Summer 2016

[Sailaway487]

Hi Sailaway

Any further news for Summer 2016. I think last year someone manged to advance scan a brochure and post. Looking forward to any news sailaway.:):):):)

 

Nothing new in afraid. Expecting an announcement though either next week or the week after.

[davecttr]

Yeah, its last cruise ends in Venice on 20th April, then will probably go to Hamburg or somewhere for a dry dock. Will be quite a long dry dock then (I hope!). Don't want another Dream scenario of take over the ship, paint the TUI smile and off it goes. Maybe they've learnt from the past this time.

Mein Schiff 1 had €50 million spent on it to adapt it for the german market. I would hope that TUI are not still considering Thomson as a cheap milk cow and that they will refurbish to at least the standard of the Mein Schiff conversion.

[davecttr]

I've read somewhere that it will start sailing for Thomson in June 2016, but the last cruise on RCI is departing 4 April, but presumably it will have to have some work done on it before starting for Thomson as some things will be incompatible with the Thomson brand (I understand that the casino is quite large at present). They may also be using that time for some mechanical work, rather than having to take her out of service later on?!?!

 

I for one, with the Casino, would still like one that's bigger than on their current ships, with some proper Poker tables kept behind for some proper poker tournaments to be played, as the Texas Hold 'Em tournaments that they currently offer in their casinos are a very poor offering. With some proper tables, they could offer tournaments every night to run alongside the usual table games.

Thomson casinos are a bit of a joke as the table limits are so low. Blackjack has a £10 limit compared with £100 on P&O and the roulette is £3? compared with £25 on P&O. they must be scared of someone getting lucky and winning some money. Don't touch the draw as the numbers are drawn on the roulette wheel. the chances against winning are astronomical :mad:

 

ps - the chance of winning the 10 thousand is 1 to 1,947,792

[BaggersCruising]

Mein Schiff 1 had €50 million spent on it to adapt it for the german market. I would hope that TUI are not still considering Thomson as a cheap milk cow and that they will refurbish to at least the standard of the Mein Schiff conversion.

 

Can't see Thomson spending anywhere near that kind of money, nor would the really need to. Splendour was refurbished just 2/3 years IIRC.

 

Don't touch the draw as the numbers are drawn on the roulette wheel. the chances against winning are astronomical

 

I have won, but only shared it with 3 other who also matched 4 numbers, for £40 each. But I agree, getting the £10,000 is near on impossible.

 

I, for one, think they could do with a proper poker table and do some decent texas hold 'em tournaments onboard, as the ones they currently offer are terrible and poorly organised.

[davecttr]

You need a good experienced dealer for hold 'em who can handle punters starting to argue about the rules. The P&O tournaments were low bankrolls so if you had some poor cards you could be out quickly.

 

I don't play poker. a dealer once told me don't play, she could tell how good my hand was every time. It is fun to watch though.

 

That daft caribbean stud seems to be the game on Thomson. I have been on cruises where they were almost fighting to get on the tables :eek:

[BaggersCruising]

You need a good experienced dealer for hold 'em who can handle punters starting to argue about the rules. The P&O tournaments were low bankrolls so if you had some poor cards you could be out quickly.

 

The Thomson ones are the same, unless you get a good hand in the first 6-10 hands you'd be out. If land based Casino's ran their poker tournaments the same as Thomson, they'd be no one playing!

 

Easy to sort out the rules, have a board up with them all on that the dealer can point to. If the player is too pi**ed to read them, then they can't argue with anyone ;)

[Cloudyrain]

Every time there was an advert in the daily for Poker tournaments I used to have to listed to Mr C rant for half an hour about how badly designed they were! He plays at quite a decent level (well he used to until we got married and the Vegas WSOP trips got stopped!) but still likes to dabble on Cruise Casino poker, even with the silly structures and high-rakes. However, he has drawn the line with Thomson and won't play it - blinds go up to quick and the starting stack is too low apparently...something like that, I tend to switch off :D

