5 SURPRISING Things About Cruise Ship Casinos

[@SD-cj8sp]

FYI When I accidentally left a casino balance on a princess cruise within about two months I received a letter from the princess casino with a check from them for the entire balance Quite a lovely surprise

[@baithoven5504]

Yeah that's to avoid being sued for theft bud lol

[@cassandrafine6373]

I did that at a casino in Reno, and the casino sent me the ticket I could use at a future visit. Good customer service, I'd say.

[@cmorris9494]

They are not allowed to keep it. If you find a ticket on the floor or a machine of a casino on land you can't keep it either.

[@spacenerd1701]

I applaud your decision to incorporate individual responsibility and recovery resources in this video. Excellent demonstration of your commitment to your viewers. 👏🏻

[@kateshyne4687]

On my first HAL cruise I put $50 into a $1 video poker machine and played for maybe 20 minutes. Not sure how many hands were played. I’ve been receiving free interior cabin offers every couple of weeks since my cruise.

[@SouthPawZilla]

Loved this video! My wife and I love to cruise and visit Vegas but I've always been more reserved in my gambling on cruises because of the tighter odds. After watching this and reading through Jen's article, I'm looking forward to adjusting my normal play on our next cruise. Thanks!

[@lisajaworski3387]

I’ve gambled as little as $10-20/day and still gotten many free cruise offers on both HA and Carnival. We did 4 free cruises in 2021 including a 14 day to Greece out of Italy. So you don’t have to gamble that much. Definitely meet the host, be nice, friendly and genuine.

[@briangasser973]

In 2021 the ships were still trying to fill cabins post covid. As ships are full now, I think the money you need to put as risk has gone up.

[@tinyku]

I was getting offers for free suites, drinks and casino back then now it's interior rooms. Carnival is now overbooking so the offers are not as good

[@atcdude067]

Wow, so much bad info here. Plenty of 6-5 games in the states which is what you claim the cruise to be as “worse games.” 6-5 games exist everywhere.

[@remizart]

My first Royal Caribbean cruise was in May and since then I’ve been given about 20 free cruise offers through the Casino Royale program. I gambled about $800 and brought home $1500 plus all those offers constantly get emailed to me. I’ve booked 5 of those offers and I’ve been on 2 of them with my next in January and then March/April! Got Platinum status now and next tier in March.

[@edwardyudkoff7137]

Eventually you'll lose it all. Time is always on the side of the house.

[@gitv2987]

The top person at fire keepers spent $50 million and made back $48 million, so I guess you made more than he did once, overall..

[@clbert7460]

I’ve been a member of RCI’s Club Royale for 10 years now. Since retiring in 2020, I’ve been on about 31 comp cruises from the casino. The last 15 cruises cost me less than $1500 in port taxes and fees with the free slot play and onboard credits from Next Cruise. My annual gambling budget is just enough to make Prime, so about the cost of two cruises. Living in a cruise ship port town, it’s the cheapest vacation available. If you want to pay for a specific cruise, Club Royale usually has the best rates too. I should make Pinnacle by February, thanks to Club Royale. Good luck to you!

[@TripReviews]

They want you back onboard to recoup their loss.

[@philiphearn9297]

Thanks as a recovering compulsive gambler (6 years clean) the casinos on cruise ships have always put me off. Good to know some lines don’t have them. Can you self exclude your cruise card before a cruise begins to remove any chance of a relapse. Great to know that Gary is able to control his gambling but I suspect these casinos make some peoples trips very expensive and could start a dangerous journey.

[@aeroAdvocate]

Not really because you can play the machines without tapping the card. Maybe you can bar yourself another way but enforcing that is pretty tough for the staff.

[@edwardyudkoff7137]

How about self control?

[@madjayhawk]

@@edwardyudkoff7137 If you never enter a casino you will never become addicted. If you never take a drink you will never be an alcoholic.

[@davidponseigo8811]

I worked in multiple casinos in Louisiana on the riverboat casinos in the Security and later Surveillance Department and I learned a lot about all the games and how to play and even counting cards. Surveillance employees are actually taught how to count cards in your head so you know how to recognize when a patron is doing it and stop them but with everything I learned I actually win and leave with a decent amount of money.

[@TripReviews]

I worked as a dealer and in security across Ontario Canada. I can testify you are correct.

[@aeroAdvocate]

I have milked the Celebrity casino comp system dry as a desert well. Soon I’m Elite Plus and haven’t paid for one single cruise. Usually I pay slots and put $500-1000 per cruise into the machines. All my comp cabins are Aqua or Concierge Class. I’m Amethyst with Blue Chip Club now.

[@BoninBrighton]

Don’t believe this, but if it is true it doesn’t sound much fun to me.

