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Harmony of the Seas vs Margaritaville at Sea Islander
The Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas was built in 2016. It was renovated in 2026. It's 16 years newer 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
- See Our Detailed Cruise Blog
Ship Size
The Harmony of the Seas is considered an extra large size ship. Coming in at 1,188 feet long and 216 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.3 football fields, as wide as 4.1 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 16-story building. Compared to the Margaritaville at Sea Islander, the Harmony of the Seas is 165% larger in terms of overall tons.
Number of Passengers
The Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas holds more than double the amount of people as the Islander 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 Harmony of the Seas has more space per person compared to the Islander. 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.
The Harmony of the Seas uses a neighborhood layout to break up large crowds across the ship, often making it feel less crowded.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Oasis | MAS Spirit |
| Gross Tonnage | 226,963 | 85,619 |
| Length | 1,188 | 960 |
| Beam/Width | 216 | 127 |
| Passenger Decks | 16 | 11 |
| Passengers (double occupancy) | 5,497 | 2,114 |
| Crew | 2,200 | 920 |
| Passenger to Crew Ratio | 2.5 | 2.3 |
| Space Ratio (tons of ship per passenger) | 41 | 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 Harmony of the Seas has nineteen different dining options like Solarium Bistro, Windjammer, and 150 Central Park. Of those options, thirteen are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other twelve options have an additional fee.
The Islander has seven fewer 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 Harmony of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 58% 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 Harmony of the Seas. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Dining Options | 19 | 12 |
| Complimentary Dining Options: | 13 | 6 |
| Additional Fee Dining Options: | 12 | 6 |
| % of Included Options | 37% | 50% |
| See the options | See the options |
Bars and Drinks
The Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has 4 more bars than the Margaritaville at Sea Islander. The Harmony of the Seas has 16 bars like Giovanni's Wine Bar, Schooner Bar and Wipeout Bar. On Islander, you can grab a drink at 12 different bars such as 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar, The Far Side Lounge and The Tiki Bar.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Margaritaville at Sea Islander |
|---|---|
| •Boleros • Casino Bar • Dazzles • English Pub • Giovanni's Wine Bar • On Air Club • Pesky Parrot • Playmakers • Rising Tide Bar • Schooner Bar • Solarium Bar • Suite Lounge • Suite Sun Deck Bar • The Lime & Coconut • Trellis Bar • Wipeout Bar | •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 |
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 Harmony of the Seas 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 Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 10 hot tubs.
The Margaritaville at Sea Islander has the same number of pools as the Harmony of the Seas and fewer hot tubs.
Tired of loud kids and splashing? two of the hot tubs are adults only on Harmony of the Seas.| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Pools | 3 | 3 |
| Pools - General Access | 3 | 2 |
| Pools - Adults Only | 0 | 1 |
| Pools - Exclusive | 0 | |
| Total Hot Tubs | 10 | 3 |
| Hot Tubs - General Access | 8 | 2 |
| Hot Tubs - Adults Only | 2 | 1 |
| 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 Harmony of the Seas, 81% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Islander, only 71% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Only Relaxation Area | ✓ | ✓ |
| Aquatheater | ✓ | ✗ |
| Arcade | ✓ | ✓ |
| Basketball | ✓ | ✗ |
| Carousel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Casino | ✓ | ✓ |
| Climbing Wall | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Club | ✓ | ✗ |
| Comedy Show | ✗ | ✓ |
| Dry kid's play area | ✗ | ✓ |
| Escape Room | ✓ | ✗ |
| Fitness Center | ✓ | ✓ |
| FlowRider | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ice Skating | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mini golf | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pickleball | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pool-side Movies | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shows - Broadway play | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shows - musical review | ✓ | ✓ |
| Spa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Splash park | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tattoo Studio | ✗ | ✓ |
| Thrill Slide | ✓ | ✗ |
| Water slides | ✓ | ✗ |
| Waterslide | ✗ | ✓ |
| Zip Line | ✓ | ✗ |
| Learn more | Learn more |
Cruise Costs
Royal Caribbean and Margaritaville at Sea 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 Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas will likely be more expensive 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 compare onboard prices to see if you might spend more on a specific ship.
| Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas | Margaritaville at Sea Islander | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day) | $18.50 | $22.00 |
| Tip added to drinks & services | 18% | 20% |
| Soda Price | $3.50 | $2.95 |
| Domestic Beer Price | $7.49 See drink menus | $9.00 See drink menus |
| Drink Package Price | $77 - $118 Learn more | 64.99 |
| Internet Plan | $19 to $30 per device per day | $17.99 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.
We sailed aboard the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
Follow along on our sailing on the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas. We take you through every aspect of our sailing, from getting to the port to debarking the ship. See the schedule of events, menus, what excursions we did, and what we really thought about the ship.
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 1 - Fort Lauderdale
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 2 - Sea Day
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 3 - Costa Maya
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 4 - Cozumel
Harmony of the Seas - Cruise Blog - Day 5 - Sea Day
5 Hits and Misses on Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas
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