We went in January. It wasn't a bad cruise, and we had a good time, but you certainly have to go in with an open mind! A lot of stuff still looks older, so we doubt the did any upgrades.
You're right we could've mentioned that as an option, but our experience (and thus review/sharing) was of their most popular option - a two night, closed-loop cruise.
It looks like a work in progress. My first cruise was on the Carnival Festival with bunk beds and a six inch port hole. The cost was 1,000.00 per person and this was an upgrade. The meals were set times and if you missed it too bad. My sister and I had a good time but then we didn’t know the future of cruising. By the way it was a seven night cruise out of San Juan and I think it was 1986 or 1987.
You.capture a wonderful example of how much cruising as a product, in general, has improved over the years. When we see the breadth of options across all parts of the market now, there are so many choices, and in general, at similar or lower price points than decades ago. Love having so many options! Thank you for watching :-)
THANKS! Yes, I too see 'work in progress'.... Not just in the ship renovations/enhancements... but also the food, etc... I will bet that they were using up a lot of current food stock and working with familiar food items. I can possibly see a LOT yet to be changed and updated/
As a cruise nerd there are few things more exciting than watching the evolution of cruise products. They have good people, a good brand, and some wonderful parts. We'll def be checking in to see what happens moving forward, and it's def a good option already, if someone wants a quick and easy getaway.
Thanks for the videos. My better half and I watched both. Really helpful! We love Jimmy Buffet and love cruises. We live in the Tampa area and we are contemplating making the drive out to Palm Beach for a cruise on this ship. Sounds like a work in progress.
I'd say work in progress is accurate, however it also depends on expectations. A quick getaway, perhaps mid-week when prices are lower? You'll have a nice, no frills time. I suspect it'll only get better as they polish things up. I appreciate you watching!
I always enjoy your review style and the chemistry between you two! I first got introduced to your channel by J of Shiplife / J The Nomad and I really enjoyed the friendship between all of you. Except for the heat I would love the Florida lifestyle, but I get to enjoy your channels from cooler Pacific coast. I’m going to watch your Virgin secret room next. Thank you both so much for your hard work.
Thanks for watching, and for the kind words. J definitely helped get some more eyes on us. He's a great dude and we're going to miss hanging out with him for the next six months! Eyeing Resilient sailings so we can go say hi,but our Europe plans this year are largely set. We shall see.
The bartender going to get the stuff for your drink blows me away. So now I'm even more undecided about which one to do on Labor Day weekend... Thanks... 🤣🤣🤣 I'm leaning towards a re-sail on the Carnival Liberty only because it's a day longer, but really want to experience M@S. I tell you what, cruise it again in August and see what's changed again then I can decide 🤣. Just kidding! Thanks for the review and your honesty.
August I think I'm in Europe for some cruise-related stuff (stay tuned), but we might be back before then. Who knows?! For me personally, longer cruises == better. I've sailed 18 lines and always find a way to enjoy my time on each of them, so more time on a ship is better. That's me though. Cost, convenience of port location and sail dates, specific amenities you're looking for, etc are always considerations.
@@CruiseHabit I'm the same way about weighing out the other factors. So with Port Canaveral being closer also weighs in. The only thing that tilts my opinion to M@S is it being a different experience. I'll probably decide on the Liberty and do the other next year on like a side by side. Thanks again for the help.
If they end up adding a ship, as they said they'd like to, we'd be surprised if there aren't longer sailings to Nassau (visiting the Margaritaville resort there). Time will tell.
Margaritaville should buy the three Crystal ships that were impounded. They only spent 3 or 4 weeks converting the paradise to Margaritaville at Sea imagine if they spent 6 months or a year converting one of the crystal ships into a real Margaritaville resort on the ocean. That would make it a legit cruise line.
They've said they'd like to add more ships, though ships are massive investments. With all of the secondary market tonnage available right now, they likely have a lot of more appropriate options (esp in terms of price) than those Crystal ships - but anything is possible. Investors will want to see more evidence that there is additional money to be made back quickly by such a massive spend.
Thx for the review and your honest thoughts, were actually going on the Margaritaville cruise June 11th doing the cruise and stay at an all inclusive resort , hopefully the ship will be better organized and prepared by then. We're not setting our expectations too high just taking it for what it's worth.