[@yourvenezolano]

Do they have a fine print of when and where you can take your cruise. Or can you pick the date?

[@aeroAdvocate]

@@yourvenezolano you can pick pretty much any cruise that has a casino onboard (so Celebrity Flora is out) and that still has availability at the time of your booking. My three upcoming cruises are Panama Canal (Retail: $11,470, paid $676), Alaska (Retail: $4,700, paid $257) and Norwegian Fjords (Retail: $9,300, paid $341). Last year I lost $2,193 at slots on cruises based on my chart. Could have booked two more but I simply don't have anymore time. :D

[@AlbertNurick]

How much have you lost “milking” them? Casinos don’t exist to lose money.

[@chevysnfirst]

I went on Freedom of the Seas in March 2022 and played on $300 on my 4 night cruise. I only earned 200 points. I am going on my first free 7 night on Serenade of the Seas next week. I also have a 4 night free interior offer booked on Liberty of the seas in January. I had more offers from Casino Royale, just no vacation time. I did not expect to get offers on what I played with. I hope to get more offers!

[@Guyerbassist]

You lost $300 in the cassino and they offered you a free 7 night cruise? 7 nights on royal would cost more the 1k wouldn't it? Jusy seems like a bad move on royals part

[@nichtsistkostenlos6565]

You lost $300 or just gambled $300? 200 points for $300 gambled is an extremely good point conversion.

[@zariaboy]

@@nichtsistkostenlos6565 We just returned from a 6-night cruise on Harmony of the Seas, it was our 2nd casino-comped cruise. My plan was to rack up 1000 points then another 500 on a 3-night Mexico trip in January in order to move up to the 2nd Casino Royale tier. I ended up with over 1700 points on this cruise while only playing $600 and losing $300, that's $8500 cycled on $1.50 slot machines. I don't gamble in Vegas or the local Indian Casinos but I like the value of playing on the cruise casinos.

[@n1msu]

Interesting vlog, and massive respect to you for at least sharing how you and your fella gamble. I work in a bookies, there are so many people who don't know when or how to stop.

[@chickenshippfarmsandoutdoo4617]

Your friend is 💯 right. My family was able to enjoy 7 cruises last year because of the casino rates. They basically allowed us to have the extra capital to gamble if we wanted to. Carnival has been sending us offers for free rooms too but we need specific dates to travel so they don't always work. We have all or cruises for 2023 and most for 2024 already booked thanks to the casino offers we get. They save us more than 50% off the regular price and usually include other perks, free drinks, internet, onboard credit, etc.

[@OJ96]

Ya I went on my first with my wife and we spent like $500 on slots and the 4th day we got the free drinks while in casino. (15 a night) but the last night I put $100 into three card prime poker and the whole time we ordered drinks for each of us and they cut my off when we hit us waters around 3am and I was at $1300. We immediately got an offer for a free room cruise with $200 casino credit and $200 onboard credit PLUS free drinks while gambling from day one. We just pay the port fees. So it was like $800 for both of us for an 8 day cruise plus all the rewards. So this time we’ll gamble more and the next cruise will be even cheaper. Definitely worth it

[@jenbrooks5872]

In Bermuda, while in port, the Casino does open around 900 PM until 300 AM. That is a port where you can play while not in international waters.

[@jeanmorgan2825]

I often go into the casino as I am a vaper. I see the $50 that I allocate to losing as money well spent since I actually just play the penny slots very slowly. I am not a rule breaker. I only vape where allowed which usually comes down to outside in all weathers or in the casino in 10 minute visits. I always get a players card but have never been offered even a free drink let alone a free cruise. I don't think I am their sort of gambler.

[@D9david]

Thanks!

[@cyoda1359]

I also played $2/$5 no limit Holdem cash poker games daily and tournaments on sea days on the Celebrity Beyond this past September. It’s a lot of fun and very social - some of the cruise lines used to have these automated poker tables (no actual dealers), but I think most have gone back to live dealers. However, there is usually only one live poker table and they won’t run a cash game unless at least 5 players are seated. Definitely recommended if you like poker - its very chill and social!

[@BarbaraCaldwell-ih3ol]

What was the rake?

