Casino Behavior

[Ashland]

I'd leave the kid alone as it's none of my business!

Ditto to this..Probably an isolated incident that would have resolved itself without the need to get involved...JMHO !!

[maureencruiser]

If mom can't tell the difference or doesn't respect the difference between an area where a child is allowed to play and an area that's reserved for adults - and doesn't want to teach her child those limits - then she doesn't win any awards in my book.

Hmmmm....You must have never looked in the pools and hot tubs! I just love being in the poop soup from the kids in diapers!:eek:

[Cruisin' Chick]

When it comes to casinos, I would be more concerned with the strong tobacco smell (especially if people are smoking) with my child. Not sure how my daughter would be with slot machines,etc. (hopefully they would bore her), but then I've kept video games out of the house.

 

She's never asked about casinos on any of her cruises, but if she does ask me, I'll point out she's under age (which at 15, she undoubtedly knows this anyway).

[DmnDva]

I'd be more concerned with the nasal passages of the child in question. We got confused on the Allure after the ice show and I walked my kids back through the casino. All I heard from my kids the whole way was "How bad is the stench in this place Mum?" and from my youngest "is it the smell of cigarette's that makes smokers die Mum? Cos it's killing me!". They weren't interested in the machines, only the exit. Must admit, it did smell absolutely feral in there!

[tip]

When it comes to casinos' date=' I would be more concerned with the strong tobacco smell (especially if people are smoking) with my child. [/quote']

 

Point well taken.

 

I certainly wouldn't get my knickers in a knot over a child playing a slot machine with parents.

[Beachdude]

Casinos on most ships are designed so that passengers (of all ages) have to pass through to get to other parts of the ship. It is not unusual for kids to pass through looking for mom or dad, and the parent giving the child a chance at the machine to satisfy their curiosity. I have experienced that situation as well as observed it many times. I have never seen it abused to the point of calling security. My advice is move along and don’t think twice about it. Security knows what they are doing in the casino.

 

A humorous story: Our 12 year old daughter on an Alaskan cruise made several friends. As they were passing through the casino on their way to the youth dance floor, she saw my wife on a machine right next to the path. She stops to say hello and pulled the arm of the machine jokingly. The machine won and $40 of quarters started flowing out of the machine. My wife was a little concerned at the point about security because my daughter and her friends were cheering loudly. I looked over and security was smiling with everyone else who was watching. She told me later she saw the whole thing and it wasn’t an issue that needed her attention. Our now 23 year old daughter still likes to brag about her winnings on that cruise.

 

Burt

[smeyer418]

Ships that call at U.S. ports and I am sure it applies to other countries, agree to abide by certain laws and if they purposely violate, there are penalties.

 

Ships enter ports/countries only with permission of the authorities and that permission certainly can be denied.

 

That could definitely put a big dent in that cruise line's business.

 

? while a state can tell the cruise ship it must follow the rules while within its waters, what happens at sea is governed by the law of the seas. flag state rules govern. Yes I know that Hi prohibits the NCL American flagged ship from gambling at all. but this is because its American flagged and stops no where but in Hawaii.

 

 

btw I have no doubt that a 40 dollar "jackpot" was allowed to be paid out but if it was $4000 a different response would have ensued.

[rjackieb]

Ships that call at U.S. ports and I am sure it applies to other countries, agree to abide by certain laws and if they purposely violate, there are penalties.

 

Ships enter ports/countries only with permission of the authorities and that permission certainly can be denied.

 

That could definitely put a big dent in that cruise line's business.

 

? while a state can tell the cruise ship it must follow the rules while within its waters, what happens at sea is governed by the law of the seas. flag state rules govern. Yes I know that Hi prohibits the NCL American flagged ship from gambling at all. but this is because its American flagged and stops no where but in Hawaii

I did some digging online yesterday after reading some of the responses. From what I understand, while in international waters, the rules are according to the ship's country of registration. In this case, it's Panama, which I found had a legal gambling age of 18.

[SnowshoeCat]

I really doubt the child was gambling. Unless the mother emptied out his piggy bank, it was her money, not the child's. He was probably just having fun, pressing the buttons.

[calliopecruiser]

I really doubt the child was gambling. Unless the mother emptied out his piggy bank, it was her money, not the child's. He was probably just having fun, pressing the buttons.

 

Of course the child was gambling (assuming there was money in the machine) - the child was operating a slot machine. It doesn't matter whose money he was gambling with, he was still gambling.

 

In my mind, the problem isn't that the child was allowed to gamble but that the child was allowed (perhaps encouraged) to break the policies of the cruise ship and perhaps the laws of the country of registry.

[cruzeluver]

As we are not talking about a safety issue here, I would let the casino staff and/or security take care of it. I would not go out of my way to look for an employee to address the issue to. I would do something really radical, I would mind my own business.

[Beachdude]

 

What?, why would I say it if didn't happen. And how would you stop the machine from spitting out the quarters.

 

Very strange response.

 

Burt

[smeyer418]

What?, why would I say it if didn't happen. And how would you stop the machine from spitting out the quarters.

 

Very strange response.

 

Burt

LOL you haven't won 4000! the machines don't pay out that many quarters. anything that large is "verified" before paying out. even with cashless paper on most ships they don't pay out without checking...closely.

[Beachdude]

LOL you haven't won 4000! the machines don't pay out that many quarters. anything that large is "verified" before paying out. even with cashless paper on most ships they don't pay out without checking...closely.

 

My apologies to you smeyer and the rest of the group, I read your post without my glasses and misread your reply completely. Boy is my face red. :o

 

Your are correct, however I have always wondered the limit of payout for the noisy nickle machines. "Forever" doesn't seem like a lot of payout. :D

 

Burt

[NoobCruise]

I wouldn't have thought it was that big of a deal. My parents occasionally went to casinos when I was kid, but they always went with a specific amount that they expected to lose. That was their "entertainment", much like handing a child a handful of quarters to play video games. He wouldn't expect to get his quarters back from the video game after he was done playing. They get entertained for awhile and when it's gone, they're done. The best way for a child to learn how to gamble responsibly is from a responsible adult. However, if the parent gambles irresponsibly, that's another story, but I expect a crew member asked them to leave within a short time. I would not have gotten involved.

[wckdtrix]

Several years ago aboard RC's Empress of the Seas, we saw several children gambling on the slot machines all week in the casino. We assumed that the security cameras could observe what was happening and they apparently didn't care. It was weird to see what appeared to be 8 year old kids just hanging out and playing slots. First and only time I have seen children actively playing slots in a casino anywhere.

[RANTHEMAN]

Some of you need to get a life. You are so worried about breaking rules. Next time you are driving your car at 1 mph over the limit, I want you to pull over and call the highway patrol and report yourself.:eek:

 

most importantly..It is none of your busybody business.

[Kathie859]

After reading this thread, I've come to realize that I must be a real slacker when it comes to what's black and white and all the shades of gray in between!!! There's no way I would have given it a second thought if I saw a child standing/sitting by his mother and the mother/female guardian allowed said minor child to push the button on a slot machine.

 

Nah...this doesn't even register on my "gawd awful things I have witnessed" radar.:rolleyes:

 

Now if the child was whooping and hollering and being raucous OR it was midnight--eh, I would feel differently. But to point it out to security???? Really????

[tip]

Some of you need to get a life. You are so worried about breaking rules. Next time you are driving your car at 1 mph over the limit, I want you to pull over and call the highway patrol and report yourself.:eek:

 

most importantly..It is none of your busybody business.

 

 

Very well said!

[trev71]

Id ingore it. I mind my own business 99% of the time while crusing.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It happens ...

[dsrdsrdsr]

I've been in UK amusement arcades, with slot machines, as a child. It certainly wasn't illegal then, and so far as I know it still isn't.

 

But even if I was in a USA-rules casino and saw a child, I wouldn't do anything. Not my business. Besides, what's the deal? I've been horse racing in the USA and seen children there, with parents, gambling going on. Does it make a huge difference who's putting the cash in the slot?

[beachchick]

What would I do? I would look and see and think to myself that the little boy probably wanted to push the shiny light up button like mom had, so the mom, being the awesome mom that she is, brought her son into the first row of machines in the casino door to let him hit the button a few times and you just happen to walk in at that instant and assume whatever it was that you assumed and reported it. It's really not a big deal! Was the kid being loud and running around and drawing attention to himself? doesnt sound like it and it sounds like mom was right there with him. Now if it had been some kid by himself in the middle of the slot banks with a 50 spot playing by himself, that would be of issue!

 

No, I don't see that there is any difference whether he was in the middle of the casino alone or on the periphery with an adult. There are rules about gambling ages on the ship. There is no "except if it's cute" or "unless a child simply must push the shiny light" or anything else. It's not that hard to say, "I'm sorry, but you are not old enough to do this adult activity." This really is how the "entitled to do what I want" mentality starts.

 

Casinos on most ships are designed so that passengers (of all ages) have to pass through to get to other parts of the ship. It is not unusual for kids to pass through looking for mom or dad, and the parent giving the child a chance at the machine to satisfy their curiosity. I have experienced that situation as well as observed it many times. I have never seen it abused to the point of calling security. My advice is move along and don’t think twice about it. Security knows what they are doing in the casino.

 

A humorous story: Our 12 year old daughter on an Alaskan cruise made several friends. As they were passing through the casino on their way to the youth dance floor, she saw my wife on a machine right next to the path. She stops to say hello and pulled the arm of the machine jokingly. The machine won and $40 of quarters started flowing out of the machine. My wife was a little concerned at the point about security because my daughter and her friends were cheering loudly. I looked over and security was smiling with everyone else who was watching. She told me later she saw the whole thing and it wasn’t an issue that needed her attention. Our now 23 year old daughter still likes to brag about her winnings on that cruise.

 

Burt

 

It is a cute story and perhaps the security crew member didn't want to make a fuss about who pulled the slot and won. After all, it was probably apparent that your daughter did it as kind of a joke and she wasn't standing there gambling.

 

Still, the fact is that on an Alaska cruise the gambling age on cruise ships is 21, no exceptions. This is mandated by Alaska in their contracts with the cruise lines and based on state law. It applies the entire cruise, not just when ships are in Alaskan waters. If caught allowing underage gambling or drinking, a cruise line could lose their right to port in the state. I kind of doubt that's something they want to happen. Had the security crew member been caught by management allowing it, she could have been fired on the spot.

 

A general thought not directed at anyone specific:

 

I'm all for letting kids go a bit crazy on vacation, including cruises, and I'm all for fun, but I don't think is justification for parents to say, "Oh the rules don't apply to my kids/family."

 

beachchick

[rjackieb]

It probably was none of my business, and I'm sure I could have just went on my way. I think after having a balcony within view of two hot tubs being used continuously by families with infants and toddlers, I was a little fed up with it all.

[meatloafsfan]

I would have something to security as well.

 

All of you who are okay with the 10 year old kid gambling - are you okay with them in the adult pool or serenity area as well? What about the adult comedy show? The spa? How about if you saw them drinking alcohol?

 

Playing the tables or machines in the casino is an "adult" activity - the same as the other adult areas on board.