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Margaritaville at Sea Islander vs Carnival Valor
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 4 years older than the Valor, which was built in 2004 and renovated in 2025.
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 Valor, the Islander is 22% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Margaritaville at Sea Islander holds 29% fewer passengers than the Valor 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 Valor. 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 Valor | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | MAS Spirit | Conquest |
| Gross Tonnage | 85,619 | 110,000 |
| Length | 960 | 952 |
| Beam/Width | 127 | 116 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 13 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,114 | 2,980 |
| Crew | 920 | 1,180 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 37 |
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 JWB Prime Steakhouse, Islander Dining Room, and Far Side Sushi. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The Valor has the same number of dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Chef's Table, Seafood Shack, and Mongolian Wok. Thirteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other four have an additional fee.
The Margaritaville at Sea Islander has about the same number of dining options as the Carnival Valor.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Valor 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 Valor | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 6 | 13 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 6 | 4 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 67% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Margaritaville at Sea Islander has 1 fewer bar than the Carnival Valor. The Islander has 12 bars like Coral Reef Lounge, Havana Daydreamin' Sports Bar and Lounge and Love and Luck Casino Bar. On Valor, you can grab a drink at 13 different bars such as Heroes Tribute Bar, Lindy Hop Piano Bar and Prometheus Bar.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Carnival Valor |
|---|---|
| •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 • Eagle Aft Lounge • Heroes Tribute Bar • Java Blue Cafe • Lindy Hop Piano Bar • One Small Step Dance Club • Paris Hot Bar • Prometheus Bar • RedFrog Rum Bar • Winston's 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 Valor 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 Valor has fewer pools than the Islander and more 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 Valor | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 0 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | 2 |
| 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 Valor, 75% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Carnival Valor | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
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 Valor.
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 Valor | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $16.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $2.95 | $3.00 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.50 | $8.75 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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