Brittany Chang/Insider
Margaritaville’s first cruise ship is now operating two-night sailings from Florida to the Bahamas.
I stayed in the almost 180-square-foot oceanview stateroom starting at $200.
The cruise line is new but the stateroom aboard the 30-year-old ship didn’t feel modern or refreshed.
I spent a night in the oceanview stateroom on Margaritaville’s first cruise ship, the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise.
Margaritaville
Before the cruise, I expected a modern stateroom decked out with all things Margaritaville and Jimmy Buffett …
Margaritaville
… similar to the hotel rooms inside Margaritaville’s recent $300 million Times Square property ….
Brittany Chang/Insider
Source: Insider
… or the other heavily themed spaces aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise cruise ship.
Brittany Chang/Insider
Instead, when I first opened the doors to my stateroom, I was left feeling like the space didn’t live up to its full sponge cake and sun bake potential.
Brittany Chang/Insider
The actual accommodations felt as old as the original “Margaritaville” song.
Brittany Chang/Insider
And for a company that relies so heavily on its branding, the minimal decorations left me surprised and disappointed.
Margaritaville
Margaritaville at Sea is the hospitality empire’s first foray into the cruise industry.
Brittany Chang/Insider
But its first ship is nowhere near as new as the brand. It’s actually about 30-years-old.
Brittany Chang/Insider
Margaritaville partnered with Florida-based Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line to create the new brand.
Brittany Chang/Insider
The latter has since rebranded to Margaritaville at Sea …
Brittany Chang/Insider
… and its previous flagship vessel has similarly undergone a “multi-million dollar” transformation to become a floating Margaritaville resort.
Brittany Chang/Insider
Source: Insider
This initial investment was hefty, but it felt like the staterooms weren’t a priority in this ship-wide refreshment.
Brittany Chang/Insider
My accommodation didn’t feel as modern and updated as other recently unveiled cruise ships, which might be understandable given the age of the ship.
Brittany Chang/Insider
But in my opinion, the new cruise brand could have done a better job of turning the plain staterooms into an immersive Margaritaville experience.
Brittany Chang/Insider
The Oceanview stateroom I stayed in is the Margaritaville at Sea Paradises’ mid-tier stateroom option starting at $200.
Brittany Chang/Insider
To compare, the interior stateroom starts at almost $170 …
Brittany Chang/Insider
… while the Grand Terrace suite has a starting price of almost $800.
The McBride Company
It wasn’t the grandest option, but my 176-square-foot oceanview stateroom still had all the basics …
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… including a television, closet, bed, desk with a chair, and bathroom.
Brittany Chang/Insider
When I first walked in, I …read more
Source:: Business Insider
