Seed questions by Ian Sutton & Scott Cameron

Good day Mr. Dofort and thank you for giving us the opportunity to ask you some questions about your position at Carnival Corporation, the work you do and the onboard casino operations across the fleet.

​Where are you based and how big is the casino department now. How many staff and ships are you in charge of?

We are based in Carnival Place which is near the Doral Golf Resort West of Miami. We currently operate on 70 ships which comprise ten different cruise brands under the Carnival Corporation parent company and we have another eight major cruise ships under construction for delivery in the next two years. In approximate terms we are now around 800 gaming tables, 8,000 slots and 2,000 casino staff. We are currently on 20 Carnival ships and 53 non Carnival including Princess, P&O, Cunard, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Costa, Windstar, and P&O Australia

What is you background in the casino business, where & when did you first enter the business?

I answered a newspaper ad in 1974 for trainee dealers for the London Playboy Club. Although I was successful I did not take the position they offered until two years later when I started as a trainee roulette dealer.

What was your personal motivation at the time. The financial rewards, an unusual profession, or the chance to travel and see something of the world?

My primary motivation was being laid off as a representative in the construction industry. Of course the mystique that surrounded the whole world of the Playboy Clubs in the Seventies didn't hurt either. Those few of your readers who may have been connected with the gaming industry at that time will recall that there were very few casinos in existence worldwide ( outside of Nevada and Great Britain) so the overseas opportunities I remember in 1974 were mostly the Bahamas, Iran, Tasmania and South Africa.

 When did you join Carnival and how big was the company at the time?
 
I  joined Carnival in November 1983 when they opened the Cable Beach Casino in Nassau after Playboy backed out of the project and, in fact, out of the casino business altogether. At that time Carnival had just acquired its fourth ship, the Tropicale.

"The Fun Ships". Not having ever taken a Carnival cruise what is it that differentiates Carnival from other cruise lines? Is the clientele, a much younger crowd? 

Although Carnival has always had an element of the young, party image it carries a remarkably diverse group of different ages and different backgrounds. I think I would best characterize the guests as 'young at heart' in so far as they all seem determined to enjoy their vacation, regardless of the economy, politics or the weather.

What does your  working day entail. Are you hands on taking care of staff issues, transfers, holidays etc.. Or are you studying the finances, results, percentages and budgets etc..? 

We are pretty much a self contained casino operation handling most of the staffing, operational and financial aspects here in the one office and I am fortunate to have a very talented team to rely on for a great deal of the detail. I still retain oversight of purchasing, budget presentation and the final say on hiring. A normal start to my day would be to deal with 80 + emails, 30 + purchase requisitions and study the End Of Voyage reports from the ships which come in at the rate of 80 per week. I also serve on the Quality Assurance Committee for the Carnival brand which requires a separate trip to all 20 ships in that fleet each year. In total I currently expect to spend around 90 nights on the road each year and travel over 100,000 miles visiting ships, shipyards, cruise lines head offices and casino shows.

Carnival's casinos are generally bigger than on other lines. After bar receipts I would presume that the casino is the largest revenue earner onboard? Is this correct?

We do have some of the larger casinos at sea not just in the Carnival fleet but also in Princess, Costa and some of the new Vista class ships of Holland America Line. In every line the cabin price will always be the major portion of the revenue and the relative income created by casino varies according to the line, the passenger demographics and the length of the itinerary. We generally take the approach that we are not a casino company, that casino revenues are less than 5% of overall revenues and consequently we don't split them out from our onboard revenue stream.

What is the nationality split. Is it true that the British staff, that may once have been a majority are now only a minority onboard? 

As a general rule we have more than 50 different nationalities represented in our casino staff at any one time. I can remember ten years ago when the British made up more than a third of all staff and that is probably more like 18% today. That is a factor of the globalization of the world economy as more countries have legalized casinos and permitted their citizens to go overseas and also the recent exchange rate changes making our $US incomes less attractive to British staff.

Where or how do you recruit? How effective is your website?

The website has transformed our recruitment process over the last five years and I suspect that upcoming planned improvements will make it even more user friendly. We do utilize our Shipboard Casino Management to conduct local interviews when they are home between contracts and we find that this gives them a much clearer view of the difficulties of effective staff selection.

​On average how long do casino staff stay with Carnival? Can you truly offer a career to those who are enthusiastic and have the necessary abilities to progress within the company? 

