Nelson said there is daily entertainment, but in the spire-topped pavilion, not on the boat. People don't board this boat just for a free sightseeing cruise. No swimming pool, lounge chairs or wandering servers are on the open top deck, only round tables with four chairs attached to each.
No age group, gender or race predominated.Ī cruise ship this is not. The boat was not jammed, but certainly had a large crowd aboard. Nearly every employee I passed wished me good luck. But I didn't object, since she agreed to show me around Northern Star less than an hour before it sailed. 'We pay a $2-a-head tax.' One dollar goes to the city and another $1 to the state, 'plus a 20 percent tax on our gross gaming revenues.'Ī large sign at the ticket counter warns, 'Know when to stop before you start.' It lists a toll-free number 'for people who may have a problem with gambling or know someone who does.' Another large sign warns that anyone under 21 found gambling in the casino 'is subject to arrest and prosecution.'īefore I boarded, Nelson gave me a few rules: I could not interview customers or employees (she even suggested I put my notebook away, which I didn't do), and I was not allowed to take photographs on the boat - though later I saw other people taking pictures on Southern Star II. 'We are taxed by the number of people getting on the boats,' said Nelson.
