I stayed in Margaritaville at Sea's renovated cabins. My 176-square-foot interior stateroom wasn't the best, but it felt larger than other cruise cabins.

Lauren MackJul 11, 2023, 22:03 IST

On our three-day trip aboard the Margaritaville at Sea, we stopped at Grand Bahama Island.Lauren Mack

My brother and I shared a 176-square-foot interior stateroom on the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise.
The ship, which is over 30 years old, recently debuted a multimillion-dollar renovation.

This summer, my brother and I embarked on a three-day voyage from Palm Beach to Grand Bahama aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise.

The vessel, which is over 30 years old, is the first cruise operated by the Jimmy Buffett-founded hospitality brand. It made its inaugural voyage as the rebranded Margaritaville at Sea Paradise in 2022 and has since undergone a multimillion-dollar renovation.

Because the voyage was short, I reserved a 176-square-foot interior stateroom, the 658-cabin cruise ship's entry-level accommodation, directly through Margaritaville at Sea.

I booked my room during the cruise line's spring sale, scoring a 40% discount that brought the total cost for each passenger to $330.70 (including taxes and service charges, gratuities, and fuel surcharges). However, this rate didn't include any add-ons like drink packages, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, or excursions.

Here's what our cabin was like.

The interior stateroom I initially booked smelled like cigarettes, so guest services moved us twice before we found a suitable cabin.

We moved interior staterooms twice when we boarded the ship and ended up on deck six.Lauren Mack

After entering our interior stateroom, I stepped into a long hallway.

The entire room, from the entrance hallway to the bedroom, was carpeted.Lauren Mack

The hallway opened to the main room, which had a mounted table on the left, two twin-size beds, and a small bedside ledge.

Our interior stateroom slept up to four people.Lauren Mack

On the right side of the back wall, there was a narrow closet that provided extra storage.

I stored my suitcase on the bottom shelf.Lauren Mack

On the ride side of the room, there was a TV mounted on the wall, directly above a small wet bar.

The TV sat at an angle, giving both of us a clear view of the screen.Lauren Mack

The wet bar was stocked with a mini fridge, a stainless-steel ice bucket, and drinking glasses.

The wet bar was situated directly below the TV.Lauren Mack

There was an abundance of lighting options in the stateroom, which was necessary given the lack of windows.

The light fixtures made a big difference.Lauren Mack

The cabin had such ample storage space that we had room to spare, even after we unpacked.

The closet had enough room for four people's belongings.Lauren Mack

The bathroom was right off the entrance hallway in the front of the room and had a decent amount of space inside.

The bathroom had a full-length mirror and a vanity.Lauren Mack

The shower was compact but featured a handheld showerhead with five adjustable settings and impressive water pressure.

The shower had complimentary shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner inside.Lauren Mack

After changing staterooms two times, I realized that they seemed to be inconsistently furnished and stocked.

The mini fridge in our room didn't work very well.Lauren Mack

I was also baffled by the lack of Margaritaville spirit I felt in my cabin.

There were small homages to Margaritaville in the cabin, but they were subtle.Lauren Mack

Our no-frills interior stateroom did the job, but it certainly wasn't luxurious.

I wouldn't recommend this room to cruisers who are prone to seasickness.Lauren Mack

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