By Linda Johnson

Card Player Cruises (CPC) has a 10-year history of hosting poker cruises and boasts thousands of satisfied customers. Following is an update of the 2002 poker cruise schedule:

Mexican Riviera (March 10-17)

There are still a few cabins left for this cruise, featuring the PartyPoker Million tournament. This will be the largest limit hold'em tournament in the world, with $1 million guaranteed to the first-place winner.

The Travel Channel has announced plans to send a crew to film the cruise and the tournament. There will be plenty of pageantry, parties, and poker on this cruise, beginning with a welcome-aboard party on the day of departure. The tournament will be played in multiple sessions: Half the field will play on Monday and half the field will play on Tuesday. Approximately six tables will return on Friday to play down to the final table, which will convene on Saturday. There will be live games available for those who are not playing in the tournament. It is not necessary to play in the tournament in order to take this cruise. Many fun activities have been planned for the ports of Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas, and they will be part of the TV documentary. Join the group for karaoke, dance contests, a catamaran/snorkel trip, parasailing, jet-skiing, shopping, fishing, and a wild party at the famous Señor Frogs.

Sawyer Glacier/Alaska (June 16-23)

Norwegian Cruise Lines will be introduced to CPC guests for the first time when cruisers enjoy freestyle cruising. This means freedom of choice: Dine wherever you want, whenever you want, with whomever you want, wearing whatever you want. There is no formal wear required!

The Norwegian Sky sails round trip from Seattle to the beautiful ports of Juneau, Skagway, Haines, Ketchikan, and Victoria, British Columbia. You will never take a more scenic, beautiful cruise than this one. Along the way, you will cruise the famous Inside Passage and the Sawyer Glacier, home to such wildlife as brown and black bears, deer, moose, whales, sea lions, and eagles.

The Sky features six restaurants, 13 bars and lounges, two pools and five hot tubs, a disco, basketball and volleyball courts, 24-hour fitness center, golf driving nets, full-service spa/salon, a jogging track, and even an Internet Café. Its 12 decks surround a glass-domed atrium, and there are many windows through which cruisers may watch the glaciers.

The excursions on this cruise offer once-in-a-lifetime thrills. Enjoy a helicopter trip to the top of a glacier, visit a dog-sledding camp where you will be introduced to the art of mushing, eat fresh salmon off the grill, go kayaking or mountain biking, pan for gold, or do some sport-fishing. Alaska is breathtaking!

Grand Mediterranean (Aug. 9-24)

The itinerary for the Mediterranean cruise has been expanded due to requests from many customers. It now features a 13-night cruise aboard Orient Line's Crown Odyssey, two-nights' accommodations in a first-class hotel in Barcelona, and an overnight stay in Venice. The itinerary for the cruise is as follows: Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Livorno/Florence, Civitavecchio/Rome, Sorrento (Capri and Pompeii), Palermo, Valletta, Corfu, Dubrovnik, and Venice.

Many parties, dinners, and sightseeing trips are included, and the starting price is just $2,725, cruise only. Low add-in airfare is available from most major U. S. cities, including New York ($99), Miami ($199), Denver ($299), Las Vegas ($299), and Los Angeles ($299). These prices are available for bookings made prior to June 1.

Western Caribbean (Sept. 29-Oct. 6)

Carnival's Inspiration will take cruisers to Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel on this round-trip cruise sailing from New Orleans. Starting prices are just $579 per person, cruise only.

Excursions will include world-class snorkeling, swimming with stingrays and dolphins, shopping trips, a visit to the Mayan Ruins, parasailing, fishing, and climbing the Dunn's River Falls.

Mexican Riviera (Dec. 1-8)

CPC has sailed this itinerary at this time of the year annually since 1992. The weather is terrific and provides a great opportunity to absorb sunshine during the winter. In addition to live play, this cruise will feature the Poker World Cup at Sea for avid tournament players.

Card Player Cruises Information

CPC employs an experienced, professional staff to oversee its no-smoking, no-abuse cardroom. It offers a wide variety of games and limits, and can help you plan a wedding anniversary, family reunion, or other special occasion. A cruise schedule, cruise articles, and pictures from past voyages can be found on the web at www.cardplayercruises.com. To book a cruise or to obtain more information, call (888) 999-4880 or (702) 655-0919. Don't miss the boat.