I'd love to hear not only what the experience is like on the ship when you go, but also how the resort stay works out. I'll confess I didn't research that part much. Which property are you saying at?
Ryan Fuller please please let me know how it was for you. By chance are you staying at Viva Wyndham. We are going soon and I have to pick between Viva and Taino by this week. I hope you are having a great trip🌴🥥🍹
@@Erin-lv5mf we stayed 2 nights at The Grand Lucayan Resort on the island, it was ok just dead after the cruise ship people who had day passes left to back on the ship every day around 4pm. We were there on a Sunday night and Monday night it was a ghost town in that entire area around resort , we left to get back on Margaritaville Cruise ship Tues afternoon. The resort is beautiful food is good dinner menu changes daily but the Ocean in front of it was a big disappointment water was dark and murky looking lots of built of seaweed we were very disappointed by that felt catfished from the videos and pictures we saw online. The all inclusive drinks is good just for certain liquors not every liquor keep in mind.After cruise ships leave everything shuts down they only open to cater to tourists.
After being on the inaugural cruise, I am like you guys, will definitely do it again in the future to see what changes happen. Would like to try the cruise and stay package next time to extend the weak.
Nice review! You are very talented as far as making this seem effortless. I too, found you from shiplife! Definitely looking forward to more content from you!
Thank you so much! It's just a love of cruising, and a lot of practice being in front of a mic...but I still manage to say silly things at times ;-) We'll have a ship tour and cabin tour (maybe in the same vid, not sure yet) coming out for this ship, some past cabin tours from other ships, and then in July we'll have more Virgin coverage (part of virginvoyagesgroupcruise.com). Who knows what we might fit in between now and then though! Stay tuned, and share any feedback!
Hey Bill, we're going in July (27-29th), we'll let you know...I went on BPCL a couple of years ago, but not as a tourist, I was part of the West Palm Fire Department detachment sent over to relieve GBFD after Dorian.... Love your channel, dude!
Thanks so much for watching! BPCL has done a few charters to FEMA and others - a great use of a ship in these cases. One nice upside is for those staying onboard after shifts...you have a/c. I have some friends that went over there with a few SFL departments. I was a FF/PM years ago and used to love working during storms as I was guaranteed cold a/c, hot food, and a warm shower.
We did bpcl before but I had my doubts about them making it different to the point that will make us want to go back ! Thanks for the sincere review .... aprriciatr that .. somehow I knew they werent going to be identical to the resort ... just in other words a little cosmetic touches and same ship .. like you said good for a quick get away but not the ultimate cruise experience ! Thanks guys 👏👏
Our pleasure! I'm really interested to watch what they might be able to do in order to get where they need to be. I want to see them succeed! (and not just b/c I want another weekend option nearby 😉)
Great video..a suggestion: Interview Marissa a little more - she's in the background and quiet - and I would like to hear some input from her. Is the buffet included in the price of the cruise?
Was on inaugural cruise also after doing jwb first night was not chancing main dinning room and missing the show and yes seem no different from paradise at the buffet but will do it again. Since we were the winners of the couple's game lol
Agree, this definitely looks like a work in progress but I would jump on this as an "I'm in the area and wanna get away for two-day cruise." Now I just need to get back to the FLA and not spend all my time sailing out of LA! BTW, back in the day I only watched black and white TV because that's all we had. hahaha
Come back to the better coast (for cruising, at least)! The water is warmer ;-) The true measure of your life experience isn't about having a black and white TV, but whether you know why a remote is often called a "clicker."
My cruise ship was as France I got hook on cruise I been on over 50 ships I was on grand celebration and to be honest I was disappointed in shape of ship and staff I hoping to try the line again I hope the new brand works out Sounds like cruise line has changed a lot I wish the best If I was in control I would change the ship to 3 day and 4 day trip And have more items on pool deck
It's changed some from our experience, but not sure how much, as my sample size is small. There are certainly many lines offering a variety of experiences. As I always say, cruising isn't one thing. I love that there are so many options these days. Thanks for watching!
Excited to hear what you think! We were on the last Bahamas Paradise sailing, but it's hard to know how different that was than the experience three years ago. Let us know how things compare with Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. Have a blast!
