Cruise ships can house hidden spaces that are off-limits to guests, like the secret cabinets where the extra toilet paper is stored or hallways meant only for the crew.
But Margaritaville at Sea has a hidden room on its newest and largest ship, the Islander, that the line actually wants its passengers -- especially Jimmy Buffett fans -- to see.
The space had been a chapel when the ship was sailing for Costa Cruises as the Costa Atlantica. But as part of the ship's makeover to the Margaritaville brand, it's been converted to the Quietly Making Noise speakeasy, a place that pays homage, through music and stories, to Buffett, the late musician and businessman who founded the Margaritaville brand.
I was more of a Buffett newbie than a "Parrothead" when I boarded the Islander, which sails four- to seven-night cruises out of Tampa. But I was curious about this clandestine space, so I spent an evening with about a dozen strangers in the exclusive, reservation-only room.
Our host, a tall man with a white cowboy hat and an extensive memory bank of Buffett knowledge, met our group around 8 p.m. at a nearby bar and led us through a maze of corridors until we reached what looked like an electrical cabinet. After joking that the room was through that cabinet, our host opened a nondescript door on the other side of the corridor to reveal our destination for the evening.
I entered to find a blue room furnished with comfy armchairs and couches for a dozen people. The ceilings were bowed and attractively lit, making the space look larger than it was. Six guitars hung inside glass cases on opposite walls, and the wallpaper featured a design that looked to me like peacock feathers.
The room is a place for sharing tales of Buffett and listening to the music he wrote and recorded as well as the music that inspired him. In the corner sat a large case with 350 records from various artists, mirroring his personal collection.
Among the features of the room is a drink cart where a bartender mixes specialty cocktails; the menu changes from session to session. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Margaritaville at Sea
The space was remade to create an intimate setting where people can feel comfortable, our host told us. To that effect, he insisted (more than once) that we slip off our shoes if that would help put us at ease. Eight of us did, myself included. One rule we were asked to keep in mind: no audio or video recording allowed.
The space felt much like an upscale living room, with coffee tables and end tables interspersed with the seating in a horseshoe formation that made the host our focal point in the center.
A bartender stood behind him at a cart, poised to pour us any of four specialty cocktails available for this experience only.
The drink menu varies during these sessions, which are held three times each cruise, but the options during my visit included an oak-aged Negroni and a sidecar cocktail. Other beverages were also available, such as a cabernet, a merlot and a cognac.
With a bright smile on his face, our host regaled us with Buffett stories and played songs related to them. In one story, he explained the genesis of one of Buffett's most popular tunes, "Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw"; in another, he described what happened when the Jamaican police shot at Buffett's plane while the singer, Bono and several others, including family members, were onboard. We heard how authorities in Jamaica believed Buffett was smuggling drugs, but it was Bob Marley's manager who vouched for him, inspiring the Buffett song "Jamaica Mistaica."
The room includes records made by Buffett as well as copies of those he was influenced by. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Margaritaville at Sea
Our host also told stories about the guitars on the walls, including one he said was Buffett's first guitar, one he'd originally left in an old girlfriend's dorm room but eventually found its way back to his collection. Another of the guitars belonged to Mac McAnally, a singer-songwriter and longtime member of Buffett's Coral Reefer Band; there was one that resembled a cigar box.
This experience normally lasts about an hour, but it can go longer depending on how guests engage with the host and with each other. In our case group members built up a sense of camaraderie, spending the better part of two hours listening to records, offering some of their own Buffett trivia, sampling the strong drinks and laughing at stories.
Before we returned from our secret excursion, our host gave us a token to remember our time there: a silver necklace with a marble blue guitar pic and a charm that read, "Quietly Making Noise."
Access to the Quietly Making Noise room is priced at $75 and includes all the beverages therein. A portion of the proceeds are donated to Singing for a Change, a Buffett charity benefiting small nonprofits that help people in low-income communities become self-sufficient.