For many people, a single cruise can cost upwards of $2,500. How about more than a year of cruises for that amount?
It may seem far-fetched, but one cruise line is offering exactly that. For those that love sailing, it might be the deal of a lifetime. Here are the details…
The Annual Cruise Membership For Just $2,499
Margaritaville at Sea is a small cruise line, but it has gained a strong reputation for offering some wildly inexpensive cruises. For those that simply want a getaway with all the fun of cruising and don’t care about all the bells and whistles (or the price tag!) that come with massive new ships, it’s been a gem.
In fact, the cruise line has expanded recently from a single ship sailing from Palm Beach to three ships sailing from multiple ports, including Miami. And come October 2027, the cruise line will move its flagship Beachcomber ship to Galveston, marking its first time sailing from Texas.
But it’s a new offer from the cruise line that might get the most attention…
Margaritaville at Sea is now offering the “2027 Margaritaville at Sea Annual Cruise Membership.” While the official name might be a mouthful, it boils down to an annual cruise pass that allows you to sail across any of the cruise line’s three ships from now through 2027.
And the price for more than a year’s worth of cruises? Just $2,499 for two adults for up to a balcony cabin.
Fine Print You Need to Know
Now as you might expect, there are some details you need to know. This isn’t a situation where you just flash your membership card at the port and walk onto the ship.
First, let’s cover what all this includes. As we said, the pass is valid for two adults and covers round-trip sailings of up to seven nights across the cruise line’s three ships. The pass provides up to a balcony cabin, but a balcony is not guaranteed.
But there is some fine print you’ll want to know before you decide to buy.
While the pass covers the cruise fare, it does not cover gratuities or taxes and fees. So you will still have some charges for each trip.
As well, there are rules around booking. Passengers must book their cruise between 30 days and 24 hours of the sailing. So this is not something where you can book a cruise well in advance. If you’re within driving distance of the port, that’s likely not a big deal. But if you need to fly in, that could be an issue. It also means room options may be more limited.
You are not allowed to sail on back-to-back sailings, even if on different ships. Don’t have a partner to sail with? If so, there is a single supplement fee of up to $259 that you will be on the hook for paying.
Most of these details aren’t likely to be dealbreakers for most people. What could be a bigger issue are blackout dates that apply.
For the most part, they seem to revolve around holidays. The month of December, for example, has a number of blackout dates. You’ll also find them around Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Independence Day:
You can find a full list of blackout dates at the Margaritaville at Sea website.
Essentially A Year Of Cruises For The Price Of One Trip
Blackout dates aside, this offer looks to be a strong deal. For instance, we found a random April 2027 cruise aboard the Beachcomber for a week from Miami priced at $1,199 per person for a balcony room, or roughly $2,400 for double occupancy. This cruise alone nearly covers the cost of the annual pass.
In some ways you can think of it as an annual pass to a theme park, which is often priced just a little higher than a single day pass.
If you’re someone that lives near a port served by Margaritaville at Sea and have a flexible schedule, then this offer is definitely something to check out.
You can find more details here.