​We currently have a large number of staff who have been onboard for over ten years and several who have around twenty years seniority. We certainly do provide every type of job opportunity from one six month contract to a full fledged career complete with pension. Wherever possible we try to promote from within the organization and with our ongoing rapid expansion there are always promotion prospects available.

What are the living and social conditions like onboard for casino staff?

Our staff generally shares a two berth (bunk) cabin with an attached bathroom.  Staff amenities vary greatly according to the fleet and the size and age of the ship but casino staff all have deck privileges ie. they are permitted to use many passenger lounges and facilities, subject to some logical restrictions, in their off duty time. 

Possibly the hardest thing for the shipboard casino worker to adjust to is the fact that, even when they finish work, they are always a crew member on an ocean going vessel and are subject to certain standards of behavior and discipline. As a member of the crew, casino staff also has assigned duties in the event of boat drills or an actual emergency and they will be responsible for guiding guests to their boat stations or even be part of a lifeboat crew.

How long is a typical contract. What do you pay for,  presumably all flights, transport and accommodation costs? 

Contacts run from 6 - 8 months onboard with 6- 8 weeks off between contracts. We actually do not pay for air tickets for dealers at any stage of their career. Cashiers, Supervisors and technicians receive their airfare home at the end of each contract and the Management team receive round trip airfare at all times. We also pay for one night's hotel accommodation the night before boarding to start a new contract. When staff are moved between ships for our needs all expenses are borne by the company.

How much can a dealer and supervisor expect  to earn. Do individual ships keep their own tips and is there a big difference throughout the fleet?

Some time ago we started a partial tip sharing system to reduce the differential between the top and bottom earning ships and this has resulted in a more even distribution of incomes. Our dealers currently have a total income, tips and salary, in the range of $1,500 - $3,000 or more per month and the corresponding figure for Inspectors, Supervisors, would be $1,900 - $4,000 depending on the ship and their seniority. In comparing these incomes to a land based operation you need to be aware that our staff have virtually no living expenses.

How long would be a typical working week for casino staff. Do they get one day a week off?

Since the hours of the casino operation are determined by the itinerary the ship is sailing, eg casinos are normally only open while the ships are at sea, there is no such thing as a typical casino work schedule. For most staff the working week will consist of 47 - 54 hours and days off are allocated only according to the needs of the operation and the available number of staff.

Do new recruits get any say in the ship or line upon which they are placed. Do senior staff with a few contracts behind them have more choice in this matter? 

All staff have the option to indicate a preference in ship assignment but we will give added weight to requests from our more senior staff.

What are you looking for in a potential new staff member. Is personality more important than technical casino abilities? 

​We run tourist casinos where everyone is on vacation and the gaming aspect is often secondary. We look for pleasant adaptable staff who can get along with their fellow crewmembers and add to the guest's enjoyment of their cruise. Talking to the guest is an important part of the job description in our operation. Typical minimum experience would be 1-2 years of Blackjack and Roulette with a clean job history.

What is the future for Carnival. Just how big is the company going to get?

From 1983 to 2006 I will have seen the company go from around 2,500 lower beds to more than 140,000 and cruising will still be much less than 10% of the vacation market in the US. 
To put it another way five times as many people visited Orlando last year as went on a cruise so the market is still wide open for expansion and I expect the various cruise lines under the Carnival Corporation umbrella to be in the forefront of that expansion. 

And finally if you had your time over again. Would you 
like to be a casino staff member on board a Carnival Fun ship. ?

I am proud to have watched literally thousands of staff come to the ships, meet and mix with other cultures and nationalities and travel the world before returning to a land based life again. I would certainly love to experience the life onboard and I have a son and daughter who I would definitely encourage to try it.

YOUR QUESTIONS
 For
Rodney C Dofort
 Vice President Casino Operations
Carnival Corporation Casino Division 

FR - Dealer, Norwich, Conn
I don't understand the term "contracts" as they apply to some of your answers in the interview. Does it mean a job description policy and procedural agreement one must adhere to? Can you please explain.
 
In maritime employment you sign a contract for a specific period, normally 6 – 8 months and then take 6 – 8 weeks off between ’contracts’. Technically you are not employed while off the ship although your seniority for pension and other benefits continues provided you commence another contract within approximately six months.
 
Michael - Dealer San Diego, CA
Having enjoyed many short 3-4 day Mexican cruises, I've noticed very few if any Americans working in the onboard casinos. Is this a fact with the entire fleet?

