They may be smaller than the ones in Las Vegas, but cruise ship casinos mirror what’s found on land in terms of rules and the training required for dealers. Cruise lines make sure they’re offering the latest and most popular slots and table games, including penny video slots and the ever popular blackjack. Here’s what you need to know to improve your odds, at least of having fun:

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Obiously in most cases if you play any slot str8 through after a bonus opportunity you will lose. I don't think its fair of you to call em close minded. I'm simply stating hard facts. I was the one putting the EPROM into the machine, I was the one setting the machines to 84-87%. I was there, I lived it I breathed it.

1. Casinos close while in port.

If you plan to spend a lot of time in the ship’s casino, choose an itinerary with a lot of sea days. With a few exceptions — including overnight in Bermuda and Nassau ports — cruise ship casinos are required to remain closed when the ship is in port so as not to compete with local gambling or entertainment businesses. In Bermuda, casinos on ships can operate from 9 pm to 5 am, and in Nassau, from 7 pm to 3 am.

2. Ship casinos are open in international waters.

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Casinos are typically only open 3 to 12 nautical miles from the coast. However, in the case of Alaska, cruise ship casinos are permitted to open 3 miles after departing from one Alaska port until 3 miles before arriving in the next Alaska port, regardless of proximity to land. That’s good for gamblers, as cruises in southeast Alaska tend to hug the coastline.

3. Smoking is part of the game.

Though there are fewer places to smoke on cruise ships than ever before, casinos are one of the last holdouts. Most cruise ship casinos, with the exception of the luxury lines, have designated smoking areas for cigarette smokers; however, cigar lovers are rarely permitted to light up.

4. Card sharks are a rare species at sea.

Photo by SIME / eStockPhoto

Professional gamblers tend to focus their energies on the land-based casinos that are open around the clock, without the distractions of a cruise — from buffets to deck parties and those pesky ports of call. Plus, according to Paul Jarvis, vice president of casino operations for Carnival Corp., card sharks seek anonymity, and passengers need to provide the cruise line with their passport details before boarding.

5. Gambling theme cruises offer real competition for top players.

If you really want to double down on your gaming ops at sea, some cruise lines — including Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line — host blackjack, slots, and poker tournaments that attract hundreds of gaming enthusiasts. Qualifying rounds are held on cruises throughout the year, with the final competition taking place toward the end of the year.

Introduction: Cruise Ship Gambling

Have you ever thought about taking a cruise ship gambling voyage? Being stuck on a huge boat for any length of time is going to drive you towards gambling anyways. As a matter of fact, in the evenings, most cruise liners are silent across all quarters apart from the casino, where noisy gamblers all congregate to play. The casinos are very similar to their land-based brethren. So if you’re comfortable at the bricks and mortar casino, then you’ll fit right into a casino on a ship. But there are a number of things you should know before going off to gamble on a boat, more especially if you’ve never placed a bet on a ship before.

Which Cruise Ships Have Casinos?

No worries here, as virtually every cruise ship in the world features a casino. All the major brands like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian carry casinos onboard. The only exception to this rule is the Norwegian Cruise Line ship, the Pride of America. This US-flagged ship sails around Hawaii. It’s the only cruise ship we can think of that goes without a casino. As for brands, you’ll not be surprised to see that Disney doesn’t support gambling onboard. This is totally understandable as it would be difficult to justify gambling alongside children’s entertainment. Once you’re on board, you’ll find the casino located towards the center of the ship. This is mainly because, the casino is a big earner for the shipping company, and the center of the ship is where the greatest foot traffic occurs.

What Are Cruise Casinos Like?

Well, in truth there’s nothing to choose between the two, except with the one you’ll feel the movement of the boat in the bottom of your stomach as you gamble. Everything else is more or less the same as far as the environment goes. Of course, if we’re comparing size, then there’s no way a cruise ship can compete with a Las Vegas casino. And while we’re at there, please note that there are certain things you just cannot do in Las Vegas. So to that end, cruise ship gambling casinos can seem very small and cramped. Also, the height of the ceiling in ships is going to be pretty low when compared with a land-based casino. This also adds to the cramped feeling. That being said, some of the newer ships, like those from the Norwegian fleet, are now sporting higher ceilings to give the casinos a more spacious and roomier feeling.

Also on these newer ships, the casino actually opens up to the rest of the ship, adding more light and a more positive feel. Because the casinos are relatively small when compared with the number of the ship’s customers, it creates a great atmosphere when the casino is in full swing. There’s lots of noise, and everyone gets pretty animated. Then there’s the noise from the slot machines. This crowd is, to all intents and purposes, a holiday crowd, and they’re there to have a good time. So, overall, there’s always a festival atmosphere to the casino in the evenings, after dinner.