[@emt52889]

​@@BarbaraCaldwell-ih3ol insanely high

[@Jzx1103]

Yup, if you enjoy cruising a lot and have been paying the full fares, you're probably better off gambling on ships and getting the comp cruises instead. I did a similar calculation, and thus far I've taken 18 comp'd cruises with Royal Caribbean and my losses in the casino to get those comps are about 36% of what it would've costed had I paid for those 18 cruises outright. The key is also to maximize your comp offers. I typically select the more popular ships with more expensive sail dates from the lists I'm given. For example Im going on two comp'd Icon cruises next year which costed me about $3800 in casino losses to get + taxes and port fees that I still had to pay. But had I booked these two Icon sailings on my own, its about $10k

[@richardevans273]

A very interesting vlog, thank you Gary. I joined a Cunard cruise for the second 9 day leg of a 19 day cruise, a few months ago, and the casino was really quiet throughout, with the staff just standing behind the tables doing nothing most of the time. I took part in the first roulette tournament and was the only one to do so. When I returned for the final, I was told to go and get my $10 stake money refunded, which was disappointing. A small prize or even a stamp on my prize card would have been nice, in recognition that I had bothered to take part and was, in effect, the winner, with the highest score on the board. No effort was made to further publicise the event or drum up any other players, using the speaker system, which was a shame. I believe that the other tournaments that were advertised in the daily programme were just as poorly attended (needless to say, I didn’t even bother to take part again). The Three Queens Raffle was also advertised regularly on the TV screens in the casino, telling people to ask the staff for details. I did so, but was told that it had already been done, as it was only for people who had boarded in Southampton, and not those who joined the ship in Italy, as I had. These were both missed opportunities for Cunard to make more profit, especially after the lean times they suffered during the Covid closure.

[@Cletus_the_Elder]

I think it speaks well of the line and of its passengers. Our own state lotteries know how to drum up additional players/suckers. It actually sounds nice that the passengers were entertained elsewhere and the ship's management did not use the casino as a way to increase its profits. In California, everyone wants in on casino/gambling revenue. Thumbs up for mentioning a line that is now on my radar for being decent ship operators.

[@dianes9151]

Carnival offer Premiere and Journeys cruises, free drinks in the casino for players of certain packages. I've met people who get free cruises, we have had very cheap cruises, including New Zealand and Seattle to Sydney. Cruises from Australia are 18+ years for alcohol and no smoking in the casino. I find the first and last day of cruises the luckiest in the casino. I always use the on board credit on the machines. Thanks for the extra tips, I will check out the other pages.

[@bobhowe2234]

We have gone on five free cruises this year with Royal playing the slots. Normally, we get the interior cabin FREE and upgrade to a balcony for an average cost of $200!

[@tipsfortravellers]

Fantastic!!!

[@bunnyafloat4125]

Does the free cruise count towards your loyalty tier? I read somewhere you have to add at least $1 above the "free" cruise in order to have the nights on board count ~ So that's smart by paying for the upgrade! Congratulations that is awesome for sure!

[@bobhowe2234]

@@bunnyafloat4125 YES

[@bobhowe2234]

@@bunnyafloat4125 YES

[@davis9971]

We were recently on RC Allure of the Seas and their casino did have baccarat in a “high roller” area. I walked through the casino many times and only saw one man playing baccarat, while the other table games were full of players.

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Super interesting and sensible info.

[@Mrfrontrow]

I love the BlacK Jack tournaments. This past October I and my wife did NCL to Alaska out of Seattle and I won the tournament!!($500) Also did trans Atlantic west bound on QM2 back in end of April and won the first tournament and placed 2nd in the 2nd tournament. Over the last 15 years I have won about 6 or 7 Black Jack tournaments on cruises. It's always fun to meet and chat with other players. A great way to get to know other passengers.

[@clbert7460]

For those of us who would gamble anyway, gambling on board works out well if you remember to set your limits and stick to them. The slot machines are set to the requirements of the country where the ship is flagged which are different than those in the United States. All of your tips were on target. My annual budget is just enough to make Prime on RCI and I get offers frequently enough to cruise 2-3x per month. The last 15 comp cruises from Club Royale cost me about $1500 in port taxes and fees with free slot play and onboard credit from Next Cruise. Of course, living in a cruise ship port town makes cruising more accessible. I just finished my 31st cruise since 2020 and am on track to make Pinnacle in February.

[@JJCruise]

Great video! We know these Casino Loyalty Programs well and will add that Celebrity Cruises has Poker Tournaments (guests vs guests) as well as no smoking in their casinos. They also have free drinks while playing in the casino. Celebrity is the closest we have found to that of an ideal casino environment with a really great loyalty program as well!

[@madjayhawk]

Be aware that poker tables on cruise ships have a 10% rake in cash games on the ships I have sailed on. That is absolutely brutal. There are a lot of ways the rake is taken in Vegas. Usually the rake is around 5% depending on the casino. Some guy did a computer simulation of a poker game and found that at the end of it everyone at the table was broke. The house got everything charging a rake and collecting normal tips on each hand. I do not play poke on cruise ships although I am a very good player.

[@Jacksbox11]

Thank you, Gary! Very informative!👌

[@ericksor25]

Noticed that in the last year or so HAL ships have eliminated the Texas Hold ‘Em video tables. I asked a host why and was told they weren’t that profitable. Tournament play is usually once or twice each evening and can take hours while blackjack etc. moves quickly with more turnover and more cash involved. Was surprised at his candid response.

