Your first Margaritaville at Sea cruise comes with a lot of questions. Which ship should you book? What do you actually need to pack? How does embarkation work? What does everything cost once you are on board?

I had all of these before my first sailing. This post puts the answers in one place - ship choice, packing, embarkation day at Palm Beach, the billing basics that catch people off guard, and the insider tips that take a few hours of sailing to figure out on your own. By the time you board, you will know exactly what to expect.

Before You Book

Which ship is right for a first-timer?

Margaritaville at Sea operates two ships and the right choice depends on what you want.

Paradise sails from Port of Palm Beach on 2- to 5-night itineraries. It is an older, smaller ship - no balcony cabins, smaller pool areas, and a fuel supplement of around £12 ($15) per person per night that adds real cost. The entry price is lower and the sailing is short. If you are not sure whether you will enjoy cruising, a 2-night Paradise sailing is the lowest-risk way to find out.

Islander is the newer and larger ship, sailing from Tampa on 4- to 10-night itineraries. Three pool areas, suites with balconies, the Ultimate Beverage Chill drink package included in some fares, and no fuel supplement. The overall experience is more complete.

My honest steer: if budget is your first concern or you want a quick test, book Paradise. If you want a proper first cruise experience without holding back, book Islander.

For a full comparison, see Margaritaville Paradise vs Islander.

Cabin advice

On Paradise there are no balconies - ocean view is the best available, and the small premium over interior is worth it. On Islander, balconies are available and worth considering for a first trip. Inside cabins on both ships are darker and smaller than ocean view rooms.

How long to sail for

A 2-night sailing on Paradise is the lowest-commitment entry point - useful if you genuinely are not sure you will enjoy a cruise. A 4-night sailing on Islander gives you more time to settle in, more port stops, and a fuller sense of what cruising is actually like.

How to book

Book direct at margaritavilleatsea.com or through a travel agent. Both get the same base pricing. An agent may have access to group rates and handles the paperwork on your behalf.

Before You Sail

No app - use Cruise Control

Margaritaville at Sea does not have a dedicated mobile app. The web portal is called Cruise Control (reservations.margaritavilleatsea.com/guest-portal). It handles everything pre-cruise: paying your balance, downloading your boarding pass, viewing your arrival window, and purchasing add-ons at the pre-sailing discount. It works in a mobile browser.

Online check-in opens 21 days before sailing. Your assigned boarding window arrives by email at the same time. Boarding passes have been required since April 2025 - print yours or save it to your phone before you leave for the port.

What to pack

A lanyard is the most useful item you can bring. Your stateroom key is used constantly - for charging purchases, re-entering the ship at port, and opening your cabin. Without a lanyard, you are fishing it out of your pocket all day.

Do not bring your own hairdryer if you are sailing on Paradise. The older electrical system can blow a fuse. Hairdryers are provided in every stateroom, along with St. Somewhere-branded shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

Do not bring any outside drinks. No water bottles, no soda, no alcohol. All of it is confiscated at embarkation without exception. Alcohol purchased in port is collected at the gangway on the way back and returned to your stateroom on the final night.

Staterooms have 110V North American outlets plus two USB-A and one USB-C port. A compact power strip is useful if you are charging multiple devices overnight.

No formal nights on either ship. Collared shirts or blouses are required for the main dining room - jean shorts and a neat top are fine.

Pre-cruise hotel near Palm Beach

If you are flying in the night before, PBI airport is 15 minutes from the port. FLL is about 45 minutes. The Marriott West Palm Beach on Rosemary Avenue is a solid choice - central, easy rideshare access to the terminal, and walkable to the city centre the evening before.

Travel documents

Bring originals. A passport is the safest option. If you are a US citizen and the itinerary is a closed-loop sailing to the Bahamas, a birth certificate plus government-issued photo ID is accepted. Do not bring photocopies or phone photos - originals only.

Embarkation Day

Getting to the port

Port of Palm Beach is at 1 East 11th Street, Riviera Beach, FL 33404. The terminal opens at 9:30 AM and closes at 3:00 PM. Miss the 3:00 PM cutoff and you miss the cruise - this is treated as a no-show with no refund.

Your assigned arrival window is set 21 days before sailing. Arriving outside your window puts you in the Standby line, which is slower.

Parking is £15 ($19) per day, credit card only - no cash accepted. Pre-booking is recommended. A rideshare from nearby hotels runs around £9-12 ($12-15). PBI airport is 15 minutes from the port.

The one booking mistake to avoid

At the kiosk just past the check-in area - before you set foot on the ship - you can book JWB Steakhouse and spa appointments. Do this immediately. Both fill up fast on every sailing. By the time most passengers think to book them, the good slots are gone.

You cannot book either in advance online - the kiosk on embarkation day is your only window.

Your first hour on board

Head straight to the High Tide Market for lunch - it is the least crowded the ship will be all sailing. Your stateroom will not be ready until around 2:00 PM, so use the time to explore while decks are quiet.

The muster drill is mandatory and in-person - not virtual like on many larger cruise lines. On Paradise it runs at around 5:00 PM. Expect it to be shoulder-to-shoulder on the promenade deck. Get there a few minutes early if you want a less cramped spot.

Onboard Essentials

How billing works

Your stateroom key is your cashless charge card for the entire sailing. Every purchase - drinks, spa, dining, casino - charges to your room account, which settles against the credit card you registered at check-in.

You cannot check your account balance on your phone. To check your balance, go to Guest Services in person.

What gratuities cost

Gratuities are auto-charged and non-removable: £17 ($22) per person per night for standard staterooms, £20 ($25) per person per night for suites. Budget for this before you sail - on a 3-night sailing for two in a stateroom, that is around £103 ($132) before you buy a single drink.

The 20% service charge

As of February 2025, every optional purchase on board carries an automatic 20% service charge added at point of sale. Bar drinks, spa treatments, specialty dining, drink packages, room service - the menu price is not the final price. The JWB Steakhouse cover charge runs around £39 ($49) per person before the charge is added, making it around £46 ($59) after.

Paradise also adds a fuel supplement of £12 ($15) per person per night - Islander does not. Factor both into your budget before you book.

What the drink package does not cover

The Ultimate Beverage Chill package on Islander does not include specialty coffee from the Margaritaville Coffee Shop. Iced coffees start at around £2.40 ($3) and mocha lattes run up to around £5 ($6.25), each with the 20% service charge on top. Budget for this separately.

Following the daily schedule

There is no app for the onboard schedule. The most reliable source is the paper Daily Cruise News delivered to your stateroom each evening by your cabin steward. QR codes posted around the ship link to a digital version, but the page loads slowly. Check your in-room newsletter the evening before for anything time-sensitive the following day.

For a deeper look at the dining options, see the Complete Dining Guide for Margaritaville Paradise.

The Things Nobody Tells You

Book JWB Steakhouse and spa at the check-in kiosk before boarding. I have said this once and I am saying it again. It is the most consistent regret from first-timers who end up eating at the buffet every night. The kiosk is just past the check-in area. Stop there before you walk down the gangway.

The pizza at Frank and Lola's is free and genuinely good. It is inside the High Tide Market, included in your fare, and available all day. When you want a snack between meals, go there first.

The 12 Volt Bar on Deck 12 is the quiet alternative to the pool deck. It is adults-only with panoramic views. When the LandShark Pool area feels chaotic - and during peak hours it will - the 12 Volt Bar is where you go to actually sit with a drink without the party noise.

Keys on the Water is the best evening entertainment that most passengers walk past. The dueling piano show on Deck 9 draws a fraction of the crowd that fills the main venue. It is included in your fare and runs most evenings. Worth finding on your first night.

The Daily Cruise News in your stateroom is more reliable than the QR codes. The digital schedule via QR code loads inconsistently on the ship's network. The paper newsletter tells you everything you need for the next day and arrives every evening without fail.

For more on what the experience is actually like day-to-day, see What's the Vibe on Margaritaville Paradise? and 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before My First Margaritaville Cruise. For the ship overview, see the full Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Review.