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Margaritaville at Sea Islander: Better or Worse Six Months After Launch? | Cruise Review

thiscruiselife
thiscruiselife
🥈Expert
👁️ 9K views📅 1 years ago⏱️ 25:24
What This Creator Said
Creator RecommendsFull Ship Review🥈Expert CreatorSponsored
Caribbean · WinterVeteran Cruiser

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

Margaritaville at Sea invited us back on their dime to check out how the ship has evolved over six months time

the buffet was hit and miss it was all of the the temperatures have been monitored now everything is at an actual enjoy able temperature

we had the opportunity to experience the spa on our sailing which was wonderful the only downside it was a 50-minute teaser

the general Vibe on board it just there's just a feeling of of vacation of I know that's true on every cruise but there's just a different vibe

Creator's Tips & Advice

Check pricing ahead of time for spa packages to score great deals pre-cruise
Take a photo of the daily schedule since there's no app for onboard information
Book shore excursions early, especially the behind-the-scenes tour through the excursions desk

🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Not knowing how to contact guest servicesStateroom now has contacts for all departments
Adjusting to ship time vs local timeCabin notice provides instructions on how to change phone settings

Questions This Creator Answers

QHow has Margaritaville at Sea Islander evolved six months after launch?
QWhat improvements were made since the inaugural cruise?
QIs the ship still worth recommending after the changes?

Topics Covered

Ship Condition3½ Happy BaconService Crew4½ Happy BaconEntertainment Shows3 Happy BaconEntertainment Activities3½ Happy BaconEntertainment Nightlife1½ Sad BaconSpa Fitness1½ Happy BaconWifi Connectivity2½ Happy BaconExcursions4 Happy Bacon

Port Highlights

Cozumel4 Happy Bacon
Top: Deluxe Beach Sail and Snorkel (Catamaran)
Progreso4 Happy Bacon
Top: Blue Hole Cenotes
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon — creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon — creators took issue with this
Meh — no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology
YouTube Video Description

Margaritaville at Sea invited us back on board their new flagship cruise ship Islander 6 months post launch. We sailed back-to-back cruises in December of 2024 and are excited to see how the operation has evolved. We also captured changes the cruise line implemented post the inaugural cruise. Similar to when we first sailed Margaritaville at Sea Islander back in June, we take a look at the things we loved, the things we didn't love, and what we hated. For this video, we didn't go into the same detail as we did in our original review (if something didn't change, we didn't cover it here), so we highly recommend you check that out as well to get an in-depth view of the entire experience: https://youtu.be/5UYbG-Cf9nM For our December sailing, we were booked into a Breezy Balcony. Upon checking in at the terminal, we discovered we were upgraded to a Grand Terrace Suite! Check out the room tour we recorded: https://youtu.be/2MnbOVXjliQ We met some amazing people - both passengers and crew - during our back-to-back sailings on the Islander. In fact, we posted a recognition blog post to our website celebrating the crew that made our cruise extra special. Take a look: https://www.thiscruiselife.com/cruise-blog/margaritaville-at-sea-islander-crew-recognition/ *Group Cruise on Islander* We're excited to introduce more people to Margaritaville at Sea Islander in September of 2025. We hope you'll join us for our first-ever GROUP CRUISE! Head over to our Group Cruise page for all of the details and fun ahead: https://thiscruiselife.com/group-cruise/ *Recommended Cruise Essentials* White Noise Sound Machine: https://amzn.to/3P9DHHh Sleep Mask: https://amzn.to/3DsleDg Thank you so much for watching our full review of Margaritaville at Sea Islander, 6-months later. We appreciate all of the support and are excited for our 2025 year of sailings! -Mark and Rocky Disclaimer: Thank you to Margaritaville at Sea for sponsoring this cruise and welcoming us back on board! While Margaritaville at Sea invited us back for this sailing, they did not provide direction or preview this video. The views, opinions, and experiences presented here are our own. #margaritavilleatsea #cruiseship #cruisereview #cruise #margaritavilleatseaislander #masislander 00:00 Introduction 00:50 What We Loved - Food 04:55 What We Loved - Drinks 06:23 What We Loved - Entertainment 10:49 What We Loved - Stateroom 12:16 What We Loved - Other 17:14 What We Didn't Love 20:09 What We Hated 21:58 Final Thoughts 24:53 Recognition