Atlantic City Cruises – Atlantic City’s #1 Tour

Atlantic City Cruises Buy Tickets and get more information!

Atlantic City rightfully directs most of its press and marketing activity towards things that cater to the over-21 market. After all, it’s a gambling town, and the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority (correctly) does not lose sight of that. But an activity that might unfortunately go overlooked during a visitor’s time here is Atlantic City Cruises. The cruises are a spectacular option for families visiting in the summer, and also for the other parent with the kids when Parent #1 is in convention meetings all day. As a concierge, I’m amazed sometimes at the number of people that didn’t know an excursion like this was available, and I’m all too happy to help. The cruise season currently runs from May 10th to October 14th, with anywhere from one to six departures per day from two convenient points in Atlantic City. Cruises depart from Historic Gardner’s Basin at New Hampshire Avenue, at the northern end of the island. (Atlantic City is on an island – a lot of people don’t realize that when they’re here – fun fact.) Cruises aboard the Cruisn 1also depart from the “E” Dock of the Senator Frank S. Farley State Marina, which is right across the street from Trump Marina. Captain and Owner of Atlantic City Cruises Jeff George does everything with his boat, from private parties to fundraisers, along with his regularly scheduled itineraries. I’ve personally been on several private group cruises with Jeff, and I loved every one. The scheduled voyage choices include things like a 9am combination bay and ocean cruise that highlights the ocean inlet and the resort’s bayside. It’s only an hour, which leaves a full day on the beach. Other options are the 11am narrated casino skyline tour, which looks at the AC skyline from the ocean side. Enjoy Memory Lane at sea for an hour. Cruisn 1 is a U.S. Coast Guard-certified passenger vessel with a maximum capacity of 150 people, but Jeff likes to keep it around 100 if possible so people can be more comfortable as they take in the sea air and the views. Atlantic City Cruises has been featured on The Weather Channel, NBC 10 Philadelphia, Fox 29 Philadelphia, CBS 3, and CN8. The New York Times, the AC Press, and the Philadelphia Inquirer have all done reports on AC Cruises. Also new for this season is Atlantic City’s only parasailing outlet, courtesy of AC Cruises. It used to be that anyone who wanted to parasail had to go down to Ocean City and fight the traffic into and out of the family resort. Not only can you now parasail without leaving AC, you can fly solo or tandem and take the option of being dunked in the bay on your way down from your temporary 500-foot perch or coming back to terra firma completely dry. In short, I love to cruise on Atlantic City Cruises, and everyone visiting the city that’s Always Turned On should definitely consider AC Cruises in their vacation planning. The AC Mole gives him two opposable thumbs way up!

#1 Tour in town, check out the Dolphin watch, Sunset Cruise and many more!

Atlantic City, New Jersey’s Flounder fisherman get extended season to fish for Fluke.

New Season: May 29, 2010 through September 6, 2010 or 101 days of fishing!
Bag Limit: 6 Fish per day
Size Limit: 18 inches long

The NJ flounder season inludes both Memorial Day and Labor Day this year as decided by the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council. Last year, fisherman were not happy when the season ended on Sept. 4,which was before Labor Day.

Fishermen pushed the Fisheries council to pick a season that included both holidays. The NJMFC chose from 10 options to stay within the state’s quota for Summer flounder/ fluke. Dozens of local fishermen commented on the different options, and the NJMFC chose the most popular one, May 29 through September 6. The season includes 101 days of fishing. Fishermen will be allowed six fish per day, with 18 inches being the minimum fish size.

Brook Koeneke, operator of the Duke o’ Fluke party boat out of Somers Point,NJ pushed hard for both holidays.”Any option that doesn’t include Memorial Day weekend is unacceptable. We need that early holiday,” Koeneke said.

New Jersey fisherman exceeded catches in 2009, over by 24 percent, but were only required to have a 1 percent reduction this year in 2010. While reviewing the reports submitted by NJMFC, most anglers had a difficult time believing the figures that showed excessive landings in 2009. Last year anglers felt that the majority of fish caught were less than 18 inches and had to be thrown back, so the numbers seamed high. Plus, one captain replied “it rained the whole month of June, and the rest of the summer we threw everything back. Please come up with something to help us out. If not, we’ll be out of business and our children won’t be able to fish for anything.”

Overall, this is great news for Atlantic City and New Jersey Anglers, plenty of fishing for that giant fluke, can’t wait to fry up a few in pan with a cold beverage.

2010 New Jersey Flounder Regulations

Latest News Regarding the Push for adding Sports Betting in New Jersey and Atlantic City!

Governor Chris Chritie charges panel with making sports betting and casino profits sure bets again in the Garden State.
Originally written by Andrew Kitchenman on 2/19/2010

The future of Atlantic City, the Meadowlands and New Jersey’s horseracing and gaming industries could be determined by a new commission advising Gov. Chris Christie, and business owners are eager to have their voices heard.

Business leaders and lobbyists said they agreed with Christie that these interconnected industries deserve his attention, and that the state has allowed problems to stagnate.

The panel has been given a broad mandate to explore potential solutions and report back to Christie by June 30. The range of issues it will consider includes the future of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority; how to revive Atlantic City’s economy; whether to reduce the number of horse racetracks and expand gaming to the tracks; and the future of the Xanadu project in the Meadowlands.

The horse industry is keenly tracking Christie’s approach. Michael Campbell, executive director of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey, said it is important for the panel to hear from the farmers and horse owners who are the backbone of the horse-racing industry in the state.

“There’s a lot that goes into those horses,” Campbell said, noting that feed suppliers, veterinarians and others both support and depend on the industry.

Campbell had a mixed reaction to two reports from Christie’s transition team. The subcommittee on gaming, sports and entertainment raised the possibility of limiting the number of thoroughbred racing dates, which Campbell said would destroy the industry. But the report on agriculture discussed adding slot machines at the racetracks, a strategy supported by the industry.

Breeders Association lobbyist Barbara DeMarco said the state saves money by having horse farm owners keep farms undeveloped.

“Keep in mind, a horse farm is a business,” DeMarco said.

One region with a major stake in what the commission recommends is the Meadowlands. Nearly 40 percent of the 800 members of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce depend on “destination” visitors for their business, including restaurants, hotels and stores, according to Jim Kirkos, chamber chief executive officer.

Kirkos said he was pleased Christie decided to address the issues early in his term. He praised Christie’s pick of Jon F. Hanson, a former SEA board president, to lead the commission.

“For too long, we’ve allowed these issues to fester,” Kirkos said.

Like the horse breeders, Kirkos sees expansion of gaming at racetracks as worth exploring. He doesn’t see why slot machines at New Jersey’s tracks could be a threat to Atlantic City hotels, when there already are slots in neighboring states.

“For us this is a big issue, because the Meadowlands Sports Complex drove the economy for 25 years,” Kirkos said, adding that the commission should look to see that all four components of the complex — the new stadium replacing Giants Stadium, the Izod Center, Meadowlands Racetrack and Xanadu — are successful.

But the casinos aren’t likely to see it that way, at least according to one industry tracker. The increasing competition from out of state hasn’t done Atlantic City any favors, said Cory Morowitz, chairman and managing member of Morowitz Gaming Advisors, in Galloway; it’s unlikely that additional competition from within the state would win them over. “It’s a guarantee that slot machines wagering elsewhere in the state has a negative impact on Atlantic City,” Morowitz said. He pointed to Atlantic City’s casinos losing a quarter of their revenue in recent years to Pennsylvania’s slot parlors as an example.

The SEA is prohibited from running slot parlors or lobbying for them under an agreement with Atlantic City’s casinos, according to spokesman John Samerjan. For the past five years, the casinos have contributed $30 million annually to Meadowlands Racetracks’ purses.

The latest agreement ends this year, but Samerjan didn’t want to speculate on whether the SEA may reconsider slot parlors. “We would defer to the governor’s task force on the matter,” he said.

Still, the casinos are eager to work with Christie to find a solution to the state’s gaming woes, according to Joseph A. Corbo Jr., president of the Casino Association of New Jersey.

The Xanadu megamall remains a wildcard in the Meadowlands Sports Complex and in the commission’s deliberation. A state official has spoken with New York developer Stephen M. Ross about his potential involvement in the long-stalled project. Christie said it is important that the tract is developed, calling it one of the state’s most valuable pieces of real estate.

Besides all of the world-class entertainment including concerts, comedy, live shows such as Cirque Dreams, and all of the exciting bars & night clubs Atlantic City has to offer, the biggest attraction is of course the gaming. We know that a lot of you are poker players, so in order to help you out we have posted the daily poker schedule for Atlantic City’s casinos below so you don’t get lost in the shuffle on your next visit!

As the slow, cold, winter months approach businesses everywhere are adjusting their plans. The Borgata Water Club is no exception. The 800-room luxury spa resort & casino will for the second time this year take rooms out of service during the mid-week due to declining business during the season. The Water Club, which cost $400 million and opened just last summer (2008), contains numerous spas, pools, and shops, and rooms cost around $600 on the weekends.

Guests looking to book the classy Water Club may not be out of luck due to the cut back in available rooms. Meanwhile, the Borgata’s main tower of 2,000 rooms will remain open and able to accommodate turned-away Water Club guests. Borgata spokesperson Noel Stevenson stated a week ago, “During the summer months, demand was great…Now that we’re in the shoulder season, with the schedule adjusted based on demand, on most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, the Water Club will primarily cater to butler and guest suites, group business and special events.” She also said that the Water Club’s cut back was no different from any business adjusting to the slower season. On this she says, “You don’t want to be sitting there with that many rooms and no one to fill them.”

The Water Club is not in trouble, however. Boyd Gaming Corp., the parent company of Borgata, reported strong third-quarter earnings despite the rest of Atlantic City’s slow decline on the same day that the announcement of the cut-back came out.

WestJet Airlines Now Connected With AC International

At 8:44 PM, Atlantic City International Airport is scheduled to receive its first flight from the Canadian WestJet airline. WestJet is Canada’s second largest passenger airline service and this flight marks the start of a seasonal schedule at AC International. This is also the first air corridor between the True North and America’s second largest gaming destination, Atlantic City.

The tourist and entertainment industry is looking forward to the potential boost in customers. Atlantic City casinos have been experiencing drops in revenue for over a year due to the economic downturn as well as more and more regional gaming destinations providing competition.

“Atlantic City International Airport is about to become South Jersey’s international airport. The regional initiative undertaken to increase air service and expand the airport has taken off, and we are committed to meeting the demand for more airlines and more destinations from ACY.”

Bart Mueller – Executive Director of the South Jersey Transportation Authority

For those who frequently travel in and through Atlantic City, you may be aware of the face that the Albany Avenue Corridor is one of the worst congested areas during rush hours. The Inland Thoroughfare bridge is too narrow to allow a proper amount of traffic capacity, and it also is prone to flooding.

The city is now planning to increase the maximum capacity of the Corridor by expanding the crossing of the Inland Thoroughfare, and widening the road from four lanes to six. The whole project will be carried out by building a new crossing of the Thoroughfare between North Hartford and North Chelsea avenues, a new bridge, either fixed-span or a draw bridge, a tunnel, or by several of these methods. There will also be a pair of one-way routes added. Traffic entering from Albany Avenue Bridge will leave via one of these new crossings. Using such one-way routes would greatly increase the flow of traffic and help to reduce the currently congested traffic. There are further plans to increase grade separation of West End at Albany, in order to help traffic keep moving to Ventnor, Chelsea Heights, and Absecon Island, and one lane will be added from West End to Exit 2 of the AC Expressway in each direction. The exit itself will also be expanded upon to make better use of these new improvements.

Overall, if this project goes through, it will provide much better access to all of west Atlantic City and the surrounding areas of Ventnor, Longport, and Margate. The flooding issues will be no more, and local traffic will see a significant increase in efficiency.

Tropicana – Pro Football Appearances Every Monday

Every Monday night at the Rumba Lounge at the Tropicana hosted by Butz & Butz Sports Radio former NFL players from the New York and Philadelphia area will be stopping in to enjoy the game with you! The Tropicana Cheerleaders, trivia games for prizes, giveaways, free stadium style snacks and drink specials, and more just make Rumba Lounge the place to be Monday nights if you’re an NFL fan!

Trump Taj Mahal – $25,000 Run for the Riches

Okay, so you never made the big leagues when you played high school and college football, but that’s ok! You don’t have to play professional football to get paid like you do. Simply register your Trump One Card at any Reward Center Kiosk between the hours of 5 and 8pm on Mondays, and then watch the game at Ego Bar & Lounge. If the second half kickoff is returned for a touchdown, you will win your share of the $25,000 prize!  How simple is that?

Trump Marina – $500,000 Football Challenge

Through the month of October every ten tier points you earn will get you 1 entry in to the Trump Marina $500,000 Football Challenge! Then be there to activate your entries from 6pm to 9:30pm on Saturday, November 7. At 10pm on the same night 8 contestants will be chosen to participate for their shot at $500,000! The rules are simple:

• -The goal is to score a touchdown to win the grand prize.
• -Each participant chooses four footballs, one for each down, each containing a message inside.
• -Based on the message (”25 yard pass completion”, “20 yard rush”, etc.) the participants will make their way down the field.
• -If the contestant completes 100 yards, they win the grand prize!

The Tropicana Hotel & Casino will be debuting its newest addition, Alto Vino, on Friday!

Alto Vino will be the place to go to experience wines by the glass and pair them with small plate foods.

Senior Vice President of Resort Operations Al Maiorani was quoted as saying:

“The concept is that it’s the only wine bar in Atlantic City with wines by the glass, high-end beers, single-malt scotches and cognacs..  Plus, we will offer small plates with cheeses, a charcuterie and hot and cold antipasta. A wine bar in the room with the best view of Atlantic City will bring the Top of the Trop back to its heyday when everyone went there.”

Alto Vino, in keeping with the tradition of classy joints such as itself will feature nightly entertainment, lounge music, and jazz.

“We want it to be a unique experience…We tasted hundreds of wines to come up with a fine selection of 15 whites, three sparklings and 15 reds..The whole thought was that you can get a two-ounce pour of a nice pinot grigio, plus a small plate of cheese for $5 to match it up. Then move on to a chardonnay with some aroncini (Italian rice balls). Then go to a red and a beautiful pinot noir and match it up with grissini and truffle butter with prosciutto di parma. It will be a really fun place.”

-Al Maiorani

All of the wines at Alto Vino will also be available in two-ounce pours so connoisseurs can create their own flights.

Flyers Skate Zone

The Flyers Skate Zone is an ice skating facility owned and operated by the parent company of the Philadelphia Flyers NHL team.

In addition to ice skating, the Skate Zone features a Game Zone with a wide variety of today’s newest video games, Flyers Air Hockey, Bubble Hockey, 76ers Pop-a-shot and much more. When you’re done skating and have worked up an appetite, the Snack Zone offers several different items; pizza, chicken fingers, cheesesteaks, fries and more.

Maybe you’ll be visiting during a special someone’s birthday. The Flyers Skate Zone hosts birthday parties during public skating sessions, and include admission, rental skates, pizza, soda, and more! Call (609) 441-1780 to reserve a party room.

Haunted Tales

If you want to do something in the Halloween spirit then check out Haunted Tales. Haunted Tales is the premier spooky story-telling tour in perhaps all of South Jersey. Hear tales of the Jersey Devil and other legends. The Haunted Tales gift shop has several items for you to take home to remember your trip by.

IMAX Theater

Experience the mind-blowing sensory overload provided by the giant, immersive movie screens of IMAX. Bright and vivid colors, crisp and thunderous audio, and excellent customer service all add to the experience of going to an IMAX. When all you want to do is sit back and relax to enjoy a movie, go see for yourself what makes the Academy Award-winning IMAX technology so amazing.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

Atlantic City’s weirdest, craziest, and definitely most interesting museum – Ripley’s Believe It or Not! – is sure to be something you will talk about for hours after leaving. Among the attractions inside are a life-size statue of Michael Jordan constructed of paper, plastic wire, and glass shards; a scale model of the Santa Maria constructed with over 27,000 match sticks; and even a lock of George Washington’s hair! Located right on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, even the building is strange. You can’t miss it, it’s the only one sinking in to the ground!

Comedy Stop at the Trop

Over 1,000 entertainers have played on the Comedy Stop stage since opening in 2004. Atlantic City’s Comedy Stop is the first Comedy Stop constructed. It is the first location in the Comedy Stop family offering a full menu of dining options as well. Café Cuisine includes a continental menu, latte & espresso and catering for private groups can also be requested. The Comedy Stop has been voted one of the top attractions in Atlantic City time and time again, and it just keeps getting better every year!