Move over, unlimited buffet. Now there's an all-you-can-cruise pass.
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For those who want to waste away again (and again, and again) on a Margaritaville cruise, there's a new option: an $899 pass to take nearly unlimited two-night trips through the end of the year.
The cruise line, which launched with one ship last year as part of Jimmy Buffett's vast relax-and-chill lifestyle empire, calls the Ultimate Paradise Pass "the first, and only, cruise deal of its kind." The 658-cabin Margaritaville at Sea Paradise sails from Palm Beach, Fla., to Grand Bahama Island.
"This is completely new to the cruise industry. Now, passengers can buy a season pass to paradise and enjoy long walks on the beach throughout the year," Kevin Sheehan Jr., president and CEO of Margaritaville at Sea, said in a news release. "It's perfect for a quick escape after a stressful work week or for a whole new adventure at sea."
There are caveats to the promotion, which was announced Thursday. An all-you-can-cruise pass might look tempting on its face, but that total doesn't include taxes, fees, port expenses, tips, fuel charges or any expenses on the ship that would be charged per cruise. A booking fee of about $20 and port expenses of more than $94 will apply to each trip, for example.
A late April cruise for two people, for comparison, is priced at just over $316 before fees and taxes.
Travelers can only book between 24 and 72 hours of sailing, which would make advance planning tricky. For that reason, the cruise line expects the deal to be attractive to people who live within driving distance. Trips can't be booked consecutively, and there are five blackout dates: July 2 and 28, Sept. 2, Nov. 23 and Dec. 31.
The pass is good for two people in an inside or ocean-view stateroom, subject to availability. But if a plus-one can't make it, a solo cruiser would have to pay an additional $159 for the a "single supplement."
Only about 500 passes are being sold in the first run, and the operator said in a statement that it expects to sell out in the coming days.
Formerly the Grand Classica, the ship got a multimillion-dollar renovation to fit into the Margaritaville mold. Parrotheads will find an onboard show inspired by Buffett's book "Tales from Margaritaville," a Port of Indecision Buffet and the 5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar & Grill.
"Margaritaville at Sea has a unique itinerary, a very accessible product and sees many guests who sail multiple times," the line said in a statement, adding that "it was the perfect time to bring limitless paradise to the market."
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