It wasn’t exactly cheeseburgers in paradise, but there were cheeseburgers — and they were amazing. So were the cabins, pizza, coffee and entertainment. Those are just a few of the draws on Margaritaville at Sea’s new ship, Islander, which I recently sailed for three days during a preview voyage.
But, despite all that it does right, the ship had some sizable glitches. I understand that Islander is a 24-year-old vessel purchased from Costa Cruises and refurbished, but I’m still surprised the issues weren’t mitigated before the first sailings began.
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From keycards that reveal too much personal information and empty hand sanitizer dispensers to larger issues like leaky ceilings and clogged toilets that give new meaning to the phrase “Bubbles Up,” what I experienced made me grimace as much as I grinned during my sailing.
With the addition of the vessel to its fleet, the Jimmy Buffett-affiliated oceangoing offshoot of the popular Margaritaville Resort brand has more than doubled in size. Should a sailing on this ship be your next Caribbean getaway? Here’s what made it a “Lovely Cruise” and what needs work before the ship is ready for prime time.
What I loved
The cabins
For two nights, “I Have Found Me a Home” in one of Islander’s Signature Grand Suites — the largest the ship offers. Although it’s small when compared with suites on newer vessels, it has plenty of space.
All cabins received gorgeous revamps, complete with plenty of nods to Jimmy Buffett and his love of the good life. They include touches like surfboard shelving in some cabins and phrases like “License to chill, and I believe I will” on the walls and mirrors in others. Suites are outfitted with “Livin’ on Islander Time” pillows, copies of Buffett’s books “A Salty Piece of Land” and “A Pirate Looks at Fifty,” and make-your-own margarita fixings.
Everything is done up in a white, blue and teal color scheme, which makes most rooms feel light and airy — like you’re staying in a beachside Airbnb, rather than on a ship.
With their refreshed look, the cabins are some of the most impressive examples of refurbishment on the entire vessel.
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Phenomenal burgers and pizza
Flanking the ship’s Six String Stage near the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool are the aptly named Cheeseburger in Paradise and Mexican Cutie Cantina. It’s clear that they drew inspiration from Carnival Cruise Line’s pool deck eatery setup, which features Guy’s Burger Joint and the BlueIguana Cantina. I rolled my eyes at first, but I was completely stunned to discover that Margaritaville’s burgers are far superior.
Although the options are simpler than what you’ll find at Guy’s — there are no weird acronyms, nor are there tons of toppings — the burger quality is next-level. You know how everybody’s got that one grill-obsessed uncle who spends all day flipping burgers that are absolute masterpieces at family gatherings? Imagine that sort of flavor — but on a ship.
All patties are cooked well done (but still with tons of flavor), and you can choose simple accouterments like cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.
If you’d rather grab something indoors where it’s cooler, the Port of Indecision Buffet houses Frank & Lola’s Pizzeria. Besides the Margaritaville Coffee Shop and Sandwich Bar, the pizzeria is the only buffet venue that provides standout sustenance. Otherwise, the food is squarely mediocre.
Be sure to try the plain or pepperoni. After trying pizza from all of the major cruise lines, I’m declaring Margaritaville at Sea’s pies the best pizza afloat.
Creative entertainment
Theater shows on Islander aren’t over-the-top groundbreaking, but I enjoyed them immensely.
The first night’s show, “Caribbean Heat Remix,” included singing and dancing to snippets of popular songs from Pitbull, Gloria Estefan, Bob Marley, Justin Bieber and others. On the second night, I grudgingly attended “Conky Tonkin'” — an ode to country music, of which I am decidedly not a fan. I was pleasantly surprised that I knew most of the songs and couldn’t stop tapping my feet. The phenomenal acrobatic performances didn’t hurt, either.
Unique props and a giant LED screen were also incorporated as elements that added to the intrigue, rather than distracting from the performers. Somehow, Margaritaville at Sea has found a way to do theater entertainment that’s engaging and enjoyable, even for people who don’t necessarily like certain musical genres.
