Poll - How will “no Casinos” impact your decision on sailing new Crystal?

[Stickman1990]

Casinos, love them or hate them? - it would be great to get your views on the impact of Crystal’s decision to not have casinos operating in the future  

 

I know this is a hot topic and many have expressed their views already but I’d like to gather peoples views on how the no casinos decision is actually going to impact them (and Crystal)

 

You can use the comments section to say why you’ve made your vote one way or the other and also how you would like to see the vacant space occupied

Edited April 5, 2023 by Stickman1990

[gmarsh]

We will try out NC once without the casino.

It's all part of the cruise experience, lights, luxury and libations...

Are you feeling lucky, Mr. Bond?

[NWX]

Doesn't really matter to us. We aren't serious gamblers but it was a fun way to pass a little time on a rainy day or while waiting for a show. Taking out the casinos does leave a huge empty space though, I wonder how creative NC will be - all one big space or divide it up? TBD.

[lhcruzin]

It depends on how the casino space will be used.  Public space or squeezing more cabins in ?

[Roland4]

1 hour ago, lhcruzin said:

It depends on how the casino space will be used.  Public space or squeezing more cabins in ?

Can't do that without MAJOR renos. No plumbing being the most obvious problem.

[Keith1010]

2 hours ago, lhcruzin said:

It depends on how the casino space will be used.  Public space or squeezing more cabins in ?

It is being us for public space.

 

Keith 

[edgee]

Easy decision for me. No casino means I will not book.

[Cruise-y]

Good idea for a survey. Pretty telling isn’t it?

 

I just voted neutral and it looks like the vast majority (65%) agree with me. I never use casinos. 

 

[oakridger]

I asked this on another forum but for those who voted for 'Attracted more to Crystal due to there being no casinos" I'm wondering why you feel that the casino on a ship is a negative feature?  I'm just curious as although I don't enjoy gambling, having it on the ship doesn't bother me.  (If the casino doesn't allow smoke to go in the public areas!  Either no smoking in there at all or has a very efficient smoke removal system)

 

Thanks,

~Nancy

Edited April 11, 2023 by oakridger

[History&Wine]

11 hours ago, oakridger said:

I asked this on another forum but for those who voted for 'Attracted more to Crystal due to there being no casinos" I'm wondering why you feel that the casino on a ship is a negative feature?  I'm just curious as although I don't enjoy gambling, having it on the ship doesn't bother me.  (If the casino doesn't allow smoke to go in the public areas!  Either no smoking in there at all or has a very efficient smoke removal system)

 

Thanks,

~Nancy

Let me count the ways:  The casino is strategically placed so that traffic moves through that area.  I would sometimes talk to the staff who were simply standing around at slow times.   Upon walking through later times, I was many times encouraged..sometimes quite strongly... to gamble which I did not want to do.  Saying no did not discourage staffers from trying again.

Smoking...even if the casino is smoke free, it seems casinos attract smokers.  As anyone can tell by my posts, I am sensitive to cigarette smoke.  Viking has large ships with no casinos and very few if any smokers.  Viking does very well and rates highly.

Noise.

Lastly, consider that the space taken by the casino could be used for another purpose.  Perhaps a social area, which it seems is what crystal is doing. 

[UUNetBill]

On 4/10/2023 at 8:31 AM, Cruise-y said:

Good idea for a survey. Pretty telling isn’t it?

 

I just voted neutral and it looks like the vast majority (65%) agree with me. I never use casinos. 

 

I'm in the 'vast majority' but my vote went to 'more likely to cruise without a casino' mostly due to having more common space for something I'd actually use.  Of course, I'm one of those weird people who used to love to go to Vegas but I didn't gamble, so take my vote for what it's worth.  😄

 

[ctjon]

I never, on Crystal, was encouraged to enter the casino by staff.

[May B]

5 hours ago, ctjon said:

I never, on Crystal, was encouraged to enter the casino by staff.

I think the two ships were a bit different. On Serenity, it would mean somebody actually enticing you to step inside. On Symphony, it would mean a dealer making eye contact with you as you had to walk by the table to get to the theatre.

 

Neither of those situations happened to me, but evidently History & Wine had a different experience.

Edited April 11, 2023 by May B

[History&Wine]

I was referring to my experience on Serenity.  I played quite a lot in the casino on my World cruise 2015.  But a year after that I had an epiphany.  I was losing money in casinos but making money trading stocks.  I decided to go cold turkey and have not played in a casino since..land or sea.  My next cruise was 18 days and had many of the same staff.  I was not enticed to "step inside", but rather was enticed to gamble as I walked through the casino, which was quite often to get to another destination.  My room was just above on deck 7.  Perhaps the problem was that I always politely refused rather than stating that I no longer gambled in casinos. 

