Carnival Valor had a hard rock band on one of the Valor's specialty cruises. The casino ordered 500 LTD $5 chips to mark the occasion. However, when the chips were placed on the blackjack tables, the eye-in-the-sky called down to the casino manager explaining that the inserts were incorrect, and the register returned with their optics showed it to match the $100 chip's inserts. All but 10 were immediately destroyed, but for whatever reason 10 chips were left in the casino manager's office desk, and when the casino changed managers, the new boss wondered about them. He was a friend going back several cruises aboard the Carnival Fantasy -- that sailed out of Mobile, AL. He knew I collected chips, and he told me about them. He cleared with Carnival brass, and said I could have them at face value as long as I never introduced them on another Carnival ship, which I gladly agreed. I shared my good fortune with other known "wet chip" collectors, and only have a few left.
The chips were made by GPI, and Jim Follis was able to get me the artist's' signed proof sheet that shows both sides of the chip. in color. The $100 Carnival chips have "white and dark maroon" inserts while all $5 chips have blue and gold. For a cruise ship chip collector it's indeed a nice addition to a lifetime of collecting Cruise Ship chips and Day Cruise Boat chips.
