Ship Casinos

[grummanyankee]

I have not read about the ship casinos. Have they got slot machines? Are they paying anything? Only had one experience with on-board gambling years ago and got fleeced. I don't expect to win big, but do like to win from time to time in order to keep playing.

[alicam]

There are slots, blackjack, roulette, poker....what ever you want....in regards to paying anything....likely no different then any other casino.....I can tell you that I have won 2 out of the 3 times I've cruised

[kitty9]

Out of my 61 cruises, I've only come out ahead maybe 3 times. I think the slots on ships are 10 times tighter than Las Vegas or even the Indian casinos. The pay outs are very low IMHO.

[Shirley C]

We usually win some/lose some. Usually we can go the whole cruise and just be down a little at the end. I don't think we have ever come out ahead.

[adventuregrrl]

We were just on the Millennium and came out ahead in the casino on the slots. It was a nice offset for our wine tab. ;)

[Yo Eleven]

Out of my 61 cruises, I've only come out ahead maybe 3 times. I think the slots on ships are 10 times tighter than Las Vegas or even the Indian casinos. The pay outs are very low IMHO.

Wow, you must have a thundercloud over your head while playing. :D

[TeachKinde]

I LOVE to play poker. Don't remember poker tables on the Mercury so I assumed that Infinity would not have any poker tables. Yes? No? Make my day and tell me that there are poker tables on the Infinity! ;-)

[kennetro]

All I can tell you is that a slot machine on Century was very VERY good to me. On a formal night just about 12 days ago, we were dressed a little early for dinner. We thought we'd just kill 20 minutes or so in the casino until our appointed dining time. I had put in only 12 quarters, and hit the biggest possible jackpot on that machine. $ 3,000.00 in cash! ...Certainly made our cruise worthwhile! :-) Yippeee.

[Karynanne]

All I can tell you is that a slot machine on Century was very VERY good to me. On a formal night just about 12 days ago, we were dressed a little early for dinner. We thought we'd just kill 20 minutes or so in the casino until our appointed dining time. I had put in only 12 quarters, and hit the biggest possible jackpot on that machine. $ 3,000.00 in cash! ...Certainly made our cruise worthwhile! :-) Yippeee.

 

Congratulations on your big win!

[mandream]

I LOVE to play poker. Don't remember poker tables on the Mercury so I assumed that Infinity would not have any poker tables. Yes? No? Make my day and tell me that there are poker tables on the Infinity! ;-)

There will probably be a single poker table on the Infinity (there was last Feb.). They use it for tournaments and for cash games. I seem to recall it wasn't open the whole time the casino was - only certain hours, but I could be wrong about that.

[2sunny]

We have done pretty well in Ship Casino's. On a Carnival slot machines my DH was trying to get me to quit playing a 25 cent machine and go to one of the lounges with him. I told him that as soon as my $20 was gone/or I won I would. I said "put a $5 in that machine and play a little." He asked "why that machine?" "I don't know, it looks lonely." So he did, 3rd spin he hit! $2,500!

 

On the "X" Constellation on our last cruise I played mostly video poker and went home about $350-$400 ahead of what I started with. We usually take about $500 to "play" with and just consider it entertainment. If we loose it, oh well, it was fun, if we win COOL!

[Cruising Caribbean]

I said "put a $5 in that machine and play a little." He asked "why that machine?" "I don't know, it looks lonely." So he did, 3rd spin he hit! $2,500!

 

Awesome, that's exactly why they should listen to us, eh?

[Toothfairy754]

We were on the Infinity in April/May... my son won 1600. on a dollar machine and they said that was the middle jackpot it had paid off on that trip. (BTW he played the max and it was a first pull....luckily it was our last sea day so he came home with it)

[ghstudio]

Odds on craps, blackjack and the other games really don't change much....the casino can only control those by changing the number of odds you can take at the craps table and such.

 

The automatic texas holdem tables take 10% of anything bet...awful.

 

Slot machines can be set by the house, so I suspect that the payouts aren't all that generous.

[dkjretired]

Odds on craps, blackjack and the other games really don't change much....the casino can only control those by changing the number of odds you can take at the craps table and such.

