Just got off a fun 7+ night cruise.
I have been on this ship once before and knew the conditions were favorable for our toss.
Much practice before the cruise which helps me relax when the real thing becomes available.
Got lucky on this cruise for a few days. (There were only a few craps players that played when I wanted to play).
Some particulars:
A 2X odds game on this ship. $5 tables all the time.
A little harder to make money, but come betting really helps.
Dealers were excellent, no hassles whatsoever.
Always used the GTC way of tipping, I was one of the few who did regular tips. Many dealer thanks.
Always used the 5 count. No problem not betting on the CFers. And there were a lot later in the cruise.
So what is to our GTC advantage?
– Same table, same position, same conditions,mostly the same players(some a little better than others), mostly the same dealers.
-Table opens and closes 3 or 4 times a day so you can play late morning, afternoon and early and late evening.
-play a hour or two’ rest,swim,eat, come back for more! A nice pace not so crazy as the regular casino.
-NO HOP BETS on this cruise line, results in a game that moves at a nice pace when you get in a hot roll.
-BIG ADVANTAGE , for the first few slow days being able to look at your shot and the dice and MAKE your results better. The no pressure atmosphere helps you recall what our instructors taught us in class.
-is the grip straight?
-is the arc right for this table?
-do you need a little more back spin?
-is the landing zone in the right spot?
-is the arm straight back?
Fixes come easier as the dice return fast. Try something to adjust, if the results are good keep going!
Results ,
By the second day lots of progress after 2 sessions ,started to make rolls in the teens, by the evening session had a 20+ rolls with lots of repeats.
Played every day for 2 or 3 sessions, buy-in stayed intact with a 10 to 50% profit on some sessions.
Cruising is a great time ,with lots of shooting time to improve your craps game.
Replies:
Posted by: MIDNIGHT on October 6, 2013, 12:18 am
Unfortunately, my wife and I were on the July 24, 2006 accident that took place on the Crown Princess which ended our cruising. I will never board another ship after that incident.
But the nice part about craps and cruises is usually only 1 or 2 tables and few players. In return, that usually means that if you are a tipper, you will most likely be remembered. There is nothing like the dealers rooting for you by name to do well. Thanks for the great read.
Michael
Posted by: GameDay on October 7, 2013, 8:08 pm
The ship I was on had a similar one table situation, great dealers, no heat. But it was better because it was 3x-5x odds.
Unless they changed the odds since I was on the ship.
In any event, great report and nice to see you had a good time.
I am attaching my previous post. Anyone want to know the ship should PM me.
"GameDay" wrote: Just back from a cruise. Didn’t know what to expect before going. The cruise was a giveaway from an AC casino.
It was as advertised. Totally free cruise for 2. You only pay port fees and taxes. I had to upgrade to get an outside room with a balcony.
These ships are money making machines for the cruise line. Everything, and I mean everything, is designed to get you to spend additional money on board.
But if you dont want to see shows, and don’t want to eat at premier restaurants, and don’t buy the drink package, you pay only port fees and taxes.
I do recommend the spa package .The bad:
Just one craps table. Crowded most of the time the Casino open. Except for very early or very late.
Lots of new players who had no clue how to bet or the etiquette of the game. Too much drinking at tables.
$10 table. Hard to get a throwing station. Very few players knowledgeable about the game.
Made table play very slow and very dangerous….. late bets, hands over railing, hands coming in late, lots of screaming for craps numbers.
Too many hardway and horn bets.
New microfiber table cover
Will only open half a table if only a few rollers. And they decide which side to open.
They will also ask you to move to another side if table loses players. So you have to practice from both sides before going on a cruise. They do this because they take the dealers and send them to other games in the casino.The good:
Quiet table very early or very late. but only for a short time.No heat. Nothing. The only time I heard a comment was for some other guy who repeatedly came up short to the wall. "Sir, both dice must hit the wall"
Dealers very friendly and helpful.
GTC method of tipping highly regarded. No one else tipped them at all. It put me in a category of attentive treatment right away.Casino extremely supportive of play.
Attentive casino hosts: offer free dinners to premier restaurants, tickets to shows, and other amenities.
