August 16, 2023 13 min read

likes:

Top 10 Gambling-Friendly Cruises With Casinos

The seven seas await and the added benefit of sailing on a cruise that costs nearly a billion US dollars is usually that you have access to all sorts of amenities. International waters allow for casino cruises, which in turn offer all types of recreational activities, including roulette, poker blackjack, slots, and so much more. In fact, nearly all of the top cruise companies today feature a casino cruise experience as part of their products and offers.

From Victory Casino Cruises to Royal Caribbean to Carnival, the world’s biggest cruise companies are keen to introduce a gambling cruise as part of their portfolio and the comforts you can find onboard their boats. Today, we take a look at the world’s best gambling-friendly cruises with casinos and what you may expect to find there. 

Royal Caribbean Cruises 

A Royal Caribbean Cruises ship.
Image Source: Shutterstock.com

Royal Caribbean Cruises is one of the best-established cruise companies in the world, offering an unmatched experience through its dedicated Loyal Program, a high-end fleet of ships, and dedicated casino gaming & tournaments, which turns your traveling into an action-packed holiday. 

Royal Caribbean is fast rolling out dedicated casino floors on all of its cruise ships, making it one of the world’s most gambling-friendly companies when it comes to cruises. The experience includes competitive games such as Texas Hold’em, tournaments for those who look for a more challenging and satisfying trip, and more casual experiences – such as slots. as slots. 

Presently, the company features more than 6,000 reel machines on its casino floor, along with your staple casino products, such as Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Poker, Baccarat, and more. You may even get trained croupiers to help you get introduced to gambling for the very first time, through dedicated training sessions.

Royal Caribbean makes the gambling cruise easy and intuitive, and it doesn’t matter if you have ever gambled in the past. The tournaments, though, do not apply to just poker, as you can enter Slot and Blackjack competitions as well for a chance to win anything from $50,000 to $100,000 or more.

Securing funds to play is never an issue, as Royal Caribbean offers a range of payment options, including deckside ATMs, online wire transfer services, and not least, a cashless wagering option using the company’s dedicated SeaPass. All of the company’s cruise ships now feature onboard casinos to make your trip truly worthwhile.

Victory Casino Cruises

Victory Casino Cruises ship.
Image Source: Shutterstock.com

Victory Casino Cruises brings the excitement of Las Vegas nights straight onboard. The company is one of the best gambling cruise experiences you can look for and book your next trip, safe in the knowledge that there will be plenty to enjoy when it comes to casino-style gaming. 

Players can expect to find a full array of games and products, including Slots, Blackjack, Live Craps, Live Roulette, EZ Baccarat, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Mississippi Stud, Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, Bingo, and even a dedicated sportsbook for those of you who seek an experience outside of the traditional casino gaming.

This casino cruise also pairs the casino floor with its dedicated VIP & loyalty experiences which are designed to further boost the satisfaction you get from playing through monthly discounts, promotions, and tournaments.

The company takes players on short trips along the Florida Space Coast departing from Port Canaveral twice a day, with each trip lasting between five and six hours – so plenty of time to enjoy some excellent gaming. The cruise leaves Port Canaveral with FREE drinks available for everyone while gaming.

So far as gambling cruises go, Victory Casino will top the top ten easily. There are 600 modern slot machines to explore, along with 27 of the best live table games that will keep you busy. You can get a little more competitive, too, if you opt for 3 Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em and enjoy a great time onboard the Victory Casino Cruises. 

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises ship.
Image Source: Shutterstock.com

Are you looking for a Vegas-style casino? Princess Cruises got you! Hailed as the Best Cruise Lines for Gamblers according to USA Today, Princess Cruises has plenty to offer right from the start of your trip.

The gaming area is of the same caliber as Las Vegas’ Strip venues, and this is confirmed by the countless Trip Advisor reviews that have spoken favorably of the experience, with the ships hosting all sorts of events, including low, mid, and high-stakes poker, which has featured many a famous poker pros, as well as ordinary travelers with a keen edge for poker.

Princess Cruises will provide you with all sorts of cool games you can expect to find on a well-stocked casino floor, including slots, table games, bingo, and more. We are talking novelty machines and video slots that have been designed to captivate the crowds and bring you hundreds of player-favorite titles. 

