North America's Worst Cruise Ship
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- čas přidán 27. 05. 2024
- Today we're embarking on a 2 day "mini cruise" to the Bahamas and back aboard the Margaritaville At Sea Paradise, the oldest major cruise ship in North America. After trying out most the ship has to offer, here's my honest thoughts on what this cruise ship is actually like, why this product exists in the modern cruise industry, and why in my opinion, it's the worst cruise ship in North America.
Merch - shopbrightsunfilms.com
Jake's X/Twitter - / bsf_jake
Instagram - / brightsuntravels
Main Channel - @BrightSunFilms
Emmi’s Channel - @emmi_lancaster
Jake’s is it Any Good Score - docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Chapters:
Opening - 0:00
Cruise Line's History - 0:54
Ship's History - 3:07
Voyage & Cabin - 4:55
Food & Drinks - 8:24
Activities - 12:20
Ship's Design - 14:19
Rough Appearance - 18:45
Experience - 20:48
At Port - 22:26
Pricing & Comparables - 23:15
Score - 27:44
Final Thoughts - 29:37
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Bright Sun Travels 2023
Presented in 4k
That thing with the billiard balls killed me. They can't be bothered to upkeep the pool table mechanics but they can send a security guard out to actively sabotage the sparse fun that the guests ARE experiencing.
Says everything really.
game's over
I was just about to say this. With all the money people are spending just to get a ticket on this ship, I don't think it'd have killed their budget to just have a normal billiards table.
You know that guard was fist pumping the air afterwards for coming up with "Game's Over"
FR, like they would have been better off just having a free table if they're not gonna upkeep it
That man taking all the balls from an active game and saying "Game's Over" seems quite on brand for what I'd expect from the title of the video
AiDS burger in paradise
How dare you attempt to have any fun on this cruise for less than $19!
Right ..not to mention how long do u think that hole had been there? Before they noticed just because they were actually using it 😂
Considering how shitty the entire ship is, that guy had some audacity to do that to the guests. I guess that’s the entire issue with this ship is every person who’s worked on it is mediocre.
@@Xenthera what happens when your crew comes from a Craigslist or Kijiji ad .
the season pass thing is so fascinating as someone who almost worked on cruise ships and went to school for hospitality and tourism. a lot of older people choose to die on cruise ships, it's so common that there are morgues in the ship and it's talked about beyond the industry. the pass almost feels like it's encouraging it, plus the target audience for this would be older people. it gives me a weird feeling
I was told this was partly done for economic reasons: traveling on these ultra budget cruise ships is less money than paying for a house/retirement home and groceries and utilities.
"non-consecutive days" kind of ruins that use .
@@johndododoe1411 I think they cruise bounce. A new one every week or something.
I read about this in a Tim Dorsey novel. They use cruises as a kind of dark assisted living home, because of all the amenities and how much less expensive it is. I think cruises kinda hate them though, because they make so little off them. That's why there's so many little roadbumps in place to prevent permanent consecutive cruising, although I doubt it's foolproof
There's worse ways to live out your last days I suppose.
As a graphic designER I CROAKED at the Chinese copyrighted stock photo wall art. Absolutely amazing.
i almost spilled my water when i saw that photo studio with the grand staircase background 😂
This is the most depressing cruise ship I've ever seen. It's like a floating retirement home, but with no people.
It’s funny how people would still travel on ships continually even after they changed hands. Not this ship. She wasn’t a head turner in the 90s.
The North Korean one is a bit worse, but a China Japan ferry is better.
It's DISGUSTING I can't believe these people didnt end from embassment
I been on it and it wasn’t terrible like he portrayed
its just absolutely gross, unsanitary. Wouldn't want to retire there if it was free.
I guarantee you that the tape over the smoke alarm was done by previous passengers so they could smoke in the room, and just wasn't noticed by cleaning staff.
Frat house special
Shit's kinda smart won't deny that.
Still means the crew isn't doing their job. They have a serious duty to make sure everything is safe.
Some cruise lines no longer require passengers to do muster station drills at the beginning for like, 30 minutes (cause y'all complained way too much about losing 30 minutes) and, instead, just require you to check mark a box saying that you've read something on the app/online, and, I know y'all aren't doing that, so...
I thought exactly the same thing. I would be willing to bet that’s what happened. I really hope he pulled it off. I know it’s not his job but just being a good person and safety being so critical on a ship.
Story time. This is exactly why I always get a balcony especially if I’m going to the Caribbean. Just don’t try to bring 🍀 back onboard in tinfoil. I was given it to me like that. I didn’t even think about having to go through metal detectors to get back on board.
Security asked me to empty my pockets so I pulled it and a glass pipe I had bought on shore out. Security was like put that shit back in your pocket, you’re good to go. This was on Oasis of the Seas too!
It was my honeymoon and ended up getting the two story suite at the rear of the ship that overlooked the golf course, theater, Flowrider, zip line, etc. It was an amazing experience. It wasn’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination. The ship was only a couple of years old at that point and it looked brand new. Best cruise I’ve ever been on.
