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Well, I made it home today from the NCL Breakaway 7Star Cruise to Bermuda, with a stay in Caesars Atlantic City both before and after the cruise. I had a great time. It is a beautiful ship, and the weather during the cruise was great. Saw a performance of "Rock of Ages" at the ship's theater, which was exceptionally good. Caesars had set all this up for the 7Stars with no charges for balcony cabin, daily tips, drinks or port charges, plus some additional $$ credits to the stateroom account for ship purchases. It was a great deal. I even saw Paris from this site, who was sailing with her daughter, on board ship. Actually, she recognized me.
My gaming results, both on board ship (go figure - right?) and in AC, were terrible. Some table game success, but not enough to overcome the poor results at VP and slots.
No travel plans on the horizon right now, so I will use the time to catch up on projects around the house.
7Star NCL Cruise + AC
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robclyde
- Forum Regular
- Posts: 52
- Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2009 5:25 pm
Sounds like a great time Billy. Would love to sail on the Breakaway. We are booked on the Jewel in October - ready to go!
Robert
Robert
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BOOPSAHOY
- Video Poker Master
- Posts: 1625
- Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:20 pm
We are booked on out annual Gem cruise January!
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BobDancer
- Video Poker Master
- Posts: 1115
- Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 2:07 am
Nice report. BJ. There were lots of folks on that cruise I would have liked to catch up with. Including you.
When I got the offer to go on that cruise, I declined because I had just
divorced and wasn't dating anybody. Four months later when it was
appropriate for Bonnie and me to share a ship cabin together, it was WAY
too late to get a cabin for the August cruise.
Caesars is having at least two "make up" cruise dates for their Seven
Stars guests --- and Bonnie and I are going on the same ship and cruise
beginning October 6. Hopefully we'll have similar weather to what you
had --- and no hurricanes! As a plus from our point of view, we'll
likely have fewer children on board since it will no longer be summer
vacation. I'm sure I'll know some of the folks on that cruise as well.I'm sure I'll have better luck in the casino than you did, as my score will be very close to zero. NCL pay tables are unattractive and it's no problem for me to stay out of a casino for a week.I've been told that you can cash out your "free money" from Harrah's in the casino if you play one hand --- rather than spend the money on dinner upgrades or shore excursions. I'm very likely to cash out the money in the casino.NCL used to have a promotion where you can buy $250 of "money to spend" on future cruises for $200 in cash or $100 of casino play. Even with bad pay tables, $100 of casino play should end up costing $20 or less if you're disciplined enough to quit when you finish running the money through once --- which I am. (This $250 may be spent on port taxes, tips, and a variety of other things --- so it's the same as money if you are sure you're going on another NCL cruise. Even if you aren't sure, it's fully transferable to somebody else.) Since I'm planning on taking two cruises next spring and have spent all previously earned vouchers (actually I gave them to Shirley as part of the settlement), I will do this promotion twice if they let me. If they limit it to once per person, I'll do it once and Bonnie will do it once. (She doesn't know about this promotion yet. But since she's invited on the cruises next spring, it shouldn't be too hard to talk her into it --- especially since we'll be talking about me putting up the money.)
When I got the offer to go on that cruise, I declined because I had just
divorced and wasn't dating anybody. Four months later when it was
appropriate for Bonnie and me to share a ship cabin together, it was WAY
too late to get a cabin for the August cruise.
Caesars is having at least two "make up" cruise dates for their Seven
Stars guests --- and Bonnie and I are going on the same ship and cruise
beginning October 6. Hopefully we'll have similar weather to what you
had --- and no hurricanes! As a plus from our point of view, we'll
likely have fewer children on board since it will no longer be summer
vacation. I'm sure I'll know some of the folks on that cruise as well.I'm sure I'll have better luck in the casino than you did, as my score will be very close to zero. NCL pay tables are unattractive and it's no problem for me to stay out of a casino for a week.I've been told that you can cash out your "free money" from Harrah's in the casino if you play one hand --- rather than spend the money on dinner upgrades or shore excursions. I'm very likely to cash out the money in the casino.NCL used to have a promotion where you can buy $250 of "money to spend" on future cruises for $200 in cash or $100 of casino play. Even with bad pay tables, $100 of casino play should end up costing $20 or less if you're disciplined enough to quit when you finish running the money through once --- which I am. (This $250 may be spent on port taxes, tips, and a variety of other things --- so it's the same as money if you are sure you're going on another NCL cruise. Even if you aren't sure, it's fully transferable to somebody else.) Since I'm planning on taking two cruises next spring and have spent all previously earned vouchers (actually I gave them to Shirley as part of the settlement), I will do this promotion twice if they let me. If they limit it to once per person, I'll do it once and Bonnie will do it once. (She doesn't know about this promotion yet. But since she's invited on the cruises next spring, it shouldn't be too hard to talk her into it --- especially since we'll be talking about me putting up the money.)
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BillyJoe
- Video Poker Master
- Posts: 3198
- Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:00 pm
Nice report. BJ. There were lots of folks on that cruise I would have liked to catch up with. Including you.