As to the table games, you can expect to find Texas Hold ‘Em poker, Caribbean Stud Poker, Three Card Poker, or Let it Ride, so a pretty standard and tight offer on the whole. The MedallionClass and Ocean Casino make it easy to get your funds and wager without any hiccups. 

There is the Princess Players Club for extra perks along the way plus some exclusive invitational tournaments that are designated for the more serious players. The casino is a great way to top your Princess Cruise experience! 

Norwegian Cruise Lines

Norwegian Cruise Lines ship.
Image Source: Shutterstock.com

Norwegian Cruise Lines is one of the best examples of what a great onboard cruise casino should be all about. The atmosphere at Norwegian Cruise Casinos is light and exciting, and there is always something you can do and try.

You get to enjoy all your favorite games, including slots that start at $0.01 and go all the way up to $100 per bet, or table games where the bet ranges start at $5 and go all the way up to $5,000. You can find dozens if not hundreds of exceptional titles to try. 

Norwegian Cruise Lines makes it easy to access cash & credit access, get cash in advance, and enjoy quick and accessible casino fun. The experience features a number of amenities, including free drinks that you can sip on while playing Blackjack, Baccarat, or Roulette. 

Craps, Sic Bo, and more are also part of the experience, making this one of the best-stocked cruise lines. Not only that, but you can also join tournaments and have the time of your life competing head-to-head and at a table filled with other like-minded individuals who are having fun and trying to beat you at poker, slots, and more.  

Plus, you get to enjoy the unique Casinos at Sea Rewards, which includes a tiered VIP & loyalty scheme where you start as Jade and progress all the way to Elite for a total of five levels. All in all, Norwegian Cruise Lines makes for one of the best gambling cruise options for you to check out. 

Celebrity Cruises 

Celebrity Cruises ship.
Image Source: Shutterstock.com

Celebrity Cruises is one of the most star-studded entries on our list, offering you one of the best casino cruise options out there. The company has received distinctions for Best Cruise Live Casino, Best Cruise Line Comps, Best Cruise Line Casino, Best Cruise Line Players Club, and Best Cruise Line Overall.

As Celebrity Cruises puts it, the company brings you high stakes on the high seas. There are lots of different games to try here as well, including more than 2,000 slot machines and 150 table games. The casino is purposefully smoke-free so you won’t have to worry about inhaling cigar smoke, which is a big plus for many cruise-goers who want to enjoy a healthy gaming environment.

The games that you will experience at Celebrity Casinos will be available in both a leisurely and competitive environment, with casual experiences and tournaments available for you to enjoy. To bring you the best casino experience possible, Celebrity Casinos is teaming up with MGM Rewards, to further increase the perks you get from playing at the casino floor.

You can use any points won at Celebrity Cruises at MGM properties such as Park MGM Las Vegas, NoMad Las Vegas, New York-New York, Luxor, and Excalibur. There are six levels to this tiered-based loyalty system, making for a fun and worthwhile time with the casino. 

Celebrity Cruises complements this loyalty experience with its own Blue Chip Club and tons of fun activities you will find directly on the cruise. 

Holland America Line

Holland America Line ship.
Image Source: Shutterstock.com

Are you ready to savor the journey with Holand America Line? The company offers you a great way to enjoy your next sailing trip. The company offers a wide array of gaming options to choose from when it comes to its cruise ships, along with slot machines and table games bringing guests and travelers today to have the best time of their lives. 

The casino only operates at sea, so whenever the ship is docking it will wind down for the layover. Never mind this small hiccup, you can rest assured that Holland America Line is up to Vegas standards, including table games and slots, roulette, bingo, and not least, the company’s signature Paradise Lotto. 

The company has plenty of cruise ships that feature casinos, including Eurodam, Koningsdag, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw, Statendam, Rotterdam, Westerdam, and so many others. You can expect to find professional and casual play and join the lottery draw for $300,000.

Carnival Cruise Line

A Carnival Cruises ship.
Image Source: Shutterstock.com

Carnival Cruise Line offers some of the world’s best gambling products and atmosphere right on board. Apart from letting you sail for days or weeks if you choose to in the opulent comfort of its flagships, Carnival also brings along great Las Vegas-style gaming with it. 

