Can you take kids on Margaritaville at Sea? Absolutely. But there are a few things I think parents should know before booking.

We recently sailed on Margaritaville at Sea Islander with our 7-year-old daughter, Jenna, and I came away with a much better understanding of what this cruise line offers families.

I'll be honest — I wasn't sure how much there would be for kids, especially compared with our recent Disney Cruise. But Jenna had an absolute blast. In fact, when it was time to leave, she didn't want to get off the ship and immediately started talking about going again.

So, if you're considering Margaritaville at Sea with your kids, here are 10 things I'd want you to know.

1. There are no lifeguards on duty at the pools.

This is probably one of the most important things for parents to know.

There are no lifeguards on duty at the pools, so parents will need to supervise their children closely while they're swimming.

If your child isn't a strong or independent swimmer, you'll want to plan on staying nearby and keeping a close eye on them.

2. The waterslide requires a little planning.

The waterslide is located toward the back of the ship, near the adults-only pool, rather than beside the main family pools.

That means you can't simply go from the main pool to the slide. If your kids want to ride, you'll want to plan some time specifically for it.

There is also very little shade around the slide and no designated seating for parents. I ended up moving a lounge chair over so I could sit in the shade while keeping an eye on Jenna. No one said anything about moving it.

The slide itself was a lot of fun! It's completely enclosed, so I didn't ride it, but Jenna rode it over and over again.

There were attendants monitoring the slide consistently, which I appreciated.

The slide was typically open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., although hours can vary.

3. The recreation deck gives kids another way to burn off some energy.

If your kids need a break from the pool, head up to the recreation deck.

You'll find a pickleball court, cornhole and putt-putt, so there are several options for kids who want to stay active.

You can pick up the equipment you need at the activities counter near the pool, so you don't have to bring your own.

Just remember that these activities aren't open all night, so check the daily schedule if your kids have their hearts set on playing.

4. The playground is for little ones — and it's in full sun.

The children's playground is located on the deck near the waterslide.

It's a small play area geared toward younger children, roughly under age 5, and there is no shade over the playground.

This is something I'd definitely keep in mind on a sunny day. The equipment and surrounding surfaces can get very hot, so check them before allowing little ones to play.

5. Kids can participate in many of the ship's activities.

One thing I really liked was that kids aren't limited to a designated kids' area.

During the day, there are plenty of activities that the whole family can participate in, including things like dance lessons, trivia and karaoke.

There are adults-only activities later in the evening, but many of the daytime activities are open to everyone.

Jenna absolutely loved the dance lessons, and we also participated in a Name That Tune game together.

It was nice having activities that we could enjoy as a family instead of everything being separated by age.

6. The kids' club was a HUGE win for Jenna.

And this one surprised me.

Our last cruise was Disney, so I'll admit I had pretty high expectations when it came to the kids' club.

Jenna loved the kids' club on Margaritaville at Sea.

She kept asking to go back, and when it was time to leave, she didn't want to go!

Now, there's an important caveat: our sailing had fewer than 100 kids onboard, so the experience could be very different on a sailing with a much larger number of children.

But on our sailing, I was extremely impressed with the counselors. They were fun, attentive and clearly worked hard to keep the kids engaged.

And the biggest endorsement? Jenna kept choosing to go back.

7. The kids' club can have some really fun special events.

Our sailing happened to be Halloween on the High Seas, and the kids' counselors put together a Halloween party on the final night.

The kids dressed in costumes, participated in a scavenger hunt around the ship and had several fun contests.

The whole thing lasted about an hour, and Jenna had a great time.

I thought this was a really fun touch and another example of how the kids' programming went beyond simply having a place for children to hang out.

8. Don't overlook the dining room when it comes to kids' food.

If you have a picky eater, you'll want to know that the main dining rooms had a better selection of kid-friendly foods than the buffet did.

Fins and Islander — the latter being for suite guests — offered options such as:

• Chicken nuggets
• Mac & cheese
• Fish nuggets
• Spaghetti
• And other kid-friendly choices

The buffet didn't consistently have a large selection of traditional kids' foods, although things like hot dogs would occasionally be available.

And then there's Frank & Lola's Pizzeria, which became a lifesaver for us.

The pizza was really good, and since many of the other food options closed around 9:30 p.m., it became our late-night go-to.

And believe me, Jenna was always hungry after kids' club, so having pizza available was another big win!

9. The arcade is small — and it isn't cheap.

If your kids love checking out the arcade on every vacation like mine does, you'll want to set your expectations.

The arcade onboard was small and pricey.

Did that stop us?

Of course not. 😂

Jenna loves checking out the arcade everywhere we go, so we were going to spend some money there regardless.

One fun discovery: there was a claw machine where you won every time.

That was definitely a hit with Jenna!

10. Karaoke may be the surprise family hit.

This was probably my favorite surprise of the entire cruise.

We never expected our 7-year-old to get up in front of a room full of strangers and sing karaoke.

But she did.

And she absolutely shined.

The first night, she sang "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters.

The second night, she chose Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer."

And considering the crowd on our sailing skewed significantly older, the crowd participation when she started singing Bon Jovi was pretty awesome.

Watching her get up there, grab the microphone and confidently sing in front of a room full of strangers was one of those parenting moments I'll remember.

And I have to give credit to Margaritaville at Sea for making so many of the activities accessible to kids. Karaoke wasn't just something happening for adults — kids were welcomed to participate, too.

So, should you take your kids on Margaritaville at Sea?

I think yes.

That doesn't mean I think it's the perfect cruise for every family. There are things parents need to consider — no pool lifeguards, limited shade around some of the kids' outdoor areas, a smaller arcade and a kids' club experience that may vary depending on how many children are onboard.

But our experience with Jenna was overwhelmingly positive.

She loved the kids' club. She loved the slide. She loved the activities. She loved the pizza. She loved the arcade.

And apparently, she really loved karaoke. 😂

Most importantly, she didn't want to leave.

As a mom and a travel advisor, that's something I pay attention to.

If you're considering Margaritaville at Sea for your family, I'd be happy to help you figure out whether it fits what you're looking for in a family vacation. Because the best cruise isn't necessarily the most expensive one or the one everyone else is talking about — it's the one that fits your family.

Don't just dream about the fairytale. Travel it.