Ncl slots - do any ships pay?

[Kaboochi]

Just off Gem and it was THE best cruise because of the staff. I would sail with them again in a heartbeat. But the casino had THE worst payouts of any I have been in. The Pearl, last year was not much better. We are on the Sun in Oct. Please someone tell me they at least let you play for awhile before taking it all back. We do not expect to pay the mortgage with the winnings but it would be nice to get a few white tickets to cash in on the last day. Please - only advice posts, no tisk tisks? Thank you

[sadiecat]

We were just on the Epic in April and those were the tightest slots I have ever experienced.

[Ozzmund]

While I rarely play the slots, my wife will. We have sailed on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival and NCL, I heard the same complaint regarding the slots.

 

On Celebrity one of our MDR tablemates claimed that the slots are the loosest the first few days and tighten up as the cruise goes on. Can't say we could prove that theory, as my wife never went back after her first visit.

[Pokeraddict]

Once they have you on board they have you for a week and it's their turn to make a profit.

Cruise ships are the tightest and least controlled.

 

We did however see someone on our cruise in 2008 hit $15K on video poker the 1 or 2 nd night but he and his family I'm sure put it all back in during the 19 day cruise and so many sea days as we watched them blow it.

[jaja]

For me..the slots have been a big bust!!!. I made lots of big donations my last 4 cruises......It was entertaimment...not a money maker for me :mad:

[Annieban50]

My sister won some where around $900 on the Epic and managed to keep most of it. I came out a few hundreds dollars ahead and my daughter's boyfriend won around $800.

[Richie2pies]

What everyone has to remember is that on a cruise ship, you can't go next door or down the street if things aren't going your way. The ships know this so their payouts stink.

[sdmike]

Extract from the Detroit News Casino Guide

 

Before setting sail, know that you are over your head in such waters, as your chances of winning on a cruise ship are less than in most casinos in all major U.S. gaming jurisdictions.

 

Because no gaming commission nor other governmental agency oversees gambling on cruise ships, there is no way of knowing how much cruise ship slot machines return. In speaking with some friends who were former casino executives on cruise ships, the inside scoop is that most machines return between 80-92 percent. Besides selling a sailing vacation experience, these flotillas of chance increase on-board revenue by maximising the amount of money taken in from the casino. The casinos are one of the biggest money makers for the cruise lines. The sinking feeling you may experience while on the briny deep will most likely come from the lower (than shore-based casino's) payout on slots.

 

Information here on casinos for each line:

 

http://www.cruise-casinos.com/

 

I also found this information on slot payouts:

Floating Casino (cruise ships) 85%

Slots at non gambling locations (e.g. airport or petrol station in Las Vegas) 87%

Slots Halls: Payouts 90%

Brick and Mortal Casino 93%

Online Casino: 96%

[Coastalbreezes]

On the Jewel last December, about 10 big slots jackpots paid out over the week (unfortunately I was not one of the winners :(). The host was constantly announcing "we've had another jackpot".

 

On the last night of the cruise, I was playing multi-hand video poker and a woman sat at the same machine next to me and said, " I have never played this machine before". On her first hand, she hit for $10K!!! It was unreal. Just wished it had been me.

 

On the Gem last March, the slots were very stingy. I saw no JP's paid out at all during the week.

 

Tracy

[negn]

Last cruise on Spirit was the only 1 (out of 7) that I did not come home with a 1099. Always hit for $1000-2500. Usually give it back ..lol. I have not found they pay any better at the beginning. In fact. largest jackpot was 2 days before the end. By the way. I play penny and nickle slots Its all luck

[david_sobe]

Yes the slots on ALL CRUISE LINES are tight and payouts are a mystery. It is how they make lots of money. Look at the bingo game. People pay hundreds to play and the payouts are like $80 and sometimes split between people.

On the Jewel, they had a wall of winners (something I dont see anymore on ships) and they had pictures of "big winners." There were a few $2400 or $8000 winners but what was interesting was the dates of the wins. The "big" wins were about 1 1/2 years apart from eachother.

Another thing to mention is the "big" $10k or 20k bingo payout. They say you have a chance to win up to $20 k in bingo. What they wont tell you (but you can ask) is the last time someone one the BIG jackpot. On the Sky they told us someone last won about 4 years ago.

 

I would play more at sea if they were like Vegas but the lack of regulations makes me keep some of my money. But this is not just with gaming at sea. The art collections and jewelry contracts are just as misleading. Do your own research of the companies the cruise lines push at sea and you will see how misleading they all can be.

 

Cruise lines are about making money period.

[emcelh]

Also, that 85% payback is an average, some might be higher, some might be lower. I could help you find all the ones that pay lower. I'm very good at it.