This guy must’ve been born with a golden spoon in his mouth don’t be discouraged in taking the ship we had a blast nice way to get to see the Bahamas for the price man what a deal $150 with all your meals the dining room I think was just as nice as some of the bigger ships and play the crew very friendly can’t beat it for a couple days to get away don’t be discouraged by this guy
I was shocked when you started revealing the prices. For how jank everything is I was expecting it to at least be cheap to match, but you can get the same value for your money on a low end royal carribbean cruise, have a blast, AND not worry about whether the carpet in major areas of the ship is growing moss! That's what truly makes this the worst cruise. If this had been an absolute bottom barrel price, I'd totally get why you'd sail on this. As it is, I think you'd probably get better value for your money finding a game of 3 card monte and betting it all on the left cup.
I can't wait to book my trip....NOT !!
It's because most cruises make their prices cheap by exploiting flags of convenience to pay workers incredibly low wages. You would be shocked by how little a lot of cruise lines pay the employees who aren't customer facing. Whereas because this cruise only visits US ports it has to have a US crew and is subject to US labor laws. So to maintain similar profit margins the quality is poor and the prices are high
Corn lasagna isn't real. It can't hurt you.
Corn lasagna:
If the passenger rooms and public spaces are so sketchy, what must the crew quarters look like?😬
That's a terrifying thought!!! 😳
Yeeeeah. Crew quarters are rough on even the newest and nicest ships…
Prolly looks like the immigrant section on the Titanic
Definitely a dead body or two somewhere
@@somethingsomething404Have you ever done a behind the scenes tour? The crew quarters are actually very nice.
Imagine the "wear and tear" on the areas you can't see? Like the kitchen or the engine room.
In this case, ignorance is bliss.
Engine Room is important detail.
wouldnt be surpirsed if engine is held together with shitty welds and duct tape
Galley.
The 'mental picture' I have of the stove is enough that wouldn't eat after seeing that filth!
Went on this cruise just before Christmas. The pool table is still broke and the netting over the pickle ball court was down on one corner. We easily found seating around the pool and buffet. The back pool isn't at all accessible for some in a wheelchair. I enjoyed the food in both the buffet and Fins. Others in my group order $25 steaks that were tough and tasteless. We played trivia games and won a lot of margaritas. I didn't buy the drink package and stuck with the free water, lemonade and juice in the buffet. I enjoyed the dueling pianos and theatre shows. You forgot to include the mandatory tips and fuel surcharge that will add $200 to your cost...and billed to your CC after you leave port.
How full was your cruise? The video seems to show a lot of empty public areas, making me wonder how this cruise is staying in business.
Based on the ease of finding pool chairs, Fins dining available seats, and the only line was for an omelet station, I'm guessing 50%. I think the only profit comes from the over priced drink packages and fuel surcharge. Hope the workers actually receive all of the mandatory tips.
MARCH 2024: POSITIVE REVIEW: We booked BOGO Grand Terrace (#1005). We enjoyed it! Very calm sailing. Loved the “Swimming with the Pigs” excursion. Best ever. 🐷🐷 Buffet food was so so, but the Main Dining Room food was excellent. Luved our big cabin, huge bathroom & jacuzzi, and the comfy chairs on the balcony. Getting ready to book the “Islander” coming soon out of Tampa. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere….🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶. We are frequent cruisers who goal,is to sail on every Cruiseline. Glad we did this one.
Emmi's face at 12:40 reacting to the entertainment was priceless, it made me belly laugh. I've had a moment like that on at least every cruise I've been on.
12:50 was the best part when she was faking the joy hahaha hahaha. 😂 She's is pretty funny.
Just canceled our margaritaville at sea cruise! I am so happy I saw this video when we could still get a full refund lol.
WHAT just get drunk whole time!!
@@tcbobb1613not for $17 a drink 😭
@@tcbobb1613ewww… again, did you not watch the video 😂
u obviously didnt watch the video he said its $17 for a weak drink smaller than a salt shaker lmfao@@tcbobb1613
@@tcbobb1613yea, on expensive booze
Bright Sun Travels put more effort into making this video than the owners have in their cruise line
⁰⁰
Ok Jake's mom
Fr
OOF!
He's better than Dan Bell, his mentor
At 31:27 “Pairs well with water.” My assumption is any wine that includes “pairs with water” is probably mostly water itself. 😂
This seems like the quintessential nightmare cruise. Thank you for enduring what you did so we don't have to!
Them ruining your pool game is so funny to me because there was literally no reason to do that. It’s not like they were really losing money. If the thing was broken, people couldn’t pay to play it anyway? Idk either way it feels pretty salty.
Some people are just petty jerks. That guy seemed like one of them.
Like it's one thing to just... do your job. But that guy seemed actively spiteful.
It is very salt... those security mother f**kers are at sea so they're already salty but this is just too much salt.
@@seventh-hydra"game's over" was completely uncalled for. If it was me I'd have made a mess and be a Karen. That is straight up disrespectful. Idk how the attitude/body language was, but I can imagine it was bad.
Nope. If you think about it, the idea is to prevent people from intentionally breaking the game in order to get free plays. This is the exact same with damaged clothing policy at department stores; not only do you not get a discount, they will take it off the floor and not sell it.
