are cruise ship casinos worth playing?

**mhb** · 03-08-2014, 09:30 PM

i am interested in going on a cruise and I am wondering
if the casinos on board are worth playing.
can anyone recommend specific cruises or ships for
playing blackjack?
any experiences to share.
heat? conditions? etc?

**Marvin** · 03-09-2014, 06:24 AM

Just counting BJ or anything else?

**Gronbog** · 03-09-2014, 06:44 AM

Every cruise I have been on the past 10 years has been all CSMs. No shoes. They also offer game variants with what seem like favourable rules, but when you read the fine print on the rules pamphlet you find that they've made some adjustment to the deck, like all queens removed, or something similar that more than negates the apparent advantage.

**Jabberwocky** · 03-09-2014, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by mhb

i am interested in going on a cruise and I am wondering
if the casinos on board are worth playing.
can anyone recommend specific cruises or ships for
playing blackjack?
any experiences to share.
heat? conditions? etc?

The problem is if you want to leave the casino, you are forced to jump ship.

**bigplayer** · 03-09-2014, 01:10 PM

They can be. Depends on the game, the comps, etc. Generally though to get truly beatable games you have to play at least $50 or $100 minimum. Below that is junk. Hint on comps, don't charge things to your room and try to get it comped off later, get comps as you want/need them from a host in the casino. If you charge it to your room and happen to win the boat will be much more hesitant to comp off more than a fraction of your charges.

If you get way ahead of the casino playing BJ you should just quit playing and enjoy the rest of your trip or just play craps for comps and free drinks. If you get backed off the ship could do to you what they did to a teammate of mine and when he cashed out his chips on the final day of the cruise they just kept them and his money. Eventually after many months they paid him but deducted the full cost of the comped cruise and all incidentals from his winnings.

That said, there are opportunities that arise from time to time. One ship had a Big Six wheel with two identical 45-1 slots. (45-1 payoff on a 27-1 event)

**Blitzkrieg** · 03-09-2014, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by bigplayer

Generally though to get truly beatable games you have to play at least $50 or $100 minimum. Below that is junk.

If you get backed off the ship could do to you what they did to a teammate of mine and when he cashed out his chips on the final day of the cruise they just kept them and his money. Eventually after many months they paid him but deducted the full cost of the comped cruise and all incidentals from his winnings.

Why do you say, "to get truly beatable games you have to play at least $50 or $100 minimum. Below that is junk." Are those minimums that you are accustomed to playing which you would consider being worth your time and effort? It sounds like the cruise line really boned over your teammate when he beat them. The sorry *******s didn't want to pay when they had got beaten fair and square, what a double standard. Makes a person want to think twice about taking a cruise with a casino on it, heaven forbid if you happen to win.

**steveistheman84** · 03-09-2014, 05:22 PM

i think he's saying that the higher limit games have better rules and conditions. that's usually the case at most places.

**dalehope** · 03-09-2014, 07:10 PM

I was on Celebrity recently. Most tables are 8 deck shoes hand shuffled. Shuffling competency varies by dealer. Penetration about 80%. I think it was S17, DAS, no surrender. Table minimums were 15, I'm not sure of the max but I recall 300. I'm a low green chipper so the max was not relevant.

There is one table of single deck 6:5, with dealer holding the deck instead of putting it in a shoe. If you try to play it, be careful.

On Regent last year, there were two hand shuffled tables, 25-300 and 10-300, and one CSM 10-300. 6 deck, S17, das, no surrender. On sea days they add some beneficial rule like allowing surrender. 4 or 5 dealers all of whom doubled as pit critters.

**Blitzkrieg** · 03-09-2014, 08:12 PM

I suppose that sounds about right Steve. If you go on that cruise mhb make sure to rock the boat.

**bigplayer** · 03-10-2014, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by steveistheman84

higher limit games have better rules and conditions.

Bingo, rules tied to limits, on NCL it's

$100-$2000 s17 ds six deck
$50-$1000 h17 ds six deck
$25-$500 h17 ds eight deck
$10-$200 h17 ds CSM

On Carnival it was all eight deck h17 ds.

On many cruise lines it is all CSM's but will often comp free drinks to some casino customers so even a CSM might be worth a short play for free cocktails if you were going to pay for them anyway.