Boarding Impressions & Ship Atmosphere

Comp cruise with Margaritaville at Sea with special guest Marc | Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast How did I score a free (or nearly free) balcony suite cruise using a mix of credit card points and casino loyalty perks? In this episode of the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast, host Justin Vacula breaks down his December 2025 Margaritaville at Sea cruise and explains the strategy behind turning a comp cruise offer into a suite-level upgrade. I cover the whole experience from start to finish: booking and pre-cruise planning, travel to the port, first impressions of the ship, and a detailed look at the balcony suite amenities. You’ll also hear my honest take on dining onboard, what felt worth it, what I’d skip next time, and how Margaritaville at Sea compares to other cruises and travel redemptions. We also get into the casino side of cruising: casino promotions, random drawings, rewards programs, and gambling strategy, including sessions of blackjack and craps, and how I think about offers and play when the goal is maximizing overall value. If you’re into points and miles, MGM Rewards, casino comps, status matches, and travel hacking, this episode is packed with practical takeaways you can apply to your own trips. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast 00:45 Margaritaville at Sea Cruise Experience 01:10 Meetups and Social Media 01:55 Booking and Preparing for the Cruise 02:17 First Impressions and Ship Details 05:22 Room and Amenities 06:33 Travel to Cruise Port 09:58 Boarding and Initial Impressions 12:40 Dining Experiences 21:57 Casino and Gambling Insights 28:15 Casino Strategies and Observations 29:56 Random Drawings and Rewards 30:46 Blackjack and Craps Sessions 33:04 Frequent Traveler University Conference 34:15 Cozumel Port Day 38:19 Progreso Port Day 40:50 Cruise Reflections and Future Plans 44:00 Upcoming Cruises and Status Matches 48:26 Holiday Plans and Rewards 52:19 Closing Remarks and Future Episodes — 🎙️ 📢 Listen to the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast: 👉 SoundCloud → https://soundcloud.com/hurdygurdytravelpodcast 👉 Apple Podcasts / iTunes → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast/id1489093490 👉 Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/0PRUx83Z4XKHengsgOoLWg 👉 iHeartRadio → https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-hurdy-gurdy-travel-podcast-51807405/ 👉 …and many other podcast platforms worldwide! 🌍🎧 📡 Prefer using your favorite app? Simply copy & paste my podcast RSS feed: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:706382626/sounds.rss — 💜 Support My Work & Unlock Special Perks: 👉 Support me through helpful referral links on my site: https://hurdygurdytravel.com/donate-referral-links/ 👉 Use my CardPointers affiliate link to save on annual and lifetime memberships → https://www.cardpointers.com/hurdygurdytravel CardPointers helps you activate card-linked offers and take advantage of other powerful credit card features. 👉 Become a Frequent Traveler University member and sign up for events. https://ftuniversity.com/?aff=24 👉 Earn 500 miles when signing up for Rove Miles using my referral link: www.rovemiles.com/?signup&referralCode=8AS1JSG9 — 👉 Visit the Support Tab on my website to contribute via SubscribeStar → https://www.subscribestar.com/hurdygurdytravel 🎁 Subscriber & Supporter Perks Include: ✨ One-on-one calls with me ✨ Advance notice of upcoming podcast guests (submit your questions!) ✨ A custom podcast episode recorded just for you 🎙️💬 ✨ Bonus content 🎁 — 🌐 Stay Connected With Me: 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 👍 Like on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/HurdyGurdyTravelPodcast 🐦 Follow on Twitter / X → https://x.com/HurdyGurdyTravl 📸 Follow on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/justinvacula/