Comps awarded. They apply your comps to your bill when leaving. Not sure how they decided number. In my case they credited 250 to my bill at end of cruise.As for my play, I had some very short rolls (ugh) in the beginning. I had one roll in the 20’s the first night. I had a lot of trouble adjusting to the table. I eventually settled on a normal trajectory with added backspin that seemed to give me the truest forward roll and produced the throw in the 20’s.
The second night I went late and the table had only 3 guys on it. They were both players but not advantage players. I had a 32 roll and we all made money. Next day we were in port and remained there for 2 days. On the return trip the casino was very packed early and remained that way until very late. I could not play or get a throwing spot. After 2 am, the table got less crowded and only myself and the two players from earlier remained. They had played since the casino opened and lost back everything won on my 32 roll. With just 3 of us at the table they closed half. they consolidated me with the other two guys who were at the right of the stickman. I was not happy but did not argue. I do not practice enough from SR.
Resigned to my fate, and hoping my practice from SR1 would pay off, I moved and was able to get SR1. I felt a little better.
My one and only roll that night from SR1 produced a 42 roll. We again made good money. We all went to bed. I was amazed I had a good roll from SR1. I used the standard throw from the right side. It reacted well so I stuck with it.
Next morning the two players were at the table early but it was crowded. I did not play, went to the spa. After dinner, table still crazy crowded. I did not play. Went to a show. Meanwile the two guys I played with stayed and got slaughtered at the table. By the time I came back from the show, one was down 3 grand and the other guy 8 grand. I couldn’t believe they stayed and played under these conditions. I waited till the table somewhat thinned and took 3 throws. 5 counted everyone. No throws over 10. I shot three times. Nothing doing, I could not get over 10 roll per shoot. I was again shooting from SR1. But this time I could not produce even a decent roll. Terrible. I quit up for the trip.
Lesson here: be very patient on a cruise ship. Play early or late and avoid the newbies and players who destroy the game with their antics and play. If you dont have an advantage then don’t play.
Posted by: Scan on October 7, 2013, 10:28 pm
Posted by: Finisher on March 10, 2018, 2:59 am
Posted by: HardNine on March 10, 2018, 4:05 pm
I love shooting on cruises, and have a cruise in Aug from my preferred line’s casino scheduled from Miami, as well as a Boston run in September with some friends we’re introducing to cruising.
My cruise line only offers 1x odds, so betting needs to be adjusted, but agree with tipping. My last was a 15 night cruise and the crew treated me right from my first 10 minutes of play. When they saw me coming, they cheered, when I got the dice, they cheered, because I tipped well on my rolls or if a CFer had a long roll that I’d gotten some hits on, and stayed for a long time.
On the lack of hop bets, my line offers them, they’re just not on the table. They’d book it and set the chips near them and keeps tabs. Very few bet them because they weren’t on the layout, so that was really nice and kept the dice moving.
My crew had no issue in opening the side I chose. A couple of times I was struggling on the left, so I tried the right and then back when I chose, as long as there was no one else, which there rarely was. I’m hoping that the casino cruise isn’t too much worse, but the only cruise that I’ve seen a packed craps table was one out of San Juan where a local casino had booked a huge number of cabins. I usually got my spot easily, but the crowds were a little obnoxious so I didn’t stay too long.
It seems like players on non-casino-related cruises just come to the table for a quick roll, then move on. I get plenty of chances to shoot, and like above, love the ability to have the same table and easy access to my spot for a week or more at a time.
To high seas rolling!!! (not Midnight’s kind on his cruise – read the NTSB report, and understand why he feels that way)
Posted by: Chevy on March 14, 2018, 2:05 am
Normally the games are nice and move along. Occasionally we get someone who may have had too much to drink and gets nasty with the crew but, that is a rare exception. My Wife used to get sea sick watching Love Boat on TV. Just kidding. She used to be very sensitive to the motion of the ship but, with these huge Cruise Ships they have now, she has not had any issues for many years.
I agree, Cruise Craps is a great way to spend time and hone your shot on the same table for several days. I have been able to pay for many of the trips off profits from the Craps Tables on Cruise Ships.
