Singles Cruises - West.Coast

[euroguy]

It's interesting that I have seen singles cruises on East coast i.e. Florida the cruise capital of the world, but none on the west coast i.e. California.

I just took a Solo 7 day cruise to Mexico and meet so many great people and had a blast. The down side was the majority of people had spouses and the nightly singles gathering events had zero show ups.

I'm single mid 50's and would certainly go. Great way to meet others, make friends and who knows.

Curios what others think... 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@euroguy It sounds like you may be interested in cruising the west coast pretty soon! After only cruising out of Florida, I too am interested to try something new and explore more of the west coast region. I'm so glad you had a great time during your recent cruise to Mexico. I love meeting new people and enjoying new company on my cruise vacations. I notice many cruisers prefer to cruise in groups; however, I have noticed some pretty full solo groups onboard as well. Carnival Cruise Line often has plenty of solo guests, so maybe this recent sailing was just an unusual one. Would you want to cruise CCL for a west coast cruise? Have you explored the niche cruise line, Oceania Cruises? This cruise line has specifically curated tour offerings that are designed for solo cruisers!  

[euroguy]

I think perhaps I need to add clarification. I'm in California and the cruise options are much more limited here on West Coast. I have cruised a couple of times out of Florida but to be frank it was a bit of a pain in @$$&@ to get there and also a lot more additional expense, flight hotel etc. With that said I just finished a trip to Mexico..Cabo, Mazatlan, Puerto Valarta on the Panorama. Most everyone was paired up. Very few noticeable singles.  I have see listing for singles cruises in Florida but not in California.

[3Sisters]

@euroguy If you are located in California, it's a much easier option for you to cruise out of the California-based ports. I was actually just assisting my friend last night with booking her first cruise out of California, and I saw some really great options with Holland America Line. Have you cruised with that line before? If you were able to book a longer itinerary, you could explore some amazing destinations from Hawaii to Vancouver, and with the anniversary sale going on you could get drinks, wi-fi, and shore excursions all bundled into the bottom line price! Holland America Line cruises out of San Diego. I didn't see any specific solo cruises, but I did notice that Holland America Line's newer ship, Koningsdam, has some pretty epic solo ocean-view staterooms. The cruise line also offers a Solo Share Program. You can share a stateroom with a same-sex roommate to cut down the cost of the room, I would totally look into that if you are willing to share a room. 

[euroguy]

15 hours ago, 3Sisters said:

@euroguy If you are located in California, it's a much easier option for you to cruise out of the California-based ports. I was actually just assisting my friend last night with booking her first cruise out of California, and I saw some really great options with Holland America Line. Have you cruised with that line before? If you were able to book a longer itinerary, you could explore some amazing destinations from Hawaii to Vancouver, and with the anniversary sale going on you could get drinks, wi-fi, and shore excursions all bundled into the bottom line price! Holland America Line cruises out of San Diego. I didn't see any specific solo cruises, but I did notice that Holland America Line's newer ship, Koningsdam, has some pretty epic solo ocean-view staterooms. The cruise line also offers a Solo Share Program. You can share a stateroom with a same-sex roommate to cut down the cost of the room, I would totally look into that if you are willing to share a room. 

For right now I only sailing carnival as 2 more trips I'm Platimum. After I reach Platimum I have thought to possibly explore other cruise lines

[3Sisters]

@euroguy I think trying to reach Platinum with Carnival Cruise Line is a good choice, although things with the VIFP loyalty program are due to change. Hopefully, the loyalty tier changes and overall VIFP program structure don't negatively impact pro cruisers like yourself. Do you have any upcoming cruises booked with CCL? I definitely think branching out would be a great choice to explore other solo cruise options and programming. You may find that another cruise line is more solo cruiser friendly than CCL. I'm pretty excited for you that you are almost Platinum though! 

