Trip Report: Margaritaville At Sea Paradise

This is the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, docked at Port of Palm Beach. Every other day it offers 2-night cruises to Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas. This article is a summary of the ship and the trip, for those wondering about the experience. The ship previously operated as Grand Classica for Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line and previous to that as Costa Classica for Costa Cruises. With the conversion to the Jimmy Buffet theme, it has been extensively refurbished. 

The port has a modern cruise terminal that can accommodate just one cruise ship per day.

The ship can carry around 1600 passengers and we were told there were 1300 on our sailing this past Thursday. The Labor Day sailing today is sold out. On the sailing prior, there were just 400 guests. So if you're looking for a party ship, pick a weekend sailing but if you're looking for peace and quiet, a sailing that departs on weekdays is your best bet. The Embarkation Desk was fast and efficient. If you're vaccinated, Covid-19 testing is no longer required. If you're not vaccinated, you must present a fresh Covid-19 negative test result.

After you get your boarding card, various kiosks offer drink packages and premium dining packages. I purchased the $99 drink package that got a special wristband good for 10 alcoholic drinks on board. This is a pretty good value compared to what that many drinks on board would cost.

There's nothing like that feeling when you reach the final gangway and the ship is just steps away!

You arrive in the ship's Deck 5 atrium, rethemed to the Margaritaville vibe. The ship's Reception Desk is located here along with the SHOREX Desk.

On this ship, it's not 5 o'clock somewhere, it's 5 o'clock everywhere!

While the ship is old and one can spot a few areas that are dated, it has been extensively refurbished including all the cabins.

I did not eat any meals in the MDR. My food home was the Port of Indecision Buffet where there was a carvery serving roast beef or roast pork.

Being a meat and potatoes kind of guy, there's no time for appetizer service, salad service, soup service, main course service, dessert service, after dinner coffee drink service, etc.  Many people like that and more power to them, but while they're doing that, I can go back for another slab of meat!

The buffet is also open late night for sandwiches and desserts to soak up that alcohol.

The 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar was a popular place to grab a drink near the buffet.

The ship does have a full casino.

There are slots and table games. Please be aware that since Hurricane Dorian, Grand Bahama Island no longer has a land-based casino so this one on the ship is it.

One area lacking on this ship is free pizza. Every cruise ship I've been on has offered free pizza, often available 24/7. On Margaritaville at Sea, Frank & Lola's Pizzeria has pizza but you'll have to pay for it. You can get it boxed to go or eat it in their seating area where a robot will deliver it to your table.

The ship has two outdoor pools.

In the ship's prior life that observatory was home to the ship's dance club Crow's Nest Disco. It is not currently in use except as a game room.

The ship does have a late-night dance club in the Oasis Room.

Here we found DJ Chippy (RP) aka DJ 12 Volt leading the festivities.

He had the dance floor packed!

Euphoria Lounge is another home to live activities.

On the first night they had a Decades Party with live band playing music from the 70's, 80's & 90's while on the second night we saw the Quest game taking place in here! Adults only.

Welcome to Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas.

The ship offers numerous excursions at pretty decent prices. I took the shared taxi service to Port Lucaya, a shopping area. The ride is $6pp one way/$12 roundtrip. Since it's nearly a half hour drive from the port, it's a good value. There are a couple dozen shops and restaurants open for business but sadly, many remain shuttered post-Dorian. There is also a straw market and it's home to UNEXSO, the Underwater Explorers Society where you can "swim with the dolphins".

High rise hotels line the beach, sadly all still closed. But there is beach access just a little ways down so it's possible to come here via shared taxi and not have to purchase an excursion.

If another cruise ship is in port such as Carnival Elation yesterday, there is a festival marketplace over there that features numerous shops and bars including a Señor Frog's. But again, they only open if another ship is in port and it's about a 20-minute walk over there.

So that's our summary of Margaritaville at Sea. Please note that since this is a closed loop cruise, U.S. citizens can either use a passport or an original birth certificate with raised seal + Drivers License. It was a fun trip and exceeded expectations. For more about the entertainment onboard, see our OEN article here. Come check it out for yourself!