- Is There Gambling On Cruise Ships In Hawaii Five-o
- Is There Gambling On Cruise Ships In Hawaii Right Now
Please disregard cb's posts as they are almost invariably wrong. Once the ship is outside 12 nautical miles, the casino can open. It is only ships that home port in Hawaii (currently only the POA). Though there are fewer places to smoke on cruise ships than ever before, casinos are one of the last holdouts. Most cruise ship casinos, with the exception of the luxury lines, have designated smoking areas for cigarette smokers; however, cigar lovers are rarely permitted to light up. Card sharks are a rare species at sea. Boasting over 200 slots and a variety of games, the colorful Jewel Club Casino is the perfect place for those who want to try their luck and have some fun. Norwegian Jewel has it all. Norwegian Jewel cruises to Alaska, Transcanal/Panama Canal, U.S. And Canada, Mexico, Australia/New Zealand, Hawaii and many more worldwide destinations. Most cruise ship passengers are on vacation to enjoy the cruise, and gambling is just one small piece of their trip. Therefore, the casino is competing with other shipboard activities. At one time, a cruise might be the first gaming exposure for many passengers.
UPDATE May 27 1pm:
Eugene Tian, Ph.D, Economic Research Administrator for the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism responded to our inquiry regarding the line in their report which stated 'No cruise visitors until second half of 2021″. His clarification received via email is below:
Regarding the cruise visitors to Hawaii, that is a pure assumption by a group of economists within the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, the assumption is NOT a decision of government officials. Our assumption is on the conservative side, the purpose is to provide the economic impact of a conservative scenario. The assumption is based on two factors: (1) the projected COVID-19 pandemic will finish by the end of 2020 worldwide; (2) people are reluctant to travel via cruise for a few month after the ending of the pandemic.
There are a few cruise ships are scheduled to visit Hawaii during Fall this year. If the 14-day quarantine for transpacific visitors is lifted earlier than September, the cruise ship visiting will be possible and visitor arrivals to Hawaii will be higher than we assumed.
The article as originally posted appears below:
May 27, 2020 11am:
As some tourism boards in the Caribbean and Europe are taking steps towards reopening their countries to travelers, the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) is going in the opposite direction according to a bullet point buried in their second quarter 2020 Statistical and Economic Report.
The report, released May 22, states that Hawaii's economic growth will fall by 12.1 percent in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the islands won't see cruise passengers until at least halfway through 2021. The report also predicts that it will be six years until visitors return to the island at the same levels as 2019.
According to the Hawaiian Tourism Authority, 142,836 people took a cruise to Hawaii in 2019.
Bad News for Hawaiian Cruises
The report released by DBEDT focuses on the state's economics as a whole, but the bullet point regarding cruises was startling and unfortunately, the report didn't go into detail about why it was the case.
The Department's report stated 'No cruise visitors until second half of 2021' but didn't explain if that was a decision made by state officials or simply a forecast regarding the reluctance of people to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Porthole Cruise has reached out to department members for clarification and will report back with any new information.
Regarding visitors to the islands in general, the report stated:
Hawaii will welcome 3.4 million visitors in 2020, a decrease of 67.5 percent from the 2019 level. Visitor arrivals will increase to 6.2 million in 2021, 8.3 million in 2022, and 9.4 million in 2023. Visitor arrivals will not reach the 2019 level until 2025, based on the assumptions.
'Hawaii was one of the hardest hit states economically, but is one of the safest states in the nation during this COVID-19 pandemic,' said DBEDT Director Mike McCartney. 'While our economy will not recover overnight, Hawaii is well positioned because of our strong human will, innovative spirit and physical infrastructure. We are well positioned to go beyond recovery and evolve into a more balanced and diversified economy.'
We'll keep an eye on the story and update when more details become available.
According to the Hawaiian Tourism Authority, 142,836 people took a cruise to Hawaii in 2019.
Bad News for Hawaiian Cruises
The report released by DBEDT focuses on the state's economics as a whole, but the bullet point regarding cruises was startling and unfortunately, the report didn't go into detail about why it was the case.
The Department's report stated 'No cruise visitors until second half of 2021' but didn't explain if that was a decision made by state officials or simply a forecast regarding the reluctance of people to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Porthole Cruise has reached out to department members for clarification and will report back with any new information.
Regarding visitors to the islands in general, the report stated:
Hawaii will welcome 3.4 million visitors in 2020, a decrease of 67.5 percent from the 2019 level. Visitor arrivals will increase to 6.2 million in 2021, 8.3 million in 2022, and 9.4 million in 2023. Visitor arrivals will not reach the 2019 level until 2025, based on the assumptions.
'Hawaii was one of the hardest hit states economically, but is one of the safest states in the nation during this COVID-19 pandemic,' said DBEDT Director Mike McCartney. 'While our economy will not recover overnight, Hawaii is well positioned because of our strong human will, innovative spirit and physical infrastructure. We are well positioned to go beyond recovery and evolve into a more balanced and diversified economy.'
We'll keep an eye on the story and update when more details become available.
Hawaii is a great place to go for a vacation. However, people defined vacation differently. For some, vacation is about relaxation on the beach or just lounging back at home; indulging themselves to eating or drinking . But for a few, casinos' slot machines and poker tables are their downtime. Now, if you are looking for a mini Vegas in paradise —Hawaii prohibits gambling and casinos.
If you have no idea yet. Hawaii is one of the two states which did not legalized gambling. Authorities of Hawaii strictly prohibits lotteries, horse races and sports betting. Even bingo is illegal here. Furthermore, they strictly prohibited cruise ships gambling on Hawaiian waters too.
Hawaii's gambling laws explicitly bans all casinos and gambling events on its coast. Violating this law can result to imprisonment.
This law expands to locals and homeowners in Hawaii. The law doesn't only cover the casinos and gambling events and venues. Moreover, they are prohibiting slot machines too even if it's just for display or collection purposes
Why Hawaiians Opposed Gambling?
Hawaiians value family above everything else. True enough, it is the core of their tradition and culture. Most people in Hawaii oppose gambling because they think it will take away the family atmosphere. And for the same reason, it may create more problems or chaos. For them, there are a lot of activities to enjoy year-round in Hawaii. This state offers different of good places to see, delicious food to eat and great people to meet.
Dianne Kay, president of Hawaii Coalition against gambling said that people don't come in Hawaii just to gamble. 'It would be sad if we destroyed the beautiful ambiance we have here', she added.
Casino Openings in Hawaii
Gambling enthusiasts argue that Hawaii can use the revenue from the casinos. They believe that, the industry would draw much-needed new money and jobs into the tourism-dependent economy. In fact, lawmakers in Hawaii pitch gambling bills every year. They view gambling as an opportunity to raise money without having to hike taxes.
Is There Gambling On Cruise Ships In Hawaii Five-o
However, the chances of opening such gambling spots in any time soon are low. Because of this, the locals of Hawaii are happy with that outcome. To them, Hawaii is all about connecting with nature, being at peace, and interacting with family and friends. They believe that gambling will take all of these. Hawaii will remain to be the tropical paradise everybody has known it to be. Perfect with just surfboards, hula, and luau. They are contented even if there are no poker chips and slot machines. For now, entertainment in the islands mean being at the beach while eating delicious Hawaiian food. What's more exciting is learning how to surf and to hula. Above all, soaking in the sun while it lasts is the best.
Is There Gambling On Cruise Ships In Hawaii Right Now
So, if you want to try your luck by betting and rolling on casinos, Hawaii isn't for you. But if you want a get away from daily stresses, Hawaii will always be a great spot for everyone.
