Cruise Spotlight
Helping you find cruise ships you'll love
Margaritaville at Sea Islander vs Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas
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 newer than the Grandeur of the Seas, which was built in 1996 and renovated in 2021.
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 Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas, the Islander is 16% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Margaritaville at Sea Islander holds about the same number of passengers as the Grandeur of the Seas 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 Grandeur of the Seas. 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 | Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | MAS Spirit | Vision |
| Gross Tonnage | 85,619 | 73,817 |
| Length | 960 | 916 |
| Beam/Width | 127 | 106 |
| Passenger Decks | 11 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 2,114 | 1,992 |
| Crew | 920 | 760 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| 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 Mexican Cutie Cantina, JWB Prime Steakhouse, and Cheeseburger in Paradise Burger Bar. Of those options, six are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other six options have an additional fee.
The Grandeur of the Seas has two more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Windjammer, Chops Grille, and Giovanni's Table. eight of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Grandeur of the Seas 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 Grandeur of the Seas 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 | Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 12 | 14 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 6 | 8 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 6 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 50% | 57% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Margaritaville at Sea Islander has 4 more bars than the Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas. The Islander has 12 bars like Bubbles Up Lounge and Champagne Bar, Hemisphere Dancer Craft Spirits and Love and Luck Casino Bar. On Islander, you can grab a drink at 8 different bars such as Casino Bar, South Pacific Lounge and Viking Crown Lounge.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •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 | •Casino Bar • Island Bar • Pool bar • R Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • South Pacific Lounge • Viking Crown Lounge |
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. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations.
You can check out recent the bar menus for the Islander and the Grandeur of the Seas 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.
Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas 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 | Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - General Access | 2 | 1 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| 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. On the Islander, 69% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Grandeur of the Seas, only 62% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Margaritaville at Sea Islander | Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Dry kid's play area | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pickleball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✗ |
| Waterslide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Margaritaville at Sea and Royal Caribbean 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 more expensive than on Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas.
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 | Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.00 | $18.50 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 18% |
| Soda Price | $2.95 | $3.50 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $8.50 See drink menus | $8.25 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 64.99 | $77 - $118 Learn more |
| Internet Plan | $17.99 per device per day | $19 to $30 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | ||
Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing, which means the pricing for many things will vary per sailing. The daily gratuities and tip are consistent across the fleet, but the pricing for the drink package, internet, and excursions will change. The only way to know your price is to consult the Royal Caribbean cruise planner once you're booked.
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Founded in 2020, Cruise Spotlight's goal is to help people understand every aspect of cruising. Plenty of sites focus on the perfect Instagram pictures and marketing fluff. We focus on what really matters: onboard expenses, tips for cruise ships, detailed cruise reviews, and more. Our goal is to provide helpful, unbiased information to new and established cruisers. Over the years, we've helped millions of people get the most from their cruise vacation.
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