Thank you so much for mentioning they serve drinks with paper straws. If I decide to go, I'll be taking my own!! There is no way I can enjoy my Margaritas sipping on paper straws. They give me the same extremely unpleasant feeling as nails on a chalkboard do🤢.
Ahh, I get it. While I don't mind paper straws, we all have our things. (Take a cruise with us one day and you'll find our quirky thing about being in the water...odd for a former swimmer). If you DO try one (and I get it if you don't) I'd be curios to know your thoughts since we found these to be different than most. Thanks for watching!
The businesses at the larger port facility used by some lines were not. There were a couple local shops at the building you walk through for Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. You'll likely want to head into town via a tour or car service. There are some nice resorts and many other options in town as well. It'll be a short ride. A good travel agent can help take care of tours/excursions as well.
I've had my site, CruiseHabit.com for around six years, but I didn't do much with YT until the last several months. I was about to make a big push back in Feb 2020, but that didn't work since almost all my content is relevant to active cruises and such. I desperately want to grow the channel, so I'm eager for feedback (good, bad, and otherwise). For example, when the channel was smaller I did some tips videos, and I don't know if that type of stuff would also be appreciated now, but with the things I've learned about YT along the way. I appreciate you helping to grow my subscriber count :-)
Thought your rooftop margaritaville logo observation was funny. Was thinking though, that direction would be good for arial photos of the ship. Just a theory, it is strange.
Hello! I will be cruising on Margaritaville this Friday, May 20th. Since we have to have a PCR Test no more than 48hours ago, at what time should I have the test done on the 18th? Several agents have given me different sailing times (3:00, 5:00). If we arrive at 10:00 A.M. at Port, are we allowed to immediately enter the ship? Thank you for helping me. You guys give very helpful reviews.
If you're not vaccinated (which I'm assuming is the case since you mentioned PCR testing) then you need a PCR or NAAT within two days - not 48 hours. So if you sail on a Friday, then you'd need to be tested in Wed or Thurs. Many Walgreens administer NAAT tests, which are generally quicker than getting a PCR. In addition, you'll need to be tested at the port, which is $45. The below info is from their website: "Unvaccinated Guests must provide a PCR or NAAT negative test result, taken not more than 2-days prior to embarkation and be tested at the port prior to embarkation. Unvaccinated guests MUST arrive at the port by 1:00pm on departure day to ensure tests can be completed in time for embarkation." If you are vaccinated, you just need an antigens test (though PCR or NAAT would also be acceptable). I hope this answers your questions. Let me know if I can clarify. Thanks for watching!
@@CruiseHabit Thank you. Agents at Paradise Cruise line are telling me that I have to get a PCR 48 hours ahead and I should take the test around 2:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday 18th because the ship sails at 3:00? They also said that the Antigen test would cost $75.00 per person. Seems that all information everywhere on this website is contradictory to what they tell me over the phone.
The buffet and main dining room are complimentary. There are also hamburgers and hot dogs at 5 O'Clock Somewhere until about 3 or so on embarkation day.
awesome question, standard??? We live in south FL and have wanted to stay at the resort but absolutely to expensive. But although it is a Margaritaville brand, how does a 2 night cruise compare?
To be honest, it doesn't compare well. The Margaritaville Resort (at least the Hollywood one we toured and showed in a recent video). We had a lovely weekend but it's not as refined or as well themed as the resort. I'd love to see some changes close that gap a bit. We discuss this at the very end of this video. This link should take you right to it. ruclips.net/video/DOc4ATdJ8IA/видео.html
@@CruiseHabit The one thing I believe is different is cost, 1 night at the resort can be around $300 to $500 or more with no extras but on the cruise I am guessing it is far less and much more included. I understand the comparison of brand but I would love for you to break down the cost comparison.
@@louiscerulli5676 That's a very fair point, but with some caveats. For this sailing (which was on a weekend, and those are priced higher), the total was about $900 (base fare, plus gratuities and fuel surcharges which hit your onboard account). That doesn't include WiFi, drinks, up-charge dining, etc. Looking at a random weekend at the Hollywood resort, for three nights (seems to be their min stay), the total with tax is $1,758.66, which of course doesn't include food. If we look at 2/3 of that (to emulate a two night stay), it's $1172.44. Now, those caveats: For one, generally speaking if you compare the cost per night of a cruise to the cost per night of an equivalent land resort, the cruise comes out cheaper. Lots of variables there, but I think that's fair to say. So that part is pretty standard. To me, the reason the comparison is still apt, however, is a simple matter of guest expectations. If someone sees an ad for Margaritaville at Sea, I suspect most would reasonably expect a comparable experience. That's just something they'll have to battle, and I suspect they're aware of that.
