No More Dicey Wooden Horse Racing?

[Tallcruiser]

In 2005 our CC group bought a horse and dressed it up and called it Camilla! We were sailing on the Island Princess 15 day Hawaiian cruise, the week Prince Charles and Camilla were married. It was a Hoot!! Everyone got into it. It was popular.

I was on the Golden this past Feb. and I was told that the races are at the control and discretion of the Casino. There is a lack of space, time and staffing for the original rules and set up.

There were 3 races during the cruise. The horses were not up for auction and ownership.

Gone was the excitement! There was not horses to parade around. No posters to tare done. No horses to kidnap. No costumes, hats, poems, cheers or contest. It was a flop.

They ruined this event by turning it over to the control of the Casino!!! Gone is the competition and camaraderie that developed over the cruise.

I know I spent a chunk of change on the races. Being a part owner in a horse.... I did not miss a race!

I say bring it back the way it used to be!

We should have a Poll or partition!!

[Shelly97060]

loved the wooden horses, but haven't seen them on the Golden the last couple years.

 

I miss them...

[Norski]

We've only been on Princess once, the Island to Alaska. We're booked for Panama Canal in January. I've never heard of the horse races - can someone explain how it works - sounds like it could be alot of fun.

[Tallcruiser]

We've only been on Princess once, the Island to Alaska. We're booked for Panama Canal in January. I've never heard of the horse races - can someone explain how it works - sounds like it could be alot of fun.

 

Now it will simply be listed in the Patter and only a couple times. In Feb. it was listed only 3 times toward the end of the cruise. Hardly anyone attended as the rules have changed.

On stage are wooden horses on a stick. They are lined up side by side in lanes. Each horse has a number on it. The dice get thrown to determine how many spaces each horse is advanced. The first horse to reach the end wins the race. There are bids for 1st and 2nd place. The bet is usually $2.00 a bet. You may bet on any horse you like. It is charged to your sign and sail card as a casino charge.

 

How it used to be........ When it was FUN At the beginning of the cruise all the horses were put up for Auction. Highest bid won the horse. An individual or group could buy a horse. Usually about $75.00 to $150.00. The longer one waited the higher the bid. It was best to just bid on the first horse. Always the least expensive ;) The wooden horse was yours for the duration of the cruise. People would go wild. They were heavily decorated with anything and everything imaginable. There was usually a theme in mind. You would name your horse. Cheers, poems, history, and T-shirts were made or brought on board with you for your horse. The horse was then taken everywhere on the ship with you, to give your horse exposure! You wanted your horse to win!!! The more people to come and bet on your horse the bigger the pot $$$ was if your horse won the final race. There were also prizes and champaign given out for the best "dressed" horse. Groups would dress up them selves to match their horse. A Jockey was chosen for each horse. Usually the owner or in the case of a group someone was chosen. The Jockeys were usually all decked out as well. The races went on through out the whole cruise and the horse was paraded and guarded. It was not un heard of for a horse to be "kidnapped"! :eek: This of course would prevent your horse from winning:p Posters were made by the owners and taped up all over the ship to stimulate interest in their horse. And they would be torn down or covered up by rival horse owners.:D There were hat making contests the owners for the best hat worn. Prizes like travel clocks and tote bags were given out at each race. The last race everyone goes all out! We gave everyone who attended leis and filled the room with balloons with our horses name and number to help people remember to bet on our horse. The grand prize race winner got to take home the Pot $$$! Bets were $2 and $3 per horse per race. There were several races each session. Bets were collected in cash or put on your sign and sail card. It was a good time had by all and the ship made a lot of money. The room was always filled... people bet and they drank. There was bar service and they sold the buckets of beer like crazy!

Our horse alas did not win the race but did win for best dressed! LOL

 

BIG MISTAKE TO TAKE THAT ALL AWAY!!!:mad:

[windsor26]

All the horse race games we have seen - and it has been on all carnival owned ships and those from the old Airtours and Thomson lines the bets were made in cash this was the only game that cash was used not the charge card.

 

We also never got to buy a horse until the last 2 days for the final horse racing day and then it was all action and fun to dress nam,e and advertise our horse. As you said Champange and favours for the teams that entered and a good prize for the winner.

 

We would even have different types of races some over the jumps and a passenger would lay down in the middle of the game and be the jump which if a horse landed on you it had to return to the starting post.

