News that Port Canaveral’s latest Florida gambling cruise ship, Las Vegas Casino Lines’ Liquid Vegas, is commencing operations has met with some scepticism from locals. This is not caused by the fact that the ship will be taking passengers on daily offshore gambling excursions but by the belief that the company is unlikely to be in business a year from now. Florida has seen too many cruise operators come and go, often after filing for bankruptcy.

SunCruz still runs a gambling vessel out of Port Canaveral but last July saw another operator, Sterling Casino Lines, pull out. An operator based in Miami has expressed an interest in also sailing out of Port Canaveral. Liquid Vegas was scheduled to start day and evening cruises last March but their launch has been postponed several times.

Liquid Vegas can carry 893 passengers and crew, the latter being trained ‘above and beyond’ the standards required for safety and training standards, according to the company. The vessel has passed US Coast Guard inspections and been granted a certificate to operate. An assortment of table games and slot machines are on board for the entertainment of passengers during the twice daily cruises. On Friday and Saturday nights there will be an extra sailing from 1:30 am to 4:30 am.

It now remains for Las Vegas Casino Lines to prove wrong all those that doubt the present viability of casino cruises off Florida’s coast. (E-10.22.08)

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