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Margaritaville at Sea Islander vs Norwegian Pearl
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 6 years older than the Pearl, which was built in 2006 and renovated in 2017.
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 Norwegian Pearl, the Islander is 8% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Margaritaville at Sea Islander holds 12% fewer passengers than the Pearl 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 Pearl. 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 | Norwegian Pearl | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | MAS Spirit | Jewel |
| Gross Tonnage | 85,619 | 93,530 |
| Length | 960 | 965 |
| Beam/Width | 127 | 125 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,114 | 2,394 |
| Crew | 920 | 1,072 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.2 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 39 |
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 Mexican Cutie Cantina, JWB Prime Steakhouse, and Fins Dining. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The Pearl has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Sushi Bar, Teppanyaki, and Main Dining Room. eleven of these restaurants are complementary and the other eight have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Pearl might be a better choice. It has 17% more dining options than the Islander.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Islander might be a better choice then the Pearl. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Norwegian Pearl | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 14 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 6 | 11 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 6 | 8 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 43% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Margaritaville at Sea Islander has 4 fewer bars than the Norwegian Pearl. The Islander has 12 bars like Havana Daydreamin' Sports Bar and Lounge, Hot, Hot, Hot Night Club and The Far Side Lounge. On Islander, you can grab a drink at 16 different bars such as Casino Bar, Moderno Bar and Sugarcane Mojito Bar.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Norwegian Pearl |
|---|---|
| •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 | •Atrium Bar • Bliss Ultra Lounge • Casino Bar • Corona Cigar Club • Great Outdoors Cafe • Magnum's Champagne & Wine Bar • Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar • Moderno Bar • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill • Sake Bar • Shakers Martini & Cocktail Bar • Sky High Bar • Spinnaker Lounge • Starbucks • Sugarcane Mojito Bar • Topside 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 Pearl 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.
The Norwegian Pearl has the same number of pools as the Islander and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Pearl. 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 | Norwegian Pearl | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 1 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 3 | 5 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | 4 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 1 | |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive | 1 |
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, 64% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Pearl, only 58% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Norwegian Pearl | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bowling Alley | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cigar Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dry kid's play area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Jogging Track | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pickleball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✓ | ✗ |
| Thermal Suites | ✗ | ✓ |
| Water slides | ✗ | ✓ |
| Waterslide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Margaritaville at Sea and Norwegian 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 Norwegian Pearl.
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 | Norwegian Pearl | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $20.00 | $20.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $2.95 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.50 See drink menus | $7.50 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 64.99 | 106 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $17.99 per device per day | $29.99 - $39.99 per cabin per day, with $5 for each extra device |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a More at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at specialty restaurants. If you book using this promotion, you'll be responsible for the gratuities on the dining and drink package. If you won't be using these options, booking a "sail away" rate that doesn't include the More at Sea benefits is considerably cheaper. Also, most of these benefits are the base packages; you can spend more to upgrade to better alcoholic drinks or faster/more wifi.
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