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Trip from May 2013

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by The Stig, Jan 27, 2014.

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  1. The Stig

    The Stig VIP Whale

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    My Trip Report

    I did a very short report for this but I thought after doing a more detailed trip for my visit in October I thought I would do one for my trip in May 2013.

    Sun 26th May

    For the first time it was not only a solo trip but also the first time I flown direct to Vegas from the UK, I was flying with Thomas Cook and we left Manchester on time for a 10 hour flight, it was the longest flight I had ever taken, but after watching 3 films (Oz Great and Powerful, Last Stand and Jack Reacher) and having a book to read as well the time didn’t seem to drag.

    I landed in Vegas about 12 noon and it was the first time I had arrived in Vegas in the daytime, I was quickly off the plane and was second in the queue for immigration, I was through quickly and went through to baggage collection and as usual mine was one of the last ones off the belt. I went through the exit doors and was greeted not only by the Vegas sunshine and the heat that went with it but also a Thomas Cook rep who handed me a welcome pack, as I headed for the taxi stand. It was a quick ride to Tuscany Suites and Casino where I was staying , the queue for check in was fairly short and it was nice and easy to check in and I was soon in my room and what a room, something like 600 ft sq , the bathroom was big as well, I unpacked and then jumped in the shower to freshen up before getting dressed and heading out.

    I had never been in Vegas in May so it was a lot warmer than I had experienced in previous trips, I had read a few reviews on various websites about Tuscany and one tip was to take the short cut through the back of Bally’s which I duly did and made my way through to Paris and out on to the Strip, this would be a route I would become very familiar with over the coming week. I made my way up to Planet Hollywood and the Miracle Mile shops, by now I was hungry as I hadn’t eaten since the flight so I headed to Blondie’s to get something, I had a tuna melt sandwich with a beer to wash it down while I watched the various sports on the many screens that are in there and some girls playing beer pong.

    I made my way back on to the Strip and continued my walk around getting down as far NYNY and stopping for a beer in Nine Fine Irishmen, I then made my way back to Tuscany via various casino’s, I made my way back through Paris and in to Bally’s and attempted to get back on to Flamingo Rd via the back of Bally’s, but after a direction failure I came out of Bally’s but not the exit I was expecting. Eventually I get back to Tuscany and have a play on the slots and move on to VP at the bar, by now it’s early evening and tiredness is kicking in so I head back to the room for a rest, when I get to the room I take a look at the welcome pack I was given at the airport, most of the stuff I know as it’s my 4th trip to Vegas but one thing that does interest me is a trip to Los Angeles, I notice that there is a meeting with the reps the following morning at Ri Ra pub in Mandalay Bay, so I decided I will turn up and find out some more about the trip to LA. I lay on the bed and soon droppped off and I woke up about midnight, I decided that I can’t be bothered moving and set alarm for 8am and I go back to sleep.
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2014
  2. Oneil

    Oneil Tourist

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    Hello Stig-

    We're due to take the same flight with TC in AUG from manc- were the movies on demand seat back tv's ?

    I cant find any info to confirm what they have.

    Thanks
     
  3. The Stig

    The Stig VIP Whale

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    They are seat back TV's, they play the movies all at the same time so you choose a movie to watch,then when the longest movie has finished they put them on again so you can watch a different movie.
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2014
  4. owenmc60

    owenmc60 Low-Roller

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    I'm also flying TC this year. Good to know about the in-flight entertainment, considering how much cheaper TC was compared with BA or Virgin, I was expecting it to be like the EasyJet of trans-atlantic flying! I'm still prob gonna bring the iPad so I can put some Vegas themed films on.

    What was the general hospitality like on your TC flight, presume apart from pre-ordered n paid food, everything costs? Also what was the legroom like.

    Thanks in advance! :beer:
     
  5. The Stig

    The Stig VIP Whale

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    I found it fine flying with them, yes it does cost if you want a drink, as for the legroom I paid extra for a seat on the first row as I have had DVT in the past (not through flying though) so I like a bit extra room. I looked at flying with them again this time but looking at the add on's, I decided to fly with Delta this time round and do a change over, but I would fly with them again if the price was good.
     
