Poker on Cruise Ships

Looking at taking a cruise with the family in December. Does anyone know what cruise lines, and more specifically ships, offer NLH. Cash games would be preferred. There have been posts about the high rake on ships but nothing regarding which cruise lines actually offer poker in their casinos.

Comments

  • Other than a poker cruise I have not heard of NLHE being offered on a cruise ship. I know the Carnival Lines prefer to offer LHE - very juicy games - but watch the dealers!! On the ship I was on I think they averaged 2 or 3 hands per hour where they tried to shove the pot to the wrong person.
  • I was on the Celebrity Millennium last year and they had one table of 5-10 LHE only. Often capped 6 ways pre-flop, etc. The rake is terrible.

    IIRC there's a licensing issue about the games they can offer. Which is why there was no NLHE.
  • It looks like they're putting automated tables on some ships.

    http://www.thepokerchronicles.com/archives/2007_07.html
  • I remember an Ontario company promoting a poker cruise. The cruise gets extra profit from those that want to play poker in daily tournaments and a final tournament with a big prize, while your family pays for the cruise-only option. I don't know if cash games were available. You can probably find out the details from a travel agent.
    DataMn wrote: »
    Other than a poker cruise I have not heard of NLHE being offered on a cruise ship.
  • I'm going on a Royal Caribbean "Mariner of the Seas" ship on August 18th.

    Supposedly it has 5/10 but the rake is 10% Max... $15.

    That's a huge rake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    The rake will be taking off approximately $1000/100 hands.off the table.

    I wonder if it's possible to organize a private game in the boardroom or the games room.
  • I played on a Royal Caribbean cruise last year. Reef I believe has it right. Min buyin was $50 :). They only had 1 table, no tournaments, but it was relateively new and they said they planned to expand.
  • Courtesy of Google


    Poker Cruise


    The following appears to be standard on all of these cruises.



    Poker Room


    Card Player Cruises proudly features a professional, fully staffed, non-smoking pokerroom. The poker room is usually open for play immediately after the first-seating dinneron your departure day. The poker room remains open throughout most of the cruiseexcept when the ship is in port.

    Free beginner lessons for novices are taught by Linda Johnson,followed by a $1-$2 limit hold'em game.
    The Card Player Cruises staff will be happy to spread any game and limit that enoughplayers want to play.

    A general guideline regarding the games and limits on most cruises is as follows:Texas hold'em: $1-$2, $2-$4, $4-$8, $10-$20, $20-$40Omaha/8: $4-$8, $10-$20, occasionally higherMixed games: $20-$40, occasionally higherNo-limit hold'em at blinds of $1-$2 and $2-$5 with capped buy-ins

    Each cruise has one or more tournaments. These events have proven to be one of themost popular aspects of the cruise. All tournaments begin promptly as scheduled.Tournaments generally include a limit hold'em freezeout, no limit hold'em, and anOmaha high-low freezeout. Anticipate buy-ins of $100-$230.

    All poker games are open to anyone 18 years and older.

    For Jah in December: http://www.cardplayercruises.com/brochures/pdf/MexRiv07Brochure.pdf
  • thanks everyone; some really helpful info!
  • one more place you might want to try.

    http://www.worldpokershowdown.com/
  • I've heard nothing but good things about the wps cruise.
  • I would think that cruise ships with a variety of games and more geared towards poker players wouldn't be that great in terms of other aspects of the cruise ship (food, service, etc.). I would think that you would either get one or the other, probably hard to find a ship that excels in both. Of course this is all hypothetical since I've never even been on a cruise ship...Just my 2 cents.
  • Inquirer wrote: »
    I would think that cruise ships with a variety of games and more geared towards poker players wouldn't be that great in terms of other aspects of the cruise ship (food, service, etc.). I would think that you would either get one or the other, probably hard to find a ship that excels in both. Of course this is all hypothetical since I've never even been on a cruise ship...Just my 2 cents.

    I played on the Carnival Triumph.

    First night 2/5 Limit after that it was 5/10 limit.
    Only one table from about 6 PM to about 3 am or so, same players most days.

    Mainly it was a drinking game with some cards.
  • Just got back from a Caribbean cruise on the Cunnard Queen Mary 2. They only offered limit $4/$8 with minimum $40 buy-in (no max.). The rake was actually very good at 10%, with a maximum of $5. I ended up $350 for the week and would have easily paid for the cruise if not for getting killed on the river constantly with players chasing the flush or straight draws. This was my first time playing limit so I can't complain. This first day the table was half empty and by the third night there was a waiting list every evening. It got so bad that someone actually stole the list and then it was kept behind the cage for the rest of the cruise. Players were typically either Canadian, American or Russian.

    btw, I also stopped off at Turning Stone on the way to NY. Talk about a dead casino (although it was Sunday night). I go downstairs to put my name on the waiting list and there is actually only three tables running, with only one $1/$2 table. For such a huge poker room, it was quite disappointing.
  • It's still a high rake for 4/8 Limit, but congrats on winning $350 from the chasers. You are now our Royal Cup team's Limit expert! When are you headed to Seneca Casino?
    pokerJAH wrote: »
    The rake was actually very good at 10%, with a maximum of $5. I ended up $350 for the week and would have easily paid for the cruise if not for getting killed on the river constantly with players chasing the flush or straight draws.
  • BlondeFish wrote: »
    It's still a high rake for 4/8 Limit, but congrats on winning $350 from the chasers. You are now our Royal Cup team's Limit expert! When are you headed to Seneca Casino?

    really, I figured it was a decent rake considering that it is 10% like no limit with a $5 maximum; I read somewhere about $15 rakes on cruise ships. If you want to go to Seneca over the holidays, let me know. I may play in the January tournaments as well.
  • pokerJAH wrote: »
    If you want to go to Seneca over the holidays, let me know.
    I haven't played a single poker hand for money since Saturday and I didn't see anything worth going Boxing Day shopping for, so I'm thinking of heading out to Seneca Casino today, or tomorrow (WSOP satellites every Thursday). By the way, the champion of the big Seneca tournament this month is a Canadian from Milton.
  • BlondeFish wrote: »
    By the way, the champion of the big Seneca tournament this month is a Canadian from Milton.
    Shhhhh... it's supposed to be kept quiet..
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