icft

58 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

... I was just going to say I hope we cruise together soon. 🥲

While I also have a thing for pom-poms, I have a completely different idea of who I want holding them...

4 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Who cares who offered it, who cares who pays for it (the Casino Operation, but I digress).  How is any of it disingenuous?  They have a perk, they remove a perk.  If they want, they can yank all the perks, nothing disingenuous about any of it.  Their ball game, their ball, their perks.  Hence the huh.

I agree. I was simply pointing out the error of saying the casino did it. Carnival did it. But as you said, their ball game. Just clarifying whose ballgame. As for disingenuous. By saying the casino did it at least 3 below applies. Knowing a little history, maybe more.

adjective

1. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.

2. Pretending to be unaware or unsophisticated; faux-naïf.

3. Unaware or uninformed; naive.

As to who pays for it, while the contract between Carnival Cruise Line and Global Casino Operations may not have Carnival paying GCO $25 to hand out the money (it may be more or less depending on where Carnival Corp. wants profit to appear and how much their attorneys figure they can get away with before endangering the corporate veils), legally Carnival Cruise Line is paying for it.

2 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

Not on cruises of five nights or less.  And there's a $5 surcharge for each ramekin of fancy ketchup after the first two.

Now you guys are just screwing with the heads of new cruisers 😆 There will probably be a thread started by someone worried they will make a mistake and get charged $5.

1 minute ago, jimbo5544 said:

Huh?

It's not complicated. If you looked under benefits for the VIFP program (you know, that thing with gold, platinum, diamond levels) you would have seen the old free tournament entry benefit listed under the benefits of the VIFP program. When covid came around you would have seen the footnote to the VIFP benefits saying that since there were no tournaments the were giving $25. All that was part of the VIFP benefits available to folks who never set foot in the casino. It was offered by Carnival, not the casino operation.

6 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

I agree Carnival has the right to do whatever they see fit. However, blaming this on the "casino" is just a game of semantics. Is the Casino not owned by CCL? 

Also, bringing the casino into it is very disingenuous. This was a VIFP perk listed along with all the other VIFP perks like priority boarding etc. It was not a casino perk.

12 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

I have been, but I still cruise on Carnival sometimes.  All cruise lines are sailing full with higher prices and fewer extras. How long that will last is anyone's guess. We all make our choices based on how we feel when cruising on that particular cruise line.  What is a perfect fit for someone can be a great disappointment for others.        

Like minds here. Except for Journeys cruises we generally sail NCL now. That means the loss of the $25 doesn't much matter to us. But we did chuckle when we saw this. It is typical Carnival. Almost all the "temporary changes due to covid" that reduced cost to Carnival and service to the passenger were permanent while the temporary change that had a cost to Carnival and benefit to the passenger truly was temporary.

2 hours ago, mz-s said:

I've never paid attention to the brand of ketchup restaurants offer. Are there strong opinions about ketchup brands? I know people will come to blows over their preferred brand of soda.

Ketchup? Most don't care.

The difference is you don't mix ketchup with your good bourbon. I will always plant my flag on the hill of "bourbon and Coke" over bourbon and Pepsi. (One of the smaller reasons we mostly sail NCL now.)

No, you have prepaid. You will also note that the bartender will not give you a paper receipt to sign. So there is no "nudge" line on the receipt to add a tip.

If you want to recognize especially noteworthy crew members note their names, pass by guest services, get "hero cards," and fill them out and turn them in. NCL has an incentive program to reward crew who provide notable service.  

4 hours ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

There's a Climax in Pennsylvania as well.  Other cities include Blue Ball, Virginville and Bird-In-Hand. Edit...how could I forget Intercourse, thanks Jamman54.

20 minutes ago, HMC RET said:

 

Dont forget Lickingville. Used to be. Bar in the mountains when I was growing up in the 80’s in the mountains in western Pa  called the Zig Zag Bar.  Address was 69 Beaver Street. Downtown Lickingville

10 minutes ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

All four of the cities I mentioned, as well as Jamman's Intercourse are in the Amish communities in Lancaster County.  I grew up in the Philly area, so I'm familiar with them.  Not familiar with Lickingville in NW PA, but thanks for educating me.

If TxTeach79 was trying to get away from middle school on this cruise he has failed miserably; what with anus and now this?

🫣

22 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

Haven’t seen folks standing up there at all when we aren’t docking or sailing away. First time. 
 

They're looking for that lady...

4 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

 

 

Now you're depressing me.

4 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

 

 

Ours has never said "Please Cover Up"...

49 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

Aw man, guess I gotta drop all my drugs in this box 

 

They're joking. That little slot in the top? It's an ad.

They're not saying drop your drugs, they're saying "there are drugs to be had here."

40 minutes ago, Stallion said:

The onus is on you

    -1310 The Ticket

AM radio? I am back in middle school😄

1 minute ago, TxTeach79 said:

Also “one week of fun in an aft balcony” should be the title of your memoir 

Are we back to anus again?

2 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

Clearly what began as something well intended has crossed a line.

 

That's what makes it a Sid review...

17 hours ago, TxTeach79 said:

Still thinking a lot about anus

7 hours ago, TxTeach79 said:

I have not forgotten Anus

3 hours ago, TxTeach79 said:

He’s one of my tight ends next year too. I coach o line and TEs. Can’t be Coach Anus. That won’t do. 

7 minutes ago, Roscoe13 said:

Well...you did say tight end...

I feel like I'm back in middle school again...

Promises, promises...

2 hours ago, TxTeach79 said:

Still thinking a lot about anus

Just don't kiss him...

20 minutes ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

The Prima is a great ship.  Did an 11 day repo on her from Galveston to Miami and an additional B2B lasting 14 days.  Haven't sailed the Jubilee but have done 4 sailings on the MG and 5 on the Celebration.

If the Prima repo was the recent one out of Galveston April 5th we were also on that cruise. In the over 40 cruises we've taken it was the our favorite cruise. Jonathan (Dr. Bong) and Guillermoe at the Metropolitan bar were incredible. They made many of my drinks on the tops of their heads.

16 minutes ago, TxTeach79 said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jackie Treehorn shirt is DEFINITELY coming with me, though. 
 

"Jackie Treehorn treats objects like women, man."

Someone pointed out to me a point of possible confusion.

Some may have noticed that in the headlines about the tax court case cited above it is said "that they could not net their wins and losses across the year" while the Office of Chief Counsel legal memorandum AM 2008-011 does allow for deducting losses from sessions other than the winning sessions.

The difference is that in the tax court case the taxpayers were arguing that the losses from other sessions in the year could be netted with the winning session to determine INCOME. The tax court rejected that saying"...their gambling losses are allowable only as itemized deductions. But because petitioners have elected the standard deduction, they are not entitled to itemize their deductions." The legal memorandum notes "A casual gambler who elects to itemize deductions may deduct wagering losses, up to wagering gains, on Form 1040, Schedule A."

So the headline is a bit misleading. The tax court and the legal memo are in agreement that IF you itemize you can deduct your losses up to the amount of your winnings for the year.

For reference, the tax court decision:

https://bradfordtaxinstitute.com/Endnotes/TC_Memo_2009-306.pdf