Rounding out the entertainment were pop-up nightclub performances by some of the cast’s aerialists and live music — including steel drum performances — throughout the bars and lounges.
Noteworthy drinks
I’ll be blunt: If you think you know what it means to drink on a cruise ship, think again. With a name like Margaritaville at Sea, the line attracts folks who like to have a great time with an alcoholic beverage in hand.
That doesn’t necessarily mean your fellow cruisers will be sloppy, though. I didn’t see anyone who would have been embarrassed by their antics the next day, but what I did find were excellent bar menus throughout the ship.
Every bar has a margarita on its menu; for a photo-worthy concoction, try the Bubbles Up Margarita at the Bubbles Up Bar. Each bar also has a secret drink you can request; just know that it varies by the bartender.
If you’re feeling lucky (or can’t decide what to order), head to the Margaritaville Casino Bar. The menu has separate lists of shots and cocktails, each numbered one through six. Ask the bartender for dice, and roll to see which one you’ll get. I ended up with the Moneyline Margarita (Margaritaville-branded tequila, pineapple and lime juices, and honey-infused simple syrup), which was delicious.
Amplified activities
Like most cruise ships, Islander has a daily schedule of activities. What I discovered, though, is that they aren’t things you’ll necessarily find on other cruises. What showed up on the “Checklist to Chill” were origami classes and family circus workshops. The top deck even has a dedicated pickleball court and a cornhole course with obstacles — something I’ve never seen on a ship before.
Additionally, the miniature golf course, which includes some impressive and elaborate obstacles, was almost always crowded when I was on the top deck.
Overall, Islander receives a nod for coming up with creative ideas and cranking existing ones up a notch.
The throwbacks
Margaritaville at Sea purchased Islander from Carnival Corp. brand Costa Cruises and did a wonderful job of melding new, modern touches with the whimsy of the bygone Joe Farcus era.
Farcus, an architect and interior designer, handled the decor on Carnival Cruise Line vessels and some of Costa’s for more than 30 years. What remains on Islander of his over-the-top decor are intricate mosaic designs, quirky staircases, a larger-than-life atrium space with glass elevators and a two-story nightclub with a hell theme.
The ship’s layout is also intriguing. It’s a maze of semihidden hallways and staircases that lead to surprising places, making me feel like I was always discovering something new.
What needs work
Plumbing problems
Despite its $150 million refurbishment, the ship leaks. Unfortunately, there’s no “Trying to Reason With Hurricane Season,” and we hit some torrential rain on the first day. Shortly after, water trickled into the atrium at a steady clip, and significant numbers of buckets and caution signs popped up in both public areas and cabin hallways.
The plumbing had issues, as well. My cabin’s toilet clogged three times with light to normal use and no flushing of nonflushable items. A couple of people in my travel group experienced the same thing on the final night of our cruise, and every time I used a public restroom on board, I found several of the toilets were clogged. In one of the bathrooms, water bubbled up from under the floor tiles, which made squishing noises when I stepped on them.
The Magrodome — the retractable roof that covers the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Pool — also leaked. It’s not such a big deal if you’re planning to swim or lounge in the hot tubs because you’ll get wet anyway. If you want to stand near the stage and listen to music or pass through on your way somewhere else, you don’t want to get soaked by a cascade of water. I also didn’t see any crew members with squeegees clearing the walkways to make them safer for passengers.
Margaritaville at Sea representatives initially told me these problems were fixed, but reports in a Margaritaville at Sea Islander group on Facebook indicate otherwise. When I inquired again, the line told me the leaks are being addressed and that the clogs are the result of passengers flushing items — wipes, feminine products, etc. — that they shouldn’t.
“The plumbing system was tested, upgraded, and performed fine before the June 11 cruise,” a Margaritaville at Sea representative told me via e-mail. “The issue with the plumbing points to passengers disposing of items that shouldn’t be flushed on a cruise ship, which caused back-ups. We are working to make sure proper toilet usage is communicated to all passengers, so this doesn’t continue to happen.