[BurtonRiderT6]

Slots are all about timing. They are just like the claw games and other prize games at arcades. After so many credits have been played they will allow a payout (big or small). If you see someone doing really well on a slot machine then stay away from it. The next sucker to sit down will lose most of their money, it may give you a little hope here and there but it's a slow drain.

 

Here's an example, this past weekend I went to Hershey Park. They had a game called Key Master, it's made by Sega. It has 3 tiers of prizes each tier is programmable from 1 to 9999 credits. I happened to be the lucky one that happened to play after the credit requirement was met in which I won a Kindle Fire. After researching this machine I found that the deviation on it was 1.8mm which gives the player the "almost had it, let me try again" feeling.

 

From what I read somewhere online is that American based cruise lines have to abide by U.S. gambling regulations and have to have their equipment inspected every so often. I know when I'm playing at the tables my girlfriend will keep coming back showing me a winning slip. It's all luck of the draw or pull. I wouldn't say they are tight you just might be playing the wrong one at the wrong time. I stick to tables.

[randyman1]

The slots are very tight on most ships. Jackpots are few and far between. Was on the Legend last year, hit a $900.00 jackpot and it was amazing that none of the casiono staf knew what to do. After 4 different attendents came and tried to figure it out they finally had to get the casino manager to come over and figure out how much to pay me. It was really funny watching these people, it was like they had never seen a jackpot. But the manager finally figured it out and told the others to pay me. So it;s pretty clear that it doesn't happen often.

[boopsahoy]

I have had jackpots on a cruise but usually give it back LOL However one year I won $10,000 on the dollar 5X5X5X slot and came home with a nice amount of money. I dont mind losing as long as theres some winning along the way! I also always get a free room for the enxt cruise!

[david_sobe]

The slots are very tight on most ships. Jackpots are few and far between. Was on the Legend last year, hit a $900.00 jackpot and it was amazing that none of the casiono staf knew what to do. After 4 different attendents came and tried to figure it out they finally had to get the casino manager to come over and figure out how much to pay me. It was really funny watching these people, it was like they had never seen a jackpot. But the manager finally figured it out and told the others to pay me. So it;s pretty clear that it doesn't happen often.

LOL

Your post says it all :)

[Rochesterboatingdotcom]

On the Epic in 2010, one person hit a 100k and a 25k win on high stakes video poker ($500 a hand) We couldn't win a dime on that ship. I have done the best on Sky, a $1,500 and $500 hit on the 2 short cruises we took on her.

[VideoTech]

Slots are all about timing. They are just like the claw games and other prize games at arcades. After so many credits have been played they will allow a payout (big or small). If you see someone doing really well on a slot machine then stay away from it. The next sucker to sit down will lose most of their money, it may give you a little hope here and there but it's a slow drain.

......

 

All of this is complete misinformation, at least as it regards modern slot machines in casinos. The only programming that is done on slot machines is to set the denomination of the minimum bet and set the payback percentage. After that, each and every pull of the lever, or push of the bet button, is completely random and completely separate from the pull before it and the pull after it.

 

As humans, our minds are setup to try and find order in a chaotic situation. Therefore, as we play a slot machine, we feel we see a "pattern" in what it is doing...we say the machine is "hot" when it pays repeatedly, and then we say it's gone "cold" when it stops. This is purely our perception. The machine does not work that way. Nor is it true that the machine will "stop" payouts if it's just paid out, or be "ready" to pay out if it hasn't in a long time.

 

The slot machine is simply doing it's job - taking in money, keeping a small portion of it, and returning the rest averaged over time according to the payback percentage set in the program.

[boopsahoy]

All of this is complete misinformation, at least as it regards modern slot machines in casinos. The only programming that is done on slot machines is to set the denomination of the minimum bet and set the payback percentage. After that, each and every pull of the lever, or push of the bet button, is completely random and completely separate from the pull before it and the pull after it.

 

As humans, our minds are setup to try and find order in a chaotic situation. Therefore, as we play a slot machine, we feel we see a "pattern" in what it is doing...we say the machine is "hot" when it pays repeatedly, and then we say it's gone "cold" when it stops. This is purely our perception. The machine does not work that way. Nor is it true that the machine will "stop" payouts if it's just paid out, or be "ready" to pay out if it hasn't in a long time.

 

The slot machine is simply doing it's job - taking in money, keeping a small portion of it, and returning the rest averaged over time according to the payback percentage set in the program.

 

 

You are 100% correct! The reason people lose a lot on cruises is the payback is set lower than say Vegas or Atlantic City but if you are lucky you can still win! Last cruise I had 2 hits for $4000 on VP. Also if you play vp check out the pay tables! The .25 games have very low paying paytables compared to the dollar and .50 machines!

