It’s not unusual to dream about living full-time on a cruise ship. Living on the ship means not worrying about cooking or cleaning. Every day you wake up in a new port, and there’s always something new to see or do while living in a resort at sea.
The only problem is the cost. A typical cruise can cost easily $1,000 per person a week depending on the specific trip. Then you add in all the extras like onboard spending. We actually priced a year’s worth of cruising and estimated it to cost $194,000+ for an entire year for two people. That’s not exactly affordable for many people.
Now one cruise line is offering a deal that cuts that figure drastically. In fact, starting at $799 you can sail (nearly) all you want for more than a year, meaning you can cruise again and again for pennies on the dollar.
Here’s everything to know…
Paradise Pass: Cruise All You Want Through 2026 for One Low Price
When you’re a smaller name in cruising, then it takes something big to stand out in the crowd. Enter Margaritaville at Sea and its Paradise Pass.
You might not have heard of Margaritaville at Sea. The Jimmy Buffett-themed cruise line features only two ships — Islander and Paradise — and sails from Tampa and Palm Beach. (A third ship, Beachcomber, arrives in 2027, sailing from Miami).
The Paradise sails 2-4 night tips from Palm Beach. Typically the routes head to The Bahamas. Islander sails from Tampa on 4-10 night cruises, with ports all over the Caribbean from Mexico to Curacao.
One thing that the line is known for is offering some pretty amazing prices. Cruises start at just $159 per person for the shortest trips. The least expensive 7-day cruise starts at just $429 per person with taxes/fees included.
But for those looking for an even better deal, the cruise line is offering something seen nowhere else.
What You Get With the Pass
If you’re someone that wants to cruise often without having to worry about the cost, then the two passes being offered right now by Margaritaville at Sea are your ticket.
The cruise line now offers two passes — the Silver Paradise Pass and the Ultimate Paradise Pass — that allow you to sail when you want, nearly as much as you want, all for as little as $799. Before you rush to buy, however, there’s plenty of fine print to understand.
The Silver Paradise Pass costs $799. For that you get to sail on 2/3 night cruises aboard MAS Paradise in an oceanview cabin. You also get 5% off packages and onboard spending, $25 in free play in the casino, and 10% off fares for those sailing with you.
The Ultimate Paradise Pass costs $1,499. For that you get the ability to sail 2-7 night cruises aboard either ship in the fleet. You also save 10% off packages and onboard purchases plus $50 of free play in the casino and 20% off retail prices for cruise fares of others staying with you.
And once you buy, the pass is valid through 2026.
Fine Print You Have to Know
A year’s worth of cruising for $799? That’s a good deal, but there is some definite fine print you need to know.
First, while you can sail as many cruises as you want with the pass, there are specific rules you need to know. You cannot sail back-to-back cruises. So if you’re thinking of moving onto the ship full time, not so fast.
As well, you can only book one sailing at a time. So if you book a cruise, you can’t book an additional one until you complete the first trip.
Then there is availability of cruises. According to Margaritaville at Sea, bookings “are subject to the availability of booking allocations to Passes…” In other words, there could be limited space, depending on the specific cruise.
There are also blackout dates to consider. These tend to be around holidays including Christmas, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving.
Keep in mind that the pass covers only your cruise fare. Port fees and taxes will be extra, as are daily gratuities. So even with the pass, you’ll still be going out of pocket on some expenses each time you sail. Margaritaville also charges a single supplement if sailing solo.
Despite Some Limitations, Still a Great Deal For Those That Cruise Often
Yes, there are some definite fine print you should know about before buying the pass, as you can’t simply sail any trip you want for an entire year for pennies on the dollar.
Still, there’s no arguing that this appears to still be an astounding deal even if you can’t sail back-to-back and there are certain times blacked out. In fact, with the prices shown for the $1,499 pass, it would pay for itself after starting around the fourth cruise. And don’t forget the other perks like discounts and the free casino play.
To make the most of it you likely need to live within driving distance of either Tampa or Palm Beach. For those that are able to cruise often, however, this looks to be one of the best deals in cruising.
You can learn more about the Paradise Pass here. The terms and conditions can be found here.
The reviews that I have read and seen on YouTube say that the Margaritaville at Sea is the absolute worst cruise line. Bad food, bad service with nothing positive to say except for the low fares and to avoid. I would rather pay extra for a pleasant experience.