[@simonstones1918]

No Texas holdem on board then?

[@tomgalinski8256]

Played hold ‘em on HAL electronic tables on last 3 cruises.

[@harshilpatel684]

How do electronic tables work?

[@kyrey5468]

I went on a cruise to Mexico from LA on the Discovery Princess over the Thanksgiving holiday an it was my first cruise ever. The dangerous thing about their casino is the ability to charge your room directly. Lol, by the end of my 7 day cruise I had racked up a little less than $2,000 in charges. I got offered a free cruise up to 12 days for an interior cabin but I can't register for one within the 6 month window they want. I'm hoping I can get the offer extended or get another offer so I can do a cruise to Europe in 2024. But the lesson I learned is to just gamble with cash on a cruise ship and NOT to charge my room. Be careful with that option if its available!

[@ustophl]

I Have paid for only 2 cruises in 7 years yet sail nearly every month for the last 3 years for free and am now pinnacle on royal all from free casino cruises … am so thankful

[@jackeldon8766]

Poker tournaments were held on our recent Celebrity Apex cruise in the Baltic on an almost daily basis.

[@dzikijohnny]

Those are good

[@RossPayne]

On a recent Holland America cruise (August 2022), we were happy to learn that smoking was not permitted in the casino. Made it much more likely we would spend time there.

[@I_AM_BAYTOR]

A casino that doesn't allow smoking sounds like hell.

[@bridgethannah2933]

The worst thing that happened to me was that on Princess they let you charge your gambling money to the room. Not paying attention and caught up in the excitement of the slots, I ended up $4K in the red. I’m embarrassed and regretful. So the cruise line gave me a certificate for up to any 12 day cruise with all of the bells and whistles (although in an interior room😢). Sadly the offer was only for the next six months and I was not able to go anywhere during that period. I know I’m stupid. But their incentive to gamble worked.

[@bridgethannah2933]

@@scottsmith7203 you don’t have to rub it in. 😉

[@theodorehsu5023]

@@bridgethannah2933 You can charge chips to the room with a 10% markup: $500 in chips means it will cost you $550 if you go bust that round (and you must net win more than $50 to profit).

[@litzie50]

Never play slots. It's for suckers who don't know the mathematics of gambling. Mostly females who are intimidated with table games which give you a better chance of winning.

[@joesmith9053]

4k in the red isnt an oversight , its more of a addiction , i hope you can get help on this

[@bridgethannah2933]

@@joesmith9053 I agree. But it actually turned me off from the slots. Not fun anymore.

[@corrick]

My wife and I just returned from a 4-night Western Caribbean on RC. We gambled some each of the 4 days with a net loss at Casino Royal of just under $400. With the points we earned we are taking an 8-night Eastern Caribbean in March with a balcony cabin for taxes and port fees only. This also includes $125 in casino credit for each of us. (Obviously our tips, drink packages and any excursions would be extra) Penny slots with mostly $1 - 2 bets. We could have actually booked two separate cruises but decided to combine offers for a better cabin. The payouts are worse, this is true. On land based casinos most Jacks or Better video poker machines are 9/6, 8/6 or maybe 8/5. Most of the machines on the boat were 6/5 which you would (or should not) ever play.

[@jenbrooks5872]

We always have our cabin paid for by casino services. We played enough on our first cruise that after that, we were invited. We just like to play so this works for us!

[@blurayauthority]

Wife and I gambled on Symphony of the Seas in April 2022. As of January 2023, we'll have taken our third free cruise on them. And we didn't gamble a whole lot, like maybe $1000 which has merited several free cruises and likely several more.

[@yourvenezolano]

What's the win to loss amount

[@blurayauthority]

Don't know (or care, really).

[@jenbrooks5872]

It is true, you don't have to spend a lot. Getting on the casino hosts radar is truly key. Also, tipping a little when you win will also get you noticed lol.

[@durango4u]

I receive offers all the time from Princess. The only thing I pay is port and taxes for my cruises. I always play at least $1000.00 to $1500.00 per cruise in the casino. Normally I get part of that back in winnings and sometimes more than that in winnings. I've received offers that range from 7-day cruises all the way to 30-day cruises with the vast majority being balcony staterooms. The best offers (coming out of the pandemic) were for $1000.00 in free credit in the casino, free balcony stateroom, free wifi, paid gratuities, and a full drink package with some specialty dining thrown in. I also get each cruise added to my status on these cruises. Overall I pay far less than if I purchased these cruises outright.

[@NancyReeves]

Princess has a Texas Hold’em table where passengers can play cash games. Princess also has restarted their Texas Hold’em Tournaments. At least they have on West Coast cruises.

