My Suggestion for the Perfect Holiday Gift

My two main passions in life are poker and traveling. As a partner in Card Player Cruises, I have the ideal job to fulfill these interests. I assure you that if you are looking for the perfect holiday gift for that hard-to-buy-for special person in your life - something that you also will enjoy, and something for which he or she will thank you forever - you definitely should consider a poker-cruise vacation. If you've never been on, or never heard of, a poker cruise, let me give you some details to help you decide to cruise with us.

Our 2009 poker-cruise prices are at a record low. In fact, I guarantee that a poker cruise is much less expensive than traveling to a destination resort! Most people are shocked to learn how affordable a cruise vacation really is. Included in the fare of about $100 per day is the cabin berth, all the food you can eat, including complimentary room service, nightly Las Vegas-style entertainment, and amenities such as a fitness center, spa, pool, Jacuzzis, and a movie theater. Discounts are available for booking three or more cabins, which is why Card Player Cruises is a great choice for weddings, family reunions, frat parties, girlfriend getaways, anniversaries, birthday parties, and other special occasions.

Card Player Cruises is known for being the world's longest-established poker-cruise company and for having the most and the best poker action at sea. On domestic cruises, a wide variety of live games and limits is available, and we will spread any game for which there is enough interest. Tournaments with buy-ins in the $100-$200 range are spread on days at sea.

If you are concerned that your traveling companion will spend too much time in the cardroom, you need not fear. The poker room closes for dinner and while in port, and passengers can play as much or as little poker as they desire.

Other perks exist for passengers, including private cocktail parties, welcome-aboard gifts, and roommate-finding services. For the absolute beginner, complimentary poker lessons are provided, followed by a $10 buy-in game that's open only to players who took the lessons. Additionally, seminars for the intermediate and more advanced players are offered during the week.

The 2009 itinerary begins with a 14-day cruise to Southeast Asia, leaving on Valentine's Day. The cruise begins in Shanghai and ends in Singapore, with stops along the way at Xiamen, China; Sanya, China; Hue/Danang, Vietnam; Nha Trang, Vietnam; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Sihanoukville, Cambodia. There also are overnight stops in Bangkok, Thailand, and Hong Kong, providing a little extra time to really savor the local sights. While in Hong Kong, I would recommend taking the one-hour ferry to Macau to see the new gambling mecca. Cruise-only prices for this trip of a lifetime start at just $1,390 per person.

Our second cruise of the year is a seven-day Western Caribbean trip, departing March 29. Cruise-only prices begin at just $440 per person plus port charges, taxes, fuel supplement, and prepaid gratuities. The ports of call are Montego Bay, Jamaica, Georgetown, Grand Cayman (don't miss feeding the stingrays), and Cozumel, Mexico.

The annual Alaska cruise is scheduled for Aug. 14-21. With cruise-only prices at a record low of just $620 per person, you can use the savings to take a helicopter and land on a glacier, go to a salmon bake, go whale watching, fish, mush a dogsled team, or pan for gold in Juneau and Skagway. And don't forget to have afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, our last port on this trip.

The biggest cruise of the year is our annual Mexican Riviera trip, sailing Nov. 15-22 roundtrip from Los Angeles. Prices begin at $550 per person. The weather is great at this time, making Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta wonderful stops for beach fun, fishing, snorkeling, and shopping.

If you don't want to purchase a cabin, perhaps you can win one through Card Player's SpadeClub. Five cabins on the March cruise, including airfare for two to the port, will be given away by SpadeClub through its Card Player Cruises Caribbean Adventure, which is held on the first Monday of every month. The event is no-limit hold'em with a 4,000-point buy-in. Three satellites will be held each day, with buy-ins of 200-400 points and the top 5 percent-10 percent of the field winning a seat in the final event. All prizes awarded through the CPC Caribbean Adventure promotion are in addition to the $100,000 awarded monthly in SpadeClub tournaments. To sign up for SpadeClub, go to www.SpadeClub.com and enter code CPC.

I really am eager to host you on a 2009 poker cruise. Please visit our website at www.cardplayercruises.com, call my office at (888) 999-4880, or e-mail me at [email protected] if you'd like more information on this exciting way to play poker and sail the high seas.

Now, let's play poker!

Linda Johnson is available to host tournaments, charity events, and seminars. You can contact her through her website at www.cardplayercruises.com.