Day 1 part 3 - The casino onboard the Carnival Sailing Vessel Barge Cruising Ship Paradise is small, which isn't surprising.
When it finally opened it was jammed. Every machine taken, every table full. With the exception of the six video poker machines, which have always had empty seats.
Gambling on the ship is funded through your Sail and Sign card - the 'do everything' card you use for purchases, which is also your room key.
You punch up how much you want on the machine and put in a PIN and boom, you have credits. The money comes out of the credit card you have associated with your account.
Buying chips is similar, but they impose a 3% vig on every buy. This makes it seriously more difficult to break even in the long run, even on craps.
I started out with some Keno - it's got a really odd, really shitty paytables - and the result was understandable.
Well, that was a disappointment. And it was followed by more disappointments as I tried Super Times Pay, single line 8/5 Triple Double Bonus, and Ultimate X triple play.
All busts, no quads.
My drinks in the casino are free, and it's a good thing because I sucked back about six or seven of them over the evening at $17 a pop, rack rate. I think they are really short pours, maybe 3/4 of an ounce? With all that, I never felt much of a buzz.
There is no sign of the $50 Freeplay I thought I had. Looking into it.
After getting absolutely killed at video poker and Keno, I went and had dinner. Everything was excellent!
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| Pappardelle with Braised Lamb |
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| Beef Short Rib |
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| Cheese platter with sad sack decorated slice of shingle. |
Back in the casino, you could not get near a table game or the craps table. It was worse than a Walmart Black Friday opening.
I found a machine open after much wandering - Wonder Wall Four Play Buffalo Thingy.
I played for quite a long while, but over about a dozen bonus rounds, I got an extra two coin retrigger only one time. Very odd.
I have a bunch of photos of shitty wins and crappy bonuses in the $20 to $30 range (at the 60 cents a spin level).
And there are a few better wins as well.
In the end, though, it was a blowout. A terrible night of gambling. The Love Bet has turned into the Love Beatdown.
Beware the "sail and sign" card, LOL. So easy, just pop in for a few hundred here and there....and boom, I had credits, (which quickly disappeared on those stinky VP machines). The first time I took a cruise with this feature, I was shocked to see that I had dumped over $10K in a few short days. It really didn't feel like it! But of course only a degenerate gambler could do that haha. Hope you have great luck and not a giant credit card bill like I did! Enjoy your trip....Nitaroyal
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