Quietly Making Noise- Margaritaville At Sea’s Speakeasy
Before embarking on the Margaritaville At Sea Islander, we did a lot of research so that we could ensure that we would have a full experience. In many of the videos that we had watched about the Islander, we learned that they have a speakeasy, which is a “secret” or hidden bar that typically serves liquor drinks. As this is a unique venue for cruise ships and right in line with the vibe that we enjoy, we wanted to make sure that we were able to experience the speakeasy on the Islander.
When Islander first set sail, most sailors had not learned yet of the speakeasy to even know how to gain access to it. It seemed that if a bartender felt like it might be something that a guest would enjoy that they would casually mention it. By the time that we were sailing on the ship, the proverbial cat was out of the bag and we learned that you simply needed to either ask the concierge or request it at guest services. At guest services they gave us multiple times to choose from and told us how much it would cost ($90 per person). Even though we had already paid for the drink package and typically don’t pay for on board activities that involve alcohol when we have already paid to drink, we knew that this experience was a must for us as we may never get back on the ship again.
We chose the 5pm time slot for the speakeasy, which we learned is called Quietly Making Noise after one of Jimmy Buffett’s hits, because we had nothing else planned for the afternoon and we wanted to attend the show that evening. The other time we could have chosen was 7pm. We met at the bar at 4:45pm expecting to meet up with a larger group but were surprised that we were the only ones that had booked it for that time slot (apparently the later time slot is much more popular). While we waited for the bar to get set up, we enjoyed a cocktail exclusive to the speakeasy experience and started chatting with Travis, who we learned would be our host.
Travis, who led us through the whole experience, we discovered wears many hats as he teaches dance and aerobic classes, is a dancer in the shows, and hosts the speakeasy. We observed that he is a pretty good dance instructor, a fun dancer to watch but hosting is where he really shines. He gave us a tour on our walk to the speakeasy, shared some fun facts about Jimmy Buffett, and then welcomed us into the bar. During our time in the speakeasy, Travis shared a multitude of stories about Jimmy Buffet as we sampled a variety of delicious cocktails. While he didn’t know much about Jimmy Buffett growing up, since coming on board with Margaritaville At Sea, he had developed a deep appreciation for the man, his career and the company he helped to create. That passion was very apparent in his presentation and most definitely added to our enjoyment of the overall experience.
The menu for the cocktails was presented to us on what looked like a record album and all had fun themed names. On top of the cocktails that we could choose from, we could also request champagne, wine, beer and a variety of liquors served straight. While we had read that we would be given 3 cocktails during our time in the speakeasy, we actually were offered many more than that (I don’t think this was just because there were only two of us but can’t say for sure). The cocktails were all very tasty and went nicely with all of the stories that we heard. The selection of wine, beer and liquor along with the multitude of cocktails that we received helped us feel that the high price tag was well worth it.
What made the experience in the speakeasy very unique and completely worthwhile was the fact that we got to see some really cool Buffett memorabilia and hear the stories that went along with each of the items. For example, we saw Jimmy Buffett’s very first guitar, which was only one of six guitars/instruments they had on display. We saw many of Buffett’s records from his collection and got to pick one to listen to while enjoying our cocktails (we chose Amy Winehouse). We saw some really great photos of Jimmy Buffett as well as some of his hats and other unique items. Before this cruise, while we would say that we enjoy Buffett’s music and his chill vibe, we couldn’t call ourselves Parrot Heads. After having seen all of the cool memorabilia and hearing all of the fun stories, we have gained a new appreciation for the man and his works.
So, while we can’t necessarily recommend a cruise on Margaritaville At Sea over other cruise lines, which we feel have a lot more going for them, we would definitely recommend the experience we had in the Speakeasy. And, I recommend going during the earlier time slot so you can potentially have a more intimate experience like we did. Thanks to Travis and the tasty drinks that were made, we had a really nice and memorable time in Quietly Making Noise.
