* Think it's impossible to get something for nothing? SeaEscape cruises, based at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, is out to prove you wrong. The cruise line recently launched a series of free Friday night gambling cruises. Well, they're not actually Friday nights--more like Saturday mornings, from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.--but they are free, including taxes and port charges. SeaEscape inaugurated the cruises after studying the habits of gamblers, and is betting it can earn more than the ticket price from passengers playing at the baccarat, roulette or blackjack tables. Response has been tremendous. The first week a hundred or so gamers turned up, and by last look the size of the crowd had swollen to nearly 400. Reports are that it's a mixed group of seniors, VIPs, 21-year-old clubbers and passengers stowing away from earlier evening cruises. As long as it makes financial sense SeaEscape plans to continue the late night give-a-way. Jackpot!

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COPYRIGHT 2003 Americas Publishing Group
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group