 

Now what they need to keep on Splendour is the Craps table - we played that on NCL and it's a load of fun! Having said that, I won quite a bit on Thomson Roulette so not adverse to a few spins :)

 

I'm very excited to find out the new ships itinerary and hope it's staying in Europe and not going to stay in the Caribbean (which with all the balconies is possible I suppose)

[BaggersCruising]

Every time there was an advert in the daily for Poker tournaments I used to have to listed to Mr C rant for half an hour about how badly designed they were! He plays at quite a decent level (well he used to until we got married and the Vegas WSOP trips got stopped!) but still likes to dabble on Cruise Casino poker, even with the silly structures and high-rakes. However, he has drawn the line with Thomson and won't play it - blinds go up to quick and the starting stack is too low apparently...something like that, I tend to switch off :D

 

Now what they need to keep on Splendour is the Craps table - we played that on NCL and it's a load of fun! Having said that, I won quite a bit on Thomson Roulette so not adverse to a few spins :)

 

I'm very excited to find out the new ships itinerary and hope it's staying in Europe and not going to stay in the Caribbean (which with all the balconies is possible I suppose)

 

He is spot on, it's a very short stack tournament with quick blind levels, and no doubt 'designed' so they can get their tables back into play as Poker and Blackjack Gaming tables.

 

But a dedicated poker table or two would be manageable for any cruise line. They still make money from the buy in fees to pay for a dealer or two too.

 

Craps i've never played, but would like to have a go! I don't mind 5 card stud poker, but not a player of Blackjack. Ever. It's too weighted towards the casino for my liking (I know they all are, but not near as much as blackjack IMHO).

 

I'd be very surprised if I got this prediction wrong, but I can easily see the new ship "Splendour" working the Med in the summer, and the Caribbean in the Winter. It has too many balcony cabins for Thomson not to utilise it fully during the Winter season. However, it wouldn't stay in the Caribbean all year round as the peak season is Nov/Dec through to April and Thomson only like having their ships there in the Winter.

Edited April 8, 2015 by BaggersCruising

[davecttr]

He is spot on, it's a very short stack tournament with quick blind levels, and no doubt 'designed' so they can get their tables back into play as Poker and Blackjack Gaming tables.

 

But a dedicated poker table or two would be manageable for any cruise line. They still make money from the buy in fees to pay for a dealer or two too.

 

Craps i've never played, but would like to have a go! I don't mind 5 card stud poker, but not a player of Blackjack. Ever. It's too weighted towards the casino for my liking (I know they all are, but not near as much as blackjack IMHO).

 

I'd be very surprised if I got this prediction wrong, but I can easily see the new ship "Splendour" working the Med in the summer, and the Caribbean in the Winter. It has too many balcony cabins for Thomson not to utilise it fully during the Winter season. However, it wouldn't stay in the Caribbean all year round as the peak season is Nov/Dec through to April and Thomson only like having their ships there in the Winter.

 

Beg to differ. Craps can have the best odds for the player depending on the rules but of the other table games versus the dealer blackjack has the lowest house edge!. Lets ignore advantage play, if they catch you card counting they will ban you, not much use on a cruise ship :eek: That leaves basic strategy which everyone should learn anyway. This has the house edge at about 0.5%, much better than roulette, caribbean stud or 3 card poker. In almost 30 cruises I have seen less than 10 basic strategy players.

 

On my last Thomson cruise i managed to take a few hundred off them in one session. they even had the manager dealing, looking at me suspiciously. Could he not see someone having a lucky streak in front of him :D

 

ps - word of advice to Thomson dealers - if I am flat betting I can't be card counting, the whole point of counting is to increase your bets when the count is in your favour :rolleyes:

[Sheila49]

Am I the only one who didn't understand a word of the last few posts? :confused::eek::D

[Jakanne1]

Am I the only one who didn't understand a word of the last few posts? :confused::eek::D

 

No, Sheila, I didn't understand either. :eek: I can play 7 card brag though. :rolleyes:

[kruzseeka]

I'm completely lost too! :confused:

[CRUISIN LINDA]

I thought it was just me :o:o:D

[davecttr]

OK, here we go;)

 

Basic strategy in blackjack:

 

If you play basic strategy you will, on average, lose money at a slower rate. this means you might have some money left to gamble when you hit a lucky streak.

