The day started early because we were out dancing on Saturday night and just couldn’t find the energy to pack. So we set the alarm for 5am, got up, did the usual morning ablutions, packed and got on the road for the 3-hour trek to Port Canaveral before 8am. We were still early – our appointment to park the car was for noon – so we stopped midway, in Okeechobee, to browse a flea market. I bought a 3-pack of underwear.
We parked the car at a remote lot, took the shuttle to the ship and then got in a very long line. Carnival issues boarding times which we have always ignored – they were always willing to let us check in whenever we arrived. Not this time. We had to cool our heels for an hour. I didn’t remember what time was given to me (it was a factoid to be ignored, right?) but I knew it wasn’t before 1pm, While waiting I downloaded the Carnival Hub – the smartphone app that we use on board to see the schedule of events and to text each other. But I couldn’t log in. I got some IT assistance from a fellow traveler but it, with the long wait to check in and the long wait for an elevator, was an annoying start to the trip.
But that was all about to change.
After unpacking, grabbing a bite to eat, doing the obligatory muster station check-in and exploring the ship a bit, the ship got underway. It didn’t take long to reach the 12-mile boundary and it didn’t take us long to settle into the casino. We both had some “free play” money – casino gift money to get the gaming started. I put $50 of the free play money into a machine, was up about $57, then hit a bonus on an 80 cent bet. The prizes available were a Mini (about $33), a Maxi (about $43), a Major (about $82), a Mega (about $292), an Ultra (about $2,100) and a Grand (over $20,000). I have never won more than $600 playing slots so I figured I was in line for the Mini or Maxi. But this was a bonus where I could pick coins and I had to match 3 to get the prize. I flipped 7 coins and had 2 Minis and 2 Maxis, a Mega, and Ultra and a Grand. The next coin I flipped was a special one that eliminated all of the Minis, which meant my prize would be Maxi or better. The next coin I flipped was another special one that eliminated all Maxis. I was now guaranteed at least a Major which I was certain would be the next coin. An $82 prize would be just fine, thank you. But the next coin was an Ultra. And the next coin… another Ultra! Yes, after 20 minutes in the casino, using the casino’s money to bet, I was suddenly up over $2,100!
And it didn’t end there. Another machine awarded me 132 free spins which resulted in another $500 in my pocket. After that I pretty much broke even but ended the day up $2,670. That is what I call a very good day at the casino.
Meanwhile Marlene, who has been winning consistently every time she has entered a casino over the past two months, continued her winning ways. The big one for her was a game which gave her almost $1,200. That is actually the perfect amount as she did not have to fill out a W-9, as I did, to report her winnings to the IRS.
Between the two of us we took the casino for over $4,000. Amazing. What a great way to start a cruise!
But we never got to the dance floor. Too busy winning in the casino, I guess. We will dance tomorrow.