Jimmy Buffett-inspired cruise line Margaritaville at Sea has partnered with the land-based version of the brand, offering passengers a chance to visit a Margaritaville resort in Nassau, Bahamas — for twice the price of the cheapest cruise that will take them there.
The line’s flagship, Paradise, will offer two-, three- and four-night sailings to Nassau for the first time, beginning in January 2025. With the related “Sail & Splash” packages, passengers who book a sailing can tack on a visit to Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau from $110 per adult ($55 per child). It seems like a good deal until you realize that Margaritaville at Sea’s least expensive base fares, not including taxes, start at $49 per person (less than $25 per person, per night) for a two-night voyage that includes food, entertainment and a place to sleep.
Meanwhile, the $110 pass in Nassau will only allow you day-use access to the resort for four hours — and it doesn’t include food or a room for use while you’re there.
What you will receive is express access to the property’s Fins Up Water Park, which features a lazy river, a zero-entry pool, a FlowRider surf simulator (boogie boarding only) and complimentary Wi-Fi, lounge chairs, umbrellas and towels. You’ll also have access to the resort’s beach area.
“In addition to this great new port of call, we’re offering guests a unique ship-to-resort experience, making it the ultimate quick getaway to paradise,” said Christopher Ivy, CEO of Margaritaville at Sea, in a press release. “Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau has exceptional amenities, including private access to a spectacular beach on turquoise waters … lazy river, multiple pools, and a variety of restaurant and bar options.”
For years before Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line partnered with the Margaritaville brand in 2022 to offer cruises with an island theme, its ships sailed two-night voyages back and forth between the Port of Palm Beach in Florida and Freeport on Grand Bahama Island. As part of a now-defunct cruise-and-stay program, passengers on those itineraries had an option to book additional land-based stays at a resort in Freeport, where they were able to vacation on land for a few days before returning back to the Port of Palm Beach on the ship — a concept that would have made the new Nassau resort offering a better deal.
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To be fair, the resort passes are less pricey than cruise fares when you add in the taxes and fees you’ll pay to sail. Plus, the cost is comparable to what you might pay for other shore excursions in the area when spending just a few hours ashore.
Prices for two-night sailings to either Freeport or Nassau in early 2025 start at $49 per person (less than $25 per person, per night). If you want to visit both ports, you’re in luck: There are a few sailings that include both stops in the same voyage. Four-night cruises that stop at Freeport and Nassau start at $100 per person ($25 per person, per night). Plus, during the line’s Black Friday Early Access sale, passengers can add third and fourth passengers to their cabin for free, snag up to $300 in onboard credit, and grab a Nassau resort pass from $99 per adult instead of $110.
In mid-2024, Margaritaville at Sea doubled its fleet size by adding a second ship, Islander. It also expanded its footprint to Tampa, marking the first time the line has sailed from a home port other than the Port of Palm Beach. Islander runs four- and five-night departures to Key West, Florida, and the Mexican Riviera from the Port of Tampa Bay, starting at $199 per person (less than $50 per person, per night).
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