Has anyone ever hit a jackpot on slots on the ships?

The shareholders of the cruiselines and the casino concessionaires are delighted to have as many players as possible reminisce about the time they won a big jackpot in a cruise ship casino. Moreover, those who were multiple winners are really adored by the "house' because they are the biggest losers of all for just as surely as night follows day, those who play the most lose the most.

I am not opposed to all gambling. I like to play poker, bridge for money, even bet at the track (where the odds are not applied uniformly to the universe of betters), but I can not fathom the mindset of those who spend their $ and time at the machines and the tables in cruise ship casinos. Except perhaps for the card counters who can eke out favorable odds against the house at 21. I have no objection to their gambling, mind you, because their play helps to underwrite the cost of my cruise. No doubt the casino revenue helps to hold down the basic price of any cruise.

I am incapable of wrapping my mind around the concept that someone could enjoy a game of chance knowing the odds were stacked against them. The response frequently offered by gamblers as to why they indulge, to wit, "it's fun" or "it's worth the expense for the entertainment it affords" often combined with "and I only play with a set amount of money" fail to convince me. How can someone have fun knowing they are sure to lose if they continue playing. In the long run there are NO winners in a casino except the house. Furthermore, I suspect the unpublished machine odds in cruise ship casinos are significantly lower than in other shoreside gambling meccas. No doubt they have the lattitude to adopt the most favorable regulations available just like cruise lines can flag their ships in countries with favorable employment and tax laws. Ergo the casinos ar not required to publish their payout odds or probably even adopt a minimum payout. Anyone care to bet?

In any case, keep playing. I like being able to buy a cabin on a nice ship for less than $200 /day. While you are at it, take a few more excursions, buy enlarged photos, and get some spa treatments.

When I look at how much some people spend on golf, hunting, fishing, movies, sporting events, etc., all for fun and entertainment, I just don't get it :rolleyes:! I'd much rather save my money and play SLOTS!:eek:

I can't wrap my mind around why someone who hates gambling is lurking around the casino board.:confused::confused:

I can't wrap my mind around why someone who hates gambling is lurking around the casino board.:confused::confused:

Because they want to preach their 'holier than thou' or 'I'm smarter than you' attitude.

You know the type of person - you see them in a bar and find any excuse to avoid them...

I enjoy my life - I like a smoke; a drink; a gamble; good food; cruising etc..

I'm as happy as a pig in muck - I pity people who want to spend their lives being miserable and preaching to others.

If I choose to spend my hard-earned on having fun, it is none of anyone else's business (except for my wife!)

Because they want to preach their 'holier than thou' or 'I'm smarter than you' attitude.

Amen! These are people who gain their pleasure from judging others. Besides, it is my money. Except for my wife, who has the right to tell me where, how, and how much I can spend on what?

As the old saying goes, "Shrouds have no pockets!" I came in to this world with nothing, and I still have more than 95% of it!

Shalom and good luck. Andy.

I put 10 bucks in a WOF machine on Enchantment of the Seas...one spin ($3), got the wheel thinggie, spun that and won $1000! Cashed out, so my profit was $997!

In 2000 cruise from San Diego to Florida - once we were out to sea, passing the casino, DH went in put three quarters in a machine and won $2500. Very nice but has never happened since - and, no request for social security number for tax purposes either.

Love reading all the "win" stories with the hope of it happening to me on my December cruise on Ruby Princess! I've won 2 slot tournaments with the payouts being $200 on one and $400 (NCL Star in May) on another. Hit a $600 jackpot on Celebrity's Millennium on a quarter machine. And for Owl61, I lost $1,000 on NCL's Sky last year but got comped a free cruise last weekend for my generous donations since I was up $800 at one point but did not quit! I only gave them $200 on the comped cruise and was able to drink for free.

Marianne

I was on a Royal Caribbean ship on the promenade at a bar with a lot of friends when my hubby went to the men's room but took a loooong time to come back - he has been playing a $1 slot and hit for like $100 which I promptly took away and went to casino and played a $1 fishing machine (I usually play .25 and under - love pennies). I hit the machine for $800 that night after about $25 and the next night I was showing someone the machine I had hit on and threw in $20 and hit for $3,000 - paid for our cruise and then some - have hit up to $1,:)000 many times - love slots!

Was on the Carnival Elation last month and hit $600 in a $1 slot but gave a lot of it back on blackjack

Carnival Jubilee - Caribbean - Jan 1999 - I hit 400.00 then 1600.00 on the same machine, 10 minutes apart. Paid the bar bill with it (11 day cruise)!

i like to story that hubby went to the bathroom

i'll have to try that

just off the Enchantment two weeks ago and won $500 on a Five Times quarter machine. Played the $1 Wheel of Fortune daily and won nothing, but, as usual, saw several other people hit spins for $1000 toward the end of the cruise. Also heard of someone winning $3000 on a Wheel of Fortune machine. Did MUCH better on 3 card poker!

