Cruise Spotlight
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Margaritaville at Sea Paradise vs Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas
The Margaritaville at Sea Paradise was built in 1991. It was renovated in 2018. 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 19 years older than the Allure of the Seas, which was built in 2010. Allure of the Seas will undergo a $100 million rennovation in February to April 2025. They'll add water and dry slides, new restaurants and bars, and rennovated spaces.
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 Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas, the Paradise is 77% smaller in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
Margaritaville at Sea Paradise holds 76% fewer passengers than the Allure of the Seas based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Paradise has less space per person compared to the Allure of the Seas.
The Allure of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Margaritaville at Sea Paradise | Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Classica | Oasis |
| Gross Tonnage | 52,926 | 225,282 |
| Length | 722 | 1,187 |
| Beam/Width | 102 | 215 |
| Passenger Decks | 14 | 16 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 1,308 | 5,484 |
| Crew | 620 | 2,200 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.1 | 2.5 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 40 | 42 |
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 seven different dining options like Cheeseburger in Paradise Burger Bar, Fins Dining, and JWB Prime Steakhouse. Of those options, five are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other two options have an additional fee.
The Allure of the Seas has eighteen more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Sorrento's Pizza, Giovanni's Table, and Vitality Cafe. thirteen of these restaurants are complementary and the other twelve have an additional fee.
If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Allure of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 257% 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 Allure of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Margaritaville at Sea Paradise | Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 7 | 25 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 5 | 13 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 2 | 12 |
| % of Included Options | 71% | 52% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Margaritaville at Sea Paradise has 14 fewer bars than the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas. The Paradise has 7 bars like 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar and Grill, Euphoria and Keys on the Water. On Paradise, you can grab a drink at 21 different bars such as Rising Tide Bar, Vintages and Wipeout Bar.
| Margaritaville at Sea Paradise | Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas |
|---|---|
| •12 Volt Bar • 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar and Grill • Euphoria • Hemisphere Nightclub • Keys on the Water • License to Chill Bar • Stars on the Water Bar | •Blaze • Boleros • Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • Comedy Live • Dazzles • English Pub • Mast Bar • On Air Club • Pool Bar • Rising Tide Bar • Sabor Bar • Sand Bar • Schooner Bar • Sky Bar • Solarium Bar • Suite Lounge • Suite Sun Deck Bar • Trellis Bar • Vintages • Wipeout 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. 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 Paradise and the Allure 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 Paradise has a total of 2 pools and 2 hot tubs.
Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas 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 | Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 2 | 4 |
| Pools - General Access | 1 | 3 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 1 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 2 | 6 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 4 | |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 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 Paradise. Only 56% of the activities below are included in your cruise fare. On the Allure of the Seas, 83% of the activities are included at no additional cost.
| Margaritaville at Sea Paradise | Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✗ | ✓ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Carousel | ✗ | ✓ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Club | ✗ | ✓ |
| Comedy Show | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✗ | ✓ |
| Ice Skating | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pickleball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✗ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✗ | ✓ |
| 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 Paradise will likely be cheaper than on Royal Caribbean Allure 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 Paradise | Royal Caribbean Allure 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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