If you’re fond of the idea of gambling whilst cruising the high seas, you might as well go big and try your luck on some of the world’s largest cruise ships! That’s right, nowadays you’ll find a fully-fledged out casino on many cruise ships out there. So, why not gamble it up when you’re on holiday whilst cruising your way by sea and making your way to exotic locations? Sounds awesome, no? Below you’ll find our comprehensive list of the best casino cruise ships and what to expect whilst playing your favorite game at the ship’s casino and cruising the high seas.
1. Allure of the Seas
Royal Caribbean cruise liners have several entries in the world’s best gambling cruise ship list but the Allure of the Seas tops them all. This ship is an Oasis-class cruise ship that’s even longer than its sister ship Oasis of the Seas and has also got its very own casino to boot! While at the mini-Vegas at sea, you’ll be able to play most games you’d typically find at a brick-and-mortar casino. Of course, these include a wide selection of machine-operated Slots games, Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat and several other games that you’d typically find at their brick-and-mortar casinos. Whilst at Casino Royale onboard the Allure of the Seas, you’ll be able to enjoy a cocktail without even heading to the bar every time you run out of alcohol.
2. Norwegian Epic
As implied by this ship’s name, the Norwegian Epic, which is 1,081 ft long, is a very, very big boat and an epic one at that! You can enjoy live Cirque du Soleil shows on board and try a few spins yourself in the Epic Casino, which offers an elegant atmosphere with hundreds of slots as well as table games including Blackjack, Craps, and Roulette.
3. Freedom of the Seas
This Royal Caribbean cruise liner is just over 1,100 feet long and offers plenty of gambling options, although its casino is slightly smaller than the one on Oasis of the Sea. The Vegas-style Casino Royale casino has over 10,000 square feet of gaming floor and over 300 slots and 19 table games to choose from, including popular options such as Blackjack and Roulette.
4. Queen Mary 2
Although the Queen Mary 2’s casino is on the cozy side, it definitely doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have anything to offer. In fact, it’s quite the opposite (and this is exactly why it’s made it to our best cruise ship casinos list). Cunard Line’s flagship cruise liner offers a glamourous casino that’s reminiscent of many of the land-based casinos you’ll find in Monte Carlo. Here you’ll be able to live it up and gamble away to your heart’s content by playing any one of the casino’s 100 slots games and 12 gaming tables where players are given the option of trying their luck at Blackjack, Three Card Poker, Craps, Roulette, and Caribbean Stud poker.
5. Royal Princess
The Royal Princess, with its 1,083-foot long cruise ship, offers plenty of great casino options such as the standard fare of Slots and Blackjack as well as progressive jackpots on many games and daily bingo games if that’s what floats your boat when it comes to more casual, social gambling.
6. All Celebrity Cruises Ships
Provided that you’d like to gamble in an ultra-luxurious setting, most Celebrity Cruises’ fleet of ships (except for the Celebrity Xpedition) offer an array of casino games including a wide selection of Slots as well as table games like Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Three-card Poker and even Texas Hold’ Em. What’s especially exciting about casinos onboard these particular cruise ship, called Fortunes Casinos, is that they also have tournaments that you can take part on too!
7. Norwegian Escape
Based in Miami, Florida, the Norwegian Escape usually takes up to 4,266 guests aboard its ship on exotic trips to the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Yet, if cruising away to white sandy beaches isn’t enough to entice you, there’s also a wonderful array of things to do aboard the ship itself, including its very own casino.
The casino aboard the Norwegian Escape, called the Escape Casino, offers a diverse range of approximately 318 slot machines and table games as well as its own VIP area that’s reserved for the high rollers aboard. On visiting the casino aboard the Norwegian Escape, you can expect to find a plethora of casino games including multiple penny Slots games along with several table games including Baccarat, Blackjack, Craps, Let it Ride, 3-card Poker, Texas Hold’em and Pai Gow Poker. Bets for table games start from as low as $5 as for Slots games. Moreover, if you’re a fan of tournaments, you can also expect to find Blackjack, Slots and Texas Hold’Em tournaments. Another fantastic thing about the casino on the Norwegian Escape is its wonderful Reward Program and the fact that smoking is permitted.
8. Oasis of the Sea
If you’re looking to go on holiday, Royal Caribbean International’s cruise ships offer all that you could need to relax. And if gambling is one of the things on your mind, the Oasis of the Sea certainly comes highly recommended. As one the of the largest cruise liners operating in the world, it perhaps one of the best cruise ship casinos around. Not only is the ship over 1,000 feet long but it also offers an 18,000 square foot casino complete with nearly 500 slot machines and 27 gaming tables.
What to Expect at Cruise Ship Casinos
1) Varying Entry Ages
The casino entry age varies from cruise to cruise depending on where the ship is sailing to. Typically, it’s 18 for European cruises and 21 for Caribbean cruises.
2) A Plethora of Casino Games
Sure, the array of casino games doesn’t usually match up to that offered at multiple online casinos present on the web or the array offered at brick-and-mortar casinos in Vegas, but hey they sure do have enough Slots games and table games to keep you entertained for your week or two away on holiday.
3) Tournaments
It’s common to find tournaments at cruise ship casinos. Such tournaments that are generally offered onboard include Blackjack Tournaments and Slots Tournaments.
4) Casino Cruise Rewards Programs & VIP Perks
Many of the best cruise ship casinos offer fantastic rewards programs you can cash in on after you’ve wagered a certain amount. Typically, reward programs take the form of comp points and offer rewards such as spa treatments/credit, complimentary drinks, dining experiences, shore excursions and even discounts on their next cruises. In addition to this, many of the cruise ship casinos out there will roll out the red carpet for their clientele and offer them VIP perks such as exclusive tournaments for high rollers and special treatment at the casino!
5) Gamblers Puffing Away at their Cigarettes
Most land-based casinos in Vegas typically allow smokers the liberty of puffing away as they play as many casino games as their heart desires. And due to the fact that many of the best cruise ship casinos aim to mimic the same experience, you’ll find that very often smoking is permitted whilst playing at casinos onboard.