Cruise Ship Gambling: What Are Payouts Like in the Casino?

In all casinos, the odds are stacked in favor of the house. But cruise ship gambling casinos are some of the worse payers when it comes to paying out. Essentially, the owners know that you are a captive audience with nowhere else to go and play casino jackpot games, but in the casino onboard the ship. And so, ships really don’t have to do their gamblers any favors. An example would be video poker. In a regular land-based casino, you’d expect a typical 9/6 machine would give an expected payout of 99.5% if you use proper strategy over the long term. In contrast, for the same machine, don’t expect more than 94.9% payout. Blackjack is the same story. On land, you’d expect to get 6 to 5 but on the ships, the casino expects to see 3 to 2 payouts.

Though you’ll find a craps table in most ships casinos, the odds are somewhat restricted, with a limited number of bets available, along with a steeply rising house edge depending on your wagering requirements. So, please go and enjoy the cruise ship’s own casino. But just remember that the payouts are going to be painfully low.

What’s the Gambling Age on a Cruise Ship?

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In the US, the age for gambling starts at 21 years. On a cruise ship, it’s just 18. For us Europeans, this seems eminently obvious that 18 years is the start of adulthood. So, if you’re under the US age of gambling consent, then why not try your hand on a cruise ship. (We wouldn’t, as the average age for a cruise ship passenger is around 80 years).

Cruise Ship Gambling: Casino Limits for Table Games and Slot Machines

If you like to have a flutter, but with low stakes, then you’ll feel right at home on a ship. Here the bets are set very low indeed. This allows all cruise ship gambling players to have a great time without breaking the bank. It keeps things cheap and easy on the pocket. You’ll find plenty of penny jackpot slots, along with table games where the minimum bet would be $5. With a limited customer base, the ship’s owners need to be certain that all passengers can have access to the casino, both physically and financially. If you look hard enough, we’re sure you can still find the odd game offering $10 as the minimum wager.

What Casino Games Are Available on a Cruise?

All cruise ship gambling casinos offer a huge selection of games. In fact, they can easily rival the best that Vegas has to offer in the selection of games, in spite of the fact that the ship’s casinos are massively smaller. One of the most popular games is the staunch favorite, Texas Hold’em poker. There are always tournaments being played on board. One type of machine that you’ll find on every cruise, but never come across in a land-based casino, is the good old fashioned arcade game’s machine, the “coin pusher”. These machines are fed quarters and as they fall, the idea is that new coins will help push the older coins over the edge and into the payout tray below.

Also, another gambling activity is that of a lottery. Held on a daily, weekly, monthly schedule, these come from scratch cards sold by the shipping company to customers. Though it’s not paying out prizes as large as some of the land-based casinos, these are without a doubt the best lottery to play on board.

Cruise Ship Gambling: When Are the Casinos Open?

There’s just one simple rule for gambling on ships; namely, you can only gamble when the ship is at sea under its own power. So, on the day you board the ship, there’ll be no gambling whatsoever. But once you’re underway and cruising international waters, then the casino will open its doors and they’ll stay open 24/7. Whenever the ship has to come into port, then the casino must once again close. If you want to play at 4 am in the morning because you can’t sleep, don’t be surprised to find the games tables are not staffed. But you can still get on with playing the slot and coin pusher games.

Keep Your Sea Legs

First thing first, we should point out that the average age of your average client on a cruise liner is pretty much on the road less traveled side of things. Yep, the truth is that cruises are mainly for the retired. Now that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have nothing less than a complete blast. But just don’t expect to hear techno or trance blasting out in the ship’s ballroom. In fact, you’ll be lucky if they even touch the eighties music-wise. If you are going to hit the party aspects of a cruise ship gambling voyage, then we suggest that you try and not mix alcohol and gambling. There’s no faster way to drain your bankroll than by draining the bar.

Remember to treat your bankroll as you would any other expense on the ship. Make sure you have your budget planned out. This should include not just all the things provided for by the shipping company. But more importantly, have enough for all the tips you’ll be needing to leave. Yes, being on board a cruise liner is a never-ending tipping activity.

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Conclusion: Cruise Ship Gambling

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If you’re just 18 years of age and have always wanted to gamble, then get yourself on a cruise liner and knock yourself out. Not only will the experience be a lot less intimidating than going to a regular brick and mortar casino, but also the games are much easier to play. Meaning you’ll be increasing your jackpot winning chances. This is because there’s lots of time to teach the captive audience how to play. Everything about the vibe onboard a ship is much friendlier and more informal than in your land-based casino. You’ll get to know all the staff and be able to have a great time. Just keep in mind that you’ll be playing wrinklies.

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