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Who does cruises?

BobOrme
BobOrme
Dec 17, 2016
2:21pm
Block User
Quote
Originally posted by: pjstroh
I wouldn't gamble one cent on a cruise ship. There is no Nevada gaming board to get your back. If Captain Stubing decides not to pay your jackpot there's not a whole helluva lot you can do about it besides complain on YELP.


The first night of my first cruise, on a Carnival ship to the Bahamas, I hit a $1838.00 progressive royal flush on one of their video poker machines. They were very quick bringing me the hand-pay cash jackpot. They didn't give me a W2G with the money. I thought maybe the reason was because we were in international waters. They did slip a W2G under my cabin door in the morning of the last day of the cruise. I stopped by the casino to ask the manager about the W2G, and she told me that they abided by gaming tax rules of each passenger's home country.

I haven't seen any reason not to gamble in a ship's casino. I've played in free slot tournaments where everyone at least gets some free swag. BJ rules aren't different from most Vegas casinos, and neither are craps rules, although they tend to use half-sized craps tables to conserve space. My 9-day cruise to the western Carribean had a poker room with two tables. A group of friendly Israelis covered most of my shore excursion expenses at those poker tables.
dfwgambler
dfwgambler
Dec 18, 2016
7:19am
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Duplicate deleted.
dfwgambler
dfwgambler
Dec 18, 2016
7:35am
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We get two free cruises each year from our home casinos, Margaritaville, Shreveport LA and Choctaw Casino, Durant LA. So we cruise often.

We prefer to cruise Carnival as it has a younger crowd. We have been on most of the others 2 or 3 times and they generally have older folks onboard.(We are older.)

We are scheduled for a Panama Canal Cruise in late 2017. (1st time Panama).

The casinos on ships from my experience, are very, very tight. You would be better doing on shore gambling. My wife plays in the ship casinos, I, don't. She gets free or discounted offers from the Carnival casinos.

I would not spend a lot on all the stuff the ship tries to sell you. You can have a great time not spending any extra beyond your cruise fare and fees. I do.

I love cruising!! Room and food are included (We don't do alcohol, thus saving a lot !!)

Go, have fun !!!
Tutontow
Tutontow
Dec 18, 2016
9:03am
Block User
Quote
Originally posted by: dfwgambler
We get two free cruises each year from our home casinos, Margaritaville, Shreveport LA and Choctaw Casino, Durant LA. So we cruise often.

We prefer to cruise Carnival as it has a younger crowd. We have been on most of the others 2 or 3 times and they generally have older folks onboard.(We are older.)

We are scheduled for a Panama Canal Cruise in late 2017. (1st time Panama).

The casinos on ships from my experience, are very, very tight. You would be better doing on shore gambling. My wife plays in the ship casinos, I, don't. She gets free or discounted offers from the Carnival casinos.

I would not spend a lot on all the stuff the ship tries to sell you. You can have a great time not spending any extra beyond your cruise fare and fees. I do.

I love cruising!! Room and food are included (We don't do alcohol, thus saving a lot !!)

Go, have fun !!!


Have you ever been to Cypress Bayou just outside New Iberia. We had a great time there. Won a little money and the offers just keep rolling in.


surf87
surf87
Dec 18, 2016
9:27am
Block User
dfw, I like the fact that you didn't have to spend anything extra. My next sailing I will try to do the same and not spend anything extra. And on my previous Mexican trip I did the shore excursion not knowing that I could have just remained on the ship. Next time I plan to remain onboard. In the Mexico port we caught a shuttle bus that took us to a town where we watched some dancing show then we had some free time to shop in a town. I'm just glad we never got robbed or worse got arrested by some corrupt policia and held for ransom. I thought everyone had to get off the ship but next time I'm staying on the ship.
pjstroh
pjstroh
Dec 18, 2016
11:09am
Block User
Quote
Originally posted by: BobOrme
. They did slip a W2G under my cabin door in the morning of the last day of the cruise. I stopped by the casino to ask the manager about the W2G, and she told me that they abided by gaming tax rules of each passenger's home country.
)


there's lots of issues with this:
1) Most gambling rules in the US are state based - so abiding by federal laws doesn't get you anywhere
2) She is telling you company policy - not international law. If they abide by those rules its because they've voluntarily made the decision to - not because they are obligated to do so. And whats to stop them if they decide not to?
3) Who is checking to make sure the games are fair? Is the house loading the dice at the craps table? Removing face cards from the blackjack decks? Putting magnets in the roulette wheel? In Nevada they have regulators who check that stuff. On a cruise ship you are relying on the integrity of the house. It may be they are fair and honest, but I wouldn't give them the benefit of that doubt.

BobOrme
BobOrme
Dec 18, 2016
12:18pm
Block User
Quote
Originally posted by: pjstroh
Quote
Originally posted by: BobOrme
. They did slip a W2G under my cabin door in the morning of the last day of the cruise. I stopped by the casino to ask the manager about the W2G, and she told me that they abided by gaming tax rules of each passenger's home country.
)


there's lots of issues with this:
1) Most gambling rules in the US are state based - so abiding by federal laws doesn't get you anywhere
2) She is telling you company policy - not international law. If they abide by those rules its because they've voluntarily made the decision to - not because they are obligated to do so. And whats to stop them if they decide not to?
3) Who is checking to make sure the games are fair? Is the house loading the dice at the craps table? Removing face cards from the blackjack decks? Putting magnets in the roulette wheel? In Nevada they have regulators who check that stuff. On a cruise ship you are relying on the integrity of the house. It may be they are fair and honest, but I wouldn't give them the benefit of that doubt.