 

The automatic texas holdem tables take 10% of anything bet...awful.

 

Slot machines can be set by the house, so I suspect that the payouts aren't all that generous.

 

Slot machines are only set by the house when they order and purchase the machines. This is the #1 myth of slot machines, that there is someone in a back room changing odds. Cannot be done unless they change a very expensive computer chip and quite frankly they don't have to change the odds, they always win anyway.

[ourfamilylovescruising]

I was on the eorodam last Nov. playing a penny machines just killing time and won over 2,000 so I think your odds are the same sometimes you lose and sometimes you win.

[Casino Player]

I have not read about the ship casinos. Have they got slot machines? Are they paying anything? Only had one experience with on-board gambling years ago and got fleeced. I don't expect to win big, but do like to win from time to time in order to keep playing.

 

A Lloyd Lindsey Young greeting grummanyankee: The slot machines could be either generous or stingy. They don't have the competition of other casinos to create larger payouts on slot machines.

However, if you play table games the odds are roughly the same regardless of where you play. Another thing to remember is the odds are not what they seem to be. Case in point, on the roulette wheel if you play odds or evens or red, or black you get paid even money. You would think it is 18 chances either way. You have 18 chances of hitting and 20 chances of not hitting yet, it is an even money payout.

In craps if you pay the pass line you get an even money payout. But, once a number is established and you take odds, that is the only bet in the casino other than odds on a come bet that pays true odds.

[derf5585]

There is a rumor that the slot machines are looser the first night of the cruise.

[grummanyankee]

Thanks for the info! You know I'm going to gamble regardless. I've only played the wheel once and won a big $19 on a dollar bet. That was a "woohoo" moment! Maybe I'll win enough to pay for a few drinks.

[dkjretired]

There is a rumor that the slot machines are looser the first night of the cruise.

 

 

 

As I stated in previous post, #1 myth of slot machines is that the odds or payouts or whatever are changed.. I have seen on these boards they are looser on 1st night, after dinner, before dinner, last night of or any variation you can think of. They are not changed during the entire week and basically are not changed during the life of the machine. Go on line and check any independent source and this is what you will find. They don't have to change them, they will always win money for the owner.

[derf5585]

As I stated in previous post, #1 myth of slot machines is that the odds or payouts or whatever are changed.. I have seen on these boards they are looser on 1st night, after dinner, before dinner, last night of or any variation you can think of. They are not changed during the entire week and basically are not changed during the life of the machine. Go on line and check any independent source and this is what you will find. They don't have to change them, they will always win money for the owner.

 

There are two Chips. One is the RNG (random number generator) the other controls the payout. If they put "flash memory" chip for the payout and the machines are networked to headquarters. It can be done.

 

Flash memory is a non-volatile computer memory that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed

from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory

[dkjretired]

There are two Chips. One is the RNG (random number generator) the other controls the payout. If they put "flash memory" chip for the payout and the machines are networked to headquarters. It can be done.

 

Flash memory is a non-volatile computer memory that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed

from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_memory

 

The RNG controls whether you win or not based upon what number comes up. A theoretical winning percentage is programmed into the computer at the factory and at this time they do not use flash memories. I realize there is no strong controlling authority of casino on cruise ships but I point out the following to show how difficult it is to change the winning percentage. In Nev and NJ as well as many other states it cannot be changed without permission from the Casino Control Commission as well as their presence. A seal is placed on the machine at the factory and if for some reason the chip is changed or reprogrammed the seal is then broken and a new one put on. Flash memory is not used on any computers at this point in time. As I said earlier they don't have to change the percentage, they will always win. I am commenting only on technology currently in the casinos.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slot_machine#Random_number_generator

[derf5585]

I am commenting only on technology currently in the casinos.

 

Maybe tomorrow maybe next week.

[dkjretired]

Maybe tomorrow maybe next week.

 

I agree but then I would also like to see the Cruise Lines model their past passenger programs in some way after the land based casinos. I recently did an NCL cruise through Harrahs and one nice perk was free drinks in the casino. Not based on play but just free drinks for the whole week.

[grummanyankee]

If they gave free drinks all week in the casino, some of us would miss Alaska! (well, maybe not ALL of Alaska)