I see what you did there.
"Take a picture in front of the Titanic staircase" Yeah, that's definitely what I want to be thinking about on my questionable ocean adventure aboard a slightly janky ship. 😂
Honestly… it reminds of a trip I took on the NCL Dawn during some rough seas…
One of the TV channels just had “All is Lost” on repeat for the entire trip!
It’s got to be an “in joke” in the industry to have something like that on board…
Reminds me of watching air crash documentaries on flights 😂 just why
At least the Titanic was a actually gorgeous ship, even a AI could come up with a better ship than this
I mean, you can pretend it's the Olympic I guess.
@@Comeyd I also went on the NCL Dawn too and that was a doozy of a ship ride during a storm. Was rocking back and forth during dinner
Thank you for this review Jake. It was great. I’m a Florida native and we’ve been looking into going on one of these. We may still try it, but I think my standards will just be super low. We typically sail Disney and have recently gotten into MSC cruises. I have the same environmentality gripe with MSC. They swear they’re the greenest ships on the water, but the amount of paper you get onboard is bananas. Keep doing these!! I’m a cruise ship fanatic too so stuff like this is awesome
The elevator speaking in Italian is absolute greatness! That and the scotch tape over the smoke detector. You just cant find quality like that anymore! LOL
Eddy Burback and Ted Nivison did a video a while back where they visited every Margaritaville restaurant/resort location in North America. The only thing they didn’t check out was the ship. After watching this video, I think Eddy and Ted would’ve been glad they didn’t go anywhere near the ship.
I love Eddy and would like to see him complete his quest but if the ship is this bad……
Not just the ship - they also didn't go to the Margaritaville at the Detroit airport!
Literally my thoughts exactly when i started watching this video
they also missed the Margaritaville on Lake Lanier in Georgia@@hoverbeaver
Well it's been 4 months since then so I like to think he is currently on the Margaritaville at sea. Might feel like groundhogs day to both he and Ted.
I can’t stop laughing at the employee coming out of nowhere to steal the pool table balls 😂
"there's also some shops with tacky cigarette shelves"
Oh come on man. That's just called "cigarettes being sold"
"Music from PerSoNal sPeAkErs" ok grandma just complain to your server you saw the hostess hit a vape outside
stop putting a spin on random shit you notice just to mention things. Let the pool table incident stand out in its glory of being actual bullshit
I am surprise they didn't make you pay back for the games played.
"Games over pal" *confiscates your balls*
*with a basket.
GAME'S OVER.
PAY US $2.00!
@@tommeliusbthaprofit6157 Nobody wants to hear Tom's "Awesome Mix."
That ship has the exact luxurious appeal of a greek car ferry of similar age. But I have slept on the carpet under the front windows on one of those, and I most certainly didn't have to rest my head on literal MOSS!
Your video convinced me to book this cruise. I need to experience North America's Worst Cruise Ship! Wish me luck.
I'm disappointed. You promised me a trainwreck of a cruise, but we really enjoyed ourselves. The only real mess up was in the port itself while boarding in Palm Beach, where they couldn't figure out how to scan our passports, then had to repeat the process when they mixed up the names and info on our room keys. Took so long that lunch was being cleaned up by the time we were actually on board. Beyond that, it was good enough.
Madlad actually did it
@@watchmevisit Other than the horrid AC situation and super hot rooms, we had a blast too. I went on the free law enforcement promotion and we did the Taino beach resort and had an amazing time.
I'm so incredibly happy this channel exists. CZcams needs more content like this - honest travel reviews from an unbiased source yet still with HIGH production value. Incredible stuff, Jake.
And for the most part I'm not even watching it to plan any trips. I just genuinely find all of his videos very entertaining across all of his channels!
You two are absolutely correct.
I know right, I’m so sick of the bloggers that are so worried about not receiving their free shit from Disney and such, that they won’t leave an honest review
Ok Jake's mom
The hell are you talking about? CZcams has a LOT...like a shit ton of videos like this. Perhaps change up your feed?
I'm so genuinely saddened by the poole table - firstly, it should be free anyway! second, why would that security guard decide he was going to take it away. It feels very unfair and rubbish.
Seriously. Such scam of a system.
Yeah, honestly the fact that two individual crew members decided it was okay to do that and to interrupt passengers in the middle of a game and basically take the stuff away from them and rudely tell them games over tells you everything you need to know about the cruise line and company. Stay far away.
@@the3rdid485 Well to be fair what they were doing was gaming the system and against the rules. Stupid rules, greedy rules passed down by corporate overlords, but rules the staff had to follow regardless so I don't put the blame in their court.
@@Goldenkitten1They could have waited to the end of the cruise and taken care of it then. No need to interrupt a game in progress.
@@amoliskiIf your job relied on enforcing the rules wouldn't you do it? The greedy rules weren't put in place by the employee. They're a wage slave just like most of us and just like most of us they clap like a seal when the big man puts a mandate on our salaries. I mean be honest, if you had to choose between a customers happiness and your paycheck which are you gonna pick? I'm not saying I love it, just that I understand it and don't put the blame on the employee like most people in these comments.
idk why but I find the two cabins being different in small but still very significant ways to be hilarious
You three deserve an award for getting on this OLD TIRED SHIP, bravo for your self sacrifice.
