Margaritaville cruise reviews 2026–2027: is it any good?

Margaritaville at Sea at a glance

Margaritaville at Sea used to be Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line. It took the name of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville brand in 2022, and its first sailing under the new name left on April 30, 2022. It is a small line by ship count, and it sails only from Florida until Beachcomber moves to Texas in 2027.

Fleet

2 ships in October 2026, and 3 once Beachcomber starts on January 9, 2027

Price tier

Budget mainstream

Ship size

About 1,680 guests (Paradise) to 2,720 guests (Beachcomber)

Home ports

Port of Palm Beach (Paradise), Port Tampa Bay (Islander), PortMiami from January 2027 (Beachcomber)

Main regions

The Bahamas, Key West, Mexico and, on longer sailings, the Caribbean

Included in the fare

Meals in the main dining room, the market and the buffet; water, coffee, tea, juice and lemonade; the kids clubs

Not included

Soft drinks, alcohol, Wi-Fi, gratuities, specialty dining, spa, casino and shore excursions

Margaritaville cruise ships

All three ships were built for Costa Cruises in Italy and later bought and restyled with Margaritaville’s island décor and bar names.

• Margaritaville at Sea ParadiseBuilt 1991, about 1,680 guests, Port of Palm BeachThe former Costa Classica, which has sailed for this company since 2018. It runs the 2-night Freeport trips plus 3 and 4-night cruises to Nassau, Key West and Freeport.
• Margaritaville at Sea IslanderBuilt 2000, about 2,680 guests, Port Tampa BayThe former Costa Atlantica, which started sailing from Tampa in June 2024. It sails 4 and 5-night trips to Key West and Mexico and some longer Caribbean routes.
• Margaritaville at Sea BeachcomberBuilt 2003, 2,720 guests, PortMiami from January 9, 2027The former Costa Fortuna, about 103,000 gross tons and the largest ship the line has had. It arrived at Harland & Wolff in Belfast in October 2026 for a refit with new venues and updated staterooms.

The ages matter. Refits change the décor, the bars and the restaurants, but not the layout, the cabin sizes or the deck space of a ship designed in the 1990s. That is the main thing to know before you read any Margaritaville cruise ship reviews.

Is Margaritaville cruise line good?

Margaritaville at Sea is good for what it is built to be: a low-cost, short, laid-back cruise from Florida with a Jimmy Buffett soundtrack. It is not a good fit if you compare it with Royal Caribbean or Carnival’s newest ships. Expect older ships, a short list of included food and drink, and a daily gratuity that adds noticeably to a cheap fare.

Three things shape most Margaritaville cruise reviews, good or bad:

• The fare is low, the extras aren’t. Gratuities were $22 per person per night in a stateroom and $25 in a suite (checked October 2026). The line’s FAQ also listed a fuel supplement of $15 per person per night on Paradise and none on Islander (checked October 2026). On a 2-night cruise those charges can be a large share of the total.
• Drinks are where the theme lives. Soft drinks and alcohol are extra. The line sells a Cruise+ bundle that combines the fare, fees, an unlimited drinks package and Wi-Fi, which is worth pricing if you plan to drink.
• The ships are small by today’s standards. Paradise in particular has far fewer venues than a modern Carnival ship. That suits a two or three-night escape better than a week.

Is Margaritaville cruise good for families?

It can be. The line runs three supervised kids clubs for ages 3 to 17, and infants can sail on Paradise from 6 months old. The guest who books must be 18 or older, the casino is 18 and up, and drinking is 21 and up. For a longer family trip with slides and big-ship activities, our family cruises guide ranks the lines that do more for kids.

Where Margaritaville at Sea sails in 2026 and 2027

Paradise from Palm Beach

Paradise is the Bahamas ship. Its 2-night cruise to Freeport on Grand Bahama is the shortest Bahamas cruise on sale, and weekday 4-night and weekend 3-night routes add Nassau and Key West. In May 2026 it made its first call at Cozumel, and for early 2027 the line has scheduled 5-night routes to Grand Turk and Nassau, to Puerto Plata and Nassau, and to Cozumel and Key West. See our Bahamas cruise guide, the Nassau and Grand Turk port guides, and our 3 to 5-night cruise picks.

Islander from Tampa

Islander sails 4 and 5-night cruises from Port Tampa Bay to Key West and Mexico, including Cozumel. Since 2026 it has also added longer routes with calls at Aruba, Curaçao, Montego Bay and New Orleans, such as a 10-night Southern Caribbean cruise in September 2026. Our Mexico cruise guide compares the Western Caribbean ports.

Beachcomber from Miami, then Galveston

Beachcomber’s first cruise is a 7-night Eastern Caribbean trip from PortMiami on January 9, 2027, calling at St. Thomas, San Juan and Puerto Plata. Later sailings that winter go to Cozumel, Belize and Grand Cayman, to the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, and on 4 and 5-night trips to Key West, Bimini, Nassau, Freeport or Puerto Plata. Later in 2027 the ship moves to Galveston, Texas, for 4 to 7-night Caribbean and Mexico cruises that include Veracruz. The September 2026 announcement put the move in October 2027, and an October 2026 report says mid-2027, so check the date of any sailing you book.

Do you need a passport for a Margaritaville cruise?

Most Margaritaville cruises start and end at the same U.S. port, so U.S. citizens can usually sail with a birth certificate and a government photo ID instead of a passport. A passport is still the safer choice: you need one to fly home if you miss the ship abroad. Our no-passport cruises guide explains the closed-loop rule.

How Margaritaville at Sea compares

• Against Carnival: Carnival runs the same kind of short Bahamas and Mexico trips from Florida on far bigger and newer ships, with more included activities. Margaritaville’s appeal is a lower fare and a smaller, themed ship.
• Against Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean costs more but adds a private island day and big-ship attractions that Margaritaville doesn’t try to match.
• Against Norwegian: Norwegian bundles a drinks package and some Wi-Fi into its Free at Sea fares, so compare totals rather than base fares.
• Our rankings: Margaritaville at Sea is not one of the lines in our best cruise lines ranking, mainly because of the age of its ships.

Margaritaville cruise prices

Our monthly price snapshot doesn’t include Margaritaville at Sea, so this page shows no from-price. Three checks help when you compare fares.

• Add gratuities and the fuel supplement. On a short cruise they change the total more than most discounts.
• Price the Cruise+ bundle against the base fare plus the drinks you would really buy.
• Check Heroes Sail Free. Verified military, first responders, teachers, medical staff and government employees can get a $0 fare for two in an interior cabin on selected dates; taxes and fees are still charged. Our military cruise discounts guide has the terms.

Margaritaville cruise reviews FAQ

Are Margaritaville cruises good?

For a short, cheap, casual trip from Florida, yes. The ships are older former Costa vessels, drinks and Wi-Fi are extra, and gratuities are added each night, so they suit a weekend escape better than a week-long vacation on a modern ship.

How many ships does Margaritaville at Sea have?

Two in October 2026: Paradise, sailing from Palm Beach, and Islander, sailing from Tampa. The third, Beachcomber, the former Costa Fortuna, starts sailing from Miami on January 9, 2027.

What is included on a Margaritaville cruise?

Meals in the main dining room, the market and the buffet, plus water, coffee, tea, milk, juice and lemonade, and the kids clubs. Soft drinks, alcohol, Wi-Fi, specialty dining and gratuities cost extra.

How much are gratuities on Margaritaville at Sea?

$22 per person per night in a stateroom and $25 per person per night in a suite (checked October 2026). The FAQ also listed a $15 per person per night fuel supplement on Paradise.

Who owned Margaritaville at Sea before?

It was Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, which began sailing from Florida in 2017 with the ship Grand Celebration. It became Margaritaville at Sea in 2022 under a deal with Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville brand.