Offering high stakes on the high seas, the casinos aboard cruise ships have evolved significantly in recent years with muted card tables replaced by large games machines, skilled croupiers and a hundred and one different ways for passengers to strike it rich. If you want to mix adventure at sea with a little responsible gambling this year, here we explore five of the best cruise ships for casinos.
Dawn Princess
The smoke-free casino provides a perfect, sophisticated setting for gamers and non-gamers alike. Don your best James Bond tuxedo and take advantage of a wide range of slot machines and table games. Bingo games are also available throughout all the cruises aboard the Dawn Princess – giving you more chances to win big.
Oasis of the Seas
The largest ship on the seas (tied with sister vessel Allure of the Seas), Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas has an unsurprisingly impressive casino with more than 450 slot machines for guests to choose from. Alongside the slot machines, the casino is comprehensively stocked with roulette, craps and blackjack tables – all skilfully manned by dedicated croupiers.
The whole casino has been designed to celebrate the history of gaming with the ‘Museum of Gaming’ walkway leading into the main atrium of the casino.
Norwegian Epic
Having won Casino Player Magazine’s ‘Best of Gaming’ award 9 years in a row, Norwegian Cruise Line has built a fierce reputation for fun and rewarding casino selections on the seas. The largest ship in the fleet, the Norwegian Epic, has the most comprehensive casino offerings of the fleet – which offers a total of nearly 3,000 slot machines and 200 games tables throughout the ships. The Transatlantic Repositioning cruise (linked) is a fantastic way to enjoy the ship’s facilities in between visits to Europe and the US.
Carnival Legend
The Club Merlin Casino aboard the Carnival Legend includes a fantastic range of gaming tables including multiple disciplines of poker as well as bingo for those who like to leave their gaming to chance. The progressive jackpots on the slot machines have also reached more than one million dollars a number of times throughout the ship’s cruising.
The Carnival Legend also operates the Carnival Player’s Club – offering points for frequent players which can grant you access to complimentary drinks and invites to special events.
Celebrity Solstice
The Celebrity Solstice plays host to the Fortunes Casino which includes blackjack (including one single deck blackjack table), roulette, Caribbean stud poker, three card poker, Texas hold ‘em and craps tables as well as nearly 300 slot machines. Baccarat and let it slide are also available for guests upon request.
For a full range of cruises from Cruise1st Australia, browse our cruise deals or call our dedicated sales team on 1300 857 345 now.
Images sourced via Flickr Creative Commons and Celebrity Cruises Media Center. Credit: Rishad Daroowala. Celebrity Cruises, Lisa Brewster, prayitno
