My wife and I just got off of this ship on the 30th. I've been on 5 Carnival ships, from the Fascination to the Mardi Gras and going on the Jubilee on the 10th. This cruise line is definitely on its way to compete with the major cruise lines.The buffet area is not small at all for the size of this ship, and the food at the buffet is really, really good. Way more choices than chicken and fish. I respect people's opinions but you have to experience it for yourself. I'll definitely go on this ship again but to each his own.
We appreciate your feedback. We will let the footage speak for itself. It is possible they have expanded the buffer offerings since we sailed last month. We would be interested in hearing your Jubilee review.
We disagree with your assessment. We never had to wait to get seated for dinner and found the food surprisingly good. Overall service was fantastic. We did feel that the entertainment especially poor. We’ve cruised quite a bit and found this to be a very fun and relaxing cruise.
You keep comparing MAS Islander to the many new massive cruise ships that are out there but that's not a fair comparison. If you compare the ship to other ships available from Port Tampa, all of which are older and smaller, it compares very favorably. Especially price-wise. I believe Islander is the largest ship sailing from Tampa. Let's compare apples to apples. Appreciate the video; the ship looks very impressive. Can't wait to try her out later this year!
@@bobk7428 just so you know, this ship is the same size and layout as Carnival Pride. In case you like the deck plans, now you know. 😎 And I agree-With that bridge, ships out of Tampa can’t get very big.
@@sinfullyunethicalAgreed. At the end of the day, you should do your research from multiple places before booking a cruise. Eventually, you make that decision or not.
@Eatsleepcruise1 🤣🤣🤣 we've been cruising 35 years! All Cruise Lines and riverboats. We live an hour from tampa and refuse to drive anymore to East coast to Cruise. After 50 cruises the reason we Cruise is to meet people, live entertainment at our door and food we don't have to cook or clean up after. MAS is a new adventure for us. Heard pros and cons but looking forward to a new adventure. Your tips were wonderful. 🫠
I’ve been one the Celebrity Eclipse, and have the Ascent booked for January. I’ve watched a ton of videos and this ship looks great for the price. Booking it for March 2025.
@@Eatsleepcruise1 I’m sailing in October. I’m a travel agent so of course it’s market research. 🧐😂 I have to decide if I’m booking clients on this line. Same with MSC which I’m sailing two weeks prior. At least, that’s what I’m telling my husband. 😉
The Margaritaville brand is getting closer and closer to the industry acceptable standard. Their next ship, the third in the fleet should be up to and equal any Carnival ship now sailing.
I think your issue with having to wait for a table is ridiculous! seriously! you'd rather pay money than wait a few minutes to eat diner? I just got off the Breakaway and had to wait often at the MDRs. I just figure that it's pretty normal. I've waited at Applebee's and Lone Star, it was my very first cruise ever so I didn't think anything of it. But, you didn't even try the buffet because it was small? I don't understand you at all. the only thing I might agree with is the gym, but other than that, you were extremely critical of things that were, quite frankly, petty. Was the ship clean? Was the staff friendly? Courteous? Were the ports interesting? did you arrive on time? did you get your luggage? were you overcharged? did the WiFi work? did you have problems with the plumbing or electrical? did a fist fight break out? did anyone get sick? Did you come home with roaches or bedbugs?- Those are some real questions. The more I think about it, the more I think I'm gonna give this line a shot.
I am waiting for the Cayman islands and Jamaica ports of call next year. We are not big drinkers. Maybe two a day, so we may opt out of the drink package. This was th most informative of the video I have seen. My biggest questions were about what is included and not and how much are the upcharges. Last question, I heard that the gratuities are mandatory. How much was your gratuity bill?
Gratuities are $16/day. If you purchase the drink package ahead of time, it’s $59.99 plus 18% gratuity. Drinks are a bit more expensive than Carnival and Royal, averaging about $15 plus they add 18%. I’m a travel agent and have had clients sail this ship as well as some who are booked. The ones who have sailed really enjoyed the dining and were actually impressed. I was surprised to hear the negative opinions on the food in this video. Several other agents I know also liked the food.
@@jworth7203 $16 /day per cabin or per person? I have watched several videos for this ship and one did mention that the gratuities are mandatory, but didn't say how much they were. NEXT fall I'm looking forward to booking a trip to Epic Universe and this ship to Jamaica and Cayman Islands. Yeah! Thank you very much for that info.
great ship. going august 4-9, i compare it to a slightly smaller royal caribbean freedom class, i think it is a great ship. the problem is people compare ships nowadays to mega ships, like icon.
You don’t have to pay for food as there are some included options, Ike really good burgers and pizza. But the main dining room food was just okay. Planning a trip on Islander?
I swear everyone of the RU-vid cruise vloggers never went on a cruise in the 1990’s or early 2,000s. We were happy just to go on a cruise. I’m 41 years old and my first couple cruises as a kid were on ships built in the 1930s to the 1960’s. We cruised for the destination not the ship. The Greek Isles on the SS Stella Soloris was awesome. Holland America, Cunard, and there was still a Norwegian Cruise Line. Those ships were great. I liked the Grand Celebration over the Grand Classica. Funny I like the ship as the Paradise better. I can’t wait to try the Islander, considering she’s the only traditional cruise ship we have over here besides the two Fantasy class ships.
@@Eatsleepcruise1 Cunard or Disney but not often on either anymore…too many drawbacks for me and everytime I watch a video, they get reinforced, unfortunately!