[VideoTech]

......Please - only advice posts, no tisk tisks? Thank you

 

The most basic advice I can give you is this: Only play with money you can afford to lose. There is no "secret winning strategy" for gambling, and anyone who tries to tell you they have a surefire method for winning at slots is deceiving themselves. Remember, it is the business of the casino to make money by taking a small percentage of your money on each and every bet. And as has been pointed out already, ship's casinos have no reason whatsoever to set their payback percentages high enough to be even slightly in your favor...

 

You can play intelligently, though. Read the pay tables on the machine. If you like a lot of smaller payouts, look for a machine with lots of small winning combinations. These machines will generally (but not always) keep you playing longer than a machine which advertises a big jackpot (but has fewer smaller payouts) or that attractive progressive machine with the numbers going up and up and up on the display.

 

Second, always play max bet. If you can't afford max bet on the machine you're on, then you're on the wrong machine. Find one that suits your risk level and play it at max bet. Why? Because most machines will not pay that heavily advertised jackpot unless you're playing max bet. Wouldn't you hate to line up those 5 flaming 7's for a $10,000 jackpot, only to find you're only getting $10 because you're only playing one coin or one line?

 

Third, watch the players around you. If you see someone who seems to be playing for a long time, and winning enough to keep them playing (not just feeding in bill after bill after bill) then don't be afraid to sit down at that machine when they get up to leave. You've just seen one of the clues that tell you that machine may be set to a slightly higher payback percentage.

 

(BTW, the only slot machines on which you can absolutely figure out the payback percentage are video poker machines - but that's another whole set of advice, and requires some serious study if you hope to take advantage of it.)

 

So play with money you can afford to lose, and only for the fun of it. If you happen to win big on the last night of your cruise, then enjoy it! It's not common, but when it does happen, it's sure a nice end to the cruise.

[VideoTech]

You are 100% correct! The reason people lose a lot on cruises is the payback is set lower than say Vegas or Atlantic City but if you are lucky you can still win! Last cruise I had 2 hits for $4000 on VP. Also if you play vp check out the pay tables! The .25 games have very low paying paytables compared to the dollar and .50 machines!

 

Yes, I'm a VP player, and I mentioned VP in my reply to the OP. But the VP pay tables on ships are generally awful (I've seen $100 machines with 8/5 JOB). Unfortunately, it's getting hard to find good VP even in land casinos, and since most player rewards systems (including NCL's CAS) only give half credit for VP bets, I've just about stopped playing VP seriously.

 

However, I like the game, and invested a lot of time learning how to play it well, so I can't resist playing it a bit on every cruise. Last cruise I had that lucky streak on the last night that makes you smile: I won a $2,000 jackpot on a VP machine, followed by a $2,500 on a slot machine. Nice!

[Abear2]

Well, I will be on the Gem in a couple of weeks and it sems like I may loose a whole lot of money in the casino! :o I stay in there pretty much most of the time and I was hoping to do the same on this ship, but I guess not! Can ya'll tell me if they have some penny machines that have a monkey that randomly pops up? I can't think of the name of the machine, but I love it! What are some of the penny machines they have, if you can help with a few. Thanks so much for your help.

[VideoTech]

Well, I will be on the Gem in a couple of weeks and it sems like I may loose a whole lot of money in the casino! :o I stay in there pretty much most of the time and I was hoping to do the same on this ship, but I guess not! Can ya'll tell me if they have some penny machines that have a monkey that randomly pops up? I can't think of the name of the machine, but I love it! What are some of the penny machines they have, if you can help with a few. Thanks so much for your help.

 

We haven't been on the Gem, but most of the NCL ships have the same variety of machines. And yes, they all have penny machines; these are the most popular machines in any casino now.

 

You might be talking about the "Monkey Business" machines? I think that's what it's called...random bonuses including a Monkey climbing a tree, and a race between a various animals...if so, yes, I'm sure NCL ships have those.

 

If you're going to be in the casino a lot, don't forget to get and use a casino card from the casino service desk. At least you might get something back for your money in the form of reward points.

[Abear2]

This will be my ninth NCL cruise, but I have never been on the Gem! Yes, I am talking about that monkey machine! LOL:D They had it on the Spirit and I love dit, but was hoping to find out if the Gem has it. I have been getting free cruises from Casino marketing, so yes, I do use a card! ;):p Thank you

[riddle]

If you want any chance at all at video poker with poor pay tables like on a ship you should buy a tutorial cd and practice at home over and over again.

 

No real money is involved but the good ones will tell you when you make an error. You pick your specific game or games and practice until you are playing as close to 100% perfect as you can.

 

A royal on a ship is a the same as a royal on land generally - it is the smaller payout that are lousy on the ship paytables. Anything less than a royal just keeps you playing looking for the prize at the end of the rainbow.