Woman Quits Job For Cruise & Hits Jackpot

[JDee]

A nurse's aide resigned after 17 years rather than miss the boat. Then a ship slot machine coughed up $321,694.

 

Miami -- A nurse's aide who quit her job to take a cruise won $321,694 slot machine jackpot aboard a Carnival Cruise Lines ship.

 

Carol Baird of Port Richey (FL) hit the big payout early Wednesday morning aboard the Carival GLORY while the ship was cruising off the U. S. Virgin Islands.

 

Baird, 59, quit her job after realizing she had booked her cruise in violation of her company's policy prohibiting personal vacation time seven days before or after a holiday.

 

"When I booked the cruise, I didn't look at the calender," Baird said via satellite phone Thursday.

 

So Baird decided to quit her job at the nursing home where she had worked for 17 years. She said she was playing the ship's MegaCash machine, featuring a fleet-wide progressive jackpot, with her husband gambling next to her. Initially she didn't realize she had struck the bonanza.

 

"Now I'm glad I did (quit)," she said. Baird said she was going to get the jackpot payout in installments over six years "so I don't have to work."

 

The largest slot machine payout aboard a Carnival Cruise Lines' ship was $1.1 million, won March 18, 1998, and shared by two people after a protracted lawsuit was settled, Carnival officials said. The Carnival GLORY is scheduled to return to Port Canaveral on Saturday morning.

 

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Guess that gal will be a Carnival fan from here on......

[Lauri32]

Why oh why couldn't that have been me.:( Welll, at least somebody won it.

[pungo3]

I think that is wonderful. What a great story. Working 17 years in a nursing home deserves something special. I'm thrilled for her.

[MikeNBec]

Okay, wait......she puts a vacation before her job, and is rewarded by winning 321,000 bucks. Then, she's taking payments over 6 years, which, after the government gets their share, will be about 30 grand a year. What happens after that, because she sure isn't going to be able to save much. Wait, nevermind, I'm using common sense again! :D

[BrendaB1]

With 30 grand a year she can afford to look for another job or 6 six years may be the time she plans to retire. Either way.......she's a winner. Good for her!

[neverenufcruising]

I don't think the woman quit her job in hopes she would win a jackpot. I would think she was already financially able to quit her job if she was willing to sacrifice it to go on vacation.

[halos]

GOOD for her!! :D

[tef43]

$30K/yr for a nurses aid, at least around here, is a phenominal wage.

 

In 6 years she will reach traditional retirement age anyway.

 

Enjoy your good fortune and retire early. You've earned it.

[hstrybuf]

I love happy stories! Good for her!

[cantwait2cruise]

How lucky!!!

[Boston6]

Good for her. Too bad it couldn't wait for a month to pay out when I'm on board.

[rsjc]

Good for you, employers make up rules sometime that benefit them only.

[dad son team]

Does she have to pay taxes if she won it in international waters? The article said she was off the coast of the US Virgin's. Does that count?

 

Just a thought...

[sea-n-ski]

Good for her!! Let's hope the jackpot keeps growing until we sail on the Glory on 3/26/05...I'll have to try my luck!!

 

Laura

[INCHARGE]

I'm glad she spread it out in order to last her until she reached the retirement age. Depending on the cost of living in her area, she should be able to do just fine. Good for her.

[Newcastle]

Does she have to pay taxes if she won it in international waters? The article said she was off the coast of the US Virgin's. Does that count?

 

Just a thought...

 

 

She will have to pay taxes, the IRS will get some no matter what.

[mike2000]

The irs will be waiting for at the dock knowing them. If I could luck up and

hit it on my Feb cruise I could stay retired on my unplaned retirement and reach my planded retirement in 6 years.

[SNOWEY]

I nearly jumped out of my chair..... my mom lives in Pt. Ritchey and the lady who takes care of her is on a cruise! Too bad it isn't her. Congrats to the winner.

[litig8rij]

da gambling "experts" say never play slots cuz they're a sucker's bet (compared to the "thinking man's game" of blackjack). how many folks you know win 300K playing "21," eh? WAY TO GO! :p

[mohavemommy]

Does she have to pay taxes if she won it in international waters? The article said she was off the coast of the US Virgin's. Does that count?

 

Just a thought...

she is subject to tax on all world wide income....

[GayleR]

What if she put it in a bank account in the Caymens before she returned to the USA? Would she have to pay tax on it? Just a thought....:rolleyes:

[norjsue]

Makes me happy to see that a working person wins this kind of money. I really dislike when you see someone on welfare win the lottery. I'm sure she worked hard for 17 years, being a nurses assistant.

[gatour]

She is a US citizen so she is subject to the normal taxes. Unless you are living overseas for an extended period of time, you get dinged by the "normal" laws and regulations. There are ways around some of this and sounds like she is taking the best option. She has worked most of the year and is in certain tax bracket. By spreading the payout across multiple years she is lowering each individual years tax bracket and thushly percentage due to income taxes.

[rduke]

Maybe she should take the lump sum, change her name, move to South America and never be heard from again! But maybe that would only work if she won 300 Million!!LOL

[cruiserlisa]

Gee, I quit my job in June, went on a cruise in September and only won $1000 of which most did not come home with me.