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Carnival Paradise vs Margaritaville at Sea Islander
The Carnival Paradise was built in 1998. It was renovated in 2023. It's 2 years older 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 Paradise is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 855 feet long and 103 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.4 football fields, as wide as 1.9 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 10-story building. Compared to the Margaritaville at Sea Islander, the Paradise is 18% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Carnival Paradise holds about the same number of passengers as 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 Paradise has less space per person compared to the Islander.
| Carnival Paradise | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Fantasy | MAS Spirit |
| Gross Tonnage | 70,367 | 85,619 |
| Length | 855 | 960 |
| Beam/Width | 103 | 127 |
| Passenger Decks | 10 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,052 | 2,114 |
| Crew | 920 | 920 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.2 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 34 | 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 Paradise has nine different dining options like Carnival Deli, The Chef's Table, and Pizza Pirate. Of those options, twelve are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other two options have an additional fee.
The Islander has three more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Far Side Sushi, Islander Dining Room, and Cheeseburger in Paradise Burger Bar. 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 Islander might be a better choice. It has 33% more dining options than the Paradise.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Paradise 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 Paradise | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 9 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 12 | 6 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 2 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 78% | 50% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Carnival Paradise has 1 fewer bar than the Margaritaville at Sea Islander. The Paradise has 11 bars like Atrium Bar, Casino Bar and Java Blue Cafe. On Islander, you can grab a drink at 12 different bars such as Hemisphere Dancer Craft Spirits, JWB Prime Lounge and LandShark Bar and Lookout.
| Carnival Paradise | Margaritaville at Sea Islander |
|---|---|
| •America Piano Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Leonardo Lounge • Punchliner Comedy Club • RedFrog Rum Bar • Rex Dance Club • Rotterdam Bar • Serenity Pool Bar | •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. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means 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 Paradise 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 Paradise has a total of 1 pools and 4 hot tubs.
Margaritaville at Sea Islander has more pools than the Paradise and fewer hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? two of the hot tubs are adults only on Paradise.| Carnival Paradise | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 1 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 4 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 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 the Paradise, 73% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Islander, only 71% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Carnival Paradise | 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 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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.
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 Paradise | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $16.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 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. | ||
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