How a $40-a-day cruise stateroom compares to a $500-a-day one — and which I'd book again

19.11.2023 - 13:17 / insider.com / Royal Caribbean / Jimmy Buffett

Cruise vacations can be economical with a base fare that includes accommodations, food, activities, and stops at several destinations.

But not all of these floating resorts are designed with budget travelers in mind. Luxury cruise lines like the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection offer vacations for $900 a night. And on newer ships like Royal Caribbean's upcoming mega Icon of the Seas, the least expensive 2024 itinerary starts at $1,820 per person for seven nights at the time of writing.

Since 2021, I have spent at least one night on six cruise ships ranging from ultra-affordable to luxurious. Here's how my cheapest and most expensive cabins compared, a $460 difference a day — and the only one I'd book again.

Margaritaville at Sea's Paradise cruise ship is for Jimmy Buffett fans who want to waste away again — on a budget. I stayed in the oceanview stateroom during the ship's 2022 one-night inaugural sailing. In 2024, this cabin — which isn't even the cheapest option — starts at $80 per person for a two-night round-trip sailing from Palm Beach, Florida, to Freeport, Bahamas.

Don't let the new paint job fool you: The 30-year-old ship was previously Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line's flagship Grand Classica. Both now operate with Margaritaville at Sea's branding. Or at least that's what the new cruise line promised.

The Jimmy Buffett empire, known for its strong and recognizable identity, failed to extend the Margaritaville fun to my 176-square-foot stateroom. I expected a whimsical floating beach cottage plastered with Buffett references. Instead, I found an aged motel room.

The necessities — a bed, a bathroom, and some storage — were functional. But the bathroom looked cheap, the old shower looked dirty, and the yellowish wall and wood accents were outdated. The only obvious signs of "Margaritaville" were in the wallpaper and some branded merch like a notepad.

Besides these arguably low-effort aesthetic changes, any other updates made during the ship's Grand Classica to Paradise transformation weren't obvious to me. And when I plugged in my hair dryer, it blew the power strip's fuse.

Since my one-night stay, the cruise line has poured millions of dollars into renovating spaces like the ship's cabins. I haven't seen these changes in person. And after my last not-so-great experience on the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, I'm not interested in giving it another try.

In 2024, the cheapest suite on the Explora I starts at $3,000 per person for a six-night January cruise from Miami to Cartagena, Colombia. In October, I spent one night in this suite while the vessel was docked in New York City.

MSC Group's new cruise arm wants to be a fixture in the upscale travel market. So of course my ocean terrace suite was more