They would’ve been a waste of money.

 

On embarkation day, we arrived at the port at 1:00pm. We were checked in, onboard and in our cabin in 20 minutes using the regular line. On debarkation day, we got off as soon as they cleared the ship. No waiting whatsoever. 

 

We had passports and our line moved very quickly and faster than the License to Chill line. We got off the ship at 7:50am and we were outside the terminal waiting for our Uber by 8:15am.

 

- We had an 11:00am flight out of the PBI airport. We were at the gate with more than two hours to spare. 

 

- We didn’t feel any more “nickel and dimed” than on any other cruise line we’ve ever sailed on, and didn’t feel pressured into purchasing stuff we didn’t need. Our onboard account (after gratuities and fuel surcharges) was less than $30 for the two of us. 

 

- I had an unused 5 free drink wristband from a previous cruise back in august. It still worked on this cruise. 

 

- Our cabin had a king sized bed but the cabin steward had it converted to separate beds by the time we returned from dinner the first night (pic attached). 

 

- Our cabin was COLD all the time (deck 7, port side, midship). Made for a great night sleep but it was a bit too chilly if I wasn’t under the covers . 
 

- Freeport is a bit sad. There’s still quite a bit of destruction, abandoned buildings, closed businesses and vegetation that never returned after hurricane Dorian. However, once we got to Taíno Beach, the beach was beautiful and we had a great time. 

 

- We went to Pirate’s Cove FULLY knowing that it’s a cash grab (I’d done my research and knew what to expect and was OK with it), but pretty much everybody else in the 14 passenger van had no clue that they were being taken to a beach full of fees. There were a few angry people  who demanded to be taken somewhere else.

 

- Food at the buffet was somewhat mediocre. I wondered why the breakfast cereal was stale until I realized that all the little cereal containers were expired. Sit down service at Fins was an improvement. Everything we ate there was good. The butternut squash soup and the apple crumble on the second night were some of the best things I ate during the entire cruise.

 

- Stage entertainment (Tales of Margaritaville) was, as expected, cheesy, but fun and entertaining. I think the performers were talented.  

 

- We were on the ship for Super Bowl. There was a paid event (for $125pp) in the Oasis lounge and a free event at the Euphoria lounge. We went to Euphoria where they set up a buffet with hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken tenders and cake. It was fine. 

 

Overall, we had a great mini cruise. The secret is to go with very realistic expectations. It’s a budget minded cruise aboard an older, smaller, refurbished ship (which I found to be in good condition, specially considering that she’s over 30 years old). At $49pp, we definitely got our money’s worth, but I feel that I would’ve been sorely disappointed had I paid full price or paid for upgrades. Thankfully, I paid budget prices for a budget minded cruise experience. 

 

The cruise had a similar vibe to other short weekend cruises to the Bahamas that I’ve taken on other cruise lines. Fun, unpretentious, and laid back. And that’s exactly what we needed.

 

Would I do it again? Absolutely! It was a fun, little getaway. But I would only do so if I can find a good discounted fare at par with the type of cruise experience that Margaritaville delivers.

[Rothko1]

Love the photos, especially Palm Beach as you headed out the Inlet.

[CalcDiva]

Looks like fun!  We cruise in about 3 weeks.  Hubby and I are both teachers and we’re able to book with the Heroes Sail Free promotion, so we only paid taxes, gratuities, and port fees.  I’m looking forward to a fun mini cruise!

[RCLcruiser2012]

Hi! Room looks great but there was no chairs by the window?? I thought all OV came with that.....

[Tapi]

On 3/2/2023 at 9:08 PM, RCLcruiser2012 said:

Hi! Room looks great but there was no chairs by the window?? I thought all OV came with that.....

If it has one fixed queen/king bed, the cabins will have the two chairs. Our cabin had two twin beds that can be pushed together and those don’t get the chairs. 

[CarnivalShips480]

On 2/14/2023 at 9:30 PM, Tapi said:

Good morning! We just got off the ship 2 hours ago with a few observations to share with this community. 
 

- We booked this cruise using an airline employee rate. $49pp for an oceanview stateroom. 

 

- We did NOT purchase License to Chill or any other enhancement packages and we’re glad we didn’t. They would’ve been a waste of money.

 

On embarkation day, we arrived at the port at 1:00pm. We were checked in, onboard and in our cabin in 20 minutes using the regular line. On debarkation day, we got off as soon as they cleared the ship. No waiting whatsoever. 