BUST, they just slapped a paint job on an OLD boat. Many other choices. We do reviews and I passed on a free trip the first voyage Knowing this wasn’t goi g to be good 🤷♂️
It'd take a TON of work to bring a 30 year old ship up to Margaritaville standards overall. For what they had to work with I think they did okay, but have more ahead that will help. The good news is a small tweak in cuisine and massaging the theming would probably go a long way. It all depends on what you're comparing against I suppose. In the end we had a nice time. We'll see what happens over the coming months.
I've not been to the Freeport Taino Bay resort. If I recall, that one is NOT all-inclusive, whereas the Viva Wyndham (which is what we did) is. We show and discuss the Viva Wyndham in this video: ruclips.net/video/d5vAPGSSyA0/видео.html You can also see some non-cruise line sponsored excursions here:www.viator.com/Freeport/d419-ttd?pid=P00046270&uid=U00172808&mcid=58086 Finally, I've never been to the Grand Lucayan, but I've heard people speak highly of it. Personally, we'd not mind going back to the Viva Wyndham, just know the bus ride is a bit of a pain when booked through the cruise line.
Nope. We talk about food in the review section/second part of the vid. The buffet and main dining are complimentary, as is the grill during embarkation.
They do have kids programs, though I can't speak to them. The middle pool and open deck is for all ages, and we did see some kids onboard - though not as nearly many as one might expect for a short weekend cruise.
I thought his comments were interesting, but his ego takes over and he shows endless video of his face. Get over yourself, turn the camera away from your face.
Steakhouses have more than just steak. There are vegetarian options, seafood, many great sides, and more. The overall cuisine there was much better than the other options, and we had a nice meal.
We didn't have a chance to do the MDR on this sailing (since it was just two nights). Steakhouses on other lines tend to have pretty great options as well, generally, in our experience (esp on contemporary lines) elevated cuisine compared to the MDR. For example, we had a fantastic vegetarian meal in the Pinnacle Grille on HAL Nieuw Amsterdam several years back. Big fans of theirs :-) www.cruisehabit.com/hal-nieuw-amsterdam-live-blog-day-7-half-moon-cay Now, on Celebrity, in contrast, while we've had nice meals in their steakhouse, we may prefer the MDR most of the time. Many options out there, and our goal is to enjoy them all 😀 Back on Scarlet Lady next week, so stay tuned!
We went in January. It wasn't a bad cruise, and we had a good time, but you certainly have to go in with an open mind! A lot of stuff still looks older, so we doubt the did any upgrades.
I’m going in 2 weeks but am doing the 6 day with the 4 day stay on the island. Thx for the video, I’m excited ❤
Have a great time, thanks for watching!
You missed an important point. This is not just a cruise it is a shuttle to Bahamas. Cruise over, stay as many days as you want then cruise back.
You're right we could've mentioned that as an option, but our experience (and thus review/sharing) was of their most popular option - a two night, closed-loop cruise.
It looks like a work in progress. My first cruise was on the Carnival Festival with bunk beds and a six inch port hole. The cost was 1,000.00 per person and this was an upgrade. The meals were set times and if you missed it too bad. My sister and I had a good time but then we didn’t know the future of cruising. By the way it was a seven night cruise out of San Juan and I think it was 1986 or 1987.
You.capture a wonderful example of how much cruising as a product, in general, has improved over the years. When we see the breadth of options across all parts of the market now, there are so many choices, and in general, at similar or lower price points than decades ago. Love having so many options! Thank you for watching :-)
THANKS! Yes, I too see 'work in progress'.... Not just in the ship renovations/enhancements... but also the food, etc...
I will bet that they were using up a lot of current food stock and working with familiar food items.
I can possibly see a LOT yet to be changed and updated/
As a cruise nerd there are few things more exciting than watching the evolution of cruise products. They have good people, a good brand, and some wonderful parts. We'll def be checking in to see what happens moving forward, and it's def a good option already, if someone wants a quick and easy getaway.