[euroguy]

I have heard that CCL is once more looking to change the loyalty program and I too have some concerns as before the last change the CCL loyalty program was based on number of cruises to increase in loyalty status. It didn't matter if it was a 4 day 7 day 14 day etc... at that point I was only 2 cruises away to become platinum. Then they changed to # of day which then made it so I needed 4 cruises to reach platinum...sigh 

Currently I don't have any cruises booked however I'm strongly looking at cruises in Oct, Nov and Dec. I'm being a bit cautious to pull the trigger for 2 reasons #1 I'm wondering if the loyalty program will change prior #2 I already have free room offers for window cabin but I hoping to get free balcony room offer LOL

I do agree that exploring other cruise options are in order but it's really difficult to determine from websites which might be a great choice.

[3Sisters]

@euroguy It keeps shifting and hopefully, the loyalty program doesn't become a disappointment at the bottom line. I know Carnival Cruise Line is trying to make changes to its loyalty program that are of benefit to everyone, but I doubt that's possible. Someone is going to end up dissatisfied with the VIFP loyalty program changes, especially if they aren't directly benefitting from them.

Exploring other cruise lines can certainly be difficult if you are unfamiliar with them, and at the same time you are so comfortable with one particular line. Some questions may go through your head like, what if the new cruise line doesn't meet my expectations? But with enough research, and asking on the boards for personal experience, I think you would be pleasantly surprised to find another cruise line that may even exceed your expectations! 

The free room offer sounds like a great choice! With these free cruise offers, do you still earn points towards earning your CCL Platinum status? 

[euroguy]

Yes I still got the points for the number of days cruised even though free room offer. That's one of the greatest points...not only free but earn 1 point per day on ship. 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@euroguy That's wild! It's almost like hitting the jackpot; you get a free cruise and earn loyalty points during it without having to pay for it. How often do you receive offers like this? If you accept them often enough, you could become a pro-cruiser living on back-to-back cruise itineraries. It's no wonder you are able to reach the Platinum VIFP status with ease. With the Platinum status, will you receive any new CCL perks you are excited about? 

[euroguy]

Free laundry service is such a great perk that I'm looking forward to plus all the vip priority perks. Below is the most recent offer I've received ... I will do the math for you... 22 day cruise ocean view cabin $400, then get $200 on board ship credit, which brings cost to $200 then I get $500 casino credits for gambling so now my balance is negative $300 in my favor... so basically they are paying me to take the cruise. Below I've attached to offer so you can see for yourselves...lol

[3Sisters]

@euroguy Free laundry is going to be so great! You won't need to pack as heavily knowing that you can have your laundry done, and potentially even go home with a clean suitcase. That's going to be so nice. I'm so impressed that you received an offer like this, bringing you to basically the negatives with your casino credits. Based on this amazing offer, I have to ask, what is your casino game of choice? I think I'm going to value your casino plays with high reverence. You must have some skills. 

CCL updated its casino protocols more recently. This update was said to have allowed smoking in the casino. How do you feel about smoking in the onboard casinos? It can be pretty controversial. 

[euroguy]

As for what I play in casino, I play 21 and slots and texas holdem. The trick I have learned is night one and two have the best odds for wining on slots. Not sure why but it could be that when they are at a u.s. port they have to turn the machines off and restart them once in intl waters. I'm not sure but it appears that the restart resets the computers inside and payouts are more frequent so I play a lot of slots on days 1 & 2. Example last cruise I had $500 free casino money from CCL. Once the casino opened I was playing and had used $50 of the free $ and hit $500 jackpot. Then hit a couple more $100 plus jackpots. So I had a decent bankroll for free approx $1200 and it cost me nothing but my time.  I have a system I use to test if machine will hit or not but who knows if it's legit but it works for me lolol slots in general gain you the most points vs. Table games as they base points off how long you play and your wager and it computer driven which is more accurate than tables as tables are human driven and not always so generous with the points but can certainly add to the bankroll if get on the right table at the right time. 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@euroguy You have your strategy down to a science! I find it intriguing that you have been able to come up with all of these self-taught mental algorithms for cruise casino playing. You must have a background in engineering or mathematics! Since I rarely ever bother to play in the casino while on a cruise, I have enjoyed when the ship offers a free xyz amount to play during certain times of the day. I have done this before, and actually won a bit with the free money the casino offered and then cashed out. It's very easy to get allured by all of the lights and excitement in the casino, I notice lots of guests spend hours upon hours in the casino, similar to the young kids in the arcade. How much time do you typically spend in the casino to earn yourself such "street cred?"

