Margaritaville at Sea Is Thanking "Heroes" With Free Cruises — See if You Qualify
Teachers, military servicemembers, police officers, and first responders can cruise for free with Margaritaville at Sea. We have all the details.
Sept. 20 2022, Published 4:03 p.m. ET
The Margaritaville at Sea "Paradise" Cruise ship has a free cruise offer for teachers, police officers, and military members.
Margaritaville at Sea is offering a temporary promotional deal to send first responders, teachers, and military personnel on a free cruise. The cruise offer is for a three-day, two-night sail to Grand Bahama Island. Here are all the details on the Margaritaville at Sea free cruise, and how long it will last.
The cruising industry took a severe hit during the coronavirus pandemic along with the entire travel industry, and cruise lines are working to draw travelers back to the sea. The Margaritaville at Sea cruise line is offering two-night cruises for free to active and veteran military members, first responders, law enforcement officers, and teachers.
Qualified individuals can relax on a three-day cruise for free.
Where does Margaritaville at Sea sail from?
The Margaritaville at Sea cruise will set sail from the Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach, Fla. The cruise, which takes three days and two nights, takes travelers to Grand Bahama Island. The cruise line is part of artist Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville brand.
The free cruise is for certain people serving the community.
The Margaritaville at Sea free cruise is offered to people in specific career fields that serve “communities at home and abroad.” Here’s the list of people who qualify to receive a cruise at no cost (besides port fees and taxes):
Members of the military (active or veteran)
First responders
Law enforcement officials
Educators
You must verify your position as one of these qualified individuals through the GovX ID platform. The offer is called “Heroes Sail Free” and is meant as a thank you to people who serve through these specific professions.
How long is the free cruise being offered?
The cruise offer will last for more than a year, as the promotion runs from September 9, 2022, until December 29, 2023. The current blackout dates are December 30, 2022, and December 31, 2023.
In order to take advantage of the “Heroes Sail Free” offer, be sure to verify your ID on the GovX ID platform before booking. If you are booking one person to sail for free and another to pay regular price, you will see the discount applied at checkout.
The company says that you may book two qualified members to stay in the same stateroom, but if only one of two in your party is qualified for the free cruise, the other will have to pay the regular sailing rate.
There are also single rooms available, although the cruise line says, “Singles are capacity controlled at the discretion of Classica Cruise Operator DBA Margaritaville at Sea.” The availability of single rooms vs. double rooms may vary.
Although the cruise is free, travelers still have to pay certain fees.
The cruise itself is free to qualified individuals, but there are still a few costs you’ll have to pay. The cruise line’s terms and conditions state that port taxes and fees are excluded from the deal. In addition, “onboard fees” are paid by all guests on the ship. You’ll also need to budget for gratuities on the ship (and of course, your transportation to and from the Florida port).
The free cruise includes an indoor stateroom, with free ocean view upgrades until October 4, 2022. The company says that for an additional fee, you can upgrade to a suite for more space on board.