When I got the offer to go on that cruise, I declined because I had just divorced and wasn't dating anybody. Four months later when it was appropriate for Bonnie and me to share a ship cabin together, it was WAY too late to get a cabin for the August cruise.
Caesars is having at least two "make up" cruise dates for their Seven Stars guests --- and Bonnie and I are going on the same ship and cruise beginning October 6. Hopefully we'll have similar weather to what you had --- and no hurricanes! As a plus from our point of view, we'll likely have fewer children on board since it will no longer be summer vacation. I'm sure I'll know some of the folks on that cruise as well.
I'm sure I'll have better luck in the casino than you did, as my score will be very close to zero. NCL pay tables are unattractive and it's no problem for me to stay out of a casino for a week.
I've been told that you can cash out your "free money" from Harrah's in the casino if you play one hand --- rather than spend the money on dinner upgrades or shore excursions. I'm very likely to cash out the money in the casino.
NCL used to have a promotion where you can buy $250 of "money to spend" on future cruises for $200 in cash or $100 of casino play. Even with bad pay tables, $100 of casino play should end up costing $20 or less if you're disciplined enough to quit when you finish running the money through once --- which I am. (This $250 may be spent on port taxes, tips, and a variety of other things --- so it's the same as money if you are sure you're going on another NCL cruise. Even if you aren't sure, it's fully transferable to somebody else.)
Since I'm planning on taking two cruises next spring and have spent all previously earned vouchers (actually I gave them to Shirley as part of the settlement), I will do this promotion twice if they let me. If they limit it to once per person, I'll do it once and Bonnie will do it once. (She doesn't know about this promotion yet. But since she's invited on the cruises next spring, it shouldn't be too hard to talk her into it --- especially since we'll be talking about me putting up the money.)
Sorry to hear about the changes to your personal life, Bob, but I am sure that you will land on your feet. Best of luck.
Yes, I heard that there was a waiting list for the cruise that I took, so I am glad they added a couple. By picking up port charges, tips and drink charges ship-wide, Caesars made it a heck of a deal. NCL still has that offer to "buy ahead" for future cruises, but I do not think casino play figures in anymore.
As far as VP goes. that was my one criticism of their casino. The multi-line machines were Super Star multi-denoms, which went from $0.02 to $2. There were only about eight machines, and they were taken solidly by folks playing at the lower denoms, with several playing the Keno option. Sprinkled around them are Game King single-line multi-denom. With the higher denom slots, they have two single line $5-10 machines, with TDB @9/6.
I hope your weather in October is as nice as ours was last week.
When I got the offer to go on that cruise, I declined because I had just divorced and wasn't dating anybody. Four months later when it was appropriate for Bonnie and me to share a ship cabin together, it was WAY too late to get a cabin for the August cruise.
Caesars is having at least two "make up" cruise dates for their Seven Stars guests --- and Bonnie and I are going on the same ship and cruise beginning October 6. Hopefully we'll have similar weather to what you had --- and no hurricanes! As a plus from our point of view, we'll likely have fewer children on board since it will no longer be summer vacation. I'm sure I'll know some of the folks on that cruise as well.
I'm sure I'll have better luck in the casino than you did, as my score will be very close to zero. NCL pay tables are unattractive and it's no problem for me to stay out of a casino for a week.
I've been told that you can cash out your "free money" from Harrah's in the casino if you play one hand --- rather than spend the money on dinner upgrades or shore excursions. I'm very likely to cash out the money in the casino.
NCL used to have a promotion where you can buy $250 of "money to spend" on future cruises for $200 in cash or $100 of casino play. Even with bad pay tables, $100 of casino play should end up costing $20 or less if you're disciplined enough to quit when you finish running the money through once --- which I am. (This $250 may be spent on port taxes, tips, and a variety of other things --- so it's the same as money if you are sure you're going on another NCL cruise. Even if you aren't sure, it's fully transferable to somebody else.)
Since I'm planning on taking two cruises next spring and have spent all previously earned vouchers (actually I gave them to Shirley as part of the settlement), I will do this promotion twice if they let me. If they limit it to once per person, I'll do it once and Bonnie will do it once. (She doesn't know about this promotion yet. But since she's invited on the cruises next spring, it shouldn't be too hard to talk her into it --- especially since we'll be talking about me putting up the money.)
Sorry to hear about the changes to your personal life, Bob, but I am sure that you will land on your feet. Best of luck.
Yes, I heard that there was a waiting list for the cruise that I took, so I am glad they added a couple. By picking up port charges, tips and drink charges ship-wide, Caesars made it a heck of a deal. NCL still has that offer to "buy ahead" for future cruises, but I do not think casino play figures in anymore.
As far as VP goes. that was my one criticism of their casino. The multi-line machines were Super Star multi-denoms, which went from $0.02 to $2. There were only about eight machines, and they were taken solidly by folks playing at the lower denoms, with several playing the Keno option. Sprinkled around them are Game King single-line multi-denom. With the higher denom slots, they have two single line $5-10 machines, with TDB @9/6.
