Crystal On-Board Casinos

[DPMinc]

Crystal, Caesars Palace casinos part ways

Crystal Cruises and Caesars Palace are ending a partnership that put Caesars Palace-branded casinos on Crystal’s ships.

According to a Crystal spokeswoman, since gaming company Harrah’s Entertainment completed its merger with Caesars earlier this summer, Harrah’s decided to use their “resources on other opportunities.”

The breakup, the Crystal spokeswoman said, is a friendly one, and though the two companies “mutually agreed to discontinue the relationship” once Caesars Palace’s management contract expires at the end of 2005, Caesars has agreed to be “flexible” about when they pull the Caesars Palace at Sea casinos off of Crystal ships. The line said it expects to have another gaming operation in place in the first half of 2006.

Crystal has been the only cruise line to partner with a brand-name gaming establishment like Caesars.

Crystal said it is looking at alternative partnerships with other land-based casinos. It said it would continue to abide by Nevada gaming laws and serve complimentary drinks in the casinos.

Paul

Hi,
At least, they only have two ships to worry about, as HARMONY is heading off to its parent company's yards in November to re-emerge months later as AKUA II. , I beleive.
No doubt, the '' casino '' portion of that '' new '' ship will be tailored to local Japanese business practices and governing laws.
Crystal Cruise ought to consider doing what everybody else does: run its own casino operations and keep all the $$$. If they run a casino the way they manage their ships, it will be quite a fine set-up......then, who would need a land-based operator ???

Cheers
CG