My wife won on the EOS too! Hit $1000 on the Wheel of Fortune $1 machine. Thank goodness because I was down on BJ. It certainly helped the pain of paying off our excursions and bar tab. Going on Freedom in 5 days....hope we are as lucky this time.

I just got off of the Caribbean Princess and a lady won $1200 off of the penny slots.

The odds and payouts also are controlled by who makes the machines. If the manufacturer that makes the machine also provides machines in Nevada, it has to be the same as the Nevada machine. That means that the lowest payout level is 75%, which actually sucks. If the NGC should ever find out that, lets say, a 10X machine on a ship acts differently or is somehow set lower than 75%, all of those machines would be locked up in Nevada until they could find out how it was done and correct it. I would bet on the cruise shipe they are set between 80% and 85% for $1 slots. The video poker odds you can calculate based upon the payouts. If Jacks or Better is paying 6 for a full house and 5 for a flush, those are about the worst odds you can get. Playing the slots and VP is usually a losing proposition, but if you are lucky and in the "right place at the right time" you can hit pretty good. Most of us lose, but it sure is fun!!!!

Taking my first cruise in 20 years with my wife and daughter, with other friends, and cant wait to play poker and hit the VP.

Most of us lose, but it sure is fun!!!!

Most or all?

I am cruising on the Dream on Dec. 26th. I always play the penny or nickel machines and although I play the max, I never win! Should I be playing the 3 quarters? Are the odds better? I can play for longer with pennies, but what good does it do if I lose??

Please advise

I am cruising on the Dream on Dec. 26th. I always play the penny or nickel machines and although I play the max, I never win! Should I be playing the 3 quarters? Are the odds better? I can play for longer with pennies, but what good does it do if I lose??

Please advise

Supposedly, the higher the denomination the better odds of winning but I love the penny machines and I like the video machines and on pennies, I can play all lines as opposed to quarters on video machines - so try the quarters and see how you do - if no luck, go back to what you like and good luck!:D

won $7200.00 on $5 slot machine Mariner of the seas. Won $1100. on Brilliance of the seas $5 slot machine . Then, won $4000. on $5 slots again on Mariner. It would have been $8,000. but just discussed lowering play from 2 coins to 1 so we could play twice as long. A lady hit $4,000 about 30 min. prior to us hitting this one. We weren't upset about the lost $4,000. we would have won because we made the conscious decision that we would be happy with half the jackpot if we hit in order to prolong play. Won $500. a couple of times I think on the Majesty of the seas.

won $7200.00 on $5 slot machine Mariner of the seas. Won $1100. on Brilliance of the seas $5 slot machine . Then, won $4000. on $5 slots again on Mariner. It would have been $8,000. but just discussed lowering play from 2 coins to 1 so we could play twice as long. A lady hit $4,000 about 30 min. prior to us hitting this one. We weren't upset about the lost $4,000. we would have won because we made the conscious decision that we would be happy with half the jackpot if we hit in order to prolong play. Won $500. a couple of times I think on the Majesty of the seas.

How much tax did you have to pay on these winnings? :D

It would have been $8,000. but just discussed lowering play from 2 coins to 1 so we could play twice as long.

Does this mean you realize that if you play long enough , you will lose all your coins?

Does the total of your winnings exceed the total of your losses?

I've won many times,($10,000 was my largest payout) but my losses still exceed my winnings:( The cruise ships won't post it, but I feel the slots are set at about 81 percent, which is very tight, compared to Vegas at 92 percent and some Indian casinos at 96 percent. Your odds are much better playing the tables.

On my honeymoon in 2006, on Celebrity's Infinity, I won $1,000 3 times on Wheel of fortune dollar slot and $500 twice. Each time, I put $20 in and won before I lost the $20. I have never again won money at Wheel of Fortune. I think I must have been lucky because I also won the slot tournament on that sailing.

Me, nope, no luck in my pocket. But my Mom? She's been on about 8 cruises, and has only paid for the first. She wins enough playing slots to pay for the next cruise.. She used to do the same thing when she went to Reno.. some people are just lucky.. she even one one night when her and I were on the gulf coast in one of those towns, we were there to meet my X and pick up my kids. Mom hit the casino for 10 minutes and came back 400 dollars richer... me, nada

She swears I would win if I was more positive,, lol I've tried and no matter how positive I am, I lose, now I'm positive I will lose, so don't play...lol

I won $2000 on a Blazing Sevens dollar machine a few weeks ago on the Westerdam. Was waiting to enter a slot tournament when I tossed a $20 into the machine...hit on my 2nd pull! And they immediately gave me the cash PLUS the W-2G form :(. They also mailed me (upon my request) a win-loss for the trip. I also hit several small ($100 or less) progressives on the penny machines but note you DO have to bet max to hit those in most cases.

TracyE