Brown Cafe Cruise Thread

Old International

Now driving a Sterling
I need to read a book on how to WIN at Blackjack. While I played for many an hour, it cost me 300 dollars, and I would have at least liked to have made a winning run for a while. I hate just staying even...........
 

klein

Für Meno :)
I need to read a book on how to WIN at Blackjack. While I played for many an hour, it cost me 300 dollars, and I would have at least liked to have made a winning run for a while. I hate just staying even...........

You can start here. I tried it for real at the casino. But , after a few beers, that didn't work to well, either..LOL
 

tonyexpress

Whac-A-Troll Patrol
Staff member
And that is what wifey and I are looking at for next cruise. The only thing I'm not sure I want is that the ship hits a port EVERY day. I really like a couple of "fun days at sea"!


Itinerary

I agree, everyday at a port would be exhausting and add lots of dollars spent on things to do in port. I know you don't have to get off the ship, but geez if it stops somewhere I want to experience that island/country/city, who knows if I will ever be there again.
My only problem with at sea days is I can't seem to stay out of the casino.

I agree with you guys...We've done a few cruises where we had several ports in a row and it can get exhausting. While you want to enjoy the night life on the cruise ship knowing that you have an early excursion can get tough if you try and burn the candle on both ends every night.

Mixing it up with a few days at sea helps with the overall balance in my opinion..I thought the Itinerary on the Valor, an at sea day at the beginning to get adjusted to the ship and any time differences and one at the end to relax worked well...:happy2:

As far as the Black Jack...good luck with that!!
 

Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
I agree with you guys...We've done a few cruises where we had several ports in a row and it can get exhausting. While you want to enjoy the night life on the cruise ship knowing that you have an early excursion can get tough if you try and burn the candle on both ends every night.

Mixing it up with a few days at sea helps with the overall balance in my opinion..I thought the Itinerary on the Valor, an at sea day at the beginning to get adjusted to the ship and any time differences and one at the end to relax worked well...:happy2:

As far as the Black Jack...good luck with that!!
My wife and I like the sea days as well. It is a vacation and I love having plenty of time with nothing better to do than curl up with a good book, I've never been one of those people who has to fill all their moments with some sort of activity.
 

helenofcalifornia

Well-Known Member
Haven't heard from Stug in awhile. He is still on board with the cruise, right? Shouldn't we all set a deadline for making a decision on this so we can start the saving and planning? This will allow others to mull the dates and trip over and possibly join once a definitive date has been set. JMHO. And I wouldn't mind doing the Western Caribbean again myself. I could have bought much more as Christmas presents. The ONLY thing I didn't like about the cruise was the bored teens in the Shogun lounge area. They were playing cards, one fell to the ground, they didn't pick it up and I slid over it and fell. My daughter about ripped them a new one. (She was thinking of my new knee) After she finished with them and we walked away, they threw another card on the floor for someone else to slide on and fall.
 

Ms.PacMan

Well-Known Member
We had 2 different Blackjack tables. The standard Blackjack, and face up Blackjack (dealers cards were faceup). The face up game was interesting to say the least. Dealer won all pushes.
I think they call it Super Fun 21 - lol - doesn't sound very fun to me.

I thought about playing blackjack at the casino sometime but after playing the simulated game and losing more than I win, I'll just watch.

If you all are thinking about another group cruise I'll chime in that the first weeks in Sept. are about the cheapest time to cruise the whole year. Cruising out of NYC is like 2 vacations in 1 and airfare to NYC is reasonable from all locations in the US.

Were there any good karaoke singers in the final show? Did you guys learn the Cupid Shuffle?
 

brownmonster

Man of Great Wisdom
If you want an affordable cruise try The SS Badger. It's a car ferry that crosses lake Michigan. It's a fine vessell if you like the smell of coal.
 
I think they call it Super Fun 21 - lol - doesn't sound very fun to me.

I thought about playing blackjack at the casino sometime but after playing the simulated game and losing more than I win, I'll just watch.

If you all are thinking about another group cruise I'll chime in that the first weeks in Sept. are about the cheapest time to cruise the whole year. Cruising out of NYC is like 2 vacations in 1 and airfare to NYC is reasonable from all locations in the US.

Were there any good karaoke singers in the final show? Did you guys learn the Cupid Shuffle?

Actually they have regular Black Jack and the dealer does hit a soft 17 and stays on a hard 17, they told us that they used 6 decks in the auto-shuffler.