[@madjayhawk]

Be aware that the rake on those tables in 10%. That, in my book, is criminal.

[@rickcudmore8156]

I have played in Texas hold'em poker tournaments on Princess, Holland America, Celebrity and RCI. They didn't have any on NCL when we cruised. I didn't know about the loyalty programs.

[@davepratt9909]

You forgot the biggest similarity between the cruise and land casinos: The house always wins in the long run. They are profit centers to make money for the lines, not the passengers.

[@tookymax]

The house doesn't always win. I played some craps and walked away with a profit by winning 17 bets and losing 12 bets.

[@Technic859]

The house always has the *advantage*.

[@johna5252]

Overall the house always win…everyone knows that. An individual can win for a period of time but over the long run you can’t beat them. It’s entertainment for many people.

[@jappychap2003]

I heard from a guy in the trade that on some larger American ships the cruise line makes as much from the casino as they do from fares.

[@Savagemister]

in....the...long....run. People do come out ahead, but only some and not most.

[@druegillis1744]

Having cruised on HAL and Princess recently, you can use your OBC If you want. A good way to get free cabin offers is to “color up” or cash in your small chips for larger ones before you leave the table, then cash in the chips at the cashier’s window. That way, the casino only has a record of what cash you brought to the table and not what you took away. They will just assume you lost what you bought when you sat down to play. Bring only how much you can afford to lose and stop there. Fun Blackjack pays 3 to 2 and pays when you get it, regardless of what the dealer has. They take all the kings out and play with 8 decks. No shuffling machines.

[@madjayhawk]

Removing all the kings or paying 6 to 5 on blackjacks seriously affects your chances for winning. The more 10s (K, Q, J, 10) in the deck the better odds you have in your favor. Card counters have systems where they can keep track of the number of tens in a deck. That determines their bet size. More tens, bigger the bet. Fewer tens, minimum bet.

[@davidoftheseas]

Take it from someone who knows... Machine percentages on ships usually range from 85 to 90%, basically the more you bet the better the return. Blackjack odds are the same (3 to.2) but 6 to 5 on low limit tables. Dealer also hits soft 17, which improves odds for the house slightly but this actually began in land base casinos and is still in place for some. Ultimate Texas Holdem, 3 Card Poker, Let it Ride, Roulette etc, etc (same odds). Craps is the same odds but there is a bet on the table "called" taking odds and some land base casino's allow you to bet 10 times or an unlimited amount behind your passline bet. Ships often only offer single odds (with overlay) or double odds for higher limit players. Higher limits still, will be given 3, 4 or 5 times odds.

[@sue-zthomas6065]

We go on 3-5 cruises a year. Have a set budget for the casino because I love it and would spend that money regardless, I haven’t payed more than taxes and gratuities for a cruise in 10+ years. They always comp me a balcony room, sometimes a suite, free drinks for me and a companion all over the ship not just in the casino, they give me massages, specially dinners and gifts every cruise and 1000-1200. in free play every single time! It’s a no brainer for me.I love cruising, I love gambling, they want me to try again. Oh, one last thing, I often win 1-3 handpays(1200 or more) on cruises. Often it’s better for me than a land based casino!

[@jenkayla2492]

How much do I have to spend at slots to get comps?

[@sue-zthomas6065]

@@jenkayla2492 I’m honestly not sure anymore, they send my deals via email or I check deals on their web sight through my players card offers but I know it’s not a lot to start getting free drinks in the casino probably just a few thousand and remember, your recycling money through the slot machines because of wins. So an example is I will allow myself 300. twice daily to play and just with that I’m offered free rooms, often a suite, drinks all over the ship for me and a companion and 1000. in free play. This last cruise, besides that, they gave me steak house dinners, a bottle of wine and a spa treatment. Plus I won two handpays for a total of 3400. It was a 6 day cruise so I budgeted 3600. for gambling. We left that cruise with almost the exact amount of money we brought for gambling. Of course it doesn’t always work that way but as long as you’re staying within your allocated budget. It’s just a no brainer!

[@wisdomSP]

My advice, (and I know nothing) but make sure you know your payouts. I played craps on a cruise ship and had to remind the dealer several times to pay me out when my bet won. Watch your money, especially if you're playing craps. Also if you're playing table games, pull the money from your ship account, have it charged to your credit card, take home your winnings/leftovers in cash and use it to pay off the card to collect the points. It's free money and you're putting a bunch of money through the system.

[@VinceCheong]

as for baccarat, it depends on the cruise routes. if it's predominantly around Asia and SEA region, they'll turnover most tables and change it into Anda Baha and baccarat.

