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Margaritaville at Sea Islander vs Carnival Tropicale
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 28 years older than the Tropicale, which was built in 2028. The Tropicale is named after the original ship that sailed with Carnival from 1982 - 2001. It has two unique zones not found on its sister ships. Unlike the first Excel Class ships, Tropicale does NOT have a BOLT roller coaster, instead it has a waterpark called "Sunsation Point." The ship will debut in 2028.
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 Tropicale, the Islander is 53% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Margaritaville at Sea Islander holds 61% fewer passengers than the Tropicale 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 Tropicale. 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.
The Tropicale uses a zone layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Carnival Tropicale | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | MAS Spirit | Excel |
| Gross Tonnage | 85,619 | 182,800 |
| Length | 960 | 1,130 |
| Beam/Width | 127 | 137 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 17 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,114 | 5,400 |
| Crew | 920 | 1,700 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 35 |
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 Far Side Sushi, Cheeseburger in Paradise Burger Bar, and Mexican Cutie Cantina. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The Tropicale has eleven more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Guys Pig and Anchor Smokehouse (Excel-ship), The Chef's Table, and Emeril's Bistro 1396. Nineteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other nine have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Tropicale might be a better choice. It has 92% more dining options than the Islander.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Tropicale might be a better choice then the Islander. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Carnival Tropicale | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 23 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 6 | 19 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 6 | 9 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 61% |
| See the options | See the options |
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.
There are also plenty of bars available on these ships. You can check out recent the bar menus for the Islander and the Tropicale 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 Tropicale has more pools than the Islander and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Tropicale. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.
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 Tropicale | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 6 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 2 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 3 |
| 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 Islander, 71% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Tropicale, only 65% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Carnival Tropicale | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Brewery Tour | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cooking Class | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 | ✗ | ✓ |
| Waterpark | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 Tropicale.
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 Tropicale | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $22.00 | $17.00 |
| 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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