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Margaritaville at Sea Paradise vs Margaritaville at Sea Islander
The Margaritaville at Sea Paradise was built in 1991. It was renovated in 2026. The Paradise previously sailed under two different names, the Costa Classica and Grand Classica, before being purchased by Margaritaville to launch their new cruise line. It's 9 years older than the Islander, which was built in 2000 and renovated in 2024. The Islander formerly sailed as the Costa Atlantica before it was brought to the Margaritaville fleet.
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 Paradise is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 722 feet long and 102 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2 football fields, as wide as 1.9 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Margaritaville at Sea Islander, the Paradise is 38% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Margaritaville at Sea Paradise holds 38% fewer passengers than the Islander based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or tons of ship compared to number of passengers, the Paradise has the same amount of space per person as the Islander.
| Margaritaville at Sea Paradise | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Classica | MAS Spirit |
| Gross Tonnage | 52,926 | 85,619 |
| Length | 722 | 960 |
| Beam/Width | 102 | 127 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 1,308 | 2,114 |
| Crew | 620 | 920 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 40 |
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 Paradise has nine different dining options like Mexican Cutie Cantina, Cheeseburger in Paradise Burger Bar, and JWB Prime Steakhouse. Of those options, seven are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other two options have an additional fee.
The Islander has three more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Fins Dining, Cheeseburger in Paradise Burger Bar, and JWB Prime Steakhouse. Six of these restaurants are complementary and the other six have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Islander might be a better choice. It has 33% more dining options than the Paradise.
If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Paradise might be a better choice then the Islander. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
Restaurants on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise & Islander
| Restaurant | Margaritaville at Sea Paradise |
Margaritaville at Sea Islander |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | |||
| Cheeseburger in Paradise Burger Bar | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Fins Dining | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Frank & Lola's Pizzeria | ✓ | ✓ | |
| License to Chill Sandwich Shack | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Mexican Cutie Cantina | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Port of Indecision Buffet | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Slice of Paradise Desserts | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Soft Serve Ice Cream | ✓ | ✓ | |
| A la carte | |||
| Far Side Sushi | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Island Eats | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Margaritaville Coffee Shop | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Tiki Grill | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| Flat fee | |||
| Islander Dining Room | ✗ | ✓ | Learn More |
| JWB Prime Steakhouse | ✓ | ✓ | Learn More |
Bars and Drinks
The Margaritaville at Sea Paradise has 5 fewer bars than the Margaritaville at Sea Islander.
| Margaritaville at Sea Paradise | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Volt Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar and Grill | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bubbles Up Lounge and Champagne Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Coral Reef Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Euphoria | ✓ | ✗ |
| Flip Flop Atrium Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Havana Daydreamin' Sports Bar and Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Hemisphere Dancer Craft Spirits | ✗ | ✓ |
| Hemisphere Nightclub | ✓ | ✗ |
| Hot, Hot, Hot Night Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| JWB Prime Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| Keys on the Water | ✓ | ✗ |
| LandShark Bar and Lookout | ✗ | ✓ |
| License to Chill Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Love and Luck Casino Bar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Stars on the Water Bar | ✓ | ✗ |
| The Far Side Lounge | ✗ | ✓ |
| The Tiki 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 Paradise and the Islander 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 Paradise has a total of 2 pools and 2 hot tubs.
Margaritaville at Sea Islander has more pools than the Paradise and more hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Paradise.| Margaritaville at Sea Paradise | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | ||
| Total Hot Tubs | 2 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 2 | |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
| Hot Tubs - Exclusive |
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 Paradise. Only 60% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Islander, 71% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Margaritaville at Sea Paradise | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Show | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dry kid's play area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pickleball | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✓ | ✓ |
| Waterslide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Margaritaville at Sea is a mainstream cruise line. 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 Paradise will likely be cheaper than on Margaritaville at Sea Islander.
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 understand what you might spend onboard a Margaritaville at Sea ship.
| Margaritaville at Sea | |
|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $22.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 20% |
| Soda Price | $2.95 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $9.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | 64.99 |
| Internet Plan | $17.99 per device per day |
| *Daily gratuities for a standard cabin. Suites or specialty rooms may have higher rates. | |
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