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@euroguy Virgin Voyages just released that it will be waiving single supplements for ships sailing through Europe this summer. This savings option for solo cruisers will be effective this month into mid-October of this year. This may be the perfect opportunity for you to look into a new cruise line! Virgin Voyages is an adult-only luxury cruise line filled with all-inclusive perks. https://www.virginvoyages.com/onboard

[3Sisters]

@euroguy You didn't mention poker was your game of choice, but another reason to consider Virgin Voyages would be its recently added poker venue onboard Scarlet Lady. I wish CCL could spread the word to Virgin Voyages about your casino skills and maybe the line would host you onboard at a discounted rate! I'm sure you would absolutely kill it playing poker at this new venue. 

[euroguy]

Hello all well yes Virgin certainly looks intriguing and perhaps explore more on what they offer, but I'm really close to my next loyalty level with carnival and want to reach it prior to trying other cruise lines. 

I must admit I do spend a bit of time in the casino... lol, typically more in the evening. Yes I play a lot of slots as they give more player points and if you know which type of machines to possibly play watch patterns and a low of other things you actually can make them work in your favor.  Here's a few tips... the higher the denomination of machine the higher % of payback. Simplified example a 1 cent machine might have payback of 83% (usually in low to mid 80s %) where a $1 machine might have a 93% (usually in high 80s to low 90s %) which is a 10% increase in chance to win. So if you're going to play $1 per button push which would you play... penny or $ machine?? Me the $1 machine but most ppl gravitate to the penny machine because in your mind you're thinking penny not $1 even though you'll usually spend a dollar per spin. $5, 10, 25 and 100 machines have high pay out% as you go up in values per spin.

Yes I do like card games to but very low player points are given for them so I do them for fun or to build bankroll.

Enough of that lolol I could write a whole article on slot machines lol

No I'm not an engineer or scientist, but I am well educated. Let's see who can figure this out 1st... B.S. J.D., Esq. 😆 

[3Sisters]

@euroguy I love all of these super interesting strategies! I think that should be your next move actually, writing a book on slot machines. You may have to secretly publish yourself so the slot machine owners don't come after you! I didn't realize that you aren't able to earn as many player points while playing card games. That's good to know if I decide to start building some rapport in the cruise casinos. 

Based on your degrees, I would say you give expert legal advice! I do agree that your brain is certainly strategically wired to be able to formulate these very effective casino strategies! It takes a deep thinker to get to your skill level! If you contact the right person, maybe it's possible other cruise lines will take notice of your player skills. Have you explored your skills in Vegas? I have a friend that's constantly getting free stays there due to his casino game. 

[euroguy]

Well seems you figured it out 1st lol

Before answering how do you add the @person to the message I can't seem to find it. Probably something simple I've over looked.

Vegas... no but I'm 2 hours from reno and I'm a ceasars diamond card holder and a local Indian casino an hour from me I'm a platinum 

Here are couple.more slot tips 😀 

You see penny machine that looks fun and want to give it a go. You will see that many penny machines have different denominations that you can select i.e. 1, 2,5,10 cents. On the spin button panel you have a choice how much you want to pay per spin ... example .50 1.00 1.50 2.00 5.00. So you decide to select 1 cent denomination and bet 1.00 per.spin...which is 1 up from the minimum of 50 cents. Here is a little trick in stead of 1 cent denomination select 2 cent on the spin button select the lowest /minimum bet which is 50 cents. So you ask what has done for you... #1 your payout % has increased as you increased you denomination from 1 cent to 2 cent. #2 when you hit a pay line it pays much more #3 you're still spending your $1.00 bet per spin.