“During our sailing from Belfast to the U.S., we didn’t encounter any significant rain to test for abnormal leaks beyond what we identified and repaired in dry dock,” the statement said. “As you know, we hit some severe weather leaving Mexico on the inaugural voyage, which alerted us to some additional areas that had leaks when under intensive wind and rainfall. We are in the process of mitigating this and have corrected the spots on the ship already.”
Crew attentiveness
Crew members were friendly and pleasant, but many seemed underprepared. Public restrooms were a mess every time I went in, including the aforementioned clogged toilets and empty soap dispensers. On two occasions, I also experienced empty hand sanitizer dispensers when I entered the buffet. The second time, I told a nearby attendant, and she seemed unconcerned.
Also in the buffet, the crew members were quick to clear up the tables, but they often failed to wipe them clean. I put my plate down on top of stickiness and crumbs more than once. Empty drink glasses accumulated on tables and railings in other public spaces, as well.
The line says it has assigned additional crew members to address these problems.
Beyond cleanliness, several times when I asked crew members if they could point me to the places I was looking for, they weren’t able to do so. I had to ask three people where the teen clubs were before I found one who even knew teen clubs existed on board.
Because the cabin phones weren’t yet programmed with numbers for the front desk, housekeeping and room service — something the line says it’s working on — I was unable to phone the guest services desk to report my clogged toilet. I went down to the reception desk twice to alert someone and ask for assistance. When I reached the front of the line, the two crew members behind the desk just stood there, not acknowledging me. Finally, I stepped up to the counter to get their attention.
Glitchy or nonexistent technology
You’ll find a lot of paper on Islander. Because the cruise line has no mobile app, passengers must print boarding passes for embarkation and rely on physical copies of the daily schedule to plan their days on board.
Wi-Fi problems on my sailing made both the basic and premium packages nearly useless. The connectivity issues have been fixed, but passengers are still reporting cabin TVs aren’t receiving a signal (a problem I also experienced). That means cruisers can’t view their onboard accounts unless they have them printed at guest services.
Reservations for the JWB Prime Steakhouse are taken down on paper instead of a computer system — which the line says it is in the process of adding and improving — and receipts at several for-fee venues are handwritten. The analog approach also makes it nearly impossible for hosts in the main dining rooms to look up passengers’ dinner reservations and slows down the check-in and seating process.
I waited in line for 25 minutes to reach the check-in stand, and when I asked where my group was sitting, the host was unable to locate the reservation by my cabin number. Because the Wi-Fi wasn’t working, I couldn’t text anyone from my group to ask, so I ate alone.
The line tells me it’s currently working on getting those systems up and running.
Keycards with too much information
When you cruise, your keycard serves as an onboard charge card and also allows you to enter your room. Normally, these cards have passenger names, folio numbers, dining assignments and muster stations on them but don’t include cabin numbers for security reasons.
The cards on Islander list passenger cabin numbers, which is unsafe; if a card is lost or stolen, whoever finds it can locate the room and use the card to enter. There’s a “Pencil Thin Mustache” line between helpful and dangerous, and it’s something I hope the line considers changing.
Bottom line
Any ship, regardless of whether it’s new or has just found a new home, will have bugs to eradicate when it first sets sail. Once the cruise line works out some of the considerable kinks, passengers will be able to better appreciate the cozy cabins, excellent entertainment and some standout food and drink on a value-driven getaway that’s just plain fun.
I’m crossing my fingers the cruise line will have Islander’s issues fixed before the ship’s next “Trip Around the Sun.” In the meantime, set your expectations if you book a sailing (or wait a few months before setting sail), and prepare to “Breathe In, Breath Out, Move On” if you encounter an issue. If you’re looking for a luxury sailing, this isn’t the ship for you.
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