Cruise
Sailing the Mexican Caribbean, Margaritaville Style
by Randy Mink
From palm trees painted on the funnel and a hull emblazoned with parrots to public areas accented with flip-flop, surfboard and marine life motifs, the Margaritaville at Sea Islander artfully conveys the Margaritaville brand’s laid-back vibe.
A carefree, tropical aura prevails from bow to stern. If you like the color turquoise, you’ll be captivated by the decor in your stateroom and all around the festively appointed 2,680-passenger ship, which entered service in 2024.
Fresh back from a five-night cruise from Tampa, Florida to the Mexican Caribbean, I would recommend the Islander (formerly the Costa Atlantica) to anyone looking for a reasonably priced, easygoing experience with the usual high-octane agenda of activities and entertainment offered by a mass-market cruise.
Sophisticated or upscale, the ship is not. In the spirit of the late singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, however, it’s the right place to chill out and unwind, as the lifestyle brand he created—a global empire encompassing land resorts, restaurants and merchandise—is a synonym for escapism and casual fun. For a unique souvenir, make an appointment at the Permanent Reminder Tattoo Studio.
Poolside Pleasures
One day on my group’s cruise, the jumbo poolside movie screen featured Buffett in concert, singing hit songs like “Margaritaville,” “Come Monday” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.”
Signage around the ship declares that you’re on “Island Time” and that “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.” Outdoor clocks on upper decks are frozen permanently at 5:00. The It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere Bar resides by a pool of the same name. The other Deck 9 pool has the three-level Landshark Bar, named after the Margaritaville brand’s LandShark Lager, a good beer.
My favorite poolside eats were the juicy burgers and seasoned fries at Cheeseburger in Paradise, a food station next to another go-to place for me and my group—a soft-serve ice cream machine.
Dining Options
Dinner in Fins Dining Room was a much-anticipated event for us. I especially liked the Cajun and Southern dishes—taste treats like gumbo, jambalaya, hush puppies, and shrimp and cheddar grits. Caribbean flavors also pleased my palate, particularly the jerked pork tenderloin with peach chutney and Jamaican pumpkin soup.
Lunchtimes had me piling my plate at Port of Indecision Buffet, which also was open in the evening. The nearby pizzeria served four varieties of scrumptious pizza from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.
For an extra charge, Islander guests can indulge in other food outlets. Sushi fans flock to Far Side of the World Bar, while a seafood shack by the adults-only Tiki Bar Pool serves up lobster rolls, crab legs, conch fritters, peel-and-eat shrimp and buckets of mussels. For fine dining, there’s JWB Prime Steakhouse.
Exploring the Yucatan
The cruise called at two ports on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula—Progreso and Cozumel.
From Progreso, my group’s shore excursion combined a visit to Xcambo Mayan ruins with lunch and shopping time in Merida, the Yucatan’s biggest city. Not all ruins in Mexico are climbable, so we welcomed the chance to clamber about Xcambo’s mountains of stone.
In Cozumel, Mexico’s busiest cruise destination, the Margaritaville contingent shared the island with thousands of passengers from six other ships. The port area is highly commercialized, with countless jewelry and souvenir shops vying for daytrippers’ business.
For an island overview, my group booked a private van tour and asked the guide to show us Cozumel’s wild east coast, a stretch of deserted beaches where few tourists venture. We stopped for photos at a scenic lookout and got refreshments at a humble food hut/souvenir stand down the road. Other stops included downtown San Miguel’s central plaza and a place that offered generous tequila sampling for $5 U.S.
Besides Mexico cruises from Tampa, Margaritaville at Sea markets two- and three-night Bahamas flings out of Palm Beach, Florida. In 2027 the Margaritaville at Sea Beachcomber (the former Costa Fortuna) will become the line’s largest ship, offering week-long Caribbean sailings from Miami.