[@uneCENT]

Your videos are so detailed and focused. Who do I call if I am addicted to watching your videos ;-)

[@tipsfortravellers]

Just go with the addiction 😂😂😂

[@dbcards4261]

We cruised Celebrity Silhouette this past November. Free drinks were ongoing while in the casino at that time. It was a short 4 day Bahamas cruise, but it appears they do offer free drinks from time to time

[@davidandrew1078]

For ships travel looping to and from Australia they are monitored by the State they departed from Gambling Authority, Liquour as well. Responsible Practices are enforced. The Cruise Lines do not like it, but then again, they do not have to operate in Australian waters.

[@paulgerrard9227]

And smoking is not allowed at any time inside incl casinos on cruises in or out of australia and nz. I believe transpacific can be different on some lines.

[@davidl.6509]

I play straight 21 only. If a table isn’t busy I will play minimums on up to 3 hands. They log you in and out as you opt to play more hands or less. Thats just my strategy. We get offers all the time.

[@sergiosantos2498]

I recently went on a 3 night cruise with RC. I spent each playing in the ship’s casino. I played each night, about $50-80 a night. Last week, RC sent me an email that I earned a free interior room for 2 for certain sailings in Jan. When my wife and I called to book our room, we upgraded to a balcony room…it was 1/4 the price on the cruise website or any travel website. So its possible to earn a free cruise!

[@gc4644]

Did you gamble that $50-$80 a night on only slots?

[@rickyaguilar38]

Did you see any baccarat tables? If so what cruise line?

[@danacasey8543]

I book my NCL cruises through their Casino at Sea. I earned a "free" cruise from my blackjack play. We cruise in a week to Alaska!

[@davidhenington7679]

Love that celebrity edge was non smoking in the casino. 😊

[@wes326]

We are doing a free cruise in two weeks. We gambled a bit last time and left ahead. I play video poker and can tell the if odds are good before playing as opposed to slot machines.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Nice! enjoy!!!

[@frank.5985]

I like the free alcohol once you reach a certain player level. Saves me the trouble of having to buy a drink package on RC. I can go to the casino if I’m at the pool, grab a drink and go right back to the pool.

[@debrascott8775]

A co-worker said they budget $50/day for each spouse. She said they cruise free every year.

[@babybunnies]

@Tips For Traveller, Your article posting says UK and USA citizens. How about for Canadians and Australians? Does cruise ships offer the same perks for people who are not from the first two countries? This is something to keep in mind.

[@robertfoerster566]

I do know that being Elite on celebrity gives you MGM gold status. What's so great about that? Well, if you book directly with MGM rewards at their resorts, they will waive the daily resort fee at their resorts...a big money saver! :) thank you for the videos!

[@ianleaver4967]

Sounds like a mugs game to me, think I’ll stick to walking through the casino and not stopping 😂

[@nichtsistkostenlos6565]

Not a mug's game at all. If you know how to play perfect blackjack strategy at a 3/2 table which can literally be learned in a weekend, even without card counting (most cruise ships I've been to have continuous shuffle machines anyway, so you can't really count), the house only has a 0.5% advantage. You can gamble a LOT of money without losing very much in blackjack, and the rewards systems are always based on the amount gambled, not the amount lost. Obviously it's not for everyone, but you can get serious bang for your buck if you know what you're doing.

[@xr6lad]

@@nichtsistkostenlos6565 no. There’s no mythical magic to it. You can justify as much as you want. It’s a business. And it’s sole purpose is to make a profit fit the business. Not you. That the video host gave his support to your comment actual drops my opinion off him as well. And anyone that thinks ‘there’s a system’ has a problem.

[@timspeedinc]

If you played on 3/2 BJ perfect strategy on a cruise they won’t give you anything; they’re not UNICEF, they’re in the business to make money.

[@ptj767]

from my experience it isnt actually gambling because gambling means you might win..

[@since1876]

@@ptj767 you CAN win, even with terrible odds. The problem is that people win once and think they'll win every time. And then they send good money after bad money. And then they end up taking out loans, losing friends, losing family, and eventually they may end up sucking on a shotgun lollipop. If you play on rare occasions for a set amount of time and take the win or loss and move on with your day, it's no big deal to play any game with any rules, as long as you're having fun doing it.

[@tookymax]

I just cruised on Norwegion Escape at the end of April 2023, and found the minimums rather high. For instance, Craps had a minumum of $25 and Baccarat had a minimum of $50 per bet.

[@kurichai]

I can’t speak on cruise ship gambling but my experience with slot machines - and expectation - is you don’t play to win. It’s like going to the arcade: you pay money to be entertained in an interactive way. Plus, if you’ve got a good crowd around you, everyone gets into the moment, especially if you make a good spin. Basically, when I play slots, I do it for the entertainment. Set a budget, have fun and best of all: people watch. If I get some perks out of it, awesome. I won’t complain.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Agree :-)

[@paulgerrard9227]

Royal Carribean bingo can include a special game where the prize is a upgrade to a large suite. Two levels. Very popular. We regret we were unsure to buy 2 or 3 games and chose 2. Lady beside us won and appreciated pur choice.