[Embowaf]

7 hours ago, History&Wine said:

Let me count the ways:  The casino is strategically placed so that traffic moves through that area.  I would sometimes talk to the staff who were simply standing around at slow times.   Upon walking through later times, I was many times encouraged..sometimes quite strongly... to gamble which I did not want to do.  Saying no did not discourage staffers from trying again.

Smoking...even if the casino is smoke free, it seems casinos attract smokers.  As anyone can tell by my posts, I am sensitive to cigarette smoke.  Viking has large ships with no casinos and very few if any smokers.  Viking does very well and rates highly.

Noise.

Lastly, consider that the space taken by the casino could be used for another purpose.  Perhaps a social area, which it seems is what crystal is doing. 

I have never once on Crystal seen anyone "strongly encourage" you to gamble if you were passing through instead of hanging out and talking to them. If you were hanging around and talking to them... of course they would do that, you're showing interest in the casino.

[FlyerTalker]

5 hours ago, May B said:

I think the two ships were a bit different. On Serenity, it would mean somebody actually enticing you to step inside. On Symphony, it would mean a dealer making eye contact with you as you had to walk by the table to get to the theatre.

 

Do you possibly have these reversed?  On Symphony, you would walk along the port side, past the Hollywood, with the casino on your right.  IIRC, it was Serenity where the casino spread across the whole width of the ship, and you had to walk through some portion of it.

 

 

[oakridger]

6 hours ago, History&Wine said:

I decided to go cold turkey and have not played in a casino since..land or sea.  My next cruise was 18 days and had many of the same staff.  I was not enticed to "step inside", but rather was enticed to gamble as I walked through the casino,

 

I hadn't thought of that scenario.  Thanks for answering my question.

 

~Nancy

[Cruisekid2]

Not a gambler but friends are, I prefer Ballroom dancing.  My information is the Symphony large Casino & Private Casino will become Disco & additional Bridge , Lecture space.   This will not affect the room space at all.

Time will tell when we all board again what they decide.

[Embowaf]

2 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Do you possibly have these reversed?  On Symphony, you would walk along the port side, past the Hollywood, with the casino on your right.  IIRC, it was Serenity where the casino spread across the whole width of the ship, and you had to walk through some portion of it.

 

 

This is correct yes.

[May B]

12 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Do you possibly have these reversed?  On Symphony, you would walk along the port side, past the Hollywood, with the casino on your right.  IIRC, it was Serenity where the casino spread across the whole width of the ship, and you had to walk through some portion of it.

 

 

I could picture both casinos but couldn’t sort out which was which. I should’ve been able to, by remembering my last Crystal cruise. It was a four-day, and I vividly remember where we sat in Umi Uma on our first night, and also how packed the casino was.

 

In fact, it’s perhaps the only time I ever asked to be reseated in a restaurant. I was so glad! My instincts were correct, and the experience was enhanced by sitting across from the sushi bar. 

Edited April 12, 2023 by May B

[parallax]

I look as the casino as an entertainment option.  The money I lose at the casino playing $10 blackjack will not impact me whatsoever.   Between the high prices and this sort of change to the entertainment options, I'm looking elsewhere at this time.  In fact, I recently booked the Explora for December.  

[Roland4]

13 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Do you possibly have these reversed?  On Symphony, you would walk along the port side, past the Hollywood, with the casino on your right.  IIRC, it was Serenity where the casino spread across the whole width of the ship, and you had to walk through some portion of it.

 

 

On Serenity, going to/from the Galaxy, you could walk past the casino on the starboard side, but right through the middle of the casino on the port side.

[gmarsh]

I bet there will be art sales and gold chain by the foot in the ex-casino space.

Poker playing dogs and Elvis on black felt.

Maybe even t-shirts, 5 for a dollar!

 

🎉🥃🎰

 

[nnn]

Never had any desire to gamble on the ship.  Seems a bit depressing to me (just my opinion).  I'll save my gambling for Vegas, though I'll admit gambling has lost most of its fun for me anyway.  

 

In my view, Crystal would be smart to convert that area into a "fun" space.  Ping pong, arcade games, etc.  Maybe keep around a casino felt or two for people to sit down and play poker.  The kids' club is great for the youngest guests, but it's a little babyish as the kids get older.

[gojirra]

Don’t really care either way ……