My wife and I have been traveling to Grand Bahama for years vacationing and scuba diving. We live in Central Florida and make it a point of going over as much as we can. Up until a few years ago the most practical means of getting to Grand Bahama was flying or taking the fast ferry out of Ft. Lauderdale. We discovered the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise after our dive shop mentioned they were operating and since then have traveled on the ship multiple times, the latest being this past weekend. It is perfect for us because it provides a short, direct means of getting to Grand Bahama which means we get all the benefits of a vacation, in a weekend.

The ship is obviously older but is very well maintained, which more than makes up for the absence of the glitz and glamor of larger cruise ships. The reason we keep coming back is the dedicated crew, great accommodations and convenient itinerary. It is a quaint, easy-going three-day cruise that serves as a hotel on the water. The crew is an eclectic group of people from around the world that provide great customer service. Not everyone who sails on the Paradise is a Parrot Head, but everyone is relaxed and concentrating on having a good time, young and old alike. Whether we stay in a Balcony Suite or a basic cabin the service is always excellent. I highly recommend the License to Chill package. It turns the cruise almost into an inclusive resort experience. Our only issue we have had before was the unorganized debarkation process once back in port. We were pleasantly surprised this weekend when debarkation had been completely reorganized and provided a quick and efficient process for everyone, especially the License to Chill passengers.

We usually sail on a Friday, pamper ourselves in the Spa and have a nice meal before hitting the casino. We are usually the first off the ship the next morning and spend the day diving, and then back on board by three or so, exhausted. Being able to get aboard and relax in our room is worth the cost of trip by itself. After a quick nap we get dinner or eat in the room and then hit the comedy show or the casino (if we did well the night before.) We wake up the next morning and have a great breakfast then disembark early enough to be home and get organized in order to be ready for work the next day. I can not overstate the conveyance and quality of service we have received each time we have traveled.