We sailed Margaritaville At Sea’s newest ship Islander and dined at JWB Prime Steakhouse for dinner. We wanted to find out whether or not this upcharge dining venue is worth it. Before we share the menu – and most importantly, pictures of the food! – we answer a couple of frequently asked questions!
Which Ships Have JWB Prime Steakhouse?
JWB Prime Steakhouse is featured on both Paradise and Islander. Even though the food is the same regardless of ship, MAS Islander kicks up the experience about 10 notches! The new flagship in the Margaritaville At Sea fleet has a dedicated two-story space for the Steakhouse and lounge. While the menu and pricing is the same regardless of ship, the MAS Islander definitely wins out in terms of ambiance.
How Much Does JWB Prime Steakhouse cost?
As of June 2024, Margaritaville At Sea lists the price as $55 per person. That price is valid if you purchase the dining option prior to your cruise. According to the website, you save 10% compared to onboard prices.
Alternatively, on MAS Islander, you can purchase the Ultimate Dining Chill package which includes a dinner at JWB Prime Steakhouse as part of the package! The package also includes all of other dining venues on board and saves up to 25% compared to onboard prices. If you plan to dine at the Steakhouse and other upcharge venues on board MAS Islander, this package is well worth it!
The Ultimate Dining Chill package is not available on MAS Paradise.
What Does the Cost of a Meal at JWB Prime Steakhouse Include?
When you dine at JWB Prime Steakhouse on board Margaritaville At Sea, you won’t have to worry about going hungry! Your meal includes the following (per person dining):
- One Starter
- One Soup or Salad
- One Entrée
- One Table Side
- One Dessert
For our dinner, we couldn’t decide which starters to try, and so our server offered to bring us an additional starter to share at the table. We very much appreciated this! The same was true for the sides; we each ordered two sides to try and our server was very accommodating.
JWB Prime Steakhouse Menu
When you look at the JWB Prime Steakhouse Menu, you can see why we struggled to choose which Starter to order! There are so many amazing options on the menu. Check out what we ordered below and our thoughts/recommendations.
Mark and Rocky’s Meal at JWB Prime Steakhouse (In Pictures)
Starters Course
For our Starters course, we couldn’t decide! We knew we wanted the Wagyu Meatball, and were torn between the Beef Tartare and Provoleta. Our server kindly offered to just bring all three!
The Wagyu Meatball was worth the price of admission by itself! It was honestly the best meatball I’ve ever had (and that’s saying something considering I became known as the Meatball Guy on board Carnival Firenze! lol)
The Beef Tartare was fresh, light, and had a great flavor which became even more prominent as you ate; the crackers and aioli it was served with were a perfect compliment.
I’m glad our server offered to let us try the Provoleta as a shared item. Honestly, had I ordered this as my appetizer, I would have been disappointed. It had almost a burnt taste to it and it wasn’t to my liking. Rocky enjoyed it, however, and ate most of the dish.
Soup / Salad Course
For the next course, I went hot, Rocky went cold. I love a good Onion Soup, so I wanted to see how the JWB Prime Steakhouse version held up to others I’ve enjoyed. Well, just look at that picture!! The cheese was melted and crusted all around the dish, the bread topping was gooey, and there was so much cheese inside (along with some onions and soup I suppose, too…) The only issue I had was that it was a burning cauldron of fire! It took 20 minutes to cool down enough to enjoy. Rocky was long-done with his Bib and Walnut Salad before I even started.
Entrée Course
Next up, our entrées! I ordered the Center Cut Filet while Rocky ordered Colorado Rack of Lamb. We love how both entrées were delivered to the table on cast-iron pans; a nice touch that elevated the entire course. Both dishes were cooked to literal perfection. The seasoning on my steak was out of this world; I only wish I could get my steaks to taste like this! Rocky’s lamb was tender, juicy, flavorful (his words!) and he only shared one bite with me. LOL
Table Sides
If all of this wasn’t enough food, we also each ordered two Table Sides with our entrées. I chose the Sautéed Asparagus and Mashed Potatoes and Rocky chose the Garlic Butter Broccoli and the Mac and Cheese. The Broccoli and Asparagus were the only items across the entire meal that missed the mark for us. The Asparagus was undercooked. And because of how both Table Sides are presented sticking up out of the bowl, they were lukewarm when we tried them. By the time we finished our meal, they were borderline cold.
The potatoes were fantastic, but there was only enough to line the bottom of the bowl. This made them challenging to eat with the provided fork, and there just wasn’t a lot of them. The shining star of the Table Sides was the Mac and Cheese which was gone before we could even snap a photo.
Desserts Course
For the final course, I got the Key Lime Pie and Rocky got the Banana Cream Pie. Honestly, the presentation looked so similar we thought they made a mistake and brought out two of the same dish! The Key Lime Pie was nice; it had some tartness to it which I really enjoy. However, by the time we got to the Desserts Course, I was full and could only eat about half of the pie.
Rocky’s Banana Cream Pie was “one of the best” he’s ever had. He really enjoyed the graham cracker crust (buttery, great texture) and liked that it had fresh banana slices. Like me, he also only ate about half of the dish due to the size of our meal.
Overall Thoughts
Dinner at JWB Prime Steakhouse on Margaritaville At Sea Islander was one of the best meals we’ve had on a cruise ship. That’s saying a lot as this was my 64th cruise in the past 10 years. In my opinion, the flavors and options blew away other steakhouses I’ve eaten at on ships. While it’s still not my all-time favorite cruise meal (that honor goes to Eden on board Celebrity Apex), I would dine at JWB Prime Steakhouse on Margaritaville At Sea Islander again in a heartbeat… which explains my rating below:
Mark’s Rating:
This is one of those rare times that I provide a perfect 10 out of 10. From the moment we were greeted at the podium by the friendly crew member, to the time we finished our meal, I loved the experience. The crew sat us by the window so we could watch the sun set over the ocean and that just made it extra special. The food was an absolute highlight of my entire cruise.
Rocky’s Rating:
Rocky gives the experience a 9. There were a few things that could have brought it to a 10 for him, like tablecloths to elevate the experience a bit more. He also would have liked the crew to use our names during dinner service. Even in the Fins Main Dining Room, they called us by name. In an elevated experience like JWB Prime Steakhouse, this should be the default. The food, for him, was a highlight which he rates “6 out of 5 ships.” LOL
This Cruise Life Average: 9.5 out of a possible 10.
We highly recommend JWB Prime Steakhouse on board Margaritaville At Sea Islander. You can add this specialty dining option individually to your reservation pre-cruise at a discounted rate, or you can purchase it as part of one of Margaritaville At Sea’s dining packages.
Have you dined at JWB Prime Steakhouse on board either Margaritaville At Sea Paradise or Margaritaville At Sea Islander? What are you ordering from the JWB Prime Steakhouse menu? Let us know what you think in the comments below!