Margaritaville Paradise runs a short sailing - two nights from Palm Beach to the Bahamas and back. That means every meal decision matters more than it would on a week-long voyage. The good news is the dining options are better than the ship's budget positioning suggests. The honest caveat is that the dress code at the main dining room catches more people out than the line admits.

I sailed Paradise and ate at three of the four main venues. Here is what I found, what I skipped, and where to spend your money.

How Dining Works on Paradise

The fare covers two main venues: Fins, the main dining room (MDR), open for dinner each night, and the High Tide Market food hall for casual daytime eating. The pool deck Cheeseburger in Paradise Burger Bar is also included. Everything else carries a supplement.

The extra-cost options are JWB Prime Steakhouse (around £39/$49 per person) and Far Side Sushi (a la carte, around £8/$10 per roll). Margaritaville at Sea also sells a Paradise Prime Dining Package at £71/$89.99 per person, which bundles JWB dinner, Far Side Sushi, and a sparkling brunch into one pre-purchase.

There are no fixed dining times on this ship. Fins runs open seating - turn up when you want, within service hours. JWB takes reservations and advance booking is strongly recommended. You can book via margaritavilleatsea.com before you sail. High Tide Market needs no reservation.

Dress code across the ship is smart casual. Fins enforces it at the door. No pool attire means no flip-flops, no cut-off tees, no swimwear. JWB expects resort smart - a step above the MDR. The food hall and burger bar have no dress requirement.

All prices in this guide are GBP first, USD in brackets.

Fins - Main Dining Room

Fins is where most passengers eat dinner both nights, and it is the right choice. The room is the most polished dining space on the ship. The menu runs a three-course rotating format, labelled Opening Act (starters), Headliners (mains), and Encore (desserts).

The menu changes between night one and night two. Night one tends to get the better reviews. Sample starters I can confirm: Frito Misto and Caesar Salad. Mains include Citrus Mahi Mahi, Parmesan Veal Scallopini, Shrimp and Grits, and Jimmy's Jambalaya. Tiramisu and Pina Colada Lush round out desserts. The island-inspired dishes are on the lighter side. Nothing here is going to surprise you, but it is honest cooking.

My honest take: the quality lands around upscale American chain restaurant level - think Applebees or Chilis on a good day. That is not a criticism for a two-night budget cruise. It is solid execution at a sensible price point, and it exceeded my expectations going in.

The dress code is genuinely enforced. On my first night, I watched a couple get turned away at the door - the husband was in flip-flops and a cut-off tee, straight from the pool. They were not happy about it. Change before dinner. It is worth it.

Fins labels GF (gluten free), V (vegetarian), and VG (vegan) options on the menu each night, which makes dietary navigation straightforward.

Patrick's Tip: Go on night one if you have a preference. The day-one menu earns consistently better reviews and the kitchen is fresher. Night two is fine, but if you are only doing one MDR dinner, do it on embarkation day.

Specialty Restaurants

JWB Prime Steakhouse

JWB is the only specialty restaurant I visited, and it is the one worth the cover charge. The atmosphere is a genuine step up from the rest of the ship - leather accents, lower lighting, a slower pace. It feels like a restaurant, not a cruise ship dining room.

The cover charge is around £39/$49 per person. Older sources online cite £43-46/$55-58 - use the £39/$49 figure, which reflects the current post-January 2026 pricing from my own sailing.

Sample starters include fried oysters and deviled eggs. Mains run prime steaks, filet, and fresh-caught seafood, with sides ordered separately. The asparagus was genuinely good - not a detail I expected to mention. Banana cream pie and key lime pie round out desserts.

Service is slow. Dinner takes over two hours. On a two-night sailing that is either a lovely indulgence or an annoying limitation, depending on how you view it. Plan JWB for your first night if you want time for entertainment afterwards.

Book before you sail at margaritavilleatsea.com. The restaurant has limited covers and on a two-night cruise, if you want both a JWB dinner and two Fins dinners, you have exactly one JWB slot available. Walk-in on the day is possible if space exists, but I would not risk it.

If you are planning to try both JWB and Far Side Sushi, the Paradise Prime Dining Package at £71/$89.99 per person is worth doing the maths on. JWB alone is £39/$49 per person. Add sushi on top and the package pays for itself.

