A year of Ocean Players Club slot and blackjack tournaments came to an exciting climax in mid-November when a total of $30,000 in cash prizes was won in the Grand Finals of the 2007 Wild Winners Tournaments held aboard Carnival's newest ship, Carnival Freedom.

The winner of the Grand Finals Slot Tournament, David C. from Georgia, beat out qualifiers from 20 Wild Winners slot tournaments which had been held on a dozen Carnival ships throughout 2007. As top prize winner, he sailed home with $10,000.

The blackjack tournament winner, Brian W. of Colorado, edged out qualifiers from 6 Wild Winners blackjack tournaments held during the year on Carnival ships sailing out of California, New York and Florida. Brian claimed the top prize of $5,000.

All the winners of the slots and blackjack qualifying tournaments during the year had each received $2,500 for winning their shipboard event, and players and their companions were the guests of Carnival on the four-night Grand Final Event cruise which sailed from Miami on Nov. 12th.

In all, seven of the 35 players who took part in the Grand Final Event blackjack tournament finished in the money, with second prize paying $2,000, third prize worth $1,000, and the fourth through seventh finishers taking home $500 each.

Eight of the 85 participants who took part in the Grand Final Event slots tournament shared in the $20,000 prize pool, with the second place winner taking home $4,000, third place paying $2,000, and the fourth through eighth finishers sailing off with $1,000 each.

As it happens, the Grand Final Event cruise was also the U.S. inaugural cruise for the Carnival Freedom, the latest (and many said best) iteration of Carnival's Conquest class ships.

The Babylon Casino was hopping throughout the four-day sailing, and even some of the tournament runners-up emerged as winners by cruise end.

Most seemed to be making plans to play in next year's Wild Winners Tournament, which is being expanded in 2008 with over $200,000 in prize money and 40 free cruises waiting to be won in qualifying rounds aboard Carnival ships sailing out of New York, Florida, California and Texas.