Is having a casino onboard important to you?

Is having a casino onboard your cruise ship important to you? Both the Encore and the Ovation have casinos which open into the Club. While onboard the Ovation a few weeks ago, we noticed that the casino seemed to be seldom used. I thought that the casino opening into the Club took away from the ambience of the Club. What do you think?

Does SB make a lot of money from the Casino? Would their ships be just as popular without casinos?

I like the idea of the Viking ships which tout having no casinos. We still plan to sail on SB, but would prefer no casinos.

Do some of you see having no casino as a deal breaker? Does anyone else see this the way I do?

No. Very little interest in the casino.

I have never really been to a casino and never will. Also have never been to Las Vegas (and never will as it brings too many people in one place that should not mix). Although some that sail Seabourn may use the casino, I think the space is secondary and not a priority to many.

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I've been to Las Vegas once--when my husband had to give a presentation at a legal convention. It was at the Four Seasons--so I escaped what I see as tawdry casinos (just my opinion). Neither of us want to ever return to Las Vegas--not our kind of place.

I don't think the casino is a priority for most SB passengers--and it takes up valuable space! I was a bit surprised that the newly designed ships chose to make it open to the Club. That alone made me unlikely to go to the Club in the evening. I only went there for Port Talks and for Team Trivia.

The fact that SB has chosen to highlight their casinos on Encore and Ovation makes me wonder if perhaps they are profit centers for the cruise line.

Whether or not we use the casino largely depends on whether others are using the casino. We often play blackjack as a social game before or after dinner when there are individuals we enjoy also at the table and like playing in the low entry tournaments. But I’ve also had cruises where I never set foot in there.

It doesn’t bother me to have a casino onboard and it doesn’t seem to affect The Club ambiance at all in my opinion. I can easily avoid it if I don’t feel love he playing. It’s also a revenue generator for the cruise line so I like to think that it’s presence keeps fares from being higher by providing one source of discretionary revenue.

I love Las Vegas - used to go all the time and I moderate a Vegas messageboard. But I've never played in any ship casino. So no, it's of no interest to me.

No, I do not need or want a casino, though I have been to Vegas often enough less than enthusiastically for various reasons and even tried gambling a couple times to see what the fuss was all about. Gambling did nothing for me ( though Vegas has increasing numbers of upscale restaurants that serve excellent food that is better than SB food).

The odds and math just don’t add up on gambling for DH and me (unless we were to do card counting, and that is not allowed:))

If we want to gamble, we prefer gambling on business investments in what seem like promising companies, where innovative entrepreneurs are trying to create and build something new, exciting, or useful and odds are a bit better of some success.

Hapag Lloyd luxury line also has no casinos.

SB pushing casinos on their new ships is a calculation that many of the kind of pax they want for the future will like them

as much as they like the Retreat, which is probably very few.

I so like going to Las Vegas and Atlantic City. When I am on a cruise with a casino I will use it. Seabourn has extremely

Small casinos - on the two I have been on it is a blackjack table, roulette table a three card poler table and a out 15 slot machines. I may spend an hour or so after dinner a couple of nights.

We are going on the Encore in october. Is the casino any bigger than the soujourn?

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never use the casino...is just not on my radar at all..good point above on revenue for ship- though met a woman on a previous cruise- all her cruises earned her money....and she spent nothing on them....

something like she'd win- get double on board credit book a future cruise and (this was celebrity) had all her drinks included in michaels club.......did not seem a relaxing existence for me .....as she had a target to reach each cruise....but each to their own....

I think a casino looks cheap and makes the ship seem mass market. So, no, I never use the casino. I might add that I never use the gym or the spa either!

It’s hard for people like me for whom any kind of gambling holds zero enjoyment or interest to see what the lure of the casino might be. But obviously there are enough guests who do enjoy gambling to justify the casino facilities and staff so why not. The casino certainly doesn’t affect our use or enjoyment of the Club.

We don’t use the casino but don’t care that it there for others to use if they want. I use the gym and others don’t. I swim but don’t use the pool much on a ship, others do. I respect the fact that everyone is different and require different amenities on a ship, and that is ok with me.

We don’t use the casino but don’t care that it there for others to use if they want. I use the gym and others don’t. I swim but don’t use the pool much on a ship, others do. I respect the fact that everyone is different and require different amenities on a ship, and that is ok with me.

Same. Plus, I don't play Bridge etc. The Card Room's existence doesn't bother me, others enjoy it and want to use it. I've only set foot in there one time, on my first SB cruise when I was making my initial tour of the ship.