I hope your weather in October is as nice as ours was last week.
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Minn. Fatz
- VP Veteran
- Posts: 522
- Joined: Mon May 07, 2007 12:22 am
Mrs. Minn and myself are thinking about an NCL cruise next year for a major birthday, to Mexico, Belize and Roatan Island to see the ruins. Just how awful are the VP paytables on NCL? Also, how are the table poker/tourney conditions?
On two previous cruises I found exactly one full-pay JW-Kings game, on Holland America's Vollendam. On the Zuiderdam there was a video Hold 'Em table, but for cash games it raked 15 percent with no cap; I heard of one hand where two players each had a pair of Aces, they wound up splitting like four bucks between them while the table took six.
On two previous cruises I found exactly one full-pay JW-Kings game, on Holland America's Vollendam. On the Zuiderdam there was a video Hold 'Em table, but for cash games it raked 15 percent with no cap; I heard of one hand where two players each had a pair of Aces, they wound up splitting like four bucks between them while the table took six.
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BillyJoe
- Video Poker Master
- Posts: 3198
- Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:00 pm
Mrs. Minn and myself are thinking about an NCL cruise next year for a major birthday, to Mexico, Belize and Roatan Island to see the ruins. Just how awful are the VP paytables on NCL? Also, how are the table poker/tourney conditions?
On two previous cruises I found exactly one full-pay JW-Kings game, on Holland America's Vollendam. On the Zuiderdam there was a video Hold 'Em table, but for cash games it raked 15 percent with no cap; I heard of one hand where two players each had a pair of Aces, they wound up splitting like four bucks between them while the table took six.
My experience has been that casinos aboard NCL ships is not the place to look for full pay VP. I cannot speak for every game type, but the ones that I do play were poor paytables. It is truley just entertainment.
The poker scene varies by cruise. This last one that I was on, leaving from NYC, had its share of 'expert' Texas Hold 'Em players from NY and NJ. It was fun to bust a few of them. The ship had regular buy-in tournaments as well, timed with re-buys.
On two previous cruises I found exactly one full-pay JW-Kings game, on Holland America's Vollendam. On the Zuiderdam there was a video Hold 'Em table, but for cash games it raked 15 percent with no cap; I heard of one hand where two players each had a pair of Aces, they wound up splitting like four bucks between them while the table took six.
My experience has been that casinos aboard NCL ships is not the place to look for full pay VP. I cannot speak for every game type, but the ones that I do play were poor paytables. It is truley just entertainment.
The poker scene varies by cruise. This last one that I was on, leaving from NYC, had its share of 'expert' Texas Hold 'Em players from NY and NJ. It was fun to bust a few of them. The ship had regular buy-in tournaments as well, timed with re-buys.
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Minn. Fatz
- VP Veteran
- Posts: 522
- Joined: Mon May 07, 2007 12:22 am
This last one that I was on, leaving from NYC, had its share of 'expert' Texas Hold 'Em players from NY and NJ
Ah yes, a minute to learn, a lifetime to master...
Ah yes, a minute to learn, a lifetime to master...
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DaBurglar
- Video Poker Master
- Posts: 4535
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2011 12:11 pm
I'm sorry i missed you BJ in Atlantic city, but alas, I have drastically cut down my time in AC the past 3 months on the heels of my continued investigation(s) and on the basis that several of my other friends and family continue to tank in the VP department in AC (except, once again, at borgata.) I will be going to AC next week for 5 days, August 20 thru 25, for some Poker tournament play, but I also will be re-visiting the Gaming Control Office on Tennesse Avenue either the 23rd or 24th when Lon their ttoruney is supposed to be in office and can chat for a few minutes. It should be interesting. Nonetheless Billyjoe, the time that you actually DID spend playing in AC casinos, namely Caesar, just how "bad" was it from your perspective? what and where did you play and did it seem either unusually BAD or just plain "normal" bad? I hope you at least got out on the boardwalk for a little stroll because the weather the past 2 weeks has been some of the nicest in modern memory.
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BillyJoe
- Video Poker Master
- Posts: 3198
- Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:00 pm
Nonetheless Billyjoe, the time that you actually DID spend playing in AC casinos, namely Caesar, just how "bad" was it from your perspective? what and where did you play and did it seem either unusually BAD or just plain "normal" bad?
I did not get around a lot while in AC, Burglar, just Caesars and Harrahs. I did nothing at Harrahs VP-wise, which was all that I played there, so I would have to say, for me, it was worse than I have had in previous trips. VP-wise, Caesars was a little better, but not outstanding. I found myself drifting over to those Joker Poker Progressives, which I usually never play. The guy sitting next to me hit one of the progressives on a $2 machine, which was nice for him.
I did not seem to get the series of 'dead hands', however, that you had described. I actually had a lot of good drawing hands, like trips, but just did not connect.
I hope that your upcoming trip is profitable.