❤
Thanks for the videos. My better half and I watched both. Really helpful! We love Jimmy Buffet and love cruises. We live in the Tampa area and we are contemplating making the drive out to Palm Beach for a cruise on this ship. Sounds like a work in progress.
I'd say work in progress is accurate, however it also depends on expectations. A quick getaway, perhaps mid-week when prices are lower? You'll have a nice, no frills time. I suspect it'll only get better as they polish things up. I appreciate you watching!
I always enjoy your review style and the chemistry between you two! I first got introduced to your channel by J of Shiplife / J The Nomad and I really enjoyed the friendship between all of you. Except for the heat I would love the Florida lifestyle, but I get to enjoy your channels from cooler Pacific coast. I’m going to watch your Virgin secret room next. Thank you both so much for your hard work.
Thanks for watching, and for the kind words. J definitely helped get some more eyes on us. He's a great dude and we're going to miss hanging out with him for the next six months! Eyeing Resilient sailings so we can go say hi,but our Europe plans this year are largely set. We shall see.
Hey Mitchell we do a lot of Florida and Cruise vlogs
It’s not soooo hot 🥵 lol
Enjoy
The bartender going to get the stuff for your drink blows me away.
So now I'm even more undecided about which one to do on Labor Day weekend... Thanks... 🤣🤣🤣 I'm leaning towards a re-sail on the Carnival Liberty only because it's a day longer, but really want to experience M@S. I tell you what, cruise it again in August and see what's changed again then I can decide 🤣. Just kidding! Thanks for the review and your honesty.
August I think I'm in Europe for some cruise-related stuff (stay tuned), but we might be back before then. Who knows?!
For me personally, longer cruises == better. I've sailed 18 lines and always find a way to enjoy my time on each of them, so more time on a ship is better. That's me though. Cost, convenience of port location and sail dates, specific amenities you're looking for, etc are always considerations.
@@CruiseHabit I'm the same way about weighing out the other factors. So with Port Canaveral being closer also weighs in. The only thing that tilts my opinion to M@S is it being a different experience. I'll probably decide on the Liberty and do the other next year on like a side by side.
Thanks again for the help.
It would be nice if they also had a 3-night cruise each week. 🚢 🌴
If they end up adding a ship, as they said they'd like to, we'd be surprised if there aren't longer sailings to Nassau (visiting the Margaritaville resort there). Time will tell.
Margaritaville should buy the three Crystal ships that were impounded. They only spent 3 or 4 weeks converting the paradise to Margaritaville at Sea imagine if they spent 6 months or a year converting one of the crystal ships into a real Margaritaville resort on the ocean. That would make it a legit cruise line.
They've said they'd like to add more ships, though ships are massive investments. With all of the secondary market tonnage available right now, they likely have a lot of more appropriate options (esp in terms of price) than those Crystal ships - but anything is possible. Investors will want to see more evidence that there is additional money to be made back quickly by such a massive spend.
Thx for the review and your honest thoughts, were actually going on the Margaritaville cruise June 11th doing the cruise and stay at an all inclusive resort , hopefully the ship will be better organized and prepared by then. We're not setting our expectations too high just taking it for what it's worth.
I'd love to hear not only what the experience is like on the ship when you go, but also how the resort stay works out. I'll confess I didn't research that part much. Which property are you saying at?
Ryan Fuller please please let me know how it was for you. By chance are you staying at Viva Wyndham. We are going soon and I have to pick between Viva and Taino by this week. I hope you are having a great trip🌴🥥🍹
Hi Ryan. How was your cruise and stay? Which resort did you stay at?
@@Erin-lv5mf we stayed 2 nights at The Grand Lucayan Resort on the island, it was ok just dead after the cruise ship people who had day passes left to back on the ship every day around 4pm. We were there on a Sunday night and Monday night it was a ghost town in that entire area around resort , we left to get back on Margaritaville Cruise ship Tues afternoon. The resort is beautiful food is good dinner menu changes daily but the Ocean in front of it was a big disappointment water was dark and murky looking lots of built of seaweed we were very disappointed by that felt catfished from the videos and pictures we saw online. The all inclusive drinks is good just for certain liquors not every liquor keep in mind.After cruise ships leave everything shuts down they only open to cater to tourists.