This is generally the case with the major cruise lines Michael. We have more than 50 different nationalities in the Casino Division at any one time and they tend to come from countries where casino salaries are lower, tipping is not permitted or opportunities for advancement are less. None of those issues apply to US casino staff especially given the ongoing expansion of casino gaming to new States.
 
K.H. - TGS Tunica, MS
What taxes would I be responsible for and does it matter where somebody is from?

Given the large number of nationalities onboard we do not pretend to have a grasp of all the various income tax regulations that each staff member might face. I believe we are expected to withhold 15% of salary for US citizens and residents and we do provide W2 reports for them.  

Ron - Dealer Scottsdale, AZ
My wife and I work together and we are young and have no children yet. Does Carnival hire married couples and if so how does this work and could we stay together? A friend says that sometimes you split couples up on renewed contracts.
Ron, I suspect your friend is referring to one of the other major cruise lines. We actually welcome couples as sometimes being more stable and long serving and if we hire as a couple we do everything possible to keep them together subject to staffing needs and cabin availability.
 
GreginTahoe TGS
Would the experienced day boat dealers be considered first for employment? Seems to me they would  have a better idea of what to expect having already developed their "sea legs" and all.
Actually Greg, day boat dealers are probably less likely to adapt to the big ship environment because they are used to going home to an apartment at the end of each day while my staff make their home and their social life onboard.
 
Sea legs are rarely an issue with the size and seaworthiness of the modern cruiseliners though that is not to imply that you would never see rough seas.
 
Toby - Dealer Reno, NV
Does the Carnival Corporation manage all the casinos in the entire fleet or do you hire some casino companies to manage them?  What about staffing these poker cruses I hear about?
There are no other companies involved in the management of our casino operations in the various Corporate fleets Toby. There are a small number of companies conducting poker cruises onboard ships, including on our vessels, and they bring their own equipment and experienced poker staff onboard for each event.
 
               
Samiam - Dealer Las Vegas, NV
I work with an Australian guy that dealt on a couple of cruise lines. He claims that very few of the major cruise companies hire dealers from the U.S. - He says it is because Americans are lazy. Any truth to that?
After 28 years in the business Sam I honestly don’t believe there is a single characteristic that you can uniformly apply to a nationality. I think the casino employment prospects around the US are simply too good for most Americans to try a shipboard job and it is very easy to just sign off the ship and go home to a good casino position. We have had some US staff who have gone on to be excellent managers but have then found top positions on land.
 
Anne - Dealer Las Vegas, NV
As Vice President of Casino Operations are you telling us that there 73 casino managers under your control? ( 20 Carnival ships and 53 non Carnival) Next question is Are you married?
Yes Anne, there are 73 ships under my control although some are small luxury vessels and don’t have a manager position.
I checked with my wife and she said to say that I have been ‘happily married’ for nearly 19 years.
 
Richard - Dual-Rate Scottsdale, AZ
Will I be able to leave ship and visit the ports? If so, for how long?
Richard, a typical port stop is anywhere from 6 to 16 hours and generally the casino is closed in ports so this is break time for our staff. There is now a safety requirement that a percentage of the crew remain onboard in every port in case of an emergency so there is always a chance that some casino staff are assigned to this detail. It doesn’t require any duties beyond physically being present on the ship.
 
 
 
Andy - TGS Las Vegas, NV
Can an unmarried couple get hired with you guys and share the same cabin? What about fraternizing with guests and or staff? Is this a big problem among the boys so to speak?  Gotta ask sir, inquiring minds want to know.
Our staff is all, hopefully, adults and we do not require a marriage license to treat them as a couple Andy. We do have very set standards regarding acceptable conduct between staff and guests and we do expect that all our staff will respect those restrictions.
 
A.R. - TGS Windsor, Ontario Canada
Do you hire table game supervisors from the outside if qualified for such position or primarily promote within?
We have a general policy that a table game supervisor is the first rung of the management ladder that leads to Casino Manager. Since we wouldn’t want to have a Casino Manager who didn’t know all the games on the floor we won’t promote to Supervisor without all games including Craps.
We always try to promote from within for obvious morale reasons but at times of rapid expansion, such as now, our staff know that we will bring talented management in if we need to.
 
"G" Casino marketing, North Carolina
What type of documentation would someone need, and does it matter where you're from?
US citizens and residents need a passport and a very thorough medical but beyond that there are no other specific requirements. See website
 
Dee - Dealer Wisconsin
I was reading on the message board that dealers receive most of their income from tokes. is it true that they only get $10 a day in salary??????
That is correct Dee. $10 per day is the current starting rate for a blackjack/roulette dealer and there are pay increments for craps, trainee supervisor and on through the supervisor pay scale. In our system supervisors also receive a share of the tips. It is quite natural for a US dealer to be horrified at the $10 per day rate but when you consider the $1,500 to $3,000 + total spending money that the dealers can make without rent, food, transportation or utility bills to worry about.
 
Scott - DualRate Las Vegas, NV
Is there a cutoff age for casino staff? How old is too old to be considered for employment and is there a mandatory retirement age?
I am 53 and I would like to think I can still do a useful job and I know there are at least two of my staff on the ships who are ten years older than me and still, in my opinion, doing a great job Scott.
 

Shawn- Dealer Melbourne, Australia
First of all thanks for taking the time to answer all these questions, very helpful, as I have been considering the cruise ships for a while now.
You mentioned in a previous answer that promotion was not possible without "all games including craps", what games are available on your ships? And do you have internal training for say someone that you believe would make a good supervisor but isn’t lucky enough to have craps? I work at a large Australian casino and craps is not a high profile game here, with very few tables, and our casino doesn't (as a general rule) like handing out third games, as it would involve a pay increase. Currently I have BJ, AR and CSP.
 
Shawn, We have a large number of staff from Australia and New Zealand and a fair number of them have gone on to become Casino Hosts or enter management. It is not at all unusual for someone like yourself to join and then let your Manager know that you are very keen to learn dice.
 
CF- Dealer New Orleans, LA
Is there a site on the net where one could apply for a dealing job and receive offers from multiple cruise lines or must I apply at each independently?
I haven’t heard of any site that recruits across various companies unless there is an employment agency site doing that.
 
 
HT- Dealer Location not disclosed>:>:
We were discussing this interview last night at work and clearly this is not the life for me but can you tell us the demographics of the typical entry-level recruit?
If there is a typical new hire they would have 1.5 – 10 years experience in a regular land based casino environment dealing blackjack, roulette and poker. Typical nationalities of applicants varies according to local casino opportunities and exchange rates which make the cruise ship job more or less competitive.
 
Dennis- Dealer Laughlin, NV
Is it true that most dealers use a broker to find work within this industry?
Dennis, There are many agencies who try to make a profit out of selling employment information but I would expect that less than 5% of our applicants find us by that method and the rest now come straight to the oceancasinojobs website.
               
Dale - TGS Palm Springs, CA
Mr Dofort, first off I would like to thank you for taking the time to do this. This interview has created a buzzsaw of debate among staff I work with. My question is this. Are all casino staff paid in US currency? And if so, does this not create problems for a few staff members and the currency exchange rates?
 
Dale, Although time consuming I love talking about our industry in general and our company in particular so this has so far been a positive experience. Except for the staff on Costa Cruise Line who are paid in Euros, all other casino staff are paid wages, and tips, in US dollars. Substantial changes in exchange rates such as have occurred in the last year make the job less attractive to certain nationalities if their focus is on sending money home.
 
Karen Dealer Las Vegas, NV
Can you tell us the games offered on most ships with minimum / maximum betting limits? Also, do any of the ships have bingo (My mom wants to know) or wagering on sporting events?
Karen. Typical limits are $3 - $100 // $5 - $200 // $10 - $300 // $25 - $500. Some of the poker games have lower maximums . In most ships we have Blackjack, Roulette, Craps (Double Odds), Caribbean Stud and Three Card Poker. Most large ships have bingo games and we currently do not provide sports betting anywhere. 
 
SL, Dealer, Melbourne, Australia
Criminal convictions: I have a record, stupid stuff as a kid, marijuana for personal use (obviously I would never do that now), all were prior to my employment at current job and receiving my gaming license here. Would you foresee that as a problem?  

Logical question. My response, just as I say at recruitment seminars, is that we have very few angels working for us and we are more concerned with how your behavior and performance will be if you join us. It is however vitally important that applicants provide us with their full background when applying so that we make our hiring decision based on the person they are and not some enhanced person they would like to have been.
 
Christie- Dealer Washington
Any idea how many female dealers are working the casinos on Carnival? Also, I would like to ask if it is safe for young women to do this solo? My family is worried about the terrorism threat to the passenger cruise lines and feel this may not be the right time to apply.
 
