p&o casinos

[gilly88]

question for you all? we are thinking of booking a cruise next year on Oriana, we have been on her before back in 2006/07 and I would like to know if in the intervening years the casino has improved in size as I seem to recall it was squashed into a very small room at the back of the ship last time we went. now I know that you are all going to deny that you would ever cross the threshold of the casino , but its strange that they always seem to be packed out when we go in there!!.
any how we do use them for the evening, as my son will not go into the theatre to see the shows as he doesn't like the crowds and noise (he's got autism) but strangely the casino machines hold a fascination for him ( the lights and sounds are very repetitive). any how, one of us stays with him and the other goes to see the show if we want, good arrangement. But Oriana's machine room arrangement was not ideal for us and I was hoping they have changed it to more of what Ventura's or arcadias is like. can anybody help with what it's like now as we really would like to go on he itinerary that Oriana's doing but it may not be possible if the casino is still the same as before.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Last time we went, which was about 4 years ago after the refit to make her adult only, it was still very small

[gilly88]

Last time we went, which was about 4 years ago after the refit to make her adult only, it was still very small

oh dear this doesn't sound promising

[Dancing Queen]

I'm pretty sure I've been on Oriana since 2006/2007 and the last time we were on they had lost some space in the Casino,from what I recall there were very few slot machines and just one blackjack table, one roulette table and I think one poker table, I know it was small before but it was even smaller, I love the Casino but that was one trip I don't think I even went in there, I could have my dates wrong but I do know space was definitely lost a few years ago.

Sorry probably not what you want to hear

[Jan Rosser]

I was on Oriana in June and can confirm what Jo says - it is very small compared with the casinos on most ships - slot machines and a few tables and that's it.

[Stephen]

Mugs game. .

[screwy]

Mugs game. .

Totally agree Stephen.

[Mervyn and Trish]

We're high rollers. Only play the 1p machines and can make a £5 stake last all week. Sometimes we even come out a couple of quid up.

[daib GC]

They will not increase the size of the casino on Oriana for 2 reasons.

1 there is nowhere else for it to go and

2 not enough people use it.

The slots used to be in the Lords Tavern and the tables next to Andersons. Then they moved all the slots into the room where the tables were.

Dai

[Dancing Queen]

They will not increase the size of the casino on Oriana for 2 reasons.

1 there is nowhere else for it to go and

2 not enough people use it.

The slots used to be in the Lords Tavern and the tables next to Andersons. Then they moved all the slots into the room where the tables were.

Dai

That was it Dai they put extra seating in the Lords Tavern where the slots were, I was trying to visualise the layout but it's been a while

Not sure I would agree not enough people use it, I think it doesn't get used ( as much ) because of the size .. increase the size and people would go in there but as you say there's nowhere else for it to go.

[daib GC]

They will not increase the size of the casino on Oriana for 2 reasons.

1 there is nowhere else for it to go and

2 not enough people use it.

The slots used to be in the Lords Tavern and the tables next to Andersons. Then they moved all the slots into the room where the tables were.

Dai

That was it Dai they put extra seating in the Lords Tavern where the slots were, I was trying to visualise the layout but it's been a while

Not sure I would agree not enough people use it, I think it doesn't get used ( as much ) because of the size .. increase the size and people would go in there but as you say there's nowhere else for it to go.

Jo on more than one occasion I have sat waiting for a game for 30 minutes often one of the tables never gets used. It's not just Oriana. The use of the Casino on many cruises is minimal, Arcadia last June was hopeless. Ventura 28 nights to the Caribbean was better but often there was only 1 out of the 5 tables working.

The staff are often standing around for long periods with nothing to do. They tell me the usage is way way down than that on US lines.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Maybe they should take out an unused table or two and stick in a few more 1p slots. We often struggled to get near those on Aurora. Sure they're taking less money. But you don't have to pay a croupier on the slots!

[towny44]

Are there genuinely 1d slots in P&O casinos? Even a Yorkshire-man might be tempted to play those,I must check out the casino on Britannia next weekend.

[screwy]

maybe they could do away with the casino and make an extra bar/pub...would rather drink my money away than gamble it....my opinion.

[Dancing Queen]

They will not increase the size of the casino on Oriana for 2 reasons.

1 there is nowhere else for it to go and

2 not enough people use it.

The slots used to be in the Lords Tavern and the tables next to Andersons. Then they moved all the slots into the room where the tables were.

Dai

That was it Dai they put extra seating in the Lords Tavern where the slots were, I was trying to visualise the layout but it's been a while

Not sure I would agree not enough people use it, I think it doesn't get used ( as much ) because of the size .. increase the size and people would go in there but as you say there's nowhere else for it to go.

Jo on more than one occasion I have sat waiting for a game for 30 minutes often one of the tables never gets used. It's not just Oriana. The use of the Casino on many cruises is minimal, Arcadia last June was hopeless. Ventura 28 nights to the Caribbean was better but often there was only 1 out of the 5 tables working.

The staff are often standing around for long periods with nothing to do. They tell me the usage is way way down than that on US lines.

And possibly the reason for that is because on many of the US ships smoking is still allowed in the Casino and smoking, drinking and gambling seem to go hand in hand ( not for all I would add ) I suspect the logic behind this is because if someone is happy to sit at the tables handing their money over they don't want them nipping outside for a smoke and possibly not going back.