There are people who this ship will be perfect for. You guys are not part of that group.
I don’t cruise, ever, but this was so enlightening! I got a good chuckle out of your adventures.
Thanks!😂
This cruise really gives you the “you get what you paid for” vibes.
indigestion
They didn't even get what they paid for
Tbh, I can't even bring myself to pay the lowest amount I've found for this ship bc the reviews are soooo bad.
When Margaritaville first started they were offering free cruises for Military. I looked at going. When looking at their drink packages and shore excursions it was going to cost me more than what I'd pay for a 3 day cruise to the Bahamas with Royal Caribbean. I've seen tons of videos on their cruise ships and they seem like they're a motel 6 at Sea.
😂 Motel at 6 at sea....good one! I agree, rather go with a legit line on a sale and get more bang for your buck.
Now it’s free for healthcare professionals… Nooo thx
We went because of that reason but I am a teacher. I will gladly up pay and my my own way on a Carnival at least.
Sorry but we got fed better on ship in the Navy than what I saw in this video. Sure most of the meat was labelled Grade F meat, Not Fit for Human Consumption, but I don't think the food on this cruise ship is of any better quality.
'I'm Tom Bodett for Motel 6 at Sea, we'll leave the light on for you.'
6:42 "Wine... pairs well with water."
France and Italy have left the chat.
So true story: toward the end of 2019 I was part of a group that chartered the Grand Celebration (after we didn't have enough people to fill a Royal Caribbean ship)... in 2020 the ship was sent to scrap, RIP Grand Celebration. but our group still jokes that we defiled the ship so bad they couldn't let anyone else on it lmao.
i can’t get over the fact that emmi got locked in a public bathroom- that’s insane
I still have flashbacks 😔
Thats the story i really wanted to hear on this video when he said that!😂
Well, on the bright side, you don't have to worry about _needing_ the bathroom.
this the perfect accompaniment to eddy burback and ted nivision’s videos on margaritaville. i love all the historical background in your videos
turns out eddy hasn't been to EVERY margaritaville in north america.
@@helldad4689this ship doesn't have a true Margaritaville restaurant
Thanks for making this video. After watching a lot of cruise content lately I became convinced that all cruises are good but now I know that there are still operators with subpar cleanliness, dining options and activities!
I did a cruise on this ship and went in expecting it to be economy. I did not go on expecting NCL or RCL. I was not disappointed. It was a quick weekend getaway and my wife and had a great time. We spent time in the Spa and did an excursion to a beautiful beach that had an awesome restaurant on the sand. It was a long bus ride to the beach, but we still had plenty of time to enjoy the ocean and a pretty cool pool with a bar in the water. The ship is certainly dated, but the rooms were surprisingly clean. The food was average except for JB Steakhouse, which was well worth the upgrade. We purchased the drink package and it was also worth it. The bartenders were great, they made my wife any concoction she could think of which kept her in the right frame of mind to ignore the minor issues with the age of the ship. The party on the main deck was a blast. The parrot led the conga line and there were plenty of lounge chairs for laying in the sun. Music was everywhere and most people were truly having a good time. I paid a little less than you overall because of a promo I used, but for the price, I felt it wasn't a bad deal. Like I said I wasn't expecting NCL, RCL, or any of the luxury cruise lines, but I wasn't paying for them. I look forward to another weekend getaway on Margaritaville at Sea soon. Go in expecting the Ritz and you will spend 3 days looking around to find flaws. Go in expecting the Holiday Inn and you will probably enjoy the getaway.
I feel like anything Jimmy Buffet-related is best shared with friends, and your review provides a good case for that argument. And yes, I also can’t believe there isn’t an area called “Jimmy’s Buffett” on this ship.
This is the most upsetting thing to learn
There’s some truth to that. We went as a group of five and had a blast despite our experience with the ship itself being accurate to what’s described here.
And "Cheeseburger in Paradise" would seem to be required.
@@zork999 yeah wtf ... you paid for the branding... USE IT hahaha
RIP to a legend 🙏🏻
Even though your cruise sucked, you certainly didn’t 😔💗🌴
What happened?
Jimmy Buffet died. I’m sorry to be the one to broke the news to you.
@@Planetvorton Okay.
It was only the name being used. He actually had nothing to do with this ship or Cruise line.
@@trishr2081 That's what I thought was the case.
This is so informative! Great job, fantastic reporting!🌻🌼🐝 Keep it up 🙌
Great video!. I have to admit that it was like a train wreck that I couldn’t turn away from, but you presented it expertly. Just kinda sad to think that people who went on this actually had to deal with such a delapidated vessel. Crazy!.
This is so surreal for me. I'm a resident of Grand Bahama Island, so I've been on this ship so many times.
For Bahamians, we use this as a ferry, more or less. It's often cheaper than flying out of Grand Bahama, and the biggest advantage is that since many Grand Bahamians shop in Florida in bulk and bring stuff back, using this ship is very easy for large loads.
