Sterling Casino's ship leaving Port Canaveral

Sterling Casino's decision to pull out of Port Canaveral this month may have had more to do with the company's bottom line than it would like to admit.

[beach bum]

These boats seem to leave at the end of tourist season and reappear in december when the tourist return.

[poor taxpayer]

They are not regulated and so do not pay out on slots. Who owns these casino ships? Tony Soprano? I don't know how they could possibly lose money unless the pay-off to the bosses is so high.

[Good Riddance]

They lose money when they get so tight-fisted that their employees quit and their customers go elsewhere. The last few times I was on this boat, it was like a ghost town. Most of their dealers went south to Miami weeks before the shutdown. With the upcoming opening of table games in Tampa, and another casino ship (operated by a former Sterling exec) coming to Canaveral, it was only a matter of time. Add to that the poor maintenance of the ship and constant hassle from the Coast Guard. The food and the perks have always sucked, and the damn thing wallows around so much with its broken steering thrusters that it takes an hour to get out of the port and another hour to re-dock. The owners refused over the years to put in a poker room, because they can only get a percentage, and they'd much rather make a killing with tight, unregulated, slots. slots.

[Mango]

The Big Floating Turd needed to go away. I was on it a month ago and was shocked at the condition of the ship. At one spot there was yellow caution tape where a rail was supposed to be. The boat was nasty, dirty, in bad shape and needed repairs and a paint job to cover all the rust. The air conditioner did not work and the whole casino area was unbearably hot I felt the ship was unsafe and was surprised the Coast Guard let it leave port.

[poor taxpayer]

Good Riddance wrote:

They lose money when they get so tight-fisted that their employees quit and their customers go elsewhere. The last few times I was on this boat, it was like a ghost town. Most of their dealers went south to Miami weeks before the shutdown. With the upcoming opening of table games in Tampa, and another casino ship (operated by a former Sterling exec) coming to Canaveral, it was only a matter of time. Add to that the poor maintenance of the ship and constant hassle from the Coast Guard. The food and the perks have always sucked, and the damn thing wallows around so much with its broken steering thrusters that it takes an hour to get out of the port and another hour to re-dock. The owners refused over the years to put in a poker room, because they can only get a percentage, and they'd much rather make a killing with tight, unregulated, slots. slots.

Sounds like they got a little greedy. But I just wonder if the "bosses back home" were demanding that they kick up more than they were able.

[No WiFi for me please]

The same Spiderhost that was charged by Eliot Spitzer's office for internet drug trafficking in 2005? No thanks...I'll pass on pulling out my credit card and using it on their network.

[poor taxpayer]

No WiFi for me please wrote:

The same Spiderhost that was charged by Eliot Spitzer's office for internet drug trafficking in 2005? No thanks...I'll pass on pulling out my credit card and using it on their network.

Spitzer was probably just in a bad mood because his 'ho was late.

[ben]

The Sterling & Sun Cruz are two of the nastiest, stinkiest, filthiest casino cruise ships I have ever had the displeasure of boarding. I can't believe a casino boat could ever look as poor and run down as those two do. What could they possibly be doing with their earnings?

[poor taxpayer]

Bat Man wrote:

<quoted text>
I won some coin on Sun Cruz first time going on it. I sucked down plenty of free Beer and never went back so I am ahead of the game

Good for you. You are one of the very few winners. I always thought of it as cheap entertainment. You could stay at a hotel on the beach and get free transportation to Port Canaveral. Onboard they had free drinks or cheap ones if you didn't gamble. Mediocre entertainment, but still free. And you got to go on a free boat ride to nowhere. Now if I would've known the thing was a POS waiting to capsize at any moment, I don't think I would've ever gone.

[SCREWED]

As I was an employee I saw how the ship went down hill due to upper management (who never sailed)wanting to get the most without giving anything back. The marine crew seemed to be hired not by ability but by how inexpensive the company could get their contract. The comps were basically non-existant due to directives from the main office. The lack of maintence was appaling, causing the coast guard to stop the ship from sailing numerance times. The Slots were continously being tweeked to prevent large payouts. The table game employees were constantly being harranged to speed up play and dealers changed to "prevent" players from winning. VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS WERE BEING RUN BY SOMEONE WHO HAD NO CASINO EXPERIENCE BUT WAS A NUMBERS CRUNCHER AND IT SHOWED IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE. I hope that people realize how upper management has no regards for employees and ,rather than correct problems, just move the ship to a different venue to do it all over again.

[Sando]

I worked for Sterling the entire time it was around, including on the Newyorker. I did see it decline from day one. The condition of the ship was horrid, the smell of well toilet, was tru the entire ship by the end of it all. Employees were very very upset by the total disregard for health and safety, but at the same time, this piece of floating rubbish was our living, we have families to feed and bills to pay just like everyone else. So we are sad to see it go. Thank god for Larry Mullins, whatever you want to say about him, he is creating Jobs for a lot of people in Brevard. So good luck with the new ship.

[sowhat]

?

[Publicidad enganosa]

Toda la programacion que encuentras en internet donde dice que las mujeres no pagan o algo asi, todo es mentira, tiene que pagar por todo ( todo es todo) no te dan ni un vaso de agua gratis.... la entrada no es 5 USD son 8 USD la comida son 10 USD, y realmente es un viejo barco sin nada atractivo...si eres joven y quieres diversion nunca vayas a este casino realmente no tiene nada....

[SunCruz- a bad old boat]

Sterling Casino was an old boat too, but the difference is that it was free; in Sun Cruz you need to pay for everything and really there’s nothing in this old boat that merits paying 8 USD to come, 10 USD for bad buffet, and not even drinks are free, you need to pay for everything, and if you are young people, really in this place you won’t find anything interesting...

[Charles Schroeder]

Sorry to see it go,hope it returns soon.although some of the coments made are justified,the fact that you take a four hour boat ride, eat, drink, watch, excellent entertaintment,is outstanding,the best value in the state of Florida. Where else can you get something for nothing.Wakeup and smell the coffe.The compliant deparment is on level 15, got it.

[florida gal]

who is sterling owned by ?

[in the heat of the night]

May 19/2009 PLEASE BRING THE STERLING BACK TO THE PORT, MOST OF US MISS IT...

[scaramoash]

this boat is a piece of work, if you want to bring it back you talking 10-15 Million dollars and six month minimum repairs, it's old n good for nothing . Scrap metal is the only way you can get money out of it. You know who you are :) forget it .

[Dana H]

We were on the Sterling II and it was so much fun!! Maybe it wasn't perfect, but what do you expect for free? We had a great time! Hope it will come back to Port Canaveral....

[Ron]

Yes, it may have been a bucket of rust, but it was our bucket. Many people made a living on that boat. Sure a lot of emoloyies wished it would go bottom up, and it did. As they say, be careful what you wish for. Those same people are out there now beating on the bushes looking for work. Well, surprise, surprise, THERE ARE NO JOBS ANYWHERE. I bet they would be the first in line to sign up if it ever came back.