Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Carnival Dream vs Margaritaville at Sea Islander
The Carnival Dream was built in 2009. It's 9 years newer than the Islander, which was built in 2000 and renovated in 2024. The Islander formerly sailed as the Costa Atlantica before it was brought to the Margaritaville fleet.
Comparison Overview
- Ship Size
- Number of Passengers
- Food and Restaurants
- Bars and Drinks
- Pools and Hot Tubs
- Ship Features and Activities
- Cruise Costs
- Onboard Costs
Ship Size
The Dream is considered a medium size ship. Coming in at 1,004 feet long and 122 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.8 football fields, as wide as 2.3 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Margaritaville at Sea Islander, the Dream is 49% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Dream holds 72% more passengers than the Islander based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Dream has less space per person compared to the Islander.
| Carnival Dream | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Dream | MAS Spirit |
| Gross Tonnage | 128,000 | 85,619 |
| Length | 1,004 | 960 |
| Beam/Width | 122 | 127 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 3,646 | 2,114 |
| Crew | 1,367 | 920 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.7 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 35 | 40 |
Food and Restaurants
Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.
The Dream has nineteen different dining options like Carnival Deli, Guy's Burger Joint, and Seafood Shack. Of those options, fourteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other five options have an additional fee.
The Islander has seven fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Mexican Cutie Cantina, Fins Dining, and Far Side Sushi. six of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Dream might be a better choice. It has 58% more dining options than the Islander.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Dream might be a better choice then the Islander. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Carnival Dream | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 19 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 14 | 6 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 5 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 74% | 50% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Dream and Margaritaville at Sea Islander both have 12 bars to choose from during your sailing. The Dream has 12 bars like BlueIguana Tequila Bar, Casino Bar and Rendezvous. On Dream, you can grab a drink at 12 different bars such as Bubbles Up Lounge and Champagne Bar, Hot, Hot, Hot Night Club and The Tiki Bar.
| Carnival Dream | Margaritaville at Sea Islander |
|---|---|
| •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Burgundy Lounge • Caliente Night Club • Casino Bar • Plaza Cafe • RedFrog Rum Bar • Rendezvous • Sam's Piano Bar • Sunset Bar • The Song | •5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar • Bubbles Up Lounge and Champagne Bar • Coral Reef Lounge • Flip Flop Atrium Bar • Havana Daydreamin' Sports Bar and Lounge • Hemisphere Dancer Craft Spirits • Hot, Hot, Hot Night Club • JWB Prime Lounge • LandShark Bar and Lookout • Love and Luck Casino Bar • The Far Side Lounge • The Tiki Bar |
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. The Dream serves the Pepsi family of products. That means Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, Mug Root Beer, and Mountain Dew, although the selection can vary by ship. The Islander serves Coca Cola branded products. That includes drinks like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Dream and the Islander below.
Pools and Hot Tubs
Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Carnival Dream has a total of 2 pools and 8 hot tubs.
Margaritaville at Sea Islander has more pools than the Dream and fewer hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? two of the hot tubs are adults only on Dream.| Carnival Dream | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 8 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 6 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 0 |
Ship Features and Activities
Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On both ships, 69% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare.
| Carnival Dream | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dr Seuss Breakfast | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dry kid's play area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pickleball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✗ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thermal Suites | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Waterslide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Carnival and Margaritaville at Sea are both considered "Mainstream" cruise lines. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.
Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Carnival Dream will likely be more expensive than on Margaritaville at Sea Islander.
Onboard Costs
Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.
Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.
The table below will help you compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Carnival Dream | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.00 | $2.95 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.75 See drink menus | $8.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $83 - $88 Learn more | 64.99 |
| Internet Plan | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day | $17.99 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Want to Stay Up-To-Date on All Things Cruising?
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Articles Related the These Ships
About Cruise Spotlight
Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
Learn more about Cruise Spotlight.