[@hclaut]

At 5:20 you see a PokerPro automated Texas Hold’em table where guests play against each other. Those tables can host cash games as well as tournaments. No live dealer. Cruise lines probably don’t like them because they wouldn’t be nearly as profitable as slot machines.

[@timsnodgrass4637]

I've found cruise ship odds on slot machines to be better than popular casinos on the vegas strip, but not as could as most of the smaller local casinos I have been to.

[@steerpike50]

Hi nice vid , do they use shuffle machines or shoes on the blackjack tables

[@scottsaltman]

I love this video and agree 100% with everything being said. I am rated on Carnival, RCL, and NCL. In 2023 we have 4 cruises we are going on; all balcony rooms and all competed

[@jlawrence0181]

If you look at the Blackjack rules, the expected returns are 2-4% less than your standard 3-2 blackjack table in Nevada.

[@funnyfunny6842]

This might just be me, but on our last cruise (carnival) there was a lot of winning on the first 2-3 days (including me) and as the week progressed, the bells started to ring less and less for everyone. Almost seemed like they dialed down the machines. Not sure if that is even possible, but it sure looked like it

[@MikeD-dl5lk]

I found out that gambling of any kind- including lotteries- are illegal in Hawaii- hence no casino on Pride of America. My NCL cruise included Hawaii, and the casino was closed while in Hawaiian waters...

[@slowmads]

Good video. . . I, too, get more offers for free cruises from Princess and Carnival than I could ever use. I generally set my gambling budget at what I would have paid for the cruise. I also divide that amount into smaller daily “bankrolls”. If I am every ahead by 50% of that bankroll, I head to the purser’s and pay on my bill and head to bed. If I lose that day’s bankroll, I’m also off to bed (I ONLY gamble in the evenings after dinner). My goal is to get off the ship with no bill whatsoever. I’m a blackjack player so that happens about 1/3 of the time. My pet peeve is that cruise loyalty programs are not nearly as transparent as land-based casinos. I feel as if I have to start from scratch with each cruise I take. It would be nice to have loyalty levels accumulate and be assigned a casino host that would help me with ALL my casino-comped cruises, etc.

[@ourblazingworld]

Thank you for explaining these things because I get so tired of trying to explain it to folks LOL... now I will just direct them here and the blog post :)

[@mohavie2360]

once cruise ships are in international waters, the casino rules are now subjected to their rules. i used to play these on cruise ships and one day got to gain my dealer trust, possibly we are of the same nationality and he probably didnt want me to lose all my money, but the dealer told me that these cards are missing certain cards to more favor the house.. in fact, certain games are tweaks to favor the house more often. when u are on their ships, its their rules that you are playing with. believe me or not, im just letting everyone know from what i learned.

[@skylahunt3723]

I started cruising again this year and have been on 3 carnivals. Next year 3 more. We like the casinos and just got a free cruise for next year because of the casino. We also get great OBC through casino rates as well as upgrades. We don't buy drink packages because we earned free drinks in the casino the first night of our first cruise. So whenever I want a soda, I go to the casino, and if they take too long, go to the casino bar after I've placed my order. When correcting your win/loss statement, CASHOUT when you when. It doesn't change the setting on the slot but your win/loss leans more on win and you go home with way more money. Even if you just win $5, cash it out. I'm allergic to smoke and cigarette smoke is the worse so I stay away from smoking sides. I had the worse reaction ever on one cruise just from being over there for 5mins.

[@flanman1870]

My wife and I only cruise Royal Caribbean. I only play roulette and I can tell you that the odds and payouts are exactly the same on a cruise ship as they are in land casinos.

[@paulcarr5918]

Many land based casinos have lowered blackjack payouts. Here in Vegas casinos will actually go as far as advertising that they still pay the amount everyone is used to in order to get their business.

[@RadioactiveSherbet]

I learned to play Blackjack on the Hoyle Casino PC games. Blackjack is still my table game of choice, both in real life, and in no money involved PC gaming.

[@Jeremy-vw1ib]

The only game I won was a claw machine that was $1 and you had to grab bundles of 100 singles. I think it took 40 dollars to win the first one then 12 to win the nest and 9 to win the third. We were watching and playing it so much we had it down to a science

[@erikagholston6610]

Thanks for the tips.

[@susankara7520]

I have seen on blogs that the cruise line casino is regulated by the country it is registered to. I do believe it is regulated and monitored. I don't win on land or at sea so I'm positive it's regulated. I have only bad luck but love to play🎉

[@ericammons9804]

This is very true. I lived & worked on various cruise lines for 4 years and some of my friends who worked in the casino told me the odds are much worse on the Ships. This is due to the fact that the cruise lines charge the casino concessionaire a lot of money to put their machines and table games on the ships. So in order to make a profit, they need keep a higher % of the total money being played. I think B.C. Slots gets free cruises because he brings hundreds of his fans on the cruise with him. So not only are they gambling with him, but they’re filling up the ships (Carnival Cruise Line).

[@TripReviews]

Don’t know about these days but back in my day Carnival managed their own casinos including the land based casino I worked at in Canada.

[@jamesw133]

I was on a carnival cruise playing blackjack and the dealer was obviously a new dealer. I was a little frustrated because I found my odds were very bad because they do continuous shuffling. On one hand I bet $75 on two different hands. I had gotten a 17 and a 16. I wasn’t feeling like hitting so I stayed. Everybody at the table bust before the dealer reviled he had a soft 17. He proceeded to pick up all the cards and I pointed out that the table says “dealer must hit on soft 17”. Because he had started collecting the cards, the pit master made him pay out everyone at the table. I was then asked to leave the casino. I will never be gambling on a cruise ship again

[@Bahamut_Mega]

I got a free 31-day cruise ( inside cabin ) as a casino offer. Can't wait. 😀

[@herranton]

The odds at any casino are directly preportional to how far away the next closest casino is to you. The physically closer the competition, the better your odds.

[@pagrant]

I have never gamble on cruise ships , seen a few people the roulette wheel and the slots. If I was given 50 pounds on board to spend by the cruise company, I would have a couple of gos on the slots to say I done it.

[@JonathanKobler]

My wife and talked about the gambling fund thing if and when we should go to a casino. Granted, I’ve only ever been to one casino and that was in Perth, Western Australia, but I did regularly play poker in the Navy (…and lost regularly. :D ), but I did have a set aside amount from my paycheck which kept me from the fate that some of my shipmates ran into with not being able to stop. As far as house benefits go, this is good information. Seems much better than the conciliatory Quarter Pounder from the base McDonald’s from the guy that hosted the game because I was basically giving him $50. :D. It was however, for the fun of playing and being social though.

[@jkitchens71]

Just came back from a crossing...Norwegian has poker tournaments as well as a nightly cash game.

[@haroldcarson5677]

These should all be eliminated on cruise ships.

[@anitahenri5748]

I only do comped cruises. This year I have gone on 6 comped cruises. Three were in comped suites. If I paid for my cruises it would have been over $35,000. I paid out in gambling, taxes and port fees $6,000. On my last 2 cruises I netted $750 and $1,250. You have to know how to game the system. Certain machines give you more points and you get more credit when you play higher denominations. I have not paid for a drink in all my cruising. I started at Prime because of my land gambling. I have also had my gratuitues paid for, wine in my room and free specialty dinners. And I am not a high roller.

[@704musicent]

When you gamble on Carnival and earn the points, do the points expire at the end of the end of the cruise or do they stay in your account.

[@donb2480]

Any cruise I have taken I have never paid for a drink in a casino while I play. NCL and MSC I cruise on and no payment for drinks.

[@adamsgarage5119]

The age of gambling is 18 in Oklahoma and a few other states in the us.

[@andrewleeadkins93]

I do appreciate that Carnival Dream Class ships have separate non-smoking casinos. XL class have non-smoking sections.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

Thank you for the video!

[@Linkskyfyre]

Are drinks free in the casino if you have a drinks package? I'm going on my first cruise for a week with Carnival next week. I hope I can get my old lady to like it so we can go on more. Thanks for the tips Gary.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Yes!

[@FraserAtSea]

I have literally no idea when it comes to the casino. To be honest, it's probably for the best - I reckon if I won, I'd genuinely struggle to stop, so I'll stick to just popping in to watch the tables with a beer or two!

[@carolynnmathisen8754]

Use your cruise card in the casino. Make a small bet then cash out if you need some cash for your shore excursion. It’s safer in some ports than using a credit card. Just a thought….

[@wannabedal-adx458]

I was on a RCL cruise in Feb 2020 and they had 2-3 different types of poker at tables. Also I noticed the buy-ins for Blackjack were $15-25 a hand. A little steep for me. I ended up playing roulette and having a lot of fun. I played alongside 2-3 guys from Norway for the couple of days I visited the casino. Nice guys, funny, and knew what they were doing. I will apply your tips here for my upcoming NCL trip. thanks

[@litzie50]

Roulette has a casino advantage of 5 1/2 per cent on virtually every bet. This is 4 times higher than the 6 best bets in craps. 5 1/2 % house advantage is too high which is why I never play roulette. