The Ultimate ‘Jersey Shore: Family Vacation’ Streaming Guide

“Jersey Shore” is one of the most recognizable reality television franchises on the planet. Since it premiered in 2009, it has become an enormous cultural touchstone.

Watch the latest episode of ”Jersey Shore Family Vacation” – “The Mothership”

Although it only ran for 6 seasons, concluding in 2012, the show has launched countless spinoffs and made its main cast, particularly Snooki, into household names.

“Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” is the most recent iteration of the series, and reunites nearly the entire original cast. “Family Vacation” began in 2018 and is currently airing its 6th season.

Here’s everything you need to know about the show, including details for the current season and where to watch the series with a free live stream.

“Jersey Shore Family Vacation” debuted in 2018 as the sequel “Jersey Shore,” which was one of the most popular series in the history of MTV.

The roommates have all grown up and now have kids and families of their own, but still find time to go to the Jersey shore to party. The 6th season has seen the return of Sammi Sweetheart, after 11 years away from the franchise. This season, the family will have to learn to adapt to a new dynamic, especially as old tensions rise again.

What was the original “Jersey Shore” about?

The original “Jersey Shore” aired on MTV from 2009 to 2012, following a cast of NJ/NY natives who spent a summer down the shore in Seaside Heights. The first season took place in NJ, while the next season took place in Miami, FL. The series then returned to New Jersey for its third season, and headed to Italy for a 4th, before returning to New Jersey again.

Cast members Deena and Angelina are the only ones who did not appear in every season.

Where to watch “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation”

“Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” airs on MTV every Thursday at 8 p.m. The current season is the series’ 6th, though many places have identified it as the 7th due to the way MTV divides its series midway through airing.

You can use the channel finder on your provider’s website to locate MTV: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, and Dish.

If you’re a cord-cutter or don’t have cable, you can watch a “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” free live stream on Philo (free trial) or Fubo TV (free trial), both of which offer free trials. They will also feature each episode on demand for several days after it airs.

Who is in the “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” cast?

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi – Snooki was the breakout star from the original series. She met Jionni LaVelle during the first series, whom she married in 2014. Together, they have three children: Lorenzo, Giovanna, and Angelo. Their pregnancy was a storyline in the 2012 series “Snooki and JWOWW.” She is most commonly linked with Jenni “JWOWW” Farley, along with Deena Cortese, with whom she hosts “The Meatball Pod” podcast.

Jenni “JWOWW” Farley – JWOWW is known as the tough girl of the series. Along with her connections to Snooki, JWOWW was originally linked to Pauly “DJ Pauly D” Delvecchio – the two had a “will they/won’t they” relationship in the original series, which led to them hooking up but never dating. Jenni’s main relationship in the original series was with Roger Matthews, whom she married from 2015-2019. They have two kids together, Meilani and Greyson. She and Roger had a nasty split in 2019, although they have been able to successfully co-parent since then. She is currently engaged to Zack Clayton Carpinello (nicknamed “24″ because of how old he was when they met; she is 9 years older) after years of dating.

Pauly “DJ Pauly D” Delvecchio – The most successful cast member on and off the show. He was a DJ before the series, though it dramatically elevated his status. Now he is able to DJ all over the world. He is the comedian of the group, known for making up some of the most popular catchphrases from the show, such as “It’s T-Shirt Time” and “Cabs are here!” He is most often associated with Vinny, as the two became best friends on the show. Pauly has had a number of spinoffs, including “The Pauly D Project,” “Double Shot at Love,” and “Revenge Prank.” He is dating Nikki Hall, a contestant who appeared in two seasons of his series “Double Shot at Love.” He also has a 10-year-old daughter named Amabella.

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino – Initially, “The Situation” was considered the “villain” of the show; he often stirred up drama among the other cast members. He had some serious legal issues after the original series, along with a drug and alcohol addiction. He was sentenced to prison time in 2018 for tax evasion after not paying taxes on his earnings between 2010-2012. He spent 8 months in prison in 2019, which was documented on “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.” He was not romantically tied to anyone on “Jersey Shore,” though he’d expressed interest in Sammi Sweetheart in the first season. He has been married to Lauren Sorrentino (an on-again, off-again college girlfriend) since 2018. The couple have two children together, Romeo and Mia. In 2023, Mike celebrated 7 years sober and has been a vocal advocate for sobriety and lifestyle changes.

Vinny Guadagnino – The youngest cast member on the series, Vinny was just over 21 at the time of the original “Jersey Shore.” He is the biggest prankster of the group, and is often associated with Pauly D. The two even had a short-lived series called “Revenge Prank” together. He’s also had spinoffs about his family and home life, entitled “The Show with Vinny” and “Vinny & Ma Eat America.” Vinny has long been connected with Snooki for their implied romance in the original series. People often similarly suggest he’s dated Angelina Pivarnick (though neither has admitted this).

Deena Bucker (formerly Cortese) – Deena was a late addition to the series after dropping out of the original season due to a family emergency. She knew Snooki prior to the series, and when Angelina left after season 2, they brought in Deena to fill out the cast. As a Plumsted native, she is one of the few members of the series actually born and raised in NJ. Deena has little drama, on or off the show. She is married to Chris Buckner (since 2017) and they have two kids together, CJ and Cameron.

Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola – Sammi coined herself “the sweetest bitch you’ll ever meet” but was often embroiled in arguments with all of the women of the series, particularly JWOWW and Snooki. Her tumultuous relationship with Ronnie Ortiz-Magro was well-documented in the original series, in which they often broke up while drunk. They did not officially end their relationship until 2014 (2 years after the first series ended). When “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” first premiered in 2018, she was noticeably absent – even posting on social media that she opted out of returning to avoid “toxic situations.”

Angelina Pivarnick – Angelina has been in and out of the series since the beginning, clashing with most of the cast. After leaving the first season early (she was kicked out for refusing to work at the Shore Store), she returned for season 2 in Miami to stir up drama. She left again after getting in a physical fight with Snooki and Mike. Pauly D brought her back for “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” as a prank, which was greeted with animosity by most of the cast. She is still treated as the villain of the series. Angelina is also the one who surprised the cast by bringing back Sammi.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro – Ron has been called the most “toxic” person on “Jersey Shore.” His behavior towards Sammi on the original series is often denounced as extremely abusive. This drama followed him onto “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation,” where he had another tumultuous relationship with Jen Harley, the mother of his daughter Ariana (born in 2017). He has been arrested more than once on domestic violence charges, and has filed charges himself against Harley, with whom he split in 2019. He began dating Saffire Matos in 2020, but was arrested in 2021 on new felony domestic violence charges. The two were engaged later that year, but split in 2022. He stepped back from “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation” to focus on his mental health and raising his daughter. He had a brief reappearance in 2023 on the series to give a life update.

What happened so far this season on “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation”?

The first half of season 6 was not very eventful. The cast went on vacation to Las Vegas together, then returned to Atlantic City to settle in for a summer at the Jersey Shore. Angelina admitted to having feelings for Vinny, but got engaged to Vinny Tortorella near the end of the season’s first half. Angelina and JWOWW have had some tension regarding how quickly Angelina is moving through her relationships.

The main highlight of the season, however, has been the return of Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola.

Here’s a look at the cast of “Jersey Shore” grappling with some tough decisions during a game of Would You Rather?, courstesy of the show’s official YouTube channel:

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Joseph Rejent covers TV, writing about live television, streaming services and cord-cutting. He can be reached at [email protected].