Margaritaville's cruise company just unveiled a $900 pass for nearly unlimited cruises through the end of the year
- Margaritaville at Sea announced a $900 cruise pass that allows travelers to sail on the majority of its 2023 cruises.
- Margaritaville launched its cruise brand in 2022 with its Margaritaville at Sea Paradise vessel.
For $900, you could spend most of 2023 nibbling on sponge cake and watching the sun bake aboard a floating Margaritaville resort.
The cruise line is currently operating nonstop two-night sailings from Florida's Port of Palm Beach to the Bahama's Freeport, Grand Bahama island. These set itineraries range from about $170 to over $500 (not including current deals). But if there's nowhere you'd rather be than on a Margaritaville cruise ship, you could potentially save hundreds of dollars with its newly announced cruise pass.
Margaritaville at Sea has taken a page out of Disneyland's playbook with what it says is the industry's "first season pass," the Ultimate Paradise Pass. For $899, travelers with this pass can go on an unlimited number of non-consecutive Margaritaville cruises from April through the end of 2023. A second traveler can then stay in the same stateroom — limited to ocean view or interiors — for free. If you want to travel alone, you'll have to pay an additional $160.
But like Disneyland's annual passes, there are some limitations. There are five blackout dates in July, September, November, and December. Cruises must also be booked 24 to 72 hours in advance. And the pass doesn't cover additional payments like the $94 in taxes, fees, and expenses, the $20 booking fee, or gratuities.
So far, 2023 is shaping up to be a successful year for the cruise line. Bookings are "off to a record start ... with the company's best wave season on record," Kevin Sheehan, Jr., Margaritaville at Sea's president and CEO, told Insider in an email. He says the cruise line is also seeing "strong trends" for pre-bookings through this year.
The 658-cabin vessel is a big draw for fans of the brand and Jimmy Buffett. The floating Margaritaville resort is filled with typical cruise amenities — like a pool deck, casino, and nighttime entertainment — all named after Jimmy Buffett's discography. From the Port of Indecision buffet to the al fresco 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar and Grill, it's hard to escape the Margaritaville brand aboard the Paradise.
The nascent cruise line — one of Margaritaville Holdings' latest ventures — was launched in 2022. But don't expect a vessel as new as the brand. Before its refresh, the ship was known as the Grand Classica, a 30-year-old flagship vessel owned by budget cruise company Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line. The company has since rebranded to Margaritaville at Sea while the ship has undergone what Margaritaville has called a "multi-million investment and refurbishment."
Besides this cruise venture, the Jimmy Buffett-branded company's diverse hospitality portfolio also includes restaurants, resorts, senior living communities, and RV parks. In 2021, John Cohlan, the company's CEO, called Margaritaville the "fastest-growing hotel brand in the country."