I don't find that the casino's proximity to the Club on the O class ships impacts at all on my enjoyment of the Club. Can someone who has been on O and Encore class explain to me how the Club on the new ships is situated differently that it may affect one's enjoyment of the Club? I assumed it was a similar set up to the O class ships?

Think I have been in it once or twice in 15 yrs, not important at all for us.

I think the Casinos are operated by a 3rd party, as is the case with the Spa. It’s part of a standard offering of all cruise ships. Seabourn is paid by the fees from the operator. It’s like the Retreat! It’s there but few use it.

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Don't use the casino but have no problem with its existence. I can never quite work out how the operator makes money as the place is most often closed and when the ship is far enough from land to open it, most people have other things to do. Casinos operate on a pretty steady margin but it's not a huge margin and requires enough cash sloshing through to make money.

If the operator continues to be able to make money off having it and Seabourn continues to make money off the operator greater than they could for an alternative use of the space, it will continue.

We were amused when we first travelled an upmarket line (it was Silversea but holds true for Seabourn) to find how incredibly tiny the casino was. Contrast with a line like Star Cruises (yes we did that) where the casino is bigger than the dining room and most of the ship appeared to be there as soon as the doors opened.

Isklaar, I haven't been on the O class ships, but have sailed on Encore and Ovation. It is my understanding that the casino on the O class ships is somewhat secluded, while the casino on Encore and Ovation opens directly into the club area-so that it is always visible. Personally, I find the lights on the slot machines (if that is what they are) to be somewhat garish. For me, it looks tacky and that tackiness carries over to the Club as it is visible from there.

Well SLSD your understanding is incorrect. On the O class ships the casino entrance is to the left just after your enter the Club across from what we affectionately call the fishbowl.

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OK. Glad to know this. I am sure we will be sailing on one of the O ships before long. i look forward to it!

Isklaar, I haven't been on the O class ships, but have sailed on Encore and Ovation. It is my understanding that the casino on the O class ships is somewhat secluded, while the casino on Encore and Ovation opens directly into the club area-so that it is always visible. Personally, I find the lights on the slot machines (if that is what they are) to be somewhat garish. For me, it looks tacky and that tackiness carries over to the Club as it is visible from there.

Thank you!

I've studied the deck plans just now and I can see - if the drawings are accurate to build spec. - that the casino on E and O could be more intrusive than it is on the O class ships. I'm trying to find a video or even a photo so I can see it better.

Is having a casino onboard your cruise ship important to you? Both the Encore and the Ovation have casinos which open into the Club. While onboard the Ovation a few weeks ago, we noticed that the casino seemed to be seldom used. I thought that the casino opening into the Club took away from the ambience of the Club. What do you think?

 

Does SB make a lot of money from the Casino? Would their ships be just as popular without casinos?

 

I like the idea of the Viking ships which tout having no casinos. We still plan to sail on SB, but would prefer no casinos.

 

Do some of you see having no casino as a deal breaker? Does anyone else see this the way I do?

Not interested in a casino at all.

Isklaar, I haven't been on the O class ships, but have sailed on Encore and Ovation. It is my understanding that the casino on the O class ships is somewhat secluded, while the casino on Encore and Ovation opens directly into the club area-so that it is always visible. Personally, I find the lights on the slot machines (if that is what they are) to be somewhat garish. For me, it looks tacky and that tackiness carries over to the Club as it is visible from there.

The Supreme Court of U.S. once wrote in an obscenity case that the constitutionality test should be if “a viewer could easily avert their eyes” from the offending image, as opposed to being part of a captive audience with no escape:).

Anyone have a picture of the casino area near the Club? How bright is it? And is it loud in there? Is there a door?

Some people like the Casino, some don't and many are indifferent one way or another. There is a choice of venues on Seabourn and if the casino bothers a few then they always have somewhere else to go.

I love Las Vegas - used to go all the time and I moderate a Vegas messageboard. But I've never played in any ship casino. So no, it's of no interest to me.

I agree with you. The ship casinos seem so boring to me. But then I only live 2 hours from Vegas and 45 minutes from other Nevada casinos.

The casino (of no interest to us) although next to the Club really does not impinge, on the Odyssey class ships. Is it more obtrusive on the new ones, I wonder.

When we are in the Club, normally not after about 10 p.m., there is virtually nobody in there; maybe the gamblers come out to play later?