Thirty days, two cruises, 2530 miles. Spent the whole month of November 2025 road-tripping around Southeast USA and cruising to Mexico and the Caribbean. Kicked off our trip celebrating Halloween with hubby’s cousin in Newnan (Georgia) before making our way to Tampa (Florida) for a Margaritaville cruise to Mexico and Western Caribbean. After a week on the sea, we continued our journey driving across Florida and spent the week visiting Ft. Lauderdale, Key West and Miami, before a Holland America cruise to Eastern Caribbean. Wrapped up our trip driving along the coast to visit Savannah (Georgia) and Charleston (South Carolina). Grateful for the opportunity to explore so many different places in one month and thankful for the beautiful weather throughout our trip.
7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise (Mexico, Roatan & Belize)
1-2 Nov 2025: Tampa
3 Nov 2025: Sea Day
4 Nov 2025: Cozumel, Mexico
5 Nov 2025: Roatan, Honduras
6 Nov 2025: Belize
7 Nov 2025: Costa Maya, Mexico
8 Nov 2025: Sea Day
9 Nov 2025: Tampa
1 Nov 2025 (Sat): Newnan - Tampa
After spending a night in Newnan, we continued our southbound journey at 11am.
Drove along I-75 for 9 hours, with a quick dinner stop at Zaxby's before arriving Tampa. I've been to Tampa many times over the years for work but this was the first time driving to Tampa.
Made it to our hotel in Tampa at 8pm. Booked our 1-night stay at Hyatt Place Tampa Airport/Westshore for 6,500 Hyatt points (transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards).
Side note: Received 1,500 Hyatt points as compensation coz the hotel internet was down.
2 Nov 2025 (Sun): Embarkation Day
After a night in Tampa, it was time to embark on our 7-night cruise on Margaritaville at Sea.
Had free breakfast at the hotel before checkingn out at 11am and drove 20 min to Port Tampa Bay.
Thought about parking at the hotel but they charge $15/night so we opted to park at Rightway parking which was closer to the port and included free shuttle for a total of $80 for 8 days.
Arrived Rightway Parking at 11.25am. This open parking space was located right across Ikea. Parking was easy. The attendant gave us the claim ticket and we got on the free shuttle at 11.30am.
After a quick 10 min shuttle ride, we arrived at Terminal 6 of Port Tampa Bay, which was the terminal for Margaritaville. Handed our bags to the porter and headed over to the check in area.
Our assigned arrival window was actually 12.30pm - 1.00pm, but were able to get in when we got there at 11.45am. The check in process was easy and smooth. There were lines but they moved quite fast as there were many check-in counters. The terminal was also 'themed' and it was fun seeing the staffs using flip-flops to let guests know they are available. Completed our check in at 12pm and received our room card before boarding the ship.
Boarded the ship at 12.10pm and went straight to our muster station to check-in for the safety briefing. We thought it was smart to direct guests straight to the muster station instead of trying to get them to go there after checking into our rooms.
One interesting thing about this cruise, which we only found out few weeks before our cruise that more than half of this cruise was booked for a biker event called "High Seas Rally". Biker as in Harley Davidson type of bikers, so we knew the demographic of this cruise was gonna be even more interesting than usual. The tattoo shop - "Permanent Reminder" was definitely busy on this cruise.
Went to the buffet for lunch at 12.45pm while waiting for our room to be ready.
First time sailing out of Tampa. Spotted Carnival cruise departing on the same day.
Sail-Away Party at 4pm. We had more fun people watching than joining in the party. Props to all the guests who danced (and entertained everyone) to win a margarita.
First time having a balcony room so of course we're gonna fully utilize it to enjoy the views.
Went to Fins Main Dining Room on deck 2 for dinner at 5.40pm.
I liked the fact that Margaritaville is very laid back and chill and does not have a dress code for its dining room. Flip flops no problem!
Ship Tour
This ship, Islander, was refurbished and relaunched in 2024 so everything looks nice and fresh.
The atrium had a big flip flop with the under the sea to open sky decor transition.