1) A W2G is a federal income tax document.

2) I've only cruised on Carnival, but I wouldn't be surprised if the practice is standard within the industry. It doesn't benefit them in any way. It's extra paperwork for the casino. I also wouldn't be surprised if our government "strongly suggests" that cruises embarking and/or disembarking from US ports do this.

3) While I have no doubt that the slots are tight, that doesn't mean they are crooked. Their limited VP inventory had lousy odds, but the progressive on the royal was reason enough for me to play. I was with a group of 24 friends (members of a casino collectibles club) on that cruise, and a few of them who play a lot of VP refused to play it because it was 6/5 JOB. I've hit other progressive royals on lousy odds JOB machines so I gave it a shot and hit it with only $20 put into the machine. That same night, another guy in our group won over $3,000 during a hot roll on the craps table. I've also won money playing craps, roulette and BJ in cruise ship casinos, as have a number of my fellow casino collectibles club friends. If there was anything, and I mean anything, being done to manipulate the table games, someone would notice it. If the cruise lines didn't keep their games honest, complaints would be all over the internet.
Campion
Campion
Dec 18, 2016
3:51pm
Block User
Only done one, down Mexico way, on Norwegian. Wasn't terrible....got nickle and dimed more than I had planned on, but we were virgin cruisers and didn't know a lot.

Highlight was the wife and winning the shipboard talent show.
Tutontow
Tutontow
Dec 19, 2016
2:24am
Block User
Quote
Originally posted by: BobOrme
Quote
Originally posted by: pjstroh
Quote
Originally posted by: BobOrme
. They did slip a W2G under my cabin door in the morning of the last day of the cruise. I stopped by the casino to ask the manager about the W2G, and she told me that they abided by gaming tax rules of each passenger's home country.
)


there's lots of issues with this:
1) Most gambling rules in the US are state based - so abiding by federal laws doesn't get you anywhere
2) She is telling you company policy - not international law. If they abide by those rules its because they've voluntarily made the decision to - not because they are obligated to do so. And whats to stop them if they decide not to?
3) Who is checking to make sure the games are fair? Is the house loading the dice at the craps table? Removing face cards from the blackjack decks? Putting magnets in the roulette wheel? In Nevada they have regulators who check that stuff. On a cruise ship you are relying on the integrity of the house. It may be they are fair and honest, but I wouldn't give them the benefit of that doubt.


1) A W2G is a federal income tax document.

2) I've only cruised on Carnival, but I wouldn't be surprised if the practice is standard within the industry. It doesn't benefit them in any way. It's extra paperwork for the casino. I also wouldn't be surprised if our government "strongly suggests" that cruises embarking and/or disembarking from US ports do this.

3) While I have no doubt that the slots are tight, that doesn't mean they are crooked. Their limited VP inventory had lousy odds, but the progressive on the royal was reason enough for me to play. I was with a group of 24 friends (members of a casino collectibles club) on that cruise, and a few of them who play a lot of VP refused to play it because it was 6/5 JOB. I've hit other progressive royals on lousy odds JOB machines so I gave it a shot and hit it with only $20 put into the machine. That same night, another guy in our group won over $3,000 during a hot roll on the craps table. I've also won money playing craps, roulette and BJ in cruise ship casinos, as have a number of my fellow casino collectibles club friends. If there was anything, and I mean anything, being done to manipulate the table games, someone would notice it. If the cruise lines didn't keep their games honest, complaints would be all over the internet.


Let me add, being at sea with a captive audience, most of which have no idea how to play, there is no reason to risk their reputation over a rigged game.

To each their own. I highly doubt Las Vegas or Atlantic City will ever see me again.
Don
Don
Dec 19, 2016
11:11pm
Block User
And now, . . . something completely different:

"Regent Seven Seas Cruises has the distinction of being the only North American luxury cruise line to be granted permission to offer voyages to Cuba, and has added Havana to two Caribbean voyages aboard Seven Seas Mariner in April 2017. The two voyages, April 11 and 18, will both overnight in Havana, giving guests ample time to experience the rich culture and history of this iconic city while indulging in Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ all-inclusive luxury.

The two voyages on Seven Seas Mariner featuring Havana are identical. Along with a visit to Cuba’s capital, they will both call on the brand new, upscale resort-style destination in Belize called Harvest Caye. Below is the detailed itinerary for the voyages on April 11 and 18, 2017."
The ship also stops at Costa Maya, Mexico.

DonDiego received an ad for this cruise in his e-mail today; the ship is based in Miami; the ad offers free airfare from just about all major airports. [DonDiego opines this is unfare to those residing closer to Miami, buy ho one consulted him on this promotion.]

Ref: Regent Seven Seas Cruises
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