From Tampa \ St Pete Fl. - Maiden voyage of the Ocean Jewel
Ocean Jewel is a 450' gaming ship with 8 decks that have a 1000 new
slots, including about 50 video poker machines. Live entertainment,
many bars and a restaurant. Sails from the port of St Pete. Will
have high speed shuttles that takes 35 minutes to transport you to
the ship that is out in international waters. For the first week
they will be having a soft opening and will not be using the
shuttle, 2.5 hours ride out , 4 hours gambling, 2.5 hours back.
More information on schedules , etc. www.oceanjewel.com
Trip Report :
Being that St Pete is about 600 miles from any decent video poker, we
were holding out high hopes that the Ocean Jewel would have some
respectable games. Not to be. I can report that all games are short
pay. All denomination: Job 6/5 , Bonus Poker with 1 to1 on 2 pair,
Deuces Wild and Joker Poker pay tables were so bad that I could not
find them my pay table list. Their schedules are beyond "Video
Poker Wasteland" more like " Video Poker Hell".
When we are in Vegas we always play dollar 9/6 Job but because the
pay tables were so pathetic we played nickels. It's not much fun
going from dollars to nickels, in fact, after thirty minute, I hit a
Royal Flush and instead of having 40 one hundred dollar bills count
out in my hand, I got 4000 nickle credits, what's that?, a buck
fifty. That was cruel!!!
Over all a nice facility, excluding the insufficient air-
conditioning, inability to dock the ship
for 4 hours because of winds (5.30 am), and, of course, VIDEO
POKER!!!