 

I do hope they do not cancel it everywhere as it was light hearted good fun

[Taxguy77]

I was on the CB this past May and ask the cruise director if they were going to have Dicey Wooden Horse Racing and he said no:(. I didn't get a chance to as why b/c it was during the Jeopardy game so they were busy.

 

Just wondering if anyone has seen this game on a recent sailing on other ships? I know they had it a couple of years ago on the Crown.

We had it , also on the Crown, many years ago. My wife won!:D

What a great way to meet people! We got to know about 20 fellow pax in no time. It didn't hurt her popularity any that they all won money on the final race, either.:rolleyes:

Have looked for it on every cruise since, including 6 or 8 TA's, with no sucess.:(

[Taxguy77]

How it used to be........ When it was FUN At the beginning of the cruise all the horses were put up for Auction. Highest bid won the horse. An individual or group could buy a horse. Usually about $75.00 to $150.00. The longer one waited the higher the bid. It was best to just bid on the first horse. Always the least expensive ;) The wooden horse was yours for the duration of the cruise. People would go wild. They were heavily decorated with anything and everything imaginable. There was usually a theme in mind. You would name your horse. Cheers, poems, history, and T-shirts were made or brought on board with you for your horse. The horse was then taken everywhere on the ship with you, to give your horse exposure! You wanted your horse to win!!! The more people to come and bet on your horse the bigger the pot $$$ was if your horse won the final race. There were also prizes and champaign given out for the best "dressed" horse. Groups would dress up them selves to match their horse. A Jockey was chosen for each horse. Usually the owner or in the case of a group someone was chosen. The Jockeys were usually all decked out as well. The races went on through out the whole cruise and the horse was paraded and guarded. It was not un heard of for a horse to be "kidnapped"! :eek: This of course would prevent your horse from winning:p Posters were made by the owners and taped up all over the ship to stimulate interest in their horse. And they would be torn down or covered up by rival horse owners.:D There were hat making contests the owners for the best hat worn. Prizes like travel clocks and tote bags were given out at each race. The last race everyone goes all out! We gave everyone who attended leis and filled the room with balloons with our horses name and number to help people remember to bet on our horse. The grand prize race winner got to take home the Pot $$$! Bets were $2 and $3 per horse per race. There were several races each session. Bets were collected in cash or put on your sign and sail card. It was a good time had by all and the ship made a lot of money. The room was always filled... people bet and they drank. There was bar service and they sold the buckets of beer like crazy!

Our horse alas did not win the race but did win for best dressed! LOL

 

BIG MISTAKE TO TAKE THAT ALL AWAY!!!:mad:

My earlier post was a little off, the "Crown" was the NCL Crown, before it went to Orient Lines, then back to NCL, now I think it's 'Balmoral'.

I don't remember how much the horse cost, but it wasn't over $20.00. Races were all run by the pool so there was plenty of deck space and it was warm enough for plenty of beer sales. The CD staff made some material and space available to decorate the horses and new friends were made who helped in that process. All money was returned to the participants. Everything was cash, all bets and the buying in.

[monalloh]

I had not been on a Caribbean cruise in many years till this past winter on the Emerald; our first 2 days were at sea and I was very much surprised that there was no horse racing scheduled. It always seemed a lot of fun to me. I asked a cruise staff member about this and was told that it was the fill-in cruise director's decision not to have the races. So I surmised it's the cruise director's call as to what games are played.

[bellasorella]

It was available several days on the Golden Princess Hawaii 14 day in March 2009 and was run by the cruise staff before bingo. Not my cup of tea, but many people seemed to enjoy it. And the weather was so awful that it was nice to have something interesting to do or see.

[jbrambach]

I'm really glad to see that I am not the only one who misses the races. I do remember when horses were purchased and decorated, such fun. But I would even settle for the wooden ones that are just bet on that day.

 

I am going to try to email the cruise director on the CB when my sailing gets closer. I am going to also ask the people on my roll call to do the same. Who knows, maybe if enough people ask for it, they will bring it back.;):)

 

I think I will post a poll.

[Solara]

We were on the CB last May & the Emerald in October & on both cruises we had the horse racing. It took place in Club Fusion. We are going on the CB again in July, I'll let you know if they have it.