Norwegian Cruise "Poker" (1 Viewer)

[pltrgyst]

Just got home from a 16-day cruise through the Panama Canal on the Norwegian Joy, ~3,800 passengers.

There was one hold'em tournament a day, played six-handed on blackjack tables (they had one poker table, but I never saw it in use).

$80 buy-in, for T2000. Starting blinds 100/200. Blinds double at every level. Unlimited re-buys during the first two 30-minute levels at $80 for another T2000. An optional $80 add-on for T4000 at the end of the second level, 15-minute levels from then on.

And somehow they pulled around 24 runners daily, go figure. Flips would have been better...

 

[saleen121212]

But was the trip amazing? How was Tortuga?

 

[shorticus]

Welcome Home! How'd you do in the tourneys?

 

[moose]

Wasn't this the cruise where hundreds got sick and several were taken to hospital?

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10415292/cruise-norwegian-joy-norovirus-outbreak/amp/

 

[johnnycnote]

At least you had a real poker table. Last cruise I went on they had a video game table with a bunch of zombies playing

 

[pltrgyst]

This was the Norwegian Joy, 3800 passengers, so we used the new larger locks of the Canal.

No stop in Tortuga - itinerary was Great Stirrup Cay (which we skipped due to bad weather making tendering dangerous) - Cartagena - Panama Canal - Punta Arenas, Costa Rica (skipped due to mudslides!) - Puerto Quetzal - Acapulco - Mazatlan - Puerto Vallarta - Cabo San Lucas - Los Angeles.

The full day passing through the Panama Canal was terrific, and made the whole trip worthwhile to us.

We had a norovirus pop up during the last five days of the cruise, but only six passengers were taken ill -- one med-evaced after we went through the Canal, and four went to a medical facility when we docked in Long Beach. Some of the crew had it too, but I haven't seen that number yet. They took extreme measures during those last five days -- no silverware out in tubs or table settings, no condiments out on the tables, no menu holders, staff dispensing drinks from the drink machines, etc., plus even more hand sanitizing encouraged than usual. It was interesting...

And no, I wasn't desperate enough to play those tournaments. I just gave the casino staff a raft of shit now and then about how worthless they were -- when you're old, you can get away with a lot.

 

[p5woody]

I'm cruising on NCL December 13 on the Bliss out of NY, I don't think I will be playing poker. First time having a alcohol package on a cruise, this could get interesting.

 

[pltrgyst]

Today's stats: "In November 2019, CDC reported a Norovirus outbreak (gastrointestinal illness) infecting a total of 127 passengers (out of 3602 or 3,53%) and 6 crew (out of 1769, or 0,34%). All sick suffered from Noro virus symptoms (headache, nausea, predominantly diarrhea) and were quarantined to their cabins for 48 hours."

 

[pltrgyst]

I'm cruising on NCL December 13 on the Bliss out of NY, I don't think I will be playing poker. First time having a alcohol package on a cruise, this could get interesting.

Interesting. The ship that we were just on used to be the Bliss, until they pulled it out of service in Asia and renamed it the Joy. It was an odd shuffle, since they're both "Breakaway Class" ships, one year apart, almost identical.

The "Ferrari Racetrack" with it's electric go-karts is pretty interesting, especially when the seas are a bit heavy. But overall, the stability of these new ships is just amazing. Most of the time you can't tell you're moving, and we didn't lose a minute of sleep.

Hope you got a deal on that alcohol package. They offered it for "free" on our cruise, but attached an $850 service charge. (And IMO, the alcohol package is pretty limited for mostly wine drinkers.)

Our summary: This was our second NCL cruise, after Epic last year. Going through the Canal was great, crew was great, entertainment was pretty good, food generally sucked, and their ("a la carte priced") specialty restaurants were the worst ripoff ever at sea. Boarding and disembarking were both painful disasters, standing in line for 2-3 hours each, with passengers threatening to riot, and the police called in in LA. We won't be going on NCL again.

Next cruise is in April on MSC to Copenhagen, Denmark (Miami - New York - Bermuda - Azores - Lisbon, Portugal - Vigo, Spain - Southhampton - Le Havre - Fredericia, Denmark - Kiel, Germany - Copenhagen....

Hope you have a better experience overall than we did. You probably will, on a one-week Caribbean cruise...

 

[FordPickup92]

Today's stats: "In November 2019, CDC reported a Norovirus outbreak (gastrointestinal illness) infecting a total of 127 passengers (out of 3602 or 3,53%) and 6 crew (out of 1769, or 0,34%). All sick suffered from Noro virus symptoms (headache, nausea, predominantly diarrhea) and were quarantined to their cabins for 48 hours."

Glad you arrived home unscathed! (Reading this thread while eating dinner lol) sounds like a fun trip.
Shame about the tournaments. Dont think I'd play that either

Edit: sounds like a mildly fun trip lol

 

[p5woody]

Interesting. The ship that we were just on used to be the Bliss, until they pulled it out of service in Asia and renamed it the Joy. It was an odd shuffle, since they're both "Breakaway Class" ships, one year apart, almost identical.

The "Ferrari Racetrack" with it's electric go-karts is pretty interesting, especially when the seas are a bit heavy. But overall, the stability of these new ships is just amazing. Most of the time you can't tell you're moving, and we didn't lose a minute of sleep.

Hope you got a deal on that alcohol package. They offered it for "free" on our cruise, but attached an $850 service charge. (And IMO, the alcohol package is pretty limited for mostly wine drinkers.)

Our summary: This was our second NCL cruise, after Epic last year. Going through the Canal was great, crew was great, entertainment was pretty good, food generally sucked, and their ("a la carte priced") specialty restaurants were the worst ripoff ever at sea. Boarding and disembarking were both painful disasters, standing in line for 2-3 hours each, with passengers threatening to riot, and the police called in in LA. We won't be going on NCL again.

Next cruise is in April on MSC to Copenhagen, Denmark (Miami - New York - Bermuda - Azores - Lisbon, Portugal - Vigo, Spain - Southhampton - Le Havre - Fredericia, Denmark - Kiel, Germany - Copenhagen....

Hope you have a better experience overall than we did. You probably will, on a one-week Caribbean cruise...

This will be our First NCL cruise, we have been on Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity, Princess, and Carnival. The drink package was free, but we had to pay gratuities so it is like $20/day/person. I figured I would try it once for that price. Same with the specialty restaurants, just paid gratuities.

Yea, 7-day Caribbean cruise, we enjoy the ports, the ship is a nice way to get there. Wife enjoys the shows, hopefully our food is better on this ship and hopefully NY boarding and disembarking will be better. We figured we would try it once, we are going again in March on Royal Caribbean so even if it sucks we have another one planned.

 

[waddadonk]

I don't think I will be playing poker.

The 10% rake (up to $25 I think?) is awful but so are the players. Try a night or two and cover some cruise costs!

 

[Jonesey07]

I’ll be cruising for the first time ever in May on Royal Caribbean. I may play in a tourney or a cash game just depending on what the family has planned.

 

[p5woody]

The 10% rake (up to $25 I think?) is awful but so are the players. Try a night or two and cover some cruise costs!

The catch is I might be one of those aweful players you mention

 

[moose]

NCL "poker" players. Yumm yumm