The Margaritaville at Sea Islander made its maiden voyage in June.
Like Paradise, Islander is not a new ship but a former Costa Cruises ship. Islander is about 24 years old and has been refurbished for Margaritaville at Sea.
I was curious to see how the 12-deck, 1,105-stateroom ship compared to Paradise, which has 13 decks and 658 cabins.
I selected a cozy interior stateroom, the ship’s entry-level accommodation, for five nights. I booked it during Margaritaville at Sea’s summer sale, which got me about 30% off.
The total cost was $465.05 per passenger, including taxes and port fees. The rate didn’t include add-ons like drink packages or excursions.
This was a great deal compared to what I paid to sail on Paradise last year. On that cruise, I paid $330.70 for a two-night sailing.