No disrespect to anyone who enjoys the slots but why fill a Casino with them when the tables make them 'big bucks'

[anniec]

Agreed - when they banned smoking in Cunard's casino, quite a few of the American regulars on another forum abandoned ship and haven't been on Cunard since.

[towny44]

My guess is a lot of gamblers die early, and probably poor, of smoking related diseases.

[Dancing Queen]

Maybe the serious gamblers Towny but I doubt those of us who just enjoy a flutter when on holiday fall into that category but I'll bear it in mind as I have all three vices which I mentioned earlier

[Dancing Queen]

Annie, on our last Cunard cruise the Casino was abysmal hardly anyone in there, I think QM2 is probably busier because of there being more American passengers but I would say on both QE and QV the Casino is now very much like it is on P&O.

[daib GC]

They will not increase the size of the casino on Oriana for 2 reasons.

1 there is nowhere else for it to go and

2 not enough people use it.

The slots used to be in the Lords Tavern and the tables next to Andersons. Then they moved all the slots into the room where the tables were.

Dai

That was it Dai they put extra seating in the Lords Tavern where the slots were, I was trying to visualise the layout but it's been a while

Not sure I would agree not enough people use it, I think it doesn't get used ( as much ) because of the size .. increase the size and people would go in there but as you say there's nowhere else for it to go.

Jo on more than one occasion I have sat waiting for a game for 30 minutes often one of the tables never gets used. It's not just Oriana. The use of the Casino on many cruises is minimal, Arcadia last June was hopeless. Ventura 28 nights to the Caribbean was better but often there was only 1 out of the 5 tables working.

The staff are often standing around for long periods with nothing to do. They tell me the usage is way way down than that on US lines.

And possibly the reason for that is because on many of the US ships smoking is still allowed in the Casino and smoking, drinking and gambling seem to go hand in hand ( not for all I would add ) I suspect the logic behind this is because if someone is happy to sit at the tables handing their money over they don't want them nipping outside for a smoke and possibly not going back.

No disrespect to anyone who enjoys the slots but why fill a Casino with them when the tables make them 'big bucks'

Do you know that has set me off thinking I cannot remember when the banned smoking in the casino in P&O but it must have been years ago. I can not remember there ever being any smoking.

On P&O ships I would have to say that the slots are used far more than the tables and I would have thought take far more cash. And the slots are open whenever the ship is at sea. The tables are not.

[Dancing Queen]

Well I haven't been with P&O since 2010/2011 so at least 5 years and it was probably stopped 2/3 years before that, I don't know if it was every ship but certainly on Aurora before smoking was banned ( I now believe it was a trial run ) it was quite normal that they would have a couple of smoke free nights in the Casino, I guess to try and judge how busy it would be and indeed it was busy but if it is full of people on the 1p slots it isn't going to make money.

Perhaps the slots take more now who knows but if the serious gamblers are leaving Cunard then I would assume they are leaving P&O too, by serious gamblers I don't mean people like myself who indulge £20/£30 a night on a cruise and when it's gone it's gone or if lady luck is smiling on me I walk away, I have seen serious money handed over in the past.

[Meg 50]

there's a virtual tour on the P&O website here

[daib GC]

Well I haven't been with P&O since 2010/2011 so at least 5 years and it was probably stopped 2/3 years before that, I don't know if it was every ship but certainly on Aurora before smoking was banned ( I now believe it was a trial run ) it was quite normal that they would have a couple of smoke free nights in the Casino, I guess to try and judge how busy it would be and indeed it was busy but if it is full of people on the 1p slots it isn't going to make money.

Perhaps the slots take more now who knows but if the serious gamblers are leaving Cunard then I would assume they are leaving P&O too, by serious gamblers I don't mean people like myself who indulge £20/£30 a night on a cruise and when it's gone it's gone or if lady luck is smiling on me I walk away, I have seen serious money handed over in the past.

They may be labled as 1p slots but most people are playing much higher stakes than that. 15 to 30 lines per spin. When I wander round on my scooter I see what is happening. People winning £30 to £100 are not playing 1p. The wins BTW are not that frequent.

[gilly88]

there's a virtual tour on the P&O website here

thanks for that meg I have now looked at this and it has confirmed what all are saying, that the casino is even smaller than before , thank you all for your advice, we will now have to take this into consideration as to whether we take this cruise.

ps I take on board all who say its a mugs game, the only reason we needed this advice was so that my son would have some small piece of entertainment on the penny slots for the evening, as he dislikes loud clapping and laughter, both of which are in great supply in the theatre. ( of course this is how it should be !). as we neither smoke, nor do we drink alcohol, the money saved from these pastimes will be used for his entertainment.

[anniec]

Annie, on our last Cunard cruise the Casino was abysmal hardly anyone in there, I think QM2 is probably busier because of there being more American passengers but I would say on both QE and QV the Casino is now very much like it is on P&O.

It's been deserted ever since they banned smoking on QE and QV. The old story - non-smokers said they'd use it if it wasn't for the smokers, but they haven't. FWIW, I don't smoke or gamble, but don't care what others do, unless they're spouting sanctimony.