You get to enjoy every possible aspect of the gambling experience including but hardly limited to Slots, Blackjack, Table Games, Poker, and Even Scratch-offs. The onboard cruise casino will offer complimentary drinks to anyone who is busy at the tables or slots, having the time of their life.

There is also a casino bar if you choose to step away and just relax while others play. To make sure that you have incentives to come back and get even more benefits from your time with Carnival, the company runs the Carnival Players Club program, a loyalty & VIP initiative, that will elevate your stay with Carnival. 

The VIP treatment is completely free, meaning that you are automatically enrolled in the program, with guests 18 years or older able to join and earn points. This happens right in the heart of the casino with table games and slots. The more you play, the more points you will earn.

MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises - a ship owned by the company with casino onboard.

MSC Cruises is perhaps one of the best-known cruise brands in the world and deservingly so. Their reputation for customer excellence, exciting trips, and impeccable delivery is well-established with the cruise-going community. Yet, one of the crowning gems in MSC Cruises’ offer is the onboard state-of-the-art casinos that have won them praise even from the non-gambling crowd.

MSC Casinos really goes the extra mile when looking to provide you with Vegas-style gaming and offer you a thrilling experience across the board. Players will discover a wholesome experience where they get to enjoy comfortable amenities and a very welcoming atmosphere. It doesn’t matter what your skill level is, as MSC Casinos will have something for everyone.

There are all sorts of cool games you can explore on the floor, including slots and table games, and you can even request gambling lessons with some of the croupiers. If you are feeling a little more comfortable in your own skills, you may jump straight to it and even join some of the high roller games.

Cunard Cruise Line

Yet another excellent casino cruise, the Cunard Cruise Line knows how to treat you to a great time gambling onboard. As the company puts it, the onboard casino combines elegance and excitement to really make your time on its ships memorable.

To this end, the Cunard Cruise Line has decided to build a varied experience that will appeal to casual and recreational gamblers, but also feature a number of high roller experiences that include slots and tables, poker, and so much more.

Everything is carefully crafted to match Cunard Cruise Line’s strict etiquette and commitment to chic ambiance. The entire design of the gaming floor is inspired by Monte Carlo, and it definitely shows. Complimentary drinks are of course close at hand and the whole floor is busy with the clink and laughter of guests who have come to not just cruise the seven seas, but also have a blast with one of the best gambling cruise experiences money can buy. The casino is busiest during the night, with night hawks and party-goers able to have a blast exploring the myriad games and opportunities the floor reveals!

Queen Marry II

Queen Marry II's Cunard cruise casino liner.

Guess what? The Queen Mary II is another cruise casino ship that you want to visit. Another of Cunard’s exceptional designs, this ship is dedicated to bringing you the best possible time. The casino is equipped with hundreds of slots and a huge focus is put on the table games.

The entire design is very European, and you can find a number of exciting options to explore, especially if you are a high roller. The table games are crafted in a stylish and very professional way, and the whole atmosphere is supercharged with unpredictable fun.

The ship has received roaring praise from travelers and guests who have had a blast not only making the trip from South Hampton to New York but also those who have enjoyed gaming at night. The casino comes alive at night to bring even more experiences to travelers who are keen to either show their skills at various casino games or are keen about finding out more.

This whole Monte Carloesque interior of the casino really resonates with people who are familiar with European casinos and tantalizes those who are entering a cruise casino for the very first time. Queen Marry II offers one of the best cruise gambling options you will ever find!

Choosing the Best Gambling Cruise 

There are evidently plenty of great casino cruises to choose from, and picking one that best suits you is a matter of personal preference. Still, the gambling cruise options listed here will all offer lots to pick from – great loyalty programs, excellent slot and table variety, various events, including tournaments & lotteries, and a smoke-free environment. Having the option to go on a casino cruise and enjoy your favorite Las Vegas-style casino games has just become a whole lot easier! 

After finishing her master's in publishing and writing, Melanie began her career as an online editor for a large gaming blog and has now transitioned over towards the iGaming industry. She helps to ensure that our news pieces are written to the highest standard possible under the guidance of senior management.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *