The clink of chips will be replacing many of the erstwhile facilities onboard Royal Caribbean’s ships, specifically the Oasis-class cruise ships.
Royal Caribbean Starts Expanding Onboard Casinos for Oasis Ships
The expansion of the facilities, which got underway on June 1, 2025, and will see the casino expanded into the existing Crown Lounge on Deck 4. This means that Social100 will have to be closed until June 29, 2025, the company informed, and the works will also affect The Crown Lounge, which will stay shut between June 22-28, 2025, and then reopen on Deck 16 on June 29, 2025, Royal Caribbean said.
As the works go on, the Wonder of the Seas’ non-smoking casino – The Golden Room – will also remain shut between June 22 through July 13, 2025, as part of the renovations. Conference centers will be unavailable to travelers as well.
Casinos have been a huge draw for travelers, with old facilities such as clubs and bars, mostly losing ground to the glitzier and more entertaining gambling options available on board.
Another factor is the fact that cruise casinos are now allowed to operate in some territorial waters where gambling may be otherwise prohibited, creating fresh revenue for ships and drawing even more people onboard.
Royal Caribbean is hardly the only company to have leaned into the idea of a casino, with all major cruise lines now featuring such facilities on board. However, they do face some restrictions.
Casinos Remain Important Drivers of Revenue for Companies
Carnival Cruise Line’s ships have limited gamblers to the casino when they want to take their chance on slots or table games, but travelers have been asking the casinos to make the experience more liberal.
At the same time, certain jurisdictions that prohibit gambling by default have been willing to reconsider and allow cruise ships to run their casinos onboard while docking.
Specific jurisdictions force casinos to shut down in territorial waters, which has been affecting business negatively. Cruise lines have explained that travelers are generally unhappy to be told when they can and cannot play.