Honestly we had no expectation for this cruise. Margaritaville doesn't have the best reputation as compared to the other cruise lines but we were very surprised and impressed by the Jimmy Buffett theming all around the ship. Before this cruise, I had no idea about Jimmy Buffett nor his songs so this cruise was a good introduction to Jimmy Buffett's songs and vibes.
The Far Out Arcade and casino was located on deck 2. We stopped by the casino to pick up our free drink vouchers. We each received 5 complimentary drinks as part of the casino 'free' cruise offer.
Stars on the Water Theater on deck 2 and 3. We only went to one show (on the first night) throughout this cruise.
Bubbles Up Lounge on deck 3 with piano performances in the evening.
The Fins Up Fitness Center was located on deck 4. It was small and basic but had we still came almost every day to work out, and there were hardly anyone there.
There are 2 pools on the ship on deck 9. The 'Landshark' pool area was reserved for the bikers so we could only access the 'It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere' pool area. We also noticed that all the clocks on the ship were set to 5 o'clock.
There was a water slide and play area on deck 11.
The outdoor areas on the ship were also heavily themed, especially the mini golf area. We didn't use any of the outdoor facilities though.
We had most of our meals at the aptly named "Port of Indecision Buffet" on deck 9. The buffet didn't have as much variety/options but it was good enough. We came here for almost all our meals coz it was faster and we noticed that the dining room options are similar (just nicely plated).
The burger place on this cruise is named after Jimmy Buffett's song, Cheeseburger in Paradise. Across the burger place was Mexican Cutie Cantina that serves tacos. All these were on deck 9, same as the buffet. Another main reason why we prefer to go to the buffet is the easy access to the soft serve ice cream machine, which was manned by a staff. Unlimited ice cream all day...yes please!
Room Tour
Our room was ready at 1.50pm. Got a balcony room for this cruise which was quite an upgrade from the interior room in our last Alaskan cruise. Plenty of space to keep our things and move around. The TV didn't have movies to select but at least there was live TV for hubby to watch football.
Our 'home' for 7-nights - Breezy Balcony Stateroom 5134 on deck 5 - Changes in Attitude.
Our cabin steward, Rendy, did a great job making up our cabin daily and surprising us with different animals/creations each day. The hanging sloth and toilet bowl one cracked us up...lol!
Unlike my usual hectic travel style, cruises are meant for us to relax and chill. There were actually quite a lot of activities onboard but we didn't really participate in any activities on the ship.
Always fun to see people decorating their room doors. As mentioned earlier, more than half of the ship were bikers from the High Seas Rally event.
We also had complimentary (Starlink) premium internet as part of our casino 'free' cruise offer worth $210 for this entire cruise so we didn't need to go on a digital detox on this cruise.
3 Nov 2025 (Mon): Sea Day
Woke up early to catch sunrise from our balcony...gotta fully enjoy this balcony while we have it.
Buffet breakfast at 9.45am then walked around the boat to enjoy the beautiful weather.
As much as we wanna chill and relax on the cruise, we did a pretty good job going to the gym almost every day on the cruise to offset the daily gluttony.
Buffet lunch at 1.45pm and went to the atrium bar to redeem our complimentary drinks...all 10 in one go the staff gave us buckets to bring them to the room...lol!
Apparently Landshark Lager is created by Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Brewing Company.
Went to the atrium at 5.30pm for the Captain's Welcome Toast and got a free margarita.
Buffet dinner at 6.15pm, and of course gotta get an ice-cream for dessert.
Enjoyed the full moon and also saw a shooting star from our balcony.
4 Nov 2025 (Tues): Cozumel, Mexico
Arrived Cozumel port at 7.30am. This port was busy during our visit with a total of 6 cruises docking on the same day. Spotted Virgin, Royal Caribbean, Cunard, Carnival, and Princess.
Buffet breakfast at 7.45am.
Disembarked the ship at 8.45am.
I like the exterior design of this ship, very colorful vacation vibes.
Our chillax (lazy) cruise travel means walking around the port and taking photos of the signs.
