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CANDACE RONDEAUXThe Casino Odyssey, promised by its organizer to start running this month, likely won't be ready for passengers until May or June.
TARPON SPRINGS - Charles Liberis' quest to launch his Casino Odyssey cruise to nowhere in Tarpon Springs has become almost as epic as its name.
Although Liberis promised months ago to get his gambling venture under way this month, he and an associate said Tuesday that gamblers may have to wait two more months before they can board the 202-foot-long ship.
"We're having a little bit of difficulty getting the boat ready," said Casino Odyssey consultant Bob Snow.
Once it's ready, the new boat will bring offshore gambling back to North Pinellas.
So far, time and money have not been on Casino Odyssey's side, Snow said. Repair work on the nearly 40-year-old boat was going slowly until Liberis recently hired an outside contractor to bring the vessel into compliance with Coast Guard safety standards, he said. Snow, an Orlando developer, declined to comment on the cost or extent of repairs needed. But he said work delays have increased the start-up costs for the gambling venture.
"It's expensive," Snow said.
Liberis' casino boat plan has hit a few other snags since the prominent Pensacola lawyer applied to the city six months ago for an occupational license to operate at the Sponge Docks.
First, city officials told Liberis it would take two months for them to complete their review of his application. Instead, he ended up waiting about four months for the city to consider his proposal.
Next, city officials raised questions about whether Liberis' plans to lease a parking lot owned by Louis Pappas' Riverside Restaurant would provide enough space for the hundreds of gamblers expected to flock to the Sponge Docks. City commissioners eventually approved the casino boat business and Liberis' plan to provide 100 parking spaces for his customers in late January.
Now Casino Odyssey's owner said the boat is not likely to be ready for Coast Guard inspection until about two months from now and that the process could take a while, too. Snow said he and associates plan to begin hiring the roughly 200 crew members and staff needed to run the 350-passenger casino boat in about three weeks.
The delays could push the date of the Casino Odyssey's maiden voyage back to May or June, traditionally the start of the city's seasonal tourism downturn. But Liberis, formerly president of American Casino Cruises and co-founder of Europa Cruises Corp., is confident the cruise to nowhere will go far once it starts.
"We've just gotten such a good response, and our business is going to be mostly locals, not tourists," Liberis said. "So we're not worried at all."
Passengers will pay an as-yet undetermined fee to board a shuttle boat at Louis Pappas' dock on Dodecanese Boulevard and ride to the casino boat. The vessel will be anchored in international waters several miles away from the city. The cruise will include live entertainment and access to the roughly 300 slot machines and 20 gaming tables on the boat.
- Candace Rondeaux can be reached at 727 771-4307 or at rondeaux@sptimes.com