Great video!
Sounds like THIS is probably the biggest purpose of the ship. Sounds great for residents of the Bahamas though. Cheaper than flying to Florida, and that's your actual destination, the ship is able to carry more too.
@@zuglymonster To be real, in terms of importance, we get the shorter end of the stick. Customers travelling from Florida often pay far less than Bahamians starting and ending their voyage in Grand Bahama, both when it comes standard tickets and sales. You also have to go through a rather convoluted process of booking tickets when you're trying to leave from GB vs. West Palm Beach.
Altogether, this is first and foremost targeted at South Florida cruisers; we just happen to be able to use it in this odd, but somewhat convenient way. Nevertheless, it all serves as a reminder that having to *live* on an island long-term is a very inconvenient and expensive endeavour, haha.
@@eXtremeAzureProductions is there any way to game the system so that you sacrifice one leg of a return in order to then set up a rolling sequence of return trips that from their perspective, started in Florida?
@@wololo4761 Perhaps? I've never tried booking it that way. But considering most folks I know haven't done it that way, I'm going to assume that it's probably not that easy.
I was hoping when you were describing the places to hydrate while showing the rain footage of the deck one of the options would've been to capture rain water and drink it.
Honestly would have been better to have the option lol
The fact that it's a drinking-heavy themed cruise but they don't provide adequate water is really concerning for me. It's pretty much reckless endangerment.
I sailed professionally both Naval and Merchant and I can tell you ALL of the ships, except the ones just out of the shipyard or from the builder suffer mechanically. If you see the black smoke from the stack...that an indication of engine wear and time for an overhaul but these ships run almost continuously so the wear and tear is intense
Very interesting video, well done
19:21 Missed opportunity for the gym to not be called the Gymmy Buffett.
I used to work for a company that advertized these "free" cruises as a prize but you still had to pay almost 300 worth of taxes. What people didn't realize is that they'd have to sit through a time share presentation. They were better off catching a Carnival cruise for a better value at around the same price.
Haha like that Aspen episode of South Park 🤣
@@nthgthMatt and Trey were dead serious when it comes to time share marketing
@@MrEmpoleon2010 knowing how right they were about the Jonas Brothers and their white goo, I have absolutely no doubt about that
To be fair I did one of those timeshare seminars' over in east texas. Who the fuck would get a time share in east Texas, no idea, but they offered a 2 night stay in las vegas WITH airfare. It was still a missriable experence however. I mean it was "new" but god damn was that whole place cheap as hell. Also two grand a year for just a week? They were 20 miles from the nearest town and had NO staff on site for like anything.
I really kind of wanted to leave or just yell how stupid it was buut... Well thankfully I had a friend with me and we both wanted those tickets. You really got to go to those places with someone. I wonder if timeshares are still a thing?
@@warlockddid one of those seminars a month ago. 3 hours of bullshit for free breakfast and $150
Wes palm resident here. as soon as you asked “is there really anything to do on board other than get drunk” and i was like nope. if you’re gettin on this boat, you’re either gonna be face down drunk or being accosted by people who are about to be face down drunk
Can tell you the reason the crew were the best was they were trying to make up for the crapfest they were working in. I work at a motel that’s falling apart in a tourist town, and the new mngmnt is all about just making $$. So on a night the rates are priced high bc of an event, I’m just trying to do what I can for the guests, hoping to distract them from the mildew in their rms or the pcs of rusted ceiling falling in the parking lot.
people like you give me hope in an increasingly fucked up society. thank you
The saddest part for me is that the Costa Classica was such a beautiful ship with so much effort and care put into it, but now it’s just a sold out dead queen of the seas.
From day one, a ship needs a team of between 6 and 10 competent multiskilled engineers, to maintain it in the condition that it left the shipyard. Plumbing, drainage, electrics and furnishings need to be maintained to a high standard, rather than waiting for them to go wrong and cause damage. Likewise, kitchens need to be regularly maintained in order to produce good food.
During off peak seasons, a few cabins can be closed off for refurbishment and carpet replacement. When a ship is fully up to standard, passengers will accept small areas being closed off for preventative maintenance.
Steam cleaners are needed for carpets and busy areas need periodic repainting.
It is a far better option than letting everything fall apart, then needing millions spent while the ship is out of service and making no money.
What's the movie line? You either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain?
I was working there in costa classica until it was delivered to bahamas paradise in 2018.. I thought Bahamas Paradise is a Good company.Because they offer us good Salary than Costa Company. But we rejected the offer of the company and stay in Costa instead Being Absorb.
@@ZGryphon The ship isn’t a villain though. It’s a victim of companies that can’t care for it. It went from a beautiful ship in costa to a run down booze ship sailing for Jimmy Buffet. If you look at photos and videos of Costa Classica it really shows how bad it is now. I think the thing that makes me most angry and sad is the exterior. It used to be a modest, nice looking ship, and now it looks like Jimmy Buffet vomited his slogans onto it. Id say the line is more like you either die cherished or live long enough to see everyone who loved you die.
Was it? Doubtful
My buddy and I went on a 10 day cruise on this ship as it was repositioning from FL to the west coast. There were only 160 passengers on our trip, so the activities, food, etc were all scaled way back. It was not even remotely a normal cruise experience, but we expected that. The crew (who outnumbered guests 3 to 1) were all fantastic, and being such a long trip with few guests, my friend and I got to know a lot of the crew very well and remain friends to this day. We both look back quite fondly on that trip, despite the lack of normal cruise ship amenities.
Sounds like a pretty unique experience. Did you meet the captain or anyone who worked the engines?
@@nthgth We met the captain but no one from engineering. Most of the crew we hung out with were the entertainment and guest services staff.
The ship was so empty, we actually took a bunch of pics and video of areas with no people, intending on making a April fools video about the "cruise ship we bought on eBay for $65." Haha
Maybe the real cruise was the friends you made along the way.
@@mochajohnson4780 lmao. That's pretty cool though.
@@gregcandela1321 no joke, that's actually the best part of cruises
When are we getting the next cruise ship video? I love these 😊
Really amazing review.
I was a commercial diver in South Florida for a few years. We did a lot of work on the celebration. We swam the surveys on her, and did the hull/prop cleanings. That boat was a pile of junk. It was a RORO ferry, turned into a sewage stinking cruise ship.
😮
Ah, the Grand Bahama ferry! It's cheaper and comfier than the legit ferry, has a good deal for one-way trips, and has a option to basically bring a crate of stuff with you for big shopping trips to Florida. While it clearly sucks as a cruise, it's great for residents of the island! As an aside, I hope you were able to record any of the interesting abandoned places while you were here, as there are some really cool ones, such as the Crowne Plaza/Princess Resort, International Bazaar, the Xanadu hotel, or the old Arawak hotel. All places killed by various hurricanes, but with uniquely interesting backstories and in varying states of preservation. Unfortunately not much footage of them exist on the internet so it would neat to see a proper video on them.
Oh, trust me, I’ve been well aware of the abandoned hotels there. I plan to make a trip out there soon.
I agree! It's always one-way trips, either to shop or to travel somewhere else, for us, being much, much cheaper than flying to Florida. The crates are very helpful, too! As for the actual ferry, well... we don't talk about the ferry.
I've personally done some urban exploring in the abandoned hotels with my family, and they're very interesting!
@BrightSunTravels uh, you were just there. If you don't go back on the Buffet Ferry, I'm gonna be disappointed.
@@BrightSunTravels It's almost as if you should start a separate channel showing abandoned properties...😀
@tobyw484 It's wonderful that this can be used as a ferry for the locals. But do you have to rent a car when you get to Florida? I guess it's still cheaper than getting stuff in the Bahamas?
My wife and I looked into this. I’m sure most people, like ourselves, weren’t looking for a budget cruise. We were actually looking for a margaritaville experience. With that being said, previous videos of the ship, made us question whether we even wanted to try it.
Great video! I subbed and will watch all the rest to help your channel, in hopes that you do a bunch more like this with other fleets!! Looked like an awful cruise but was a fun video!! Good job!
I love how security quickly broke up your pool game once they saw that they were getting stiffed on they themselves trying to stiff people 🙄. I wonder if they ever actually fixed the pool table because if they're not going to do so, you might as well let people have their fun. Also...it was, what, $2 a game? The ship is going to need to make a LOT more money than that measely pool table would bring in if they have any hope of actually drawing more peoole in 😂.
Just insane that they'd nickel and dime you on a cruise ship. Maybe I'm ignorant but I would assume something like entertainment would be included in the price of the cruise. What a joke.
that pool table story is indicative of the main problem with this cruise as a whole, they could be incredibly hospitable towards guests, but they ultimately choose not to.
@@danandtab7463that's the entire Margaritaville brand.
@@danandtab7463 Exactly. Speaks volumes about their customer service.
Someone definitely hotboxed that cabin lol
This is so depressing ‼️ thank you for the warnings👍🏽
Yikes, I’m in West Palm Beach and considered a trip on this since it’s so close by. Glad I saw this!!!
I have no intention of going on this cruise but the content is just so damn entertaining I watch it in it's entirety. Good work.
I agree. They were awfully upbeat, all things considered.
You can catch a high speed ferry from Ft Lauderdale to one of several of the islands of the Bahamas for around $200 one way or $300 roundtrip. Trip is 2 hours or more depending on destination.
They also have package deals with hotels.
The ferries aren’t very luxurious but you’re only on them for a short time. Much more cost effective than a cruise
The Margaritaville Cross starts at $89 per person, gives a $25 onboard credit and includes all meals. It’s a much better deal than a traditional ferry. Local Bahamians choose this cruise line over the ferry as evidenced by the comments on this very video.
@@drdrew3But isn't there an automatic $100 fee on the booking? Still seems better deal but maybe not worth the hassle lol.
@@drdrew3Real Bahamians be taking the Ferry you dunce.
Nice one Jake!
Im going on my second Disney Cruise in 61 days and I was wondering if it was worth it. Thank you for this. I needed it.