Far Side Sushi

Far Side Sushi is a new addition - it came in during the 2025 refit and was expanded in the January 2026 reimagining. The venue occupies a bamboo-accented dedicated space and runs a la carte rolls at around £8/$10 each, plus small plates and rice and ramen bowls. A standalone Far Side Sampler package is also available, though pricing should be confirmed on margaritavilleatsea.com before you sail.

I did not get to Far Side Sushi on my sailing. I cannot give a first-hand verdict. What I can say is the a la carte pricing makes it accessible - a few rolls as a light dinner is a reasonable spend. If you want to do both sushi and JWB, the Paradise Prime Dining Package is the smarter route.

Casual and Buffet Dining

High Tide Market

The High Tide Market replaced the old Port of Indecision buffet in the January 2026 refit. The concept shifts from traditional steam-tray buffet to a food hall model with individual stations, each with a distinct menu.

The stations are: Frank and Lola's Pizzeria, Mexican Cutie Cantina, License to Chill Sandwich Shack, Provisions Salads and More, and Slice of Paradise Desserts. The Mexican Cutie Cantina offers build-your-own tacos and bowls. Provisions handles salads and lighter options for anyone who wants something that is not fried. The dessert station closes out the hall.

My lunch experience at the buffet - before the full January 2026 food hall rollout - genuinely impressed me. The fried chicken and plantains hit a higher level than I expected from a budget ship. That was also the first food I had touched after nearly two hours in the embarkation queue, which may have helped. The new food hall model builds on that with a made-to-order approach rather than warming trays. Check with the ship on embarkation day for current opening hours across the stations, as these can shift.

Patrick's Tip: The pizza slices at Frank and Lola's are free and available throughout the day within the market. It is the best free snack on the ship. Grab one between the pool and getting ready for dinner.

Cheeseburger in Paradise Burger Bar

Located at the 5 O'Clock Somewhere Bar and Grill on the pool deck, this is exactly what it sounds like: build-your-own burgers with toppings, fries, and a Beyond Burger option for plant-based guests. It is included in the fare and runs during daytime hours. Solid poolside food. Not a destination, but reliable.

Room Service

Room service runs 24 hours a day. Order via the ROOM SERVICE button on your stateroom phone or through the ship app.

It carries a charge. As of February 2025, Margaritaville at Sea applies a fee per item plus a 20% service charge across all room service orders. The menu is diverse - breakfast items including pancakes in the morning, salads and sandwiches at lunch, grilled fish and pasta for dinner. Frank and Lola's will also deliver a whole pizza to your cabin for a £4/$5 delivery fee plus the 20% service charge. At around £13-14 total for a pizza split between two people, that is the best-value room service option on board.

Room service on a two-night sailing is most useful for a quiet morning or a late-night snack. It is not the place to have your best meal. Use Fins or JWB for that.

The One Dinner to Book

If you book one specialty dinner on Paradise, make it JWB Prime Steakhouse.

Here is the maths: you have two nights and Fins is included both evenings. The MDR is good, but it is not the reason to remember the trip. JWB at £39/$49 per person is the one moment on this sailing where the food and atmosphere genuinely step up. The asparagus alone is worth mentioning twice. The steak is good. The room feels different from the rest of the ship.

Book it for night one at margaritavilleatsea.com before you sail. Secure your table early - specialty covers are limited on a two-night cruise. If you leave it until embarkation day you may find yourself eating at Fins both nights, which is fine, but it is a missed opportunity.

Dietary Needs and Allergies

Fins MDR is the most accommodating venue for passengers with dietary requirements. The menus carry GF, V, and VG labels on every item each night, so identifying options is straightforward. The open seating format also means you can speak directly to a manager or the first cook at the start of your meal to flag specific needs - do this when you arrive, not after you have ordered.

Vegetarian and vegan passengers are reasonably served at Fins. The High Tide Market has options via the Provisions station and the Mexican Cutie Cantina, though the food hall format is self-service and harder to adapt for serious allergies. The Cheeseburger in Paradise Burger Bar includes a Beyond Burger for plant-based guests.

Gluten-free is labelled at Fins. Cross-contamination in the food hall cannot be ruled out - passengers with coeliac disease should treat the High Tide Market with caution and stick to the MDR for safe choices.

Kosher and halal menus are not standard on this ship. If these are requirements, contact Margaritaville at Sea guest services directly before you sail. Pre-notification is the only way to ensure the kitchen can prepare safe options.

For any serious allergy or dietary requirement, contact the line before you travel. Do not rely on discovering options at the dinner table on night one.