freebirds80

UKstage, Thank you for taking the time to write a thoughtful and concise reply. The main point of my post is, and as you also mentioned, there is an overall lower payout on all cruise ships vs. land-based casinos. You're brave to play muti-line UX games with those odds. I don't disagree with your points. In fact, you touched on points outside my purview (ie. perceived reduction on NCL comps) since I have never played long-term onboard (after looking at the VP paytables), I do not know the comps offered onboard other than what people write. I also stay with NCL for the "free" (plus TT@L) cruises they give with status and the occasional Total Rewards play. You are correct about the Eldorado-Caesar merger, which has been a massive downgrade for the gambler. I had a host mention that the new management was cheap and would cut experienced hosts because younger hosts were more affordable. I was once offered a $200 gift card if I earned 5,000 tier points that day. I just laughed. The expected loss wasn't worth it, and the new management doesn't get it. I guess they have to pay that debt somehow.

Yes! Did the form a few weeks ago and received the confirmation.

Thank you, Sir. You're a scholar and a gentleman.

I am about to travel on the Breakaway 4/9. I haven't cruised since 2019. I put a considerable amount of money in NCL stock a couple of years ago thinking the cruise industry would benefit from the pent-up demand of travel, but the stock has floundered. NCL use to be a good company but I have seen/read things that give me pause. I don't see this nickel-and-diming as good for NCL long-term. If we do see a weakness in the economy people are going to flee NCL and I fear won't be back. There are so many negative reviews of NCL recently! What is going on??? I am using my next cruise to see what it's like to be on NCL these days. It will give me better insight into if I should sell and take my losses on the stock.

Not a wine drinker, but I did a search at a local wine store and found this. Maybe they are selling you a 1.5L? Or selling a standard 750 ML at double the cost.

Is there a price sheet for the liquor bottles they sell on board in the store? If so, can you post a picture?

Looking at the Dailies, I noticed it mentions not bringing beverages back aboard. Do they not allow you to buy liquor and retrieve them on the last day of the cruise, anymore?

UKstage, I agree with some of your statements, but having maintained Seven Stars status for approximately ten years, I, too, am familiar with the gaming industry. It should not be glossed over that 85% is a horrible, horrible payback. If even just half of the machines in the ship's casino are at 85%, that's a massive benefit for the house even with scattered better odds in the mix. You yourself mentioned in a prior post about video poker not having a good pay table; let's be honest, the pay tables are worse than even bar tops in Vegas. Just like other people's losses don't show how good/bad the paybacks are, neither do your wins. Many people here tell stories of losses at the ship's casino; there aren't too many wins. And most people talk about wins more than losses. As you mentioned, no one knows the payback on the slots, but we can see them on video poker and they are terrible. I don't see the casino giving bad odds on those machines and good on others. NCL posted a loss this last quarter (Q4 2022), and they are looking for revenue everywhere they can. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that they had tighter than normal machines. Just look at the diminished services NCL is doing in other areas on board (i.e one housekeeping visit per day) and also implementing the highest service fees in the industry. It's just not a far-fetched idea to think the machines are heavily weighted towards the house. Finally, the thought you dismissed as "nobody would play" if the odds were terrible just doesn't hold water because 1) most people have disposable income on vacation, 2) most people don't live in an area where they can gamble so they will play no matter the odds 3) most don't know how to look at pay tables or play for that matter, 4) NCL doesn't need Whales, they just need a steady stream of casual players, 5) compulsive gamblers do exist, and finally, 6) NCL has a captive audience, especially for those times/days with nothing is going on around the ship. At least in Vegas if you don't like one casino, you can find another. I, for one, am more disciplined than that, I don't play on-board at all. Seeing the video poker pay tables tells me all I need to see about the payback.