Cruise Spotlight
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Margaritaville at Sea Islander vs Carnival Sunshine
The Margaritaville at Sea Islander was built in 2000. It was renovated in 2024. The Islander formerly sailed as the Costa Atlantica before it was brought to the Margaritaville fleet. It's 13 years older than the Sunshine, which was built in 2013 and renovated in 2025. The Sunshine was previously known as the Destiny from 1996 - 2013, but was renamed after it went through huge renovations.
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 Islander is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 960 feet long and 127 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 11-story building. Compared to the Carnival Sunshine, the Islander is 17% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Margaritaville at Sea Islander holds 30% fewer passengers than the Sunshine based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you compare the total tonnage of the ship to the number of passengers, or what we call the "Space Ratio," the Islander has more space per person compared to the Sunshine. This means that you might have a bit more space to yourself on the ship, although there still could be some crowded areas like buffets, pools, etc.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Carnival Sunshine | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | MAS Spirit | Sunshine |
| Gross Tonnage | 85,619 | 102,853 |
| Length | 960 | 893 |
| Beam/Width | 127 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,114 | 3,002 |
| Crew | 920 | 920 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 3.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 34 |
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 Islander has twelve different dining options like Cheeseburger in Paradise Burger Bar, Far Side Sushi, and Islander Dining Room. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The Sunshine has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Carnival Deli, Pizzeria del Capitano, and JavaBlue Cafe. Twelve of these restaurants are complementary and the other seven have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Sunshine might be a better choice. It has 17% more dining options than the Islander.
Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Carnival Sunshine | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 14 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 6 | 12 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 6 | 7 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 50% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Margaritaville at Sea Islander has 2 fewer bars than the Carnival Sunshine. The Islander has 12 bars like Flip Flop Atrium Bar, Hot, Hot, Hot Night Club and LandShark Bar and Lookout. On Sunshine, you can grab a drink at 14 different bars such as Java Blue Cafe, RedFrog Pub and Serenity Pool Bar.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Carnival Sunshine |
|---|---|
| •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 | •Alchemy Bar • Atrium Bar • BlueIguana Tequila Bar • Casino Bar • Havana Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Limelight Lounge • Ocean Plaza Bar • Piano Bar 88 • RedFrog Pub • RedFrog Rum Bar • Serenity Pool Bar • Shake Spot • SkyBox Sports 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 Islander and the Sunshine 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 Margaritaville at Sea Islander has a total of 3 pools and 3 hot tubs.
Carnival Sunshine has fewer pools than the Islander and the same number of hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and one of the hot tubs are adults only on Islander.| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Carnival Sunshine | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 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. You might up paying more while on board the Islander. Only 71% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Sunshine, 73% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Carnival Sunshine | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Outdoor gym | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pickleball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ropes course | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✗ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Waterslide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Margaritaville at Sea and Carnival 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 Margaritaville at Sea Islander will likely be cheaper than on Carnival Sunshine.
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.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Carnival Sunshine | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $2.95 | $3.25 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $9.00 See drink menus | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 64.99 | $83 - $88 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $17.99 per device per day | $18.70 to $23.80 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
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