A Whale of a Good Time Poker Cruising in Alaska!

Card Player Cruises has just returned from its third poker cruise of 2006, and once again, no one was disappointed. Duh! We sailed aboard Holland America's beautiful ms Oosterdam (the same ship we chartered earlier this year for the PartyPoker.com Million V), and had a 12-table cardroom that was full most of the time. Actually, we had to set up two more tables occasionally to accommodate our beginners classes. We were able to take only about 300 customers on this cruise, as we were limited by the number of tables that would fit into the conference room and adjacent area. On our charters, we are able to have the entire ship and can put tables everywhere. If you haven't yet seen that, it really is amazing. The game mix consisted of hold'em, with limits from $2-$4 through $20-$40, and Omaha eight-or-better, from $4-$8 through $15-$30 with a kill. Also spread were some no-limit hold'em games with blinds of $1-$2 and $2-$5, and we even had a $3-$6 crazy pineapple game. That was a total hoot. While we don't intend to make that a mainstay on our cruises, we had a big demand for it on this one, and we didn't want to disappoint our passengers.



We also held four tournaments during the week. Complete results may be found on our website at cardplayercruises.com, but the winners were

Bob Lewison (no-limit hold'em, $2,570)

Keith Bartlett (Omaha eight-or-better, $1,500)

Bill Davis (limit hold'em, $3,290)

David Brewer (no-limit hold'em, $3,345)

Our first port was Juneau, an unusual town that is accessible only by boat or air. There are no roads that lead into it, as forest and water surround this picturesque town. I can't tell you firsthand, as I didn't get off the ship, but those who ventured ashore had a ball visiting the Red Dog Saloon, a popular watering hole, or going whale-watching, eagle-sighting, helicopter-riding, or dog-sledding. Many of us enjoyed hanging out on the ship, getting a "treatment" at the spa and watching in awe as the salmon danced and did their spawning routine for our amusement. It truly was wondrous. The fish jumped out of the water and did flips and seemed to fly, which was all a part of the higher-level order of things that eventually led to their spawning and dying. It was a very interesting look at nature.



The weather in Juneau was far from stellar, as it rained off and on the entire day. Those who had shore excursions that were timed properly got to go on some amazing trips. The highlight was, and always seems to be, the dog-sledding trip. Those who experienced that adventure came back all aglow. We heard some horror stories about travelers the week before who went sledding on the glacier and were not able to fly back out after a weather front moved in quickly. They ended up missing the ship and having to spend the night there. Actually, that sounds pretty fun, and I am sure they have some amazing stories of their own to tell.



Our next port was Sitka, and again, the weather was less than cooperative. Again, I didn't get off the ship! Many of our guests went fishing, visited the Raptor Center, saw the Sea Otter Quest, rode a submersible submarine, and visited the Russian church and saw the Russian dancers. Many little pubs line the streets, and everyone seemed to enjoy them. Yet, they were more than ready to get into some poker action upon their return to ship. That evening before dinner, Linda Johnson and I presented a poker seminar for our passengers.



Next up was the lovely but touristy city of Ketchikan. I actually ventured off the ship here, as I have a dear friend from high school who took us on a local tour, to lunch, and then back to the ship. While we anticipated the worst for the weather, the day actually was lovely, and nary a raindrop hit us. We drove to the Totem Bight Park and enjoyed learning some folklore. Other Ketchikan attractions included a lumberjack show, the "duck" tour (an amphibious vehicle that tours the town by land and sea), a zip line adventure, a motorcycle trip, and float planes to the Misty Fjords. There also was a bear-watching trip, and I heard that participants got to see some black and brown bears.



Rounding out the trip was a visit to a foreign port, Victoria, British Columbia. Having been born and raised in Seattle, I have been there many times, but I was amazed at how lovely the weather was for this stop. The sun was out, it was warm, and those who ventured to Butchart Gardens and the Empress Hotel, or took horse and buggy rides, were enthralled by the beauty of this lovely city with a European flair.



Considering the weather, we also were very lucky to have a wonderful day when we cruised the Hubbard Glacier.



Rita Axel, our new director of poker operations, has really done a wonderful job of organizing the cardroom, staff, and equipment, and acting as the liaison with the cruise staff. Contrary to some popular rumors, none of the Card Player Cruises principals plan to retire or sell the company anytime soon. In fact, it is not even on the block. With Rita helping to take much of the workload off us, Mark Tenner, Linda Johnson, and I are able to enjoy the cruises from a host perspective, and get to spend more time getting to know each and every one of you. We hope you will join us soon. We promise that we'll be there. Class dismissed.



As always, please contact me with your poker-related questions and comments at [email protected], and also please visit our website at www.cardplayercruises.com.