 

We had passports and our line moved very quickly and faster than the License to Chill line. We got off the ship at 7:50am and we were outside the terminal waiting for our Uber by 8:15am.

 

- We had an 11:00am flight out of the PBI airport. We were at the gate with more than two hours to spare. 

 

- We didn’t feel any more “nickel and dimed” than on any other cruise line we’ve ever sailed on, and didn’t feel pressured into purchasing stuff we didn’t need. Our onboard account (after gratuities and fuel surcharges) was less than $30 for the two of us. 

 

- I had an unused 5 free drink wristband from a previous cruise back in august. It still worked on this cruise. 

 

- Our cabin had a king sized bed but the cabin steward had it converted to separate beds by the time we returned from dinner the first night (pic attached). 

 

- Our cabin was COLD all the time (deck 7, port side, midship). Made for a great night sleep but it was a bit too chilly if I wasn’t under the covers . 
 

- Freeport is a bit sad. There’s still quite a bit of destruction, abandoned buildings, closed businesses and vegetation that never returned after hurricane Dorian. However, once we got to Taíno Beach, the beach was beautiful and we had a great time. 

 

- We went to Pirate’s Cove FULLY knowing that it’s a cash grab (I’d done my research and knew what to expect and was OK with it), but pretty much everybody else in the 14 passenger van had no clue that they were being taken to a beach full of fees. There were a few angry people  who demanded to be taken somewhere else.

 

- Food at the buffet was somewhat mediocre. I wondered why the breakfast cereal was stale until I realized that all the little cereal containers were expired. Sit down service at Fins was an improvement. Everything we ate there was good. The butternut squash soup and the apple crumble on the second night were some of the best things I ate during the entire cruise.

 

- Stage entertainment (Tales of Margaritaville) was, as expected, cheesy, but fun and entertaining. I think the performers were talented.  

 

- We were on the ship for Super Bowl. There was a paid event (for $125pp) in the Oasis lounge and a free event at the Euphoria lounge. We went to Euphoria where they set up a buffet with hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken tenders and cake. It was fine. 

 

Overall, we had a great mini cruise. The secret is to go with very realistic expectations. It’s a budget minded cruise aboard an older, smaller, refurbished ship (which I found to be in good condition, specially considering that she’s over 30 years old). At $49pp, we definitely got our money’s worth, but I feel that I would’ve been sorely disappointed had I paid full price or paid for upgrades. Thankfully, I paid budget prices for a budget minded cruise experience. 

 

The cruise had a similar vibe to other short weekend cruises to the Bahamas that I’ve taken on other cruise lines. Fun, unpretentious, and laid back. And that’s exactly what we needed.

 

Would I do it again? Absolutely! It was a fun, little getaway. But I would only do so if I can find a good discounted fare at par with the type of cruise experience that Margaritaville delivers.

Did you get a card or something to get into the room?

[Tapi]

16 minutes ago, CarnivalShips480 said:

Did you get a card or something to get into the room?

Yes. You get a key card, like on other cruise lines, which you can use to board the ship, open your stateroom door, and charge things to your onboard account. 
 

Only thing that was a bit different was that it was a generic, plain white card (with information printed on it). Not a branded card like on other cruise lines. 
 

 

[suzeecruise]

On 3/6/2023 at 8:52 PM, Tapi said:

If it has one fixed queen/king bed, the cabins will have the two chairs. Our cabin had two twin beds that can be pushed together and those don’t get the chairs. 

We had one fixed bed but no chairs

[Tapi]

9 minutes ago, suzeecruise said:

We had one fixed bed but no chairs

That stinks. The chairs were nice. We didn’t know that some cabins didn’t convert until we asked our cabin steward to separate the beds. 

[suzeecruise]

34 minutes ago, Tapi said:

That stinks. The chairs were nice. We didn’t know that some cabins didn’t convert until we asked our cabin steward to separate the beds. 

Yea, they looked nice and was disappointed we didn't have any. Bummer! 

[mandyleighflies]

Hi! Fellow airline employee here! Where did you find the airline employee rate?! We are always looking for cheap and fun random getaways! 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

On 5/19/2023 at 8:20 AM, mandyleighflies said:

Hi! Fellow airline employee here! Where did you find the airline employee rate?! We are always looking for cheap and fun random getaways! 

Call them.