An urban explorer has boarded a ‘spooky’ passenger ship that appears to have been abandoned by gamblers who have simply ‘disappeared’ from the once bustling casino.
Ben Stevens, known for his photographs of eerie abandoned areas around the world, recently spotted the rows of slot machines and roulette table full of chips on the now-abandoned boat docked in Florida.
The cruise ship Blue Horizon, which departed from the Port of Palm Beach, was laid up less than a year after its launch in 2015.
When Stevens went inside, the 30-year-old found the casino items still in perfect condition. He says the casino boat was “frozen in time.”
Ben Stevens, known for photographing eerie deserted areas around the world, recently visited a 600-passenger cruise ship docked in Florida
He was able to take photos of intact slot machines, playing cards and a room full of dozens of casino chips.
At one point, Stevens also found $50 on board, covered in mold.
He remembered his visit and told What is there to do?: ‘It was literally like a ghost ship. It was like people were gambling one day and then they all disappeared.’
After spending a few hours on the boat, the explorer remarked that he found the vessel “creepy and interesting.”
After Stevens completed his tour, he recalled, “It was both creepy and interesting because everything was left over, from the money and the poker chips to the furniture.
When Stevens went inside, the 30-year-old found items that predated the outbreak and were still in perfect condition. He concluded that the ship had been “frozen in time.”
He was able to take pictures of near-perfect looking slot machines, playing cards, and a room full of dozens of casino chips
The Blue Horizon Casino cruise ship, which launched in 2015 and departed from the Port of Palm Beach, was decommissioned after it could no longer compete with state gambling regulations.
‘There was a room with a safe and all the chips that you could exchange for money.
‘I was there for a few hours, but it was so hot inside and the smell of mold was awful.’
After only five months of sailing, the Blue Horizon was forced to dock after land-based casinos in Florida were allowed to legally offer craps and roulette to gamblers.
Previously, only the day cruise to ‘nowhere’ could offer these games to high rollers, as well as slot machines for those looking to make a quick buck.
Robert Weisberg, CEO of PB Gaming, the company that operated the ship, said that with the introduction of the new legislation the ship had lost its unique character and was no longer attractive.
“There was a room with a safe and all the chips you would have exchanged for money,” he said.
After spending a few hours on the boat, the explorer remarked that he found the ship “creepy and interesting”
Former casino boat captain Mark Wilkerson explained at the time: ‘It’s a dying era, I understand that. It’s hard to compete with land-based stuff.
If you are stuck [on a boat for] ‘For four hours it’s hard to do anything but sit there and wait for the ship to come back to the dock.’
But the new gambling laws weren’t the first problem the ship faced.
Before PB Gaming purchased the vessel, the two previous operators had gone bankrupt for unknown reasons.
In addition, during the first three months after launching, the company spent approximately $9 million repairing the ship’s engine and other parts that had been damaged.
At one point, Stevens also found $50 on board, which was covered in mold