Re: Cardplayer Cruise Trip Rport
 

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watch out marcel luske, we may have a challenger for the title of "best dressed poker player"





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Smart A$$! [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

We'll have to get together at Foxwoods again, maybe over the holidays. I'll keep you posted.

Joe

Re: Cardplayer Cruise Trip Rport
 

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I also remember your "whale" comment, but am having trouble remembering your face. It was the same day as the photo. If you remember, it was the really tall guy (Gary) that took the picture.

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Hi Joe --

Oh, sorry. Asian guy, either in a polo shirt or Hawaiian shirt (though one day I wore a Cabo San Lucas volunteer firefighters tee that I bought in, of all places, Cabo...). The Missus was at the other end of the table from you, I think. I was a couple of seats to her left...

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Nice to "meet" you as well. I'm sure we'll run into eachother again.

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Likewise...

Bruce I.

Re: Cardplayer Cruise Trip Rport
 

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Oh, sorry. Asian guy, either in a polo shirt or Hawaiian shirt

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I DO remember you. You sat 3 seats to my right (5 seat) that day. I think you had some type of gold coin for a card protector. You bought in for $100, and were up early, but then hit a down swing...if I remember correctly.

Joe

Re: Cardplayer Cruise Trip Rport
 

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My wife and I noticed this, as well. At least the wait staff on other lines pretend to smile and pay attention to us. Or even have a clue...

We never quite got the entrees as ordered. When they did arrive, they were either overcooked or way undercooked. Some we wouldn't touch again with a ten-foot pole.

The only thing we were sure about was to get the hell out of the dining room before the maitre'd or cruise director got on the PA system to announce the singing waiters (boy howdy, did we feel sorry that they had to sing! how embarassed they must be) or some other BS. Most of the time we could dine and be done with coffee and dessert in 45 minutes or less.

If I had to recommend only one dining option on Carnival, it would have to be the Supper Club (CCL's ultra-ritzy alternative restaurant). At $30 per person, pricey. But the food and service were as nice as the luxury dining options on other cruise lines.

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Don't. Get. Me. Started. About. The. Rest. Of. Carnival... [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] The December '06 Mexico cruise is on HAL's Oosterdam. Perhaps we'll see you then!

Take care,
Bruce I.

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Nice report overall.

Bringing back some memories of our experience on the PPM cruise last March (hoping to go again sometime...still working on that one).

FWIW - I've been on only one other cruise in my life. I was 18 and I forget the company.

The PPM was on Holland Oosterdam and we pretty much thought that the food and service were both outstanding.
I was equally impressed by the quality of dealers from CPC and how the games were run. Certainly better than I was expecting.

Anyway, I've since heard quite a few bad things about Carnival and your tales of undercooked or wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole certainly differed from our experience on the Holland line.

We thought the service was pretty prompt (most of the time) and extremely friendly and courteous (almost all of the time).
This certainly does make a difference.

I might have considered a carnival cruise for a future vacation if I wanted to save dough....but I think this thread is steering me in the correct direction that it's worth it to spend just a little bit more to get the better overall experience.

I would really hate to be on a cruise that had nothing but crappy food and crappy service all around.


They sell seperate packages for the PPM cruise in March (down to Cayman Isls and Cozumel this year) that don't include the $10k tourney-package and this would likely be the ultimate for card-playing cruises I suspect.
The whole boat is poker-players (or families and friends of poker-players) so you don't have the cross-over clientele.
And the main poker-room is 60 tables with lots of action (not nearly as tight on a boat with a bunch of party-poker satellite qualifiers...the games were quite crazy most of the time).
But I think the cost of the cruise alone costs a bunch more than it does on the other cruises for some reason.

Anyway, thanks for the memory re-visit. Looking forward to our next cruise (whether it be poker-related or not).

Re: Cardplayer Cruise Trip Rport
 

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But I think the cost of the cruise alone costs a bunch more than it does on the other cruises for some reason.

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I think this is because they chartered the whole ship, rather than just reserving a block of cabins. Don't quote me on that one, though, lol.

The Oosterdam just won the best mid-sized ship on the seas, according to Porthole Mag. We will definitely be on that CPC next year!

The great thing about HAL is that no matter what, you will have a good cruising experience. It may not be the very best line, but it is never going to suck, like some Carnival cruises.

Re: Cardplayer Cruise Trip Rport
 

This cruise was the first that I had gone on as an employee. I had never worked in a card room before and after 8 days of helping on the floor I have a new respect for those that do it every day.

I did ENJOY the fact that everyone mistook me for Mike O'Malley. My name is Mike and I guess I have some kind of resemblance to him. It was wierd having several people ask me about my job at the Wynn. It was a few days in before I figured out who they thought I was.

Mike

PS - Thanks to all of you that put up with my newbie mistakes the first few days.

Re: Cardplayer Cruise Trip Rport
 

Here is a picture of me on the cruise before this last one:


http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...kZack/Mike.jpg

Here is one of Mike O'Malley from poker pages:

http://www.pokerpages.com/pokerinfo/...-omalley01.jpg

Re: Cardplayer Cruise Trip Rport
 

I knew you weren't MOM, but there is a facial resemblence I noticed right away. He is built much bigger than you.

I think I heard his brother (the cop) called a few times for games though. Was I hearing things, or was his brother aboard?

If you've never worked in a cardroom before, how did you get the gig? Or do you want to say? I know J&L probably accept slave labor from those in debt to them (lol).

I thought you did a great job. I should have pushed the mixed games earlier, though. I was trying to be "nice," due to Glenn dealing on the cruise. Nice isn't in my makeup.

Re: Cardplayer Cruise Trip Rport
 

Pat and his wife Shelly were there. The last day of the cruise they took a picture with me to show Mike his evil twin.