TOURNAMENT SIGN UP – The term clusterf**k applies here. I would never have done so if we had been told that he would be playing in these conditions.*** (I have other thoughts about NCL’s smoking policies and the health risks to their staff but I’ll save that for my general review on this forum).Ģ. ***We paid in full for our cruise and Fred’s tournament entry. This open area was every bit as smoky as the rest of the casino and the casino reeked of smoke. When we arrived, we learned that the tables would be divided between the Bliss lounge (a separate, completely smoke-free room) and a section of the casino that they had cleared for the event-a section that was open to all the smoke from surrounding slot machines and tables. When I spoke with a Casinos at Sea representative about the NCL Poker Challenge, he assured me that the tournament was held in a room separate from the casino and that the entire poker area would be non-smoking. SMOKING – My husband does not smoke and the smell of cigarette smoke makes him feel sick. I have also attached photos of the various tournament formats for reference.ġ. Everyone else? You’ll be much happier at a professional event in an established poker room in Vegas. If you’re not interested in serious, well-run poker tournaments, don’t mind playing in a hectic, loud and uncomfortable environment, and you aren’t paying the main event entry fee out of pocket, then you’ll probably be fine with it. We will never cruise with NCL again for a variety of reasons but this tournament, particularly, soured us on the cruise line. Chaotic, disorganized, cramped, loud, and lacking the level of professionalism experienced players should expect from an event of this size. SHORT VERSION: The poker experience on this cruise was disappointing, to say the least. I hope this review will help anyone who is thinking about participating in future NCL Poker Challenge cruises. It was difficult to get much detailed information about the tournaments until the day we boarded (thanks to the folks here who helped me out!). I booked our trip and entered Fred in the Poker Challenge based on the few tidbits I could find online and some information provided by a Casinos at Sea representative. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity for him to play and for me to relax in a new location.

We had never considered cruising before but had a hefty stock of Visa airmiles to use and Fred loves Texas Hold ’Em-he usually plays at least one or two big tournaments in Vegas every year and has spent a decade playing cash games and smaller tournaments.

After a few months of research, I decided to book a cruise for my husband Fred and myself on the NCL Getaway.

Wpt poker cruise 2019 schedule