  6. LV_Bound

    LV_Bound VIP Whale

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    What too you so long to post a trip report? Were you counting all the money you won?:wink2:
     
  7. The Stig

    The Stig VIP Whale

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    That wouldn't have took long


    Monday 27th May

    I woke up long before the alarm was due to sound and I got washed and dressed and went to the café for something to eat, after a filling breakfast washed down by two cups of coffee I made my way out and headed towards the Strip. Now the welcome meeting I was attending started at 9.30 am and was at Ri Ra at Mandalay Bay, surely they could of found somewhere more central, I got onto the Strip and being as it was before 9am it was pretty quiet, this was probably the earliest I have ever been out in Vegas.

    I made my way down the Strip to NYNY then across to Excalibur and used the walkway to Luxor then on to Mandalay Bay and final reached Ri Ra, the meeting was in the room at the back , they were giving out free bottles of water, I was looking for something stronger but nobody else was drinking so I decided to stick to the water. Most of the talk was stuff that I already knew so I switched off for a while then took interest again when they got round to some of the trips they were offering, the LA trip sounded good and I decided to go for it, although just one problem I had forgot to bring my debit card out with me and I had cash on me but not enough, the rep told me he would be at the Luxor main desk from 4.30pm if I wanted to book it later, I said I would book it then.

    I had a wander round Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur as I made my way back on to the Strip then spent rest of the morning on the slots accompanied with a few beers , I returned to Tuscany in the early afternoon and stopped by the café to get a sandwich for lunch, I played in the casino for a while but after not really hitting anything I decided to go for another wander.
    Back on the Strip and I eventually get to Luxor to book this trip to LA, I get it sorted quickly and choose Thursday as the day I will be going, I have a walk round Luxor and for some reason I can’t find the exit back towards Excalibur, after a couple of laps of the casino I think screw it and go for a couple of beers, it seems to work as on my next attempt I find the way out quickly. I get back to Tuscany and after a shower go and get something to eat, the café there is quite nice and reminds me of the one in El Cortez. After filling myself I go to the lounge bar and have a couple beers while playing VP, I’m about $20 up by the time I finish and I head off towards the Strip to catch the deuce Downtown.

    On arrival my first port of call is El Cortez and I spend about an hour in there on the slots before heading on to Fremont Street and after a walk round I eventually end up at Golden Gate where I take a seat at the bar and chat to one of the bar staff who remembers me from my last visit the previous October, I have a few beers while admiring the view before a woman sits next to me and starts up a conversation, now I’m always wary of this but it becomes clear she’s not on the game as firstly she has her father in tow and secondly she’s a bit drunk, we chat for a while well she chats and I kind of listen, anyway after a while she say goodbye and leaves and not long after that I decide it’s time to get the deuce back to the Strip.
    The bus is busy and I enjoy people watching as we travel along, I get back to the Tuscany and have a couple of beers before heading for some sleep.
     
  8. pebbles

    pebbles Micro Roller.

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    We were there just before you arrived. We like the Tuscany too, nice place close to the strip without strip prices. My SO likes the Burger and fries from the cafe.

    Last time I went with TC/Airtours was 2007. That was a bargain flight. We booked it Sunday and flew Wednesday if I remember correctly.
     
  9. The Stig

    The Stig VIP Whale

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    Yeah I really enjoyed it there and considering stopping there when I go back to Vegas in May.




    Tuesday 28th May

    I awoke about 10 and after a quick shower and change went to the café for some breakfast, after filling up I went into the casino and played on the slots for a while before moving on to VP at the bar, I stuck $10 in to start with and began playing and ordered a beer when the female bartender came round, she told me I had to be playing more credits if she was to comp my beer, I wasn’t too happy about it as the previous evening I played VP in the lounge bar and was playing 25c and bar staff never said a word about it. So I upped my credits and she gave me the beer and when she went back round to other side of the bar I reduced the credits again. I finish my beer and cash out and head towards the Strip taking my route of going through Bally’s and Paris, I stop In Paris and get a beer before going out to catch the deuce to Downtown.

    My destination is The Mob Museum as I had intended to go when I was in Vegas in the previous October with some mates from work but we never got there. I get there and there is virtually no queue so I get in quite quick and I must of spent the best part of 2 and half hours in there looking around, it is certainly worth a visit. After I get out I head for the bus stop and decide to catch the SDX back to the strip as it’s a lot quicker, I wait at the bus stop for about 10 minutes and when it turns up its quite full so I decided against trying to squeeze on and I head back to Fremont Street. After a short walk round I find myself in Golden Gate and I take a seat at the bar and put $10 in the bar machine and start with VP and I order a beer, I’m not doing too badly so I get a second beer and then the machine seems to want it’s money back so I switch to Keno and see how that goes and it goes quite well as I bank $100 from it so it’s not such a bad afternoon, I cash out and head back for the bus, as I get to the stop the SDX is approaching and is fairly empty so I jump on and head back to the Strip and eventually get back to the Tuscany. It’s food time again and I go to the café and have a prime rib which is very nice, then time to head back to my room for a rest.

    After a shower I get dressed and head out towards the Strip, I stop off for a beer in Paris before making my way on to the Strip and I go for a drink at the rock bar that’s on the front of Planet Hollywood, I ordered a beer and the girl behind the bar asks me for my ID, I’m a little taken back as at the age of 41 I’m pretty sure that I don’t have youthful looks, I did have my driving licence with me so after I showed it and she served me and after a while she asked another guy who had come to the bar and he had grey hair. I was glad I took some notice in that welcome meeting as one thing they did mention was that you were getting asked for ID more often irrespective of age so that was why I had my ID with me. I had a couple more beers in the bar before moving on to somewhere else.

    I eventually end up in NYNY and I enjoy a couple of beers in Nine Fine Irishman while listening to the band in there, then it’s a wander back towards Ballys for a couple of beers in there before I return to the Tuscany for the last drinks of the day. I sit at the bar and start playing VP and I order a beer, the barman doesn’t say anything about me playing minimum credits and comps my beer, after a while a woman sits a couple of seats away from me and orders a drink, after a couple minutes she makes an excuse to talk to me by asking if I mind her smoking, I say no and suddenly she moves to the seat next to me. I know what the script is but I just carrying on playing and drinking, she makes the effort to start a conversation and we chat a little, she’s not forcing the issue but I know what’s coming, as she notices I’m getting ready to leave she ask me if I want to party back at my room, I decline politely and I’m ready to go back to my room, she gives me a piece of paper with her name and a number on it and tells me to call her if I want some fun( business must be slow), I thank her and head back to my room for some sleep.
     
  10. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    I'm big on not max betting when paytables suck (aka every strip bar). I have only been asked to bet more than the minimum once. At Aria in 2012. And looking back on it, it could have been because I didn't tip him immediately (I did at the end) and it was slow.

    So now, I always put a $20 in (I've been chastised for inserting less before) and give a tip right away. I will often start with a max bet too if I'm worried the bartender might care.
     
  11. The Stig

    The Stig VIP Whale

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    I think it was just certain staff that seem to insist on playing max credits, I had no problem when I played VP in lounge bar or when I was at the bar late at night. When I stayed in the Stratosphere in October I had no problem and played min credits most times on VP at the bar and as long as I kept tipping them they kept giving me beer. Also I was at the sports bar in Mirage in Oct and I wasn't playing but a woman sat down a seat away from me and orders a drink. she puts money in the machine and starts to play, the barman says that she has to be playing max credits for the drink to be comped, the end result is that the woman cash's out, gets out of her seat and walks away leaving the drink on the bar, I thought the barman might offer the drink up to somebody (me), but no he pours it down the sink.
     
  12. The Stig

    The Stig VIP Whale

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    Wednesday 28th May

    A pretty quite day really which was mostly spent wandering around the Strip visiting various establishments, I called in in Gordon Ramsey's Pub and Grill in Caesars Palace, just ordered a pint of Carlsberg, it was $13 so it was drank slowly. I also called in to The Westin for a couple of beers, I had never been in there before but seemed a nice small quaint place. It was fairly early night as I was up early the next day for my trip to LA.
     
  13. UKian

    UKian Tourist

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    $13 for a Carlsberg! My god. I think I'd tell them not to bother! As if Carlsberg isn't bad enough as it is! :evillaugh
     
  14. The Stig

    The Stig VIP Whale

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    Thursday 29th May. A Trip to LA

    I awoke at 5am and eventually got out of bed and got washed and dressed, I made my way to the casino and got some money out of the ATM before heading outside to be picked up at 6am, as I got outside the mini bus was already there. I went over and the driver/guide who was called Julian introduced himself, he said that being as I was the only solo person on the trip I could sit up front if I wanted to, I took him up on his offer as sitting in the front meant I had a better view. I got inside and said hello to a couple from Canada who were already on board, we set off and called at Monte Carlo and Aria to pick up, before we left Aria we were given a bag with a packed breakfast inside, Julian then went through what we would be doing and seeing during our trip. We set off and stooped off after about 30 minute at somewhere near to the state line for a quick toilet break before heading off into California, a film (The Great Outdoors) was put on to pass the time as it is a long drive and every so often Julian would point out things of interest as we went along and after a couple hours of driving we reached Barstow where we stopped off for a break and to fuel the mini bus up.

    We set off again after about a 30 minute break and were shown a DVD about the Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard that we would be visiting later in the day, after a couple of hours drive we hit some traffic on the outskirts of LA, we negotiated the traffic well and as we came into LA Julian pointed out buildings and places that had been featured in various films. We arrived at our first stop which was Santa Monica Pier which has featured in many films and TV shows and the beach was where Baywatch was filmed many years ago. We had about an hour and 20 minutes to have a look round and take pictures and dip your toes into the Pacific. We all met up back at the bus and were given our packed lunches before we set off back into LA, we drove down Rodeo Drive and through the main road of Beverly Hills seeing some of the houses of the stars, unfortunately due to local laws there are only certain places tour buses can go, after the drive through Beverly Hills we drove up into the hills that surround LA and we stopped off at a place where you get a great view of the city.

    After a few minutes to take pictures of the views it was back on the bus and made our way down back into LA and arrived at Hollywood Boulevard, we were given about an hour and a half to have a look round and take pictures of the Chinese and Dolby Theatres and some of the famous names on the sidewalk and of course the famous handprints in cement. I was getting thirsty by now so I went into the Hard Rock Café and had a couple of beers and then bought a t shirt before heading back to the bus and setting off back to Vegas, as we headed out of LA Julian pointed out more places of interest before putting on a film and we all settled down for the drive back, after a couple of hours we pulled into Barstow again for fuel and a break and after about 30 minutes we were back on board for the last part of the trip. Another film was put on and after about two hours the lights of Vegas could be seen in the distance, upon reaching Vegas we dropped off at Monte Carlo, Aria and Flamingo before I got dropped off last, I tipped Julian and thanked him for a great day.

    It was now about 8.30pm and it had been long day but my bed was not an option, I jumped into the shower to get refreshed and it did the trick, I got dressed and made my way onto the Strip for a walk round and a few beers and after visiting a couple of bars I ended up in Paris for a couple of beers, I was approached by a gorgeous looking working girl who wanted to party with me in my room, I declined politely and even if I wanted to my body was probably that tired I couldn’t even raise a smile. After finishing my beer I headed back to Tuscany to finish off the night with a couple more beers and some VP.
     
  15. The Stig

    The Stig VIP Whale

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    Friday 30th May

    A late start for me today as I recovered from my long day on Thursday, so it was about 11am before I got up and went to the café to get something to eat, I felt a bit better after this and I headed out towards the Strip, I made my way down to MGM and spent some time in there on the slots and having a couple of beers before moving on to do a little shopping before heading back to Tuscany and getting to something to eat.

    After a shower I head back to the Strip and catch the bus Downtown, first it’s a visit to El Cortez for a play on the slots especially Wheel of Fortune where I have mixed fortunes, then I make my way back on to Fremont and hit Binions for a while before moving on up to Las Vegas Club which I think I only had a quick walk round before, so I sit at the bar as it is dirt cheap beer so I spend quite a bit of time in there before I move across to the Golden Gate and take a seat at the bar for a few beers, a woman asks me if the seat next to me is taken to which I reply no, she notices I’m English and calls over some of her friends to introduce me, we chat for a while before they move on but I do get a kiss goodnight from her before she leaves.
    After some more beer I decide to move on myself and I make my way to catch the deuce back to the Strip and then make my way down Flamingo Rd to the Tuscany, I sit at the bar and have beer while playing VP. A familiar face turns up towards the end of the night, the working girl who had gave me her number shows up and we have a chat and she asks why I haven’t rang her, I politely decline her offer and I finish my beer,I say goodnight and head off to bed.
     
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