Recently, my family and I decided to try the new Margaritaville at Sea Islander. This is the cruise line’s second ship, and like the first, it is an older ship that was purchased secondhand, in this case from Costa Cruise Line. Specifically, the Islander was purchased from Costa parent Carnival Cruise Lines and underwent an extensive renovation before launching in June of this year.
We’re big fans of the Margaritaville brand – when it is done right. We used to live in Key West, where the whole concept started. We frequently visit Margaritaville shops and cafes when we travel. And we even bought a vacation home at Margaritaville Resort Orlando.
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However, after reading review after review on the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, the line’s first ship, we were admittedly skeptical. As mentioned, we’re big fans of the Margaritaville brand, and are yet to talk with a single person who had a great experience on the older Paradise.
To our pleasant surprise, we loved the Islander. The ship was beautifully renovated and while there were certainly bits and pieces that showed their age, it felt mainly new.
While this isn’t meant to be a full review, the décor was excellent without being over-the-top, the food and beverage setup was top-notch, and the pool decks never felt too crowded, even on sea days.
Our sailing stopped in Key West and Cozumel, and getting off and back on the ship was quick and easy. As a bonus, our two children even said they preferred the kid’s camp to Carnival’s Camp Ocean, which they love.
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Image source: Dan Kline/Come Cruise With Me
Hurricane Debby makes an appearance
The first four-and-a-half days of our cruise went according to plan. At that point, the previously uncertain path of Tropical Storm (later Hurricane) Debby started to come into focus, and the Port of Tampa was in the center of it.
Midway through Saturday afternoon (we were supposed to arrive home on Sunday morning), the captain announced that the Port of Tampa would be closed on Sunday (August 4), so we had no way to get back to the dock – not that we’d want to try in tropical-storm-force winds. Soon after, the delay was extended to an estimated arrival of 5 p.m. on Monday, and then to Tuesday around 10 a.m. So, we got an extra two full days, and a little more, at sea.
To the cruise line’s credit, the captain and crew handled the situation beautifully. Free Wi-Fi was given to anyone who asked for it, and customers who had purchased a beverage or dining package had it extended free of charge. And, our fantastic cruise director Zee-Jay, and her team put together two full days’ worth of activities in a short time.
That said, while it might sound great to get an extra two days added to your cruise for free, there are certainly some negatives.
For one thing, not everyone wants to spend three full days on a ship. We already had a sea day planned before arriving home, so this was a long stretch to be away from land.
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For one thing, not everyone wants to spend three full days on a ship. We already had a sea day planned before arriving home, so this was a long stretch to be away from land.
Also, our two extra days were Monday and Tuesday. Many people had to miss work, some kids were set to go back to school, and I watched dozens of people scrambling to rebook their flights home on short notice on a sub-par Wi-Fi network (one of our biggest complaints about the ship).
There are a lot of real-life inconveniences that happen when a cruise is involuntarily extended. In my personal case, I couldn’t work because the internet wasn’t adequate to even load a Google doc with the entire ship trying to use it. And, my kids missed their “meet the teacher” night.
Plus, on the second extra day, the ship started to run out of certain items — at dinner that night, three of the eight entrees were unavailable. The ship's store also started to run out of some toiletries.
Admittedly, we started to think we would be stuck at sea even longer. Debby started to move slower than anticipated, and we had already been told two revised arrival times, only to see the ship head back out to sea.
Fortunately, we finally were able to return to Tampa around 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6, a full two days and three hours after our scheduled arrival. While the cruise was great, we were ready to return to reality. We were off the ship by 11 and in our car shortly after — only to drive through the same storm on our way back to South Carolina.
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Trying to reason with hurricane season
Of course, all of those are far better than the alternative of trying to sail through a raging storm. And it’s important to know that if you cruise during hurricane season, there are risks involved. Hurricane season officially runs from June through November, but the peak is typically August through mid-October.
In addition to a few extra days at sea, there are a few other things that can potentially happen. Your ship could potentially be delayed leaving if the storm comes before you’re scheduled to leave. Or, if the storm affects one of the scheduled ports, the captain might be forced to skip it or find an alternative port to visit.
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To be sure, this time of year can be a great time to cruise. The weather in the Caribbean is actually cooler than in my hometown of Columbia, South Carolina during the late summer. Plus, cruise lines often have lower fares, especially after most kids are back in school. But just be aware that your cruise could potentially be affected.
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