Then they had one table of face up(I think this one was 6 decks as well), where the dealer's cards are both showing. You get the idea that this is a big help until you found out that the dealer wins all pushes except for black jack and that is still a push. I can testify that it is very hard to say "hit me" when you have 20 showing.

They also had one table of " Super Fun 21".........it wasn't. This game had 8 decks with all the queens removed, this allowed the dealer to take more hits without busting, I've never seen so many dealer draw to 21 in my life. In this game a black jack was paid even if the dealer was showing an ace, no insurance or even money offer. Also, if you drew to 21 (even on splits) you were paid automatically, before the dealer showed their bottom card or took hits. The odds were somehow still in the favor of the house.

The only really good run I had was one on one with the dealer in reg Black Jack, then a couple set down and the flow of cards went south and never came back. I should have quit right then bit kept trying to change the flow. It didn't help that the couple that set down were obviously NOT experienced balck jack players and they kept hitting 13-16 against a dealer 4-5-6, I shoulda quit.
All in all I had fun though. I never gamble with the expectation of winning, the odds are against me.

Over, I combined the casino and the bar, they have waiters they come right to the table to bring you all the drinks you want.

MsPacman, I didn't go to Karaoke even one time. We started to go one evening but stopped at the Piano Bar next door first, the guy was awful and when he would finally shut up for a minute or two between songs we could hear the karaoke singers, I could have done better and I can't cary a tune in a bucket, so we went back to the casino.lol
 

dilligaf

IN VINO VERITAS
Trp, I think all in all, we hade more fun with certain dealers. There were some that were, eh. But some of them were a lot of fun to sit and play with. Great personalities.

There was one karaoke singer that I remember. She was really good. She did a Patsy Cline song but I can't remember right off hand which song.
 

Old International

Now driving a Sterling
Jane and I will be ready to cruise again in 18 months. Why don't settle on a direction( that should take 6 months) and then ask Amy to come up with something in the fall of 2011, or spring of 2012. I am in favor of a 7 Day again, but the 9 day really looked good, with 4 days at sea. I know of the 3 major directions, Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean, or Alaska. Are there any others? Panama Canal? (11-14 day trip). South America ports of call? Mexican cruise?
I am with TRPNKL. If the ship offers a port of call, I will get off, if nothing more then to say that I have been there, done that, got the Tee Shirt to prove it.
 
One thing to keep in mind when planning something out of Fl going anywhere in the Caribbean....
Wilma, for instance, battered Cancun and the Riviera Maya on October 21 and 22 2005.

old mariner's poem about Caribbean hurricanes:
June- too soon.
July-- stand by!
August-- look out you must.
September-- remember.
October, all over.
 

Old International

Now driving a Sterling
Carnival (Guys name was Scott) just called and asked if I was ready to book a trip. I told him that it was too soon, and told him that I had just gotten off the Valor. He explained that the website "caught me lookin" and that he was ready to help me book a trip. He asked about the cruise on the Valor, and I told him what I thought, and I didn't sugarcoat Roaton, which was the biggest disappointment for us. So now he plans to "stay in touch" and let us know about any "specials" that may come up. Gggrreeaatttt:sad-very:
 

rod

Retired 22 years
Carnival (Guys name was Scott) just called and asked if I was ready to book a trip. I told him that it was too soon, and told him that I had just gotten off the Valor. He explained that the website "caught me lookin" and that he was ready to help me book a trip. He asked about the cruise on the Valor, and I told him what I thought, and I didn't sugarcoat Roaton, which was the biggest disappointment for us. So now he plans to "stay in touch" and let us know about any "specials" that may come up. Gggrreeaatttt:sad-very:


can't you put him on your ignor list:happy2:
 

klein

Für Meno :)
Carnival (Guys name was Scott) just called and asked if I was ready to book a trip. I told him that it was too soon, and told him that I had just gotten off the Valor. He explained that the website "caught me lookin" and that he was ready to help me book a trip. He asked about the cruise on the Valor, and I told him what I thought, and I didn't sugarcoat Roaton, which was the biggest disappointment for us. So now he plans to "stay in touch" and let us know about any "specials" that may come up. Gggrreeaatttt:sad-very:

Yup, expect a call every month. That's what Princess Cruises does to me. However, I got caller ID.... so, I just don't answer.

The best offers I receive is from my airmiles website. They book like half the ship, and get a huge discount.
But, only 2 Cruiselines to chose from (Hollandamerica & Norwegian). Usually 25-30% off the cruiselines internet listed price.

Oh, on another note. Did my first Youtube production today.
This was part of the nightly entertainment in Peurto Vallarta at my resort.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CBpdtpNNI0
 
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