Excellent review 👌🏻
Thank you!
Glad you liked it! Thanks so much for watching.
After being on the inaugural cruise, I am like you guys, will definitely do it again in the future to see what changes happen. Would like to try the cruise and stay package next time to extend the weak.
Let us know if you do! I'd be curious what the experience is like. Thanks for watching :-)
Nice review! You are very talented as far as making this seem effortless. I too, found you from shiplife! Definitely looking forward to more content from you!
Thank you so much! It's just a love of cruising, and a lot of practice being in front of a mic...but I still manage to say silly things at times ;-)
We'll have a ship tour and cabin tour (maybe in the same vid, not sure yet) coming out for this ship, some past cabin tours from other ships, and then in July we'll have more Virgin coverage (part of virginvoyagesgroupcruise.com).
Who knows what we might fit in between now and then though! Stay tuned, and share any feedback!
Hey Bill, we're going in July (27-29th), we'll let you know...I went on BPCL a couple of years ago, but not as a tourist, I was part of the West Palm Fire Department detachment sent over to relieve GBFD after Dorian....
Love your channel, dude!
Thanks so much for watching!
BPCL has done a few charters to FEMA and others - a great use of a ship in these cases. One nice upside is for those staying onboard after shifts...you have a/c.
I have some friends that went over there with a few SFL departments. I was a FF/PM years ago and used to love working during storms as I was guaranteed cold a/c, hot food, and a warm shower.
@@CruiseHabit Roger that! Didn't know you were on the job, even more reason to support your channel!
Hey! Thanks for the shout out!!!
Thanks for being awesome! Got your card in there at the end/in the review section too ;-)
Maybe we'll see you again soon!
@@CruiseHabit I'd love that! Drop me a line if/when you're coming!
We did bpcl before but I had my doubts about them making it different to the point that will make us want to go back ! Thanks for the sincere review .... aprriciatr that .. somehow I knew they werent going to be identical to the resort ... just in other words a little cosmetic touches and same ship .. like you said good for a quick get away but not the ultimate cruise experience ! Thanks guys 👏👏
Our pleasure! I'm really interested to watch what they might be able to do in order to get where they need to be. I want to see them succeed! (and not just b/c I want another weekend option nearby 😉)
Great video..a suggestion: Interview Marissa a little more - she's in the background and quiet - and I would like to hear some input from her. Is the buffet included in the price of the cruise?
Larissa is in some videos more than others. It's up to her, I love when she's on 😀
The buffet is included, as is the main dining room.
Was on inaugural cruise also after doing jwb first night was not chancing main dinning room and missing the show and yes seem no different from paradise at the buffet but will do it again. Since we were the winners of the couple's game lol
Let us know when you go again. Excited to identify tweaks. Congrats on your win ;-)
Agree, this definitely looks like a work in progress but I would jump on this as an "I'm in the area and wanna get away for two-day cruise." Now I just need to get back to the FLA and not spend all my time sailing out of LA! BTW, back in the day I only watched black and white TV because that's all we had. hahaha
Come back to the better coast (for cruising, at least)! The water is warmer ;-)
The true measure of your life experience isn't about having a black and white TV, but whether you know why a remote is often called a "clicker."
My cruise ship was as France
I got hook on cruise
I been on over 50 ships
I was on grand celebration and to be honest I was disappointed in shape of ship and staff I hoping to try the line again
I hope the new brand works out
Sounds like cruise line has changed a lot
I wish the best
If I was in control I would change the ship to 3 day and 4 day trip
And have more items on pool deck
It's changed some from our experience, but not sure how much, as my sample size is small.
There are certainly many lines offering a variety of experiences. As I always say, cruising isn't one thing. I love that there are so many options these days.
Thanks for watching!
I’m going June 9-11 for my birthday i went on the old Bahamas paradise 3 years ago for my birthday and i enjoyed my self so hoping for the same
Excited to hear what you think! We were on the last Bahamas Paradise sailing, but it's hard to know how different that was than the experience three years ago. Let us know how things compare with Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. Have a blast!
Thank you so much for mentioning they serve drinks with paper straws. If I decide to go, I'll be taking my own!! There is no way I can enjoy my Margaritas sipping on paper straws. They give me the same extremely unpleasant feeling as nails on a chalkboard do🤢.
