kwokpot

We were already challenged by the IRS and it reviewed our methodology of sessions and did not ask for a further audit. (It was actually out 2020 taxes and the challenge letter was in 2022,so it took two years for them to question us). In that tax return the 2020 W2-Gs totaled 6 figures but using detailed records we brought it down to 4 figures in which we had to pay taxes. They agreed with our methodology,which we have been using for over 10 years. We and our accountant are fine with how we account for W2-Gs and are not recommending anyone do what we do, but just discussing what works for us. https://www.legacytaxresolutionservices.com/blog/what-is-a-gambling-session/904126

That's incorrect. The IRS had no definition on what constitutes a gambling session. It isn't spelled out Anywhere.

The IRS left to interpretation what constitutes a gambling session. As long as one keeps accurate records and is consistent within a tax year you can define a gambling session any way you want to. The way my husband defines a session is the time period he's on the casino floor at one time playing slots. He uses his mobile phone to take notes. Then he transcribes these cellphone notes into written notes that's forwarded to our accountant. My husband has been generating W2-Gs in the 6 figures range for over 10 years. We have always written off losses against the W2-G reported earnings so that we don't pay taxes on the full W2-G winnings. Our 2022 taxes were questioned by the IRS with regards to not paying the full taxes on the reported W2-G winnings. We countered that the IRS didn't look at the submitted worksheet which detailed how we arrived at the lower winnings figure to which we had to pay taxes on. After several months the IRS agreed with the calculations we submitted and no further review/audit was necessary. This confirmed that our methodology for calculating gambling sessions and loss offsets was,at least in this instance,OK in the eyes of the IRS. We are under no illusion that the IRS won't again question the gambling calculations, and we are ready for additional inquires if it occurs. For 2023 the W2-Gs were again in the 6 figures amount and the same loss offsets were used to pay taxes on less than the reported W2-G winnings.

Truth be told I would have preferred our ship,the Ovation, had stopped in Hilo vs the Na'pali Coast sail by we had which was also a substitute for the Lahaina port stop. A Hilo port stop in addition to a Kona stop allows one to visit the most important Big Island attraction on the Big Island, Volcanos National Park. The Chain of Craters Road down to the end of the Big Island remains one of the most memorable things to see in all of Hawaii.

I'll let you know in a few days. Being in Hawaiian waters the casino wasn't open on any day until last night after departing Kona. We didn't go since we have 5 sea days until Vancouver. But we have $1,500 Freeplay to play through, so we do have some work to do to keep as much if it and hopefully exceed that amount!

We are on the Ovation of the Seas following you to Vancouver albeit 3 days later. We are in a junior suite here which allows us only dinner (if space available) in the suites only restaurant, Coastal Kitchen. This is our first time dining in Coastal Kitchen and we are having a good experience here (although embarkation dinner was a disaster) with starters and entrees being a bit more straight forward than either Blu or Luminae. The filet mignon was outstanding, ribeye good but not great. Fish dishs good but not great ( fish is always hard to get perfect,but I think Celebrity does it better than some other cruiselines). Last night my husband ordered from the kids menu. Chicken noodle soup and spaghetti bolognese. Both were elevated preparations,large pieces of shredded chicken vs small, machine cut cubes and the bolognese sauce was made for adult palettes without a hint of jar sauce tastes. Having said all that Blu and Luminae are far superior than our Coastal Kitchen experience on Royal Caribbean.

Must be a new push. We were on the Ascent in January and there were no roaming photographers anywhere and even the photo setups near Cafe Al Bacio had limited timeframes and there wasn't a photographer available when we wanted one. My husband's casino status gives us a free digital photo package but we actually didn't take any photos because they weren't around when we wanted photos taken.

Just another perspective. I'm currently(May2) on the Ovation of the Seas anchored off Kona on an overnight here in Kona. We did the Na'pali Coastline all day on May 1st and we definitely weren't anywhere near that close to the shoreline. Is the Edge supposed to be here in Kona also? I didn't notice any other ship anchored off shore. Photos from our time off the Na'pali Coast of Kauai.

I actually like waffles that are crispy. To me, waffles should have a bit of crunch on the outside.

The onboard vendor for all the shops somewhat recently changed from when VV debuted. When we sailed on the Valiant Lady in January '23 with the original shops my husband accumulated enough casino comps from playing onboard that we had over $700 to spend in the shops. We bought a boatload 😉 of stuff with a mix of logo gifts (the packable mini backpack is my favorite) and designer clothes from top brands.

I really, really wish they would change the name of that entree.

That's the way to do it on EVERY cruiseline. We almost always never had extra onboard charges (yes,we are THOSE kind of cruisers) other than gratuities and casino slot charges. So there would be no charges that a casino host could 'wipeout',which technically they could do without notifying you. That's when,like you,on the last day we asked if we gambled enough for us to get some spending money to buy some souvenirs from the onboard shops. The casino hosts,on every cruiseline,will give us the exact amount we can spend,and then we go to the shops and buy stuff. A couple of years ago on a family Christmas cruise my husband,on the last day of the cruise had accumulated enough comps that he gave everyone in our family, 9 of us, $70 each to spend in the shops. It was a happy surprise to everyone in the family!

Haven't noticed this being offered. Maybe specific to certain itineraries?

Yes I would say that on Virgin the two sailings we were on the crowd was outgoing and looking to have fun. The employees on VV are allowed and encouraged to interact with guests in a more personal manner and less as 'service ' personnel. This also helps to encourage a more fun and social aspect on the ship. It should also be noted that although cruising in general attracts the LGBTQ community VV is even more open to this demographic. As part of this community I feel VV allows our community to be themselves moreso than other cruiselines (I mean each ship has a resident Drag queen) which means LGBTQ passengers, especially younger ones, will seem more visible and evident than on other cruiselines.

Thank you for the post drydock review. Are we to assume all the cabin showers had the curtains replaced with glass doors and not just those in Aquaclass?