Virgin Voyages, WPT present first permanent cruise ship poker room

Mo Afdhal
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Posted on: May 1, 2023 4:46 pm EDT

Virgin Voyages announces a new partnership with the World Poker Tour. Together, the two entities will present a world-class poker experience during every sailing aboard Virgin Voyage’s Scarlet Lady. The cruise line offers four-night or five-night experiences, departing from the brand’s homeport of Miami.

A one of a kind experience

The WPT at Sea poker room is a first of its kind in the industry. The standing poker venue will have eight custom tables staffed by high-level, professional dealers, with a variety of formats. These include beginner training, cash games, satellites, and tournaments for WPT packages, with buy-ins ranging from $80 to $320.

“As a new brand with an innovative spirit, we’ve been fortunate to introduce many industry firsts, including our partnership with the World Poker Tour and WPT at Sea,” said Tom McAlpin, CEO of Virgin Voyages. “Our adult-only, premium experience offers an incredible backdrop, not only for a great vacation, but also as an oasis for the WPT in a way never seen before.”

The $320 buy-in WPT at Sea Main Event is on the schedule for each voyage of the Scarlet Lady. The event may award a WPT prize package, valued at $5,000, depending on the number of participants. These packages are redeemable on any future voyage or WPT event.

In another first, the WPT at Sea introduces an entirely cashless experience for players. The wearable devices given to guests allows for seamless handling of all transactions.

The concept of a floating poker experience is one that the WPT has experience with. Recently, WPT Prime India hosted a slate of events aboard the Deltin Royale. The tour stop was a smashing success, setting several records for live poker in India.

“After witnessing the magic of cruise-line poker with Virgin Voyages last season, we instantly sought to establish a permanent fixture,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “Scarlet Lady provides the perfect residence for WPT at Sea, which will bring the WPT poker experience to the high seas.”