why no horse racing on RCCL???

[25dbb]

We just returned from Voyager Repo May 7th and for the second RCCL cruise in a row, there wasn't any horse racing....... Has RCCL given up on this???

We had a group and were ready to bid on a horse for the derby.....None on

Radiance in Nov 2004 either....they told us then that it was up to the CD....

didn't have an opportunity to ask CD on Voyager. Anyone been on a RCCL ship recently that has had it???

 

dbb25

[PVDCruiser]

I was on the Mariner June 2004 and we had it.

[ahoughton]

Everyone we have been on has had horse races.

[hstrybuf]

I couldn't find the post about this, but it appears that they are discontinuing horse races. Too bad. I thought they were fun!

[Dotsie]

I was on the Voyager the week before you (April 30th) and there was no horse racing on my cruise. I'm glad you asked because we think they're fun also. Our CD was Drew and he was leaving the ship after our cruise.

 

Dotsie

[jstducky]

Here is a thread regarding horse racing being gone from all RCI ships

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=172712

[susanNjay]

Rhapsody had horse races last month.:)

[wrighka]

Just got off the Mariner 5/15 and they had horse races.

[HighFives]

If by horse races, you mean the pool side event that allows you to bet on a horse that advances based on some sort of number chosen, then they did have that on the 4/30 Navigator on, I believe, the last sea day.

 

/slap

[mudhenmick]

Mariner 5/01 to 5/08 had the horse racing as well. Maybe its a CD decision.

[mrg0433]

We were on Legend a few weeks ago and had horse racing.

[CuseJeff44]

Are you referring to off track betting? I've always wondered myself why the casino doesnt have a room that simulcasts horse racing.

[Nliedel]

Nope, the OP is reffering to the horse racing where they do it pooloside by advancing numbers. I sure hope they have it in October on the Mariner because our group wants to buy a horse, or at least like 6 of us do :D

[negc]

I think that it is clear from many of the responses to this thread and to the earlier one, that RCI HAS NOT decided to eliminate horse races on its ships. It is a decision made by the individual cruise director, just as it is his or her decision to feature or not feature other activities or things like: "If I were not Upon the Sea". When we were on Jewel of the Seas last October, the CD told us she was thinking of eliminating the horse auction due to a lack of interest in it on the previous few cruises. We convinced her not to eliminate the auction and the result was that the six horses went for a minimum of $400 each and the owners' purse was over $2400.

Headlines such as the one on this thread may garner attention but frequently are misleading or claim something that can't be substantiated. :(

[2oc cruiser's]

They had it by the pool on the Jewel the week of 4/23/05 the auction was the first sea day and the race was the last sea day .

[quiltsnh]

We were on the Explorer April 24th.... they did not have horse racing... I had psyched my group up and we had brought a bunch of stuff...no racing

Granduer 1999

Victory 2001

Triumph 2003

Explorer 2005

Freedom 2007

[springtxbill]

Some ships just did not have the interest that others did in the racing. On some the horses were selling for like $45 instead of a couple hundred. If the betting followed those numbers, the ship was not getting any income from it worth the time to do it.:)

[emmy]

I think that it is clear from many of the responses to this thread and to the earlier one, that RCI HAS NOT decided to eliminate horse races on its ships. It is a decision made by the individual cruise director, just as it is his or her decision to feature or not feature other activities or things like: "If I were not Upon the Sea". When we were on Jewel of the Seas last October, the CD told us she was thinking of eliminating the horse auction due to a lack of interest in it on the previous few cruises. We convinced her not to eliminate the auction and the result was that the six horses went for a minimum of $400 each and the owners' purse was over $2400.

Headlines such as the one on this thread may garner attention but frequently are misleading or claim something that can't be substantiated. :(

 

Horse racing was also played on our April 23 sailing of Jewel and the winnings were about $3400. if I remember correctly.... everyone paraded their horses throughout the ship.

 

I agree that some of these events are up to the individual cruise director...when we sailed on Navigator in 2003 they did not play Quest..... we watched for it every night....