Tip #2 

Myth buster... you will hear people say if someone hits a nice jackpot that its going to dry up and take your money to make it back up... people say and think this regularly. This is not true ...actually slots very frequently hit several jackpots back to back as the machine is trying to equalize its self to the payback % its programed to be at and has taken tons of money and needs to adjust its self.  I personally on many occasions been seated near a jackpot winner seen them take the winnings and walk away and people around them shy away from that machine. Me on the other hand immediately look to see what they where betting and once they leave jump on that machine and repeat the previous winners bet. 

So now you wonder how well have I done with this... lol very very well. I've had someone win $500 cash out and walk..I jumped on and 3 spends later hit $1200 then 10 or so spins more hit another $900. On another occasion a person hit $2500 and walked. Yep I jump on and about 5 spins later hit $12k yes that's right $12k then few more spins later another $4k.  I cashed out and walked away with $16k within minutes. These are just a couple examples. Does it work every time no! But frequently enough to take the chance and it can pay in dividens. 

Hope this helps all you slot players....cheers and happy spins and wins

[euroguy]

Just a FYI the changing the denomination regardless of denomination works the same be it cents or dollars the higher the denomination the more increase % of payout example $5 machine has higher payout % than a $1 machine 

[euroguy]

Proven methods for slots ... another fun day at local casino near me. $50 play almost $2900 won 🏆 

[euroguy]

And another 🤣

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@euroguy I'm so amazed by your effective casino strategies. I hope the cruise lines don't catch on so you can keep on earning these awesome cruise experiences. 

From what I'm gathering, playing on a more expensive machine, or placing a higher bet will increase your chances of a higher payout. Essentially, a larger initial risk and investment, but a greater return on your investment if utilizing your whiz strategies. Thanks for sharing your photos to go alongside this. You even provided the boards with visuals to support for methodology! I love it.

[euroguy]

Kendall 1st off how do you add the @euroguy to a message... I can't seem to figure it out lol

You're sorta correct on your understanding of the slots.  The hight the denomination yes the better the odds. Your actual bet doesn't make a difference as to better odds but of course if you hit a pay line with higher bet you will receive a bigger win. Rule of thumb is play max bet but I know not everyone can afford that, so I say play the highest bet amount you feel comfortable with. Unfortunately it's kinda difficult to explain all the various ins and outs to picking the right machine and with so many different one available it's like a sea of confusion at times. Just remember the higher the denomination machine the better the odds. But of course as you move to higher denomination  machine the minimum and maximum cost per spin go up.  

The machine I won $2900 on this past weekend was an older penny machine tucked away in the corner away from main area and max bet was $1.75 per spin and $50 and about 15-20 minutes later $2900 in my pocket. The 2nd jacket that u hit for $1230 was a newer penny machine and was betting initially betting $2 per spin and saw a pattern of being generous so I bumped up my bet to $4 then hit a decent jackpot after about $100 spent. You need to pay attention to patterns and try and find machines that are tucked away from the main area. Hope that helps. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@euroguy This is a great way to tag a person in a comment! You have to start with the @ symbol and then a drop-down list of users should appear for you to select based on the name you begin to add next to the @ symbol.

Playing max bet is definitely not a modest strategy. It takes a bold player to be able to place the maximum bet on a slot machine! You have to be willing to take big risks in order to reap big rewards I guess. It's really cool to read your insider's perspective. It gives me a little hope that many playing slot machines aren't so intimidating after all. It's hard for me to feel confident in something I don't have a viable strategy for it. Now that you have provided me with a viable strategy, I'm eager to give it another go.