As far as I am aware there have been no specific threats against cruise ships. We have a substantial security department onboard each ship and work closely with a number of Government agencies to ensure the safety of our guests and crew and the ship itself. Is this the right time to apply? The answer has to be a personal one according to your view of the world around you.
 
Michelle - Dealer - Tunica,
Having never been on a cruise, what are the most popular destinations among casino workers? Would the QM2 be the ship of first choice?

New hires often request ships that friends have previously worked on but once they have been onboard and listened to their fellow employees they have a clearer view of what their priorities are for their next contract. For example they may request assignment based on the tip levels, or the homeport or the ports to be visited. I think many of the staff are happy with the short cruises to the Bahamas while others dream of at least one World Cruise before they leave.
 
 
Karen - Dealer Las Vegas, NV
How long does the average casino dealer work on ships (1 year? 2 years?) Also Mr Dofort, do you have any idea what the percentages are of new-hires that quit, realizing perhaps that life at sea is not for them?
 
Karen, I would have trouble giving you an average with any sort of accuracy. I can say that we have around 100 staff currently who have been with us for ten years or more and are now vested in our pension plan. Every year there are a small number of new hires who quit early in their first contact because they don’t think they can adjust to shipboard life. Several will try again and some of those will succeed the second time around.
 
PT- Dealer Kansas City
Are the west coast Mexico cruises considered the break-in casino ships? That's what I hear. 
Absolutely untrue. We are supposed to provide a consistent casino experience on all ships in all lines and cannot afford to concentrate the new staff in one area. Actually the West Coast cruises to Mexico are some of our busiest.
 
 
Brett Dealer Albuquerque, NM
Can you be more specific about the duties that are in a dealers job description unrelated to the ships casino?

Non casino duties vary according to the line. On large ships with 20 - 45 casino staff it may only be directing guests to boat stations during the boat drill or directing them to their cabins when they first board. On the very small luxury ships with 2 - 5 casino staff there might be time manning the information desk, helping with the water sports, eg. banana boat rides or waterskiing, or going along on a shore tour as an escort.

JH - TGS - Las Vegas, NV
Hi there, your interview with Rodney Dofort is great! Fantastic idea! This is good because of all the stupid rumors that fly around about working on cruise ships. Can you ask him if it is true or not if a staff member gets terminated do they get left at the next port and must fend for themselves? 
 
JH. Regardless of the reason for termination it will ultimately be the responsibility of the cruise line to return a crewmember to their home country.
 
 
Victor - TGS - Detroit
Scott, in your interview with Rodney Dofort there was no mention of the benefits package offered. Why? There is no mention of it on their site.

Victor. Good point. We tend not to advertise the job a great deal since we still receive around 10-15 applications for every position we fill and the majority of applicants seem to know about us from their friends who are, or have been, employed onboard. Although we have a stock purchase plan and a pension plan these have no relevance for the new hire so we don't promote them at the recruitment stage.
 
 
Joe -TGS- Detroit
Does Carnival have some sort of living arrangements on land when a staff member is in between contracts? Rumor around here is that there is some sort company owned condos they rent out. Can you find out if that is true or not?

Joe, There is common confusion between cruise ships and day gaming ships. Day boats operate 1-2 cruises per day of 6-12 hours and focus mostly on casino gaming. Their casino staffs often lives in condos and go to work on the ship just like a land based dealer. Cruise ships operate for anything from 2 days up to a world cruise at 110 days and are virtually never in a homeport overnight. The casino is only one of the many entertainment areas onboard and the staff lives full time on the ship until the end of their contract when they go home until they decide to seek another contract.
 
Scott Cameron CasinoDealers
Well, I guess that wraps it up Mr.Dofort. We truly appreciate you taking the time from your busy schedule. Clearly this has been a very unique presentation and I hope it went very smooth for you.
 
Any last thoughts?
 
 
Thanks for inviting me, I had my reservations at first as you know but it turned out to be very gratifying and I had fun. I really enjoy talking about our industry. As one of the questioners said the onboard casino job is not for everyone but it is an option for the right type of applicant and we still have another ten major cruise ships to be delivered in the next two years so there are plenty of opportunities.

​Thanks everyone who participated in this project. I would also like to thank Ian Sutton the Editor of Gamingfloor.Com who helped make this happen. We all learned something this week.
 
Good job everybody.
 
Scott
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