 

Emmy

[zuscruiserz]

Just got off the Vision of the Seas Mexican Riviera cruise May 15 and they did have horse racing by the pool.

[Max Circus]

You hit the nail on the head Emmy!! Definitely up to the individual CD based on how well they think that event will be received. Would be kind of embarassing if the final purse was outrageously low.

 

I also cruised NOS (11/03) and the Quest was not held during that week.

 

There are some who seem to feel just because something isn't held for one week on one ship, that it is not available on any ship.

 

Oh no!!! They didn't serve key lime pie this week. Must mean that it is not served on any ship. Heavens . . . . The Horror . . . . .

[CuseJeff44]

Can someone fill me in on the basics of this horse racing event?

 

Do they get people (cruise employees, cruisers) to run around the ship dressed as horses? And people actually bet on the winners?

[emmy]

You hit the nail on the head Emmy!! Definitely up to the individual CD based on how well they think that event will be received. Would be kind of embarassing if the final purse was outrageously low.

 

I also cruised NOS (11/03) and the Quest was not held during that week.

 

There are some who seem to feel just because something isn't held for one week on one ship, that it is not available on any ship.

 

Oh no!!! They didn't serve key lime pie this week. Must mean that it is not served on any ship. Heavens . . . . The Horror . . . . .

 

Max ~ funny you should mention Key Lime pie.... on our recent Jewel cruise an 8 day ... on the 7th evening at dinner still no Key Lime pie for dessert and we have been accustomed to seeing it the first night...well on the 7th night all our table mates had been patiently waiting for that for dessert so we questioned the waiter...he checked for us and lo and behold Key Lime Pie on the last evening....he said that if it was not on the menu he would have gotten us a pie to share.... and one to take with us :)

 

An anxious moment for RCI Key lime pie lovers......

 

Emmy

[Max Circus]

Max ~ funny you should mention Key Lime pie.... on our recent Jewel cruise an 8 day ... on the 7th evening at dinner still no Key Lime pie for dessert and we have been accustomed to seeing it the first night...well on the 7th night all our table mates had been patiently waiting for that for dessert so we questioned the waiter...he checked for us and lo and behold Key Lime Pie on the last evening....he said that if it was not on the menu he would have gotten us a pie to share.... and one to take with us :)

 

An anxious moment for RCI Key lime pie lovers......

 

Emmy

 

That's cute. Pays to ask. I find that the ship employees (especially dining room) will do whatever it takes to please you. Reminds me of the restaurant scene in the Albert Brooks/Meryl Streep film "Defending Your Life".

 

"You want pie? I'll get you 10 nice cream pies to take home!!!".

[EBFURR]

For the sake of jlabramo and anyone else who has not seen it.

 

 

They have this by the pool on sea days, usually in the afternoon. They have six "horses" on little platforms and pick "jockeys", usually women, from the crowd. They have a mat that has six lanes and is partitioned off into ten or so spaces (think Monopoly board) with a start and finish line at each end. The CD has a cage type thing with two large dice in it. He/She shakes it up and calls out the two numbers that come up. For example, if a 1 and 4 are rolled, horse number 1 moves one space and horse number 4 moves one space. If doubles are rolled, that horse moves two spaces. The first horse to cross the finish line wins.

 

 

Before the races, you can bet on the horses by number by purchasing a ticket with a horse number on it, usually a couple of bucks per ticket. If your horse wins, you cash in your ticket for a share of the loot. The winnings will vary depending on how many people bet on the race. Usually it is a small sum of money, you will not pay for your cruise this way! After the races on the first day, they auction off the horses to the highest bidders. If you successfully buy a horse, you can keep it all week, give it a name, decorate it, take it to dinner, etc. On the last sea day they will have an "Owners Cup" race and the owner of the winning horse gets the money bid on all the horses. You might pay for your cruise this way if the horses go for a high price at auction.

 

 

It is all really for fun. The CD always tries to make the races funny and exciting and have a lot of jokes to throw at the jockeys and crowd. We enjoy it and plan to participate on the Mariner next month.