Casino Gambling Cruise Industry Headed for Iceberg of Reality?
Another incident struck the troubled Palm Beach Princess Wednesday, as the crew of the casino cruise vessel nearly rioted. Workers declared a strike on the gambling ship over pay issues and the sacking of the captain who stuck up for them.
The Princess is one of a number of ships that specialize in gambling cruises, leaving port only to cruise to international waters and open the casino to players. The gaming industry aboard cruiseliners has been hard hit, not only by the recession but by expanded gambling throughout the US.
SunCruz ships have been sold off as the fleet of Florida gambling cruise ships has left several ports, unable to draw customers to areas that have seen racinos and tribal casinos offer games that used to be exclusive to ships. The Sea Escape of Ft. Lauderdale was sold for almost nothing as the ship could no longer cover its own maintenance costs once blackjack and slots reached legal Broward county locations.
The Princess already faced bankruptcy a year ago, and now the new owners face labor unrest and horrible publicity. Even though management said problems had been resolved, patrons looking at a few hours aboard the Princess are more likely than ever to seek nearby land casinos to try their luck.
Cruise operators have lobbied hard against federal and state law changes, trying to keep the gambling genie in an exclusive bottle to which only they had the key. But the future may be bleak, as more convenient gambling locations reduce the daily crowds that once poured off Florida coastlines to gamble at sea.
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