Ahh, I get it. While I don't mind paper straws, we all have our things. (Take a cruise with us one day and you'll find our quirky thing about being in the water...odd for a former swimmer).
If you DO try one (and I get it if you don't) I'd be curios to know your thoughts since we found these to be different than most.
Thanks for watching!
Did they have a dinning room sit down meal? Looked like just the buffet and specialty restaurants.
Yes. There is a main dining room, "Fins", which is complimentary. We talk about overall dining at the 13:39 mark of this vid.
Were things open at the port in Freeport while you were there? trying to plan what we are doing that day in port
The businesses at the larger port facility used by some lines were not. There were a couple local shops at the building you walk through for Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. You'll likely want to head into town via a tour or car service. There are some nice resorts and many other options in town as well. It'll be a short ride.
A good travel agent can help take care of tours/excursions as well.
Is your channel pretty new, because I can see you having ten to twenty times as many subscribers as you do today?
I've had my site, CruiseHabit.com for around six years, but I didn't do much with YT until the last several months.
I was about to make a big push back in Feb 2020, but that didn't work since almost all my content is relevant to active cruises and such.
I desperately want to grow the channel, so I'm eager for feedback (good, bad, and otherwise). For example, when the channel was smaller I did some tips videos, and I don't know if that type of stuff would also be appreciated now, but with the things I've learned about YT along the way.
I appreciate you helping to grow my subscriber count :-)
I'll go anywhere where there's Landshark!
Thought your rooftop margaritaville logo observation was funny. Was thinking though, that direction would be good for arial photos of the ship. Just a theory, it is strange.
That's a good theory, though that seems a narrow use case. 🤷
Hello! I will be cruising on Margaritaville this Friday, May 20th. Since we have to have a PCR Test no more than 48hours ago, at what time should I have the test done on the 18th? Several agents have given me different sailing times (3:00, 5:00). If we arrive at 10:00 A.M. at Port, are we allowed to immediately enter the ship? Thank you for helping me. You guys give very helpful reviews.
If you're not vaccinated (which I'm assuming is the case since you mentioned PCR testing) then you need a PCR or NAAT within two days - not 48 hours. So if you sail on a Friday, then you'd need to be tested in Wed or Thurs. Many Walgreens administer NAAT tests, which are generally quicker than getting a PCR. In addition, you'll need to be tested at the port, which is $45. The below info is from their website:
"Unvaccinated Guests must provide a PCR or NAAT negative test result, taken not more than 2-days prior to embarkation and be tested at the port prior to embarkation. Unvaccinated guests MUST arrive at the port by 1:00pm on departure day to ensure tests can be completed in time for embarkation."
If you are vaccinated, you just need an antigens test (though PCR or NAAT would also be acceptable).
I hope this answers your questions. Let me know if I can clarify.
Thanks for watching!
@@CruiseHabit Thank you. Agents at Paradise Cruise line are telling me that I have to get a PCR 48 hours ahead and I should take the test around 2:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday 18th because the ship sails at 3:00? They also said that the Antigen test would cost $75.00 per person. Seems that all information everywhere on this website is contradictory to what they tell me over the phone.
See u Friday!!! Lol
I am scheduled to go this weekend. Is there free food on the shop or do you have to purchase it all?
The buffet and main dining room are complimentary. There are also hamburgers and hot dogs at 5 O'Clock Somewhere until about 3 or so on embarkation day.
Went to viva Wyndham bus one stop only, same way last trip as paradise
Interesting. We were on the last trip as BPCL and stopped at all of the spots. I wonder why some busses had different routes.
awesome question, standard??? We live in south FL and have wanted to stay at the resort but absolutely to expensive. But although it is a Margaritaville brand, how does a 2 night cruise compare?
To be honest, it doesn't compare well. The Margaritaville Resort (at least the Hollywood one we toured and showed in a recent video). We had a lovely weekend but it's not as refined or as well themed as the resort. I'd love to see some changes close that gap a bit. We discuss this at the very end of this video. This link should take you right to it. ruclips.net/video/DOc4ATdJ8IA/видео.html
@@CruiseHabit The one thing I believe is different is cost, 1 night at the resort can be around $300 to $500 or more with no extras but on the cruise I am guessing it is far less and much more included. I understand the comparison of brand but I would love for you to break down the cost comparison.
@@louiscerulli5676 That's a very fair point, but with some caveats. For this sailing (which was on a weekend, and those are priced higher), the total was about $900 (base fare, plus gratuities and fuel surcharges which hit your onboard account). That doesn't include WiFi, drinks, up-charge dining, etc.
Looking at a random weekend at the Hollywood resort, for three nights (seems to be their min stay), the total with tax is $1,758.66, which of course doesn't include food. If we look at 2/3 of that (to emulate a two night stay), it's $1172.44.
Now, those caveats: For one, generally speaking if you compare the cost per night of a cruise to the cost per night of an equivalent land resort, the cruise comes out cheaper. Lots of variables there, but I think that's fair to say. So that part is pretty standard. To me, the reason the comparison is still apt, however, is a simple matter of guest expectations. If someone sees an ad for Margaritaville at Sea, I suspect most would reasonably expect a comparable experience. That's just something they'll have to battle, and I suspect they're aware of that.
hello when did you go on this on the margarittaville a sea?
This sailing was their first, on May 14, 2022 (five days ago).
BUST, they just slapped a paint job on an OLD boat.
Many other choices.
We do reviews and I passed on a free trip the first voyage
Knowing this wasn’t goi g to be good 🤷♂️
It'd take a TON of work to bring a 30 year old ship up to Margaritaville standards overall. For what they had to work with I think they did okay, but have more ahead that will help. The good news is a small tweak in cuisine and massaging the theming would probably go a long way. It all depends on what you're comparing against I suppose. In the end we had a nice time. We'll see what happens over the coming months.
What are your recommendation for the resort- Taino or the other one? Thank you
I've not been to the Freeport Taino Bay resort. If I recall, that one is NOT all-inclusive, whereas the Viva Wyndham (which is what we did) is.
We show and discuss the Viva Wyndham in this video: ruclips.net/video/d5vAPGSSyA0/видео.html
You can also see some non-cruise line sponsored excursions here:www.viator.com/Freeport/d419-ttd?pid=P00046270&uid=U00172808&mcid=58086
Finally, I've never been to the Grand Lucayan, but I've heard people speak highly of it. Personally, we'd not mind going back to the Viva Wyndham, just know the bus ride is a bit of a pain when booked through the cruise line.
This guy is like squid ward from Spongebob. Lol
Thanks for watching?
After seeing videos of this cruise. Would I cruise. HELL NO
You have to buy all the food ???
Nope. We talk about food in the review section/second part of the vid. The buffet and main dining are complimentary, as is the grill during embarkation.
Doesn’t look to Childrens Friendly
They do have kids programs, though I can't speak to them. The middle pool and open deck is for all ages, and we did see some kids onboard - though not as nearly many as one might expect for a short weekend cruise.
It’s weird seeing someone who hasn’t even heard of chicken with grey in their beard
I was being facetious, I'm familiar with chicken 😂
@@CruiseHabit oh I see now! how naive of me 😩😂😂
Old old ship , no thanks
I thought his comments were interesting, but his ego takes over and he shows endless video of his face. Get over yourself, turn the camera away from your face.
Thanks for your feedback. This particular video was about my experience, so you get my face. In ship tours, room tours, etc you won't see much of me.
Why go to a steak house if you don’t eat meat? Would have been nice to get more views from your wife.
Steakhouses have more than just steak. There are vegetarian options, seafood, many great sides, and more. The overall cuisine there was much better than the other options, and we had a nice meal.
@@CruiseHabit same thing in main dining room on most cruises, have fun, maybe we see you onboard sometime.
We didn't have a chance to do the MDR on this sailing (since it was just two nights). Steakhouses on other lines tend to have pretty great options as well, generally, in our experience (esp on contemporary lines) elevated cuisine compared to the MDR. For example, we had a fantastic vegetarian meal in the Pinnacle Grille on HAL Nieuw Amsterdam several years back. Big fans of theirs :-)
www.cruisehabit.com/hal-nieuw-amsterdam-live-blog-day-7-half-moon-cay
Now, on Celebrity, in contrast, while we've had nice meals in their steakhouse, we may prefer the MDR most of the time.
Many options out there, and our goal is to enjoy them all 😀
Back on Scarlet Lady next week, so stay tuned!