I Took a Trip on America’s CHEAPEST Cruise — This is What It’s Really Like Aboard a $25-a-night Ship Whose Passengers Said Smelled Like POOP

What does a trip on one of America’s cheapest cruises look like?

Well, in an attempt to quell people’s intrigues, YouTuber Lucas Cruikshank booked a two night trip with Margaritaville At Sea from Miami to the Bahamas.

Rates on the cruise line – which has a ‘poor’ to ‘average’ rating on Tripadvisor – start from just $25 per person per night, as there are several ‘buy one, get one free’ offers throughout the year.

Lucas paid $200 for himself and his friend Jacob for a two-night trip, but he said once additional fees were added, it came to $400, so $100 per person per night.

The avid traveler opted for an ocean view room, which bumped up the price, and he also bought himself an unlimited soft drink package.

From start to finish, Lucas documented his budget voyage at sea, which also marked his very first cruise.

For starters, he said he didn’t know what to expect and found the scathing online reviews a bit off-putting.

He explains: ‘Margaritaville at Sea Paradise has pretty low reviews, but we all know people with one-star reviews are dramatic.

“Like people are constantly in a bad mood and posting it on these review websites, so I need to test if this ship actually deserves the low rating it has.”

He said a review he found equated the ship – which was built in 1991 – to a “floating Super 8 hotel,” while others had said it “smelled like poop.”

But once Lucas and Jacob board the ship, they seem pleasantly surprised by what they have found.

Lucas told viewers, “WI got on board and I was impressed.

‘Even though this ship is more than thirty years old, they recreated it. Maybe we’ll see some cracks in that later, but for the most part I was okay with it.”

After boarding the ship, the duo ventured out for lunch. Despite many reviewers ‘despising’ the food, Lucas said the offering was good.

Instead of the buffet he opted for a ham panini, some pigs in a blanket and an apple. His only complaint was that there was no ketchup for his pigs in a blanket and he had to make do with mustard.

On what the buffet offering was like, he added: “Yes, the buffet was fine. I mean, it wasn’t Michelin star food… But [I got] BOGO… like why are you complaining!

‘I’ve been to gross buffets, this wasn’t one of them. It looked like a mediocre buffet.’

On the beverage side, Jacob noted that his water tasted like chlorine, but said it was “fine” and drinkable.

Once their cabin was ready, the two cruise-goers went down to check it out and were pleased with what they found.

Lucas exclaimed, “Oh my god, it’s bigger than I expected. Naturally, we paid for an ocean display.’

They filmed a short tour of the bathroom, highlighting the artificial marble countertop and the ‘cozy’ walk-in shower.

While reviewers said the rooms were outdated and in need of renovation, and leaky portlights were another complaint, Lucas and Jacob didn’t find much wrong with their cabin.

Their only complaints included a stray hair on the bedside table and several damaged cabinets.

Another area the ship reviewers complained about was the public toilets.

Lucas said people were grumbling about the doors being stuck, not locking and that it was “a mess.”

Although he had no problems with the public toilets, Jacob was at one point locked in a stall, but he eventually escaped.

In terms of food offerings, the Paradise ship has six restaurants, three of which are free and three with additional costs.

Lucas and Jacob stuck to the free dining spots included in their package.

On both nights they checked in at Fins Dining.

Of all the dishes they tried, Lucas said the pumpkin soup was “bland,” while a bowl of macaroni that looked “yucky” was actually “yummy.”

His only complaint was that the entrees were “tasty” but small and when they tried to order an additional dish, the server warned that another portion would be charged $8.

When they reached Freeport, Bahamas, Lucas and Jacob opted to have a drink on the shore at Senor Frogs.

Back on the ship, they explored the casino, nightclub, bingo hall and hot tub, among other things.

After spending just over 48 hours on America’s cheapest cruise ship, Lucas delivered his verdict.

While some critics of the ship said the “best part of the cruise was getting off,” Lucas said that while he was “excited” to get off, he enjoyed his time at sea.

“I think two days is perfect,” he mused.