I recently took a five-night cruise on the newly opened Margaritaville at Sea Islander with my wife and two children, and before we boarded the ship, we admittedly had some doubts.
To say that the cruise line's first ship, Paradise, doesn't have many stellar reviews would be an understatement. Plus, while my wife and I love the Margaritaville brand in general, we're used to taking our two kids (ages 8 and 6) on extremely kid-friendly Carnival ships.
To our pleasant surprise, we had a great time on the cruise. But there is no such thing as a perfect cruise experience (at least, I haven't found one). With that in mind, here are some things we loved about sailing on the Islander and some things we could improve.
Image source: Margaritaville at Sea.
1. We loved the theme and decor of MAS Islander.
The Margaritaville at Sea Islander is not exactly a new ship. It was acquired from Carnival's Costa Cruise Line and originally launched in 1999 as the Costa Atlantica. So, it's a 25-year-old ship.
It's true that there were some parts of the ship that showed their age. For example, the nightclub is almost identical to the one I remember from my first Carnival cruise in the early 2000s.
But overall, it feels like a brand new ship. All the rooms and public areas are beautifully renovated and the decor has a great Margaritaville feel without being over the top.
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2. We loved the food and drink options at MAS Islander
After reading some of the early reviews we weren't quite sure what to expect, but we found the food and drink outlets on the boat to be fantastic.
The main dining room at Fins only accepts walk-in diners (there are no set dining times) and we found the menu to be excellent. The Islander dining room offers the same food as Fins, with some upmarket options (for an additional charge, unless you're staying in a suite).
The JWB Steakhouse was the best steak dinner we've ever had on a ship. And the casual dining options, including the buffet, Cheeseburger in Paradise, and Mexican Cutie (tacos and burritos), were all excellent.
There were over 10 different bars on the ship, and each had a great menu, including a different signature margarita.
3. We loved the crew of the MAS Islander
I mentioned earlier that we went on a five-night cruise. In fact, it became a seven-night cruise due to Hurricane Debby stranding us in the Gulf of Mexico for two extra days. The crew handled the situation excellently and the current cruise director, Zee-Jay, is absolutely fantastic.
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From our cabin attendant to the waiters and bartenders, to the activities staff and kids club, the entire crew was upbeat and provided excellent service.
4. We loved how kid-friendly MAS Islander is.
The Margaritaville brand is often associated with margarita drinking and other adult activities, so perhaps the biggest surprise of the trip was how many activities there were for kids.
The pools were very kid friendly and never too crowded, there were several craft events and other things to do during the day for the kids.
The kids club was a highlight. Because of the age of our kids, they are both in the Parakeets Club and while it is a smaller space, the staff and activities were top notch.
On five different Carnival cruises, our kids have… never I asked to go to the kids club almost as much as they did at Islander, and my 8 year old actually said she preferred the kids camp to Carnival's Camp Ocean (that's right high praise – loves Camp Ocean).
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And now, some things we didn't like. It's worth noting that Margaritaville at Sea has acknowledged both issues and has plans to make changes.
1. The Islander's internet connection was barely usable
Of course, we didn't like everything, and I have to start with the internet service. If there was one thing that would keep me from sailing on the Islander again in the near future, it would be this. I usually do some writing while I'm cruising and I need at least a decent internet connection.
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Islander has internet packages available and I had the Premium internet package for the entire cruise. But even with the top-tier package, the internet barely worked most of the time.
Was decent In some of the public areas, so I went and sat near the cafeteria when I needed to get something done. In my room, the connection wasn't strong enough to load a Google Doc with any degree of reliability.
2. Margaritaville at Sea casino software is clumsy
I'm a bit of a casino fan, and generally prefer to gamble on cruise ships rather than in land-based casinos. Not only do cruise lines usually offer more perks to their players, but I can also combine a bit of casual gambling with a family vacation, something that wouldn't work in Vegas.
On a positive note, the Islander casino was a beautiful space. All the tables and machines are new and it is 100% non-smoking. But there were a few things that I found a little clunky:
First, you need a separate player card for the casino, and you must obtain it at the casino host's desk (and show your driver's license, which many people don't carry with them on a ship). On every other cruise line I've been on, your room card doubles as a player card.
Secondly, you cannot load money directly into your room from the machines. At least, I haven't been able to find a way to do that. On other ships, I don't need to carry a lot of cash around.
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Third, the casino's points and status level systems are confusing, and even the employees don't seem to know much about them. I asked two different hosts, the casino cashier, and a blackjack dealer, and none of them could explain anything to me about how the points worked (although the host did treat us to a steak dinner on the last night of the trip!).
This was the sixth cruise we've taken as a family, and even though we were stranded for two extra days, it was one of our favorites. Margaritaville at Sea has done a fantastic job with the Islander, and while it's not perfect, we'll definitely be back (at least, after they update the internet).
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