 

You are dealt 2 cards, so is the dealer, one of the dealers cards is face up. For every combination of your 2 cards and the dealers 1 there is an optimum thing to do.

 

There are over 200 possible combinations. You can learn these in a few weeks. Just like learning multiplication tables at school!.

 

Simple really :)

 

ps - the optimum thing to do varies according to the rules. Thomson blackjack is slightly different to P&O blackjack.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

So you lose money quickly or slowly!

 

Clear as mud Dave :D:D:D

Edited April 9, 2015 by CRUISIN LINDA

[so,ton saint]

So you lose money quickly or slowly!

 

Clear as mud Dave :D:D:D

 

SNAP :eek:

[davecttr]

Of course, on average, you lose money, if the punters did not the casino would make no profit ;)

 

Lesson 2 - the difference between P&O and Thomson blackjack

 

P&O is american blackjack. the dealer has a little mirror device embedded in the table. They check their face down card to see if they have blackjack and announce it immediately.

 

Thomson is UK blackjack - no mirror and the dealer checks when they turn their card over after players have finished betting etc.

 

This general rule applies - "never double or split if the dealer has a possibily of getting blackjack, except you can spilit a pair of aces against a dealer 10. So the rule applies to Thomson but not P&O

 

so endeth lesson one :D:D:D

[kalos]

SNAP :eek:

 

Now yer talking ..That's a great game :D:D

 

Trouble is I even lose at that as Grand kids play Snap better than me ;):o:D

[CRUISIN LINDA]

I don't think I could cope with lesson 2 Dave :D:D:D

 

I was put off betting when I was shown a house belonging to Gwynn Morgan, an Oxford bookie. It was huge and I was told that's what being a bookmaker does for you :eek::D

[BaggersCruising]

No, Sheila, I didn't understand either. :eek: I can play 7 card brag though. :rolleyes:

 

There's a 7 card brag???

 

I thought 3 cards was enough in that game :D

 

Very interesting about the basic strategy though, and something i'll have a look into. And I've never come across American Blackjack with the mirror before.

 

Am I right in thinking that if they announce Blackjack immediately, it gives the punter an extra edge? Or is it the other way around?

[davecttr]

There's a 7 card brag???

 

I thought 3 cards was enough in that game :D

 

Very interesting about the basic strategy though, and something i'll have a look into. And I've never come across American Blackjack with the mirror before.

 

Am I right in thinking that if they announce Blackjack immediately, it gives the punter an extra edge? Or is it the other way around?

Yes, the house edge is 0.11105% higher on UK blackjack

 

ps - google "wizard of odds" just the best gambling info site and all good stuff

[Sailaway487]

New post:

 

https://sailawaycruiseblog.wordpress.com/2015/04/12/thomson-cruises-summer-2016-11-days-to-go/

 

Final one before info should be released this week.

[happy v]

New post:

 

https://sailawaycruiseblog.wordpress.com/2015/04/12/thomson-cruises-summer-2016-11-days-to-go/

 

Final one before info should be released this week.

 

I've just looked at your blog S. I didn't realise the ship had no rear decks. If its only the top there doesn't seem to be much outside space or room to just wander around.

 

I think I'm very old fashioned in my views of a good ship.:o:)

[Sailaway487]

Should have news tomorrow, or Thursday.

[Sailaway487]

I've just looked at your blog S. I didn't realise the ship had no rear decks. If its only the top there doesn't seem to be much outside space or room to just wander around.

 

I think I'm very old fashioned in my views of a good ship.:o:)

 

There is a sort of promenade deck I think, not completely open, and completely undercover at the back which is a shame. :(