Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) is inviting passengers to try their luck at the poker table with the addition of new automated facilities onboard one of its ships.
Manufactured by PokerPro, the new computerised tables will be trialled for a 90-day period on the Norwegian Pearl. If the tables prove popular with guests, then hi-tech poker could become a fixture on all NCL's liners.
The trial was welcomed by Jim Abbas, vice president of casino operations with NCL, who said the operator will be eagerly monitoring how successful the new additions to the casino prove to be.
"The ship offers tremendous choices already, from bowling to rock climbing, and automated poker is one more exciting entertainment option," he added.
What sets the tables apart from manual games is the quicker and more efficient service. With less mediation to do, casino staff can spend more time attending to passengers.
PokerPro claims that the product is 100 per cent accurate, which should remove the human error that might otherwise slow a game down.
Written by Neil Condron