Margaritaville at Sea: Is the 'Fins Up' Cruise Worth It?

The pitch for Margaritaville at Sea writes itself: casual cruising inspired by the world's most famous beach bum. LandShark Bar & Grill on deck, Cheeseburger in Paradise on the menu, frozen margaritas flowing at 2pm — it sounds like the most fun concept in cruising. But does it actually work as a cruise experience? Here is the honest review. What Margaritaville at Sea Actually Is Margaritaville at Sea operates two ships: the Paradise and the Islander. The Paradise does 2-night roundtrip sailings from the Port of Palm Beach, Florida to Freeport, Bahamas — a quick weekend getaway by sea. The Islander enables longer Caribbean itineraries for those who want more ports and more days. Both ships are older, converted vessels — the Paradise was originally built in 1991 as the Costa Classica, and the Islander began life as the Costa Atlantica in 2000. They have been refurbished with Margaritaville branding and theming but they are not modern ships. If you board expecting the engineering of a R…