Independence of the Seas vs Islander

The Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas was built in 2008. It was renovated in 2018. It's 8 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

Ship Size

The Independence of the Seas is considered a large size ship. Coming in at 1,112 feet long and 185 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 3.1 football fields, as wide as 3.5 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 14-story building. Compared to the Margaritaville at Sea Islander, the Independence of the Seas is 80% larger in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas holds 82% more 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 Independence of the Seas has the same amount of space per person as the Islander.

	Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas	Margaritaville at Sea Islander
Class	Freedom	MAS Spirit
Gross Tonnage	154,407	85,619
Length	1,112	960
Beam/Width	185	127
Passenger Decks	14	11
Passengers (double occupancy)	3,858	2,114
Crew	1,440	920
Passenger to Crew Ratio	2.7	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 Independence of the Seas has eighteen different dining options like Giovanni's Table, Cafe Promenade, and Chef's Table. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other nine options have an additional fee.

The Islander has six fewer dining venues. Some of its popular venues are Islander Dining Room, Fins Dining, and Mexican Cutie Cantina. 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 Independence of the Seas might be a better choice. It has 50% more dining options than the Islander.

Both ships have a similar number of paid versus included dining options.

	Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas	Margaritaville at Sea Islander
Total Dining Options	18	12
Complimentary Dining Options:	9	6
Additional Fee Dining Options:	9	6
% of Included Options	50%	50%
	See the options	See the options

Bars and Drinks

The Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas has 2 more bars than the Margaritaville at Sea Islander. The Independence of the Seas has 14 bars like Champagne Bar, English Pub and Playmakers. On Independence of the Seas, you can grab a drink at 12 different bars such as 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar, Hemisphere Dancer Craft Spirits and The Far Side Lounge.

Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas	Margaritaville at Sea Islander
•Boleros • Casino Bar • Champagne Bar • English Pub • Olive or Twist • Playmakers • Pool Bar • Schooner Bar • Sky Lounge • Solarium Bar • Star Lounge • Suite Lounge • The Plaza Bar • Vintages	•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 Independence 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 Independence of the Seas has a total of 3 pools and 7 hot tubs.

The Margaritaville at Sea Islander has the same number of pools as the Independence of the Seas and fewer hot tubs.

Tired of loud kids and splashing? One of the pools and two of the hot tubs are adults only on Independence of the Seas.

	Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas	Margaritaville at Sea Islander
Total Pools	3	3
Pools - General Access	2	2
Pools - Adults Only	1	1
Pools - Exclusive	0
Total Hot Tubs	7	3
Hot Tubs - General Access	5	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 Independence of the Seas, 72% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Islander, only 69% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

	Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas	Margaritaville at Sea Islander
Adult Only Relaxation Area	✓	✓
Arcade	✓	✓
Basketball	✓	✗
Casino	✓	✓
Climbing Wall	✓	✗
Comedy Show	✗	✓
Dry kid's play area	✗	✓
Escape Room	✓	✗
Fitness Center	✓	✓
FlowRider	✓	✗
Ice Skating	✓	✗
Laser Tag	✓	✗
Mini golf	✓	✓
Pickleball	✗	✓
Pool-side Movies	✓	✓
Shows - Broadway play	✓	✗
Shows - musical review	✓	✓
Spa	✓	✓
Splash park	✓	✓
Water slides	✓	✗
Waterslide	✗	✓
	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 Independence 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 Independence of the Seas	Margaritaville at Sea Islander
Base Daily Gratuities* (Per Person Per Day)	$18.50	$20.00
Tip added to drinks & services	18%	20%
Soda Price	$3.50	$2.95
Domestic Beer Price	$8.25 See drink menus	$8.50 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.

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