Margaritaville Paradise Voyage Cruise Review!

I have not made it a secret that cruises are not my favorite kinds of vacation for a myriad of reasons such as;

• A lot of irritating people
• Hurry up and get in line mindset
• Mediocre food
• Expensive for what you get
• Frequent upcharge opportunities
• Too much food and drinks
• Most staterooms and bathrooms are uncomfortable
• Ports are generally boring and excursions are a fortune
• A lot of irritating people

The Margaritaville cruise possessed all of the things above, except that it was very cheap, and because of that, I enjoyed it!

Why Did This Introverted Very Lite Drinker Go On A Margaritaville Cruise?

My Mom won it at a raffle and invited me for a mom and son trip. We have taken my mother to Italy twice and I always love traveling with her so how could I refuse?

Margaritaville Paradise Basics

The Margaritaville Paradise is a 1500(ish) passenger cruise that does two-night voyages to Grand Bahama. The boat itself is old, but it has been refinished and looked good. Otherwise the ship had the same amenities any cruise such as Norwegian or Royal Caribbean has just smaller. The cost is what makes this trip standout as the base room is commonly <100 USD a person which includes their room, food (outside of specialty restaurants) and most onboard activities.

The Room

Honestly, considering it was free I thought it was quite nice! The porthole was quite large and the bed was comfortable. The bathroom was a bit small, but for 2 nights it was totally fine.

The Food

If we compare it to Carnival or Norwegian, I thought the food was good. I am not a huge buffet person but there were plenty of options. They also had a sit-down formal restaurant open for dinner which was quite good. Otherwise for those who did not want a buffet lunch, the Hamburger bar was excellent. Mom and I also tried to specialty steakhouse for an upcharge one night, and it was EXCELLENT. Steak was seared and cooked perfectly.

Service

While far from a St. Regis Hotel, the service was totally friendly and good.

Entertainment

The cruise had several bars across the ship and most had live music at some point throughout the day. Bingo, pool games, dancing were all there like any other cruise. We went to the evening show one night and it was enjoyable.

Destination

The cruise docks in a port outside of Freeport in Grand Bahama, There wasn’t much there as this port only serves the Margaritaville Paradise. Mom and I did an excursion to the Taino Resort and it was wonderful. The resort and beach were quiet.

Would I Do This Trip Again

For the cost, absolutely! Even if our stateroom wasn’t free, it’s still cheap. I would even argue it was luxury on a budget as it was free and there were some luxuries. I have blogged about this before, the less you spend, the more patient you are. Leaving from West Palm Beach was also quite easy and convenient. It is a perfect weekend getaway for those within driving distance of the port. Thanks Mom for a wonderful vacation, shall we do another one soon?

Bon Voyage,

Andrew