A main-line cruiser goes rogue on M@S

[ExpressoMama]

My good friend of 40+ years and I went on the February 8th sailing and I wanted to share a bit about what I thought of our time on Margaritaville at Sea. We are 2 ladies in our 60’s. 

I was so pleasantly surprised at what a great time we had as I had read a few reviews that said to keep my expectations low. Overall, the ship was clean, food was good and service was great!! Here are a few details:

 

Check in was not extremely fast, but not unbearable. Probably about 1 hour from arrival to being on board. I did not purchase the license to chill quick boarding.

 

We each purchased the 10 drink wrist band prior to sailing for $89. On board it was $99. This included gratuity so each drink cost💲8.90. This worked well because the drinks I ordered (wine and bourbon or vodka) were in the $12/13 range. If you are a seltzer drinker or beer drinker it might not be a good move for you. But the best thing about this pre-purchase wristband was each time you ordered, the bar staff scanned your card and wrist band they told you the number of remaining drinks and this was an accurate count. As a RCCL diamond, I have encountered problems with my  4 “free” voucher count being off, even recently with the required signature. 
 

Cocktails were mixed strong and well made. Wine listed on menu and what was offered in bars did not jive but I was happy with everything I was served. (mainly Josh Cab and Pinot Noir) 

 

The bar staff was awesome. Always smiling, called us by name, and knew what we typically ordered!!! Impressive on a short cruise. 

 

The food in the buffet was as one would expect. I did not starve. Enjoyed the salad bar offerings.
 

Our dinners in the dining room were very good. Service was efficient and they took extra care to be sure I had gluten free offerings.

 

Our cabin on deck 4 was an ocean view. It was clean and large enough for the 2 short days. Our bed was together at boarding even though I had requested separate at booking, but a call to housekeeping sent 2 stewards quickly to separate them. 
 

My friend had never been to Freeport so she wanted to see the beach so I booked the ships tour to Taino beach. If we had not been 2 women alone we could have taken a taxi for less than the $59 we paid, but because it had been ages since I had been there we chose the the “easy” path. 

I wouldn’t hesitate to book this cruise again if the price was right. It was a great escape and it was in the words of Jimmy… “ 🎼 A lovely cruise”.

Edited February 20, 2023 by ExpressoMama

[manders175]

Nice to hear! I've only been on Royal (still gold status but so close to moving up!). We will actually be on Freedom almost 1 month after this sailing! My friend and I sail on Margaritaville March 30th. Thanks for the review! 

[CarnivalShips480]

On 2/19/2023 at 8:23 PM, ExpressoMama said:

My good friend of 40+ years and I went on the February 8th sailing and I wanted to share a bit about what I thought of our time on Margaritaville at Sea. We are 2 ladies in our 60’s. 

I was so pleasantly surprised at what a great time we had as I had read a few reviews that said to keep my expectations low. Overall, the ship was clean, food was good and service was great!! Here are a few details:

 

Check in was not extremely fast, but not unbearable. Probably about 1 hour from arrival to being on board. I did not purchase the license to chill quick boarding.

 

We each purchased the 10 drink wrist band prior to sailing for $89. On board it was $99. This included gratuity so each drink cost💲8.90. This worked well because the drinks I ordered (wine and bourbon or vodka) were in the $12/13 range. If you are a seltzer drinker or beer drinker it might not be a good move for you. But the best thing about this pre-purchase wristband was each time you ordered, the bar staff scanned your card and wrist band they told you the number of remaining drinks and this was an accurate count. As a RCCL diamond, I have encountered problems with my  4 “free” voucher count being off, even recently with the required signature. 
 

Cocktails were mixed strong and well made. Wine listed on menu and what was offered in bars did not jive but I was happy with everything I was served. (mainly Josh Cab and Pinot Noir) 

 

The bar staff was awesome. Always smiling, called us by name, and knew what we typically ordered!!! Impressive on a short cruise. 

 

The food in the buffet was as one would expect. I did not starve. Enjoyed the salad bar offerings.
 

Our dinners in the dining room were very good. Service was efficient and they took extra care to be sure I had gluten free offerings.

 

Our cabin on deck 4 was an ocean view. It was clean and large enough for the 2 short days. Our bed was together at boarding even though I had requested separate at booking, but a call to housekeeping sent 2 stewards quickly to separate them. 
 

My friend had never been to Freeport so she wanted to see the beach so I booked the ships tour to Taino beach. If we had not been 2 women alone we could have taken a taxi for less than the $59 we paid, but because it had been ages since I had been there we chose the the “easy” path. 

I wouldn’t hesitate to book this cruise again if the price was right. It was a great escape and it was in the words of Jimmy… “ 🎼 A lovely cruise”.

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

[meow1788]

Thank you for the review! I found it very helpful.

 

I was eager to try Margaritaville at Sea. Having been on more than 24 cruises, I wanted to try something different.

 

When I booked, they were having a BOGO sale, so my best friend and I decided to go. Like you, we are two ladies in our 60s.  As avid Trop Rock fans, this seemed like a great option for us.

 

We are going on May 1. I was disappointed to see that there aren't any Roll Calls for this line yet. I have always enjoyed them and have met many good friends over the years. 

 

When we return, I will also be happy to post a review.

[Rothko1]

22 hours ago, meow1788 said:

Thank you for the review! I found it very helpful.

 

I was eager to try Margaritaville at Sea. Having been on more than 24 cruises, I wanted to try something different.

 

When I booked, they were having a BOGO sale, so my best friend and I decided to go. Like you, we are two ladies in our 60s.  As avid Trop Rock fans, this seemed like a great option for us.

 

We are going on May 1. I was disappointed to see that there aren't any Roll Calls for this line yet. I have always enjoyed them and have met many good friends over the years. 

 

When we return, I will also be happy to post a review.

 

I hope you have a great trip!  I think as long as you set your expectations properly, you'll have a lot of fun!

[cincicouple]

You said embarkation took about an hour. When did you arrive at port!