I always thought the ship was a wrongful choice for the Margaritaville Brand. Side note, we just were on the Disney Fantasy last week, and boy, even the crew had not great things to say about the new Wish, even further your points on that ship. additionally, one of our engines died on the way to cast away. So they gave us all a $250 credit as well as 25% off next cruise so we may go again next year.
Oh wow you were on that cruise?? haha I’ve heard similar things though with a lot of the crew not liking the ship
@@BrightSunTravelsAnd, of course, THEY EXACTLY CLONED THIS SHIP FOR THE NEW “DISNEY TREASURE”!
@@BrightSunTravels Yes that was us, honestly CC is nice but ive been there 3 times before, so honestly the ship credit and future cruise percentage is better for me in my book!
@@edvaira6891 LOL yeah seems that way. That's what they did with Fantasy & Dream as well, right? Never been on their older ships bc the savings wasn't that significant. I actually enjoyed the Wish but found it a bit hard to get around if you can't do stairs 😊
You are very brave for sailing on this ship. As soon as I saw the rooms I would've gotten off.
Considering how rampantly illness and disease can spread aboard a ship, any amount of bad hygiene is a cause for concern.
These videos are so good
As a European I have no idea what a “margaritaville” is but I can safely say after this review the overnight car ferry from the UK to France is nicer than this cruise 🤣
No one should travel without a black light
I would definitely be interested in hearing your take on Cruise Recommendations for first timers. Especially couples, no kids, etc. Great work as always man!
Jake's a Disney Cruise fan (review about their Megaship aside), so I think he'd lean that way. Personally I'm more of a Royal Caribbean guy, but here's some food for thought:
- Want a party atmosphere and don't want to spend too much? Try Carnival
- Want a party atmosphere and don't mind spending a bit more? Try Virgin
- You don't mind seeing a lot of kids and want be active while on board the ship? Try Royal Caribbean
- Want to meet adults dressed as mice and princesses but don't want to deal with crowds at a theme park? Try Disney.
- Want something a little more upscale? Try Princess or Celebrity
Here is my recommendation. Have kids if you are a couple. It's the best.
@@kevwwongLol...ok what's your take on Holland or Norwegian?
@@MJ-gj6mj Good question. Haven't been on either and the sites/youtubers I visit don't give me enough anecdotal information for me to be comfortable describing how they fit into the cruise community.
@@kevwwong Gotcha, the other descriptions were spot on!
I just came back from this cruise for a 2 days Bahamas cruise and I had a BLAST from start to finish. It's not royal Caribbean but still was an amazing time and I would do it again.
This was such a good video
If the Margaritaville brand wants to maintain a good reputation, they need to be more careful with the business ventures that they are allowing to use their name.
I mean, they let all the terrible Margaritaville restaurants use that name ;)
Wow great observation!! Must be a Harvard graduate to be able to flex such business acumen
@@TerryWhiskDon’t cry keyboard warrior
I find the environmental objective legitimate since new ships, engines and furniture are polluting to build. This old ship is a good example of environmental reuse, as far as it's possible for cruise ships to be environmental. Going slow helps, what was the speed?
She also has a far prettier profile than the newer ships.
"Aggressively average." I love it. LOL I need to remember that one.
I was Navy for over 20 years. We ate quite well and kept a clean ship. At 5'4" I would be a monster of an inspector, being able to fit in places where most can't.
You have encouraged me to book this cruise, looks like a blast if you're into weird things.
The wine saying 'pairs well with water' is insane
Super quick nostalgia blast here: I actually sailed on the Ocean Breeze way back in 1998 on my first and thus far only cruise. She was indeed an old ship, though at the time I didn't realize how old or that she was a minor maritime legend, formerly the Southern Cross, one of the first ocean liners with all-aft machinery layout. Despite her age though, I have nothing but fond memories of her, from the sail-away party with an Eastern European band singing a hilariously accented version of "Celebrate Good Times, Come On!" to a lovely violin piano duo that we loosely followed around the ship, right down to the all of the bartenders recognizing my father's multicolored tam hat and greeting us with "Hey, Bob Marley, mon!" and mixing the parents' drinks extra strong (the fact they tipped well probably helped). Overall, say what you will about the cruise line's reputation overall, I have no horse in that race, but the Ocean Breeze at least was a grand ship. I was actually a little brokenhearted to learn she'd been scrapped in 2003.
Man, looking back I'm realizing I must have gone on one of the last cruises of the Ocean Breeze in 2003. I was 14 and had been on several other cruises, and I just remember getting on a blue and white ship so old it used rivets, and it was a really short cruise of only 3 days. I need to see if I have any pictures from that trip.
That trip was much more memorable for the gaming my friend and I did on the drives down and back, we had a 14" color TV wedged in the back of my mom's minivan with a power inverter, and my PS2 and GameCube.
You did a great job not bashing a cruise line that was essentially horrible
I'm watching this from Australia and this is hilarious haha well done
Rest in peace to Jimmy Buffett.
I was able to go on this cruise this year year back in February for my great grandmother birthday. And I will say that was not that terrible But there was some problems to it that was frustrating especially where I have to pay after the cruise on service fees which sucks. I still had a good time with family on this cruise and there was nice people on the cruise without was helpful but still the ship looks a bit outdated and there was many problems to it. But I suggest if you want a cheap cruise for a weekend then maybe you could try it out especially checking out the Bahamas. But if you expect for a cruise that is one of a kind I definitely don't recommend this. Especially don't do any drink package or anything on that ship that cost money.
His music sucks
Sounds exactly like the Margarittaville I used to work at. Look up Lake Lanier Islands Water Park. They sort of bought it out and slapped some logos on it and now its basically the land version of this, on an incredibly dangerous lake. You cant even swim at the beach since they closed it because too many people were drowning.
Look, I am a snob. I have always been repelled and strangely fascinated by cruising. Your review makes me fascinated with the 1980's jinxed ship experience tricked up just enough to be the bottom feeder in a rather deep cruise ecosystem. A "cruise" just short enough to be a laugh and say "guess what I did?" and get bragging rights. The Margaritaville is certainly on my bucket list now . P.S I survived Contiki Tours 14 countries in 10 days bus tour in the late 1980's, so I am match fit for this.
I saw this when they were offering "free" cruises for first responders and I was thoroughly entertained after watching a couple CZcams videos and seeing what awaits you at Freeport
Back in November of last year, I went on a cruise on the Carnival Glory and saw this very ship docked next to ours while in Freeport. Even from a distance, the ship felt distinctly dated, what with its rough paint job and overall lack of balconies, and when I looked up its origins (namely the fact that it was over 30 years old), it made a little more sense why it felt that way.
Gotta say, though, even with that context, I'm still surprised at the poor condition of much of this ship. Parts of it seem like something you would normally see at the absolute cheapest of cheap motels (Tape on the smoke detectors? Seriously?). It feels like they spared damn ear *every* expense during its conversion from a Costa ship.
I was on the Venezia (another Costa conversion, one Carnival did well) and my friends and I saw this ship docked in Freeport. We also couldn't find any ocean view balconies on the Margaritaville ship, and it seemed dated to us, based on what we could see of the exterior. Looks like that really was a hint of what was inside...
Carnival Cruise Line is the worst!!! It constantly smells like weed and rude people!!! If you know what i mean!!!
Thank you so much for continually finding stuff that I never knew existed or even knew I wanted reviewed.
Also this ship sounds cursed ☠️
I love the robotic Phillapina like voice during the muster drill 😅
This is kinda adorable, but it’s a shame it wasn’t great. I love how old the ship looks and feels, and I wish there were more retro shipping experiences out there.
sounds like you made the best of a less than prestigious experience. It always makes for a better story when things are sketchy and you've got great people along. Super fun video, thanks for doing this. Subscribed!
It wouldn't surprise me if the CDC Ship inspectors gave this ship a score of 23/100
Just disembarked at Port of Palm Beach. Had a great time on the MAS!
I was on the Bahamas Celebration Cruise just before the accident (like only a few days before). They were doing a Halloween event. Everything on the boat was themed, including the food and beverages, and they even had a "Deck of Death" haunted house onboard. We live in Ft Lauderdale, so It was both super fun and affordable. We had been on earlier cruises with the company on their older ship (a much older cruise liner that had served somewhere in the Nordic region. The outlets were never updated to US-style plugs, and each room was only allowed one adapter), and the new ship was a big improvement. It's sad that there really isn't anything comparable here anymore.
I often compare Cruise ships to Vegas resorts I’ve been to (I’ve been to Vegas probably sixty or seventy times in the thirty years I’ve lived in San Diego) as they frequently have similar overall design aesthetics…what this sad, pathetic ship reminds me most of are the Garden Inn rooms at Circus Circus (and, Anyone who has EVER had the awful experience of wandering into THAT little piece of hell, this should scare the Hell out of anyone!)
Rest In Peace Jimmy Buffet
Note from a veteran cruiser--Avoid short cruises like the plague. ---Low class passengers drunk are during whole cruise.
I lost it at the Titanic staircase photo! Just so much wrong with it that I ended up doubled over laughing!
We went on “Regal Empress” (a precursor shown early in the video) on the same itinerary on one of its last sailings. We wanted to sail on the historic ocean liner Olympia before it went to the scrapper due to SOLAS requirements. Despite its age, it appeared to be in better shape than this ship and had some genuine historical value. I was impressed the crew was actively painting and varnishing and most of the public spaces (not all) were OK, with the dining room being beautiful. The food was consistently terrible but the staff was very friendly. I have no regrets about getting to sail on Regal Empress, due to its historical value, but would never sail on this if for no other reason than I find every Jimmy Buffett song formulaic and trying. This is a hard no.
Thanks for this great video!
It appears Eddie missed a Margaritaville on his pilgrimage
I love how the bars show after the JWB Prime Steakhouse has cat scratching posts 😂like the same posts that’s on my cat tree lol😂
Spend a few bucks more and go on Carnival, NCL, RCCL. I have been on Carnival Elation and Sunshine which are older ships. I had a nice time.