Your first Margaritaville at Sea cruise.

Margaritaville at Sea is a casual, island-themed cruise line built around exactly what the name promises: a laid-back, no-shoes-required escape with live music, easy food and a drink in your hand. It's an approachable first cruise — short itineraries, close-to-home Florida departures and a relaxed vibe. Here's how the whole thing works.

1 · Before you book

Pick your ship

The fleet has three ships, and the right one mostly comes down to where you want to leave from and how long you want to sail:

• Paradise — short 2–5 night Bahamas and Key West getaways from the Port of Palm Beach. The easiest long-weekend option.
• Islander — longer 4–10 night Caribbean and Mexico sailings from Port Tampa Bay.
• Beachcomber — Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean routes from PortMiami.

Not sure? The fleet comparison lays them side by side.

Pick your cabin

Every cabin gets the same ship, ports and included experiences — what changes is light, space and price. In short: Inside is cheapest with no window, Ocean View adds daylight and a sea view, Balcony gives you private outdoor space, and a Suite is the roomiest. The cabin guide breaks down the honest trade-offs and shows the lowest fare for each.

Watch the fare

Cruise pricing is dynamic — the same sailing can cost noticeably more or less week to week. We capture fares daily, so before you book it's worth checking the deals page for the biggest recent drops, and each voyage page has a running price-history table so you can see whether today's number is actually a good one.

2 · What's included (and what's extra)

Like most cruise lines, your fare covers the essentials and the extras are à la carte. Broadly:

• Included: your cabin, main dining, casual/buffet eateries, most onboard entertainment and live music, pools and hot tubs, the fitness center, and kids' and teens' clubs.
• Extra: specialty restaurants, alcoholic and specialty drinks (or a beverage package), gratuities, Wi-Fi, spa treatments, shore excursions and the casino.

Two costs first-timers underestimate are drinks and gratuities. If you drink more than a couple a day, a beverage package can pay off — run your numbers through the drink calculator. Margaritaville at Sea adds gratuities automatically at $22 per guest, per night for staterooms and $25 for suites, and on Paradise a $15 per guest, per night fuel supplement on top (Islander: $0; no rate published for Beachcomber). For two people on a 4-night Paradise sailing that is $296 before you buy a single drink. Figures from Margaritaville at Sea's Schedule of Onboard Charges, checked 10 August 2026.

3 · Getting to your ship

All three home ports are in Florida — Palm Beach, Tampa and Miami. A few essentials:

• Documents: bring the ID the line requires for your itinerary. A passport is the safest choice for any cruise that visits another country; check the official requirements for your specific sailing well ahead of time.
• Arrive early: give yourself buffer to park, drop bags and clear security before your boarding window. If you're flying in, coming a day early removes the single biggest source of cruise stress — a missed departure.
• Parking: each terminal has its own parking and rates. Confirm current details for your home port before you leave — start from that port's page under Ports.

4 · Boarding day

Check in online before you travel — you'll typically get a boarding time and a digital or printed boarding pass. At the terminal you'll drop checked luggage with porters (it's delivered to your cabin later), clear security, and walk aboard. Your cabin may not be ready the moment you board, so most people head straight to lunch and the pool deck with a carry-on holding anything they need for the first few hours (medication, swimsuit, sunscreen). Before the ship sails, there's a short mandatory safety drill.

5 · Life aboard

Once you're on, the day is yours. Expect live music and Radio Margaritaville around the pools, a casino with the Players Club, a spa and gym, and a rotation of dining from casual to specialty. A few practicalities:

• Paying onboard: your room card is your wallet — everything is charged to your account and settled at the end.
• Dress code: casual by design. Daytime is resort-wear and swimsuits; evenings are relaxed, with maybe one slightly dressier night.
• Staying connected: Wi-Fi is a paid add-on; buy a plan if you need to stay online, or embrace the disconnect.

6 · Port days

On port days you can book a shore excursion through the line, explore independently, or simply stay aboard while the ship is quiet. Note whether your port is a docked or tender stop — at tender ports the ship anchors offshore and boats ferry you in, which takes a little longer. Every port the fleet visits has a guide with what's worth your day and which sailings call there.

7 · Getting home

The night before you return, you'll get debarkation instructions and settle your onboard account. Most guests either set their bags out the night before for the crew to offload, or carry everything off themselves for the earliest exit. Don't book a same-morning flight too tight — give yourself margin for disembarkation and the drive to the airport.

8 · Ten first-timer tips

1. Book refundable if you can, then watch the fare tracker — you can often rebook lower.
2. Pack a carry-on for the first few hours aboard before luggage arrives.
3. Bring a passport for any cruise leaving the country.
4. Do the drink-package math before you sail, not at the bar.
5. Budget for gratuities up front so the final bill isn't a surprise.
6. Make specialty-dining reservations early for the nights you want.
7. Arrive at the port city the day before if you're flying.
8. Bring a small bills stash for porters and off-ship extras.
9. Download the line's app for schedules and your account.
10. Pace yourself on day one — it's a marathon of margaritas, not a sprint.

Ready to plan? Start with the voyage finder, or tell a human what you're after — our advisor partner can help you book. Get help planning →