Full disclosure...I'm on Caribbean cruises mainly for my country count. :P
Spent about 45 min walking around the port before returning to the ship at 9.30pm. Hubby bought a sloth t-shirt from the Ron Jon shop.
Went to the gym at 10.45am.
While most people were out sightseeing, we decided to use the slide and hot tub, then sunbathe on the outdoor lounge chairs. This was the only time we used the slide and hot tub.
Buffet lunch and dinner.
5 Nov 2025 (Wed): Roatan, Honduras
Our ship arrived Roatan, Honduras around 8am. Had a chillaxing breakfast at 8.30am.
Disembarked the ship at 9.30am. Honduras was a new country for me but I felt like I was in Malaysia. Of course I've gotta take a photo with the Roatan sign.
We were a lil' more adventurous at this port and decided to walk to the animal park about 10 min from the port. Paid $35 for the two of us to visit the animal park. Hubby was dressed for the day...lol!
The one thing we wanted to see at this place was a sloth, but it was sleeping when we were there. Still cute to see it hugging the branches like its bolster.
Saw some other aninmals, which I wasn't interested in...lol!
Returned to the ship at 10.45am. We were in the port with Royal Caribbean so the port area was quite crowded.
Same routine...workout then had buffet and taco for lunch.
Having a balcony means people watching. Was waiting to see if anyone was late for the ship and of course someone decided to be the 'star' making the entire ship wait for her. This lady sumore had the audacity to take photos/videos instead of running back to the ship.
Buffet dinner and ice-cream as usual. Having internet means we don't have time to get bored.
6 Nov 2025 (Thurs): Belize
Breakfast at 7.45am before exploring Belize, another new country for me. This was a tender port so we had to take the water shuttle to get to the port.
Disembarked the ship and hopped on the tender boat without any wait at 8.55am. The boat ride took about 20 min.
This was another port + sign stop.
One observation is that people in Belize are not as aggressive/desperate trying to get business as compared to the ones in Roatan.
Hopped back on the tender boat at 10am to return to the ship.
Back on the ship for buffet lunch and sunbathe.
Beautiful sunset at 5.15pm from the upper deck.
Another buffet dinner and ice-cream to wrap up the day.
7 Nov 2025 (Fri): Costa Maya, Mexico
Another slow morning with breakfast at 9am. We were back in Mexico again.
Disembarked the ship at 10am. Beautiful day but it was HOT!
This was another port + sign stop.
30 min in the port and we were ready to return to the ship at 10.30am.
Getting more vitamin D on this cruise.
Buffet and burger for lunch at 12.30pm. Eat, sleep, cruise...literally.
Another beautiful sunset from the upper deck at 6.10pm.
Dinner at Islander Main Dining Room at 6.20pm. Spot the cute flip flop 'stamp' on the dessert plate.
8 Nov 2025 (Sat): Sea Day
Final full day on this cruise was a sea day. Similar routine, buffet breakfast, buffet lunch, sunbathe.
Went to the atrium at 2pm to see the Towel Animal Parade by the housekeeping team. Pretty cool that they have this on the ship to showcase the staff's talent. Btw large majority of the staff on this ship were from Indonesia. It's also surprising that almost all the housekeeping staff are male.
Final sunset on this cruise from our balcony.
Our final buffet dinner and ice cream. Received our final invoice, which was charged directly to our cc. Placed our luggage at the hallway at 9.15pm for the staff to offload them the next day.
9 Nov 2025 (Sun): Disembarkation Day
Back in Tampa port at 6.30am. We had to vacate our cabin by 8am so we went for breakfast at 7am.
Disembarked the ship at 9am. We had to wait a while for our turn and there was a line to get off the ship but we were not in a hurry so it didn't matter.
Took the free shuttle back to the Righway Parking area at 9.20am to get our car.
How much did we pay for this 7-night cruise which included balcony room, internet and 10 free drinks?
This was a casino offer so we paid for taxes and fees of $367 + gratuity of $280 for 2 pax ($647).
That works out to $323.50/pax, or $46.20/pax/night. Spent an additional $45 for a T-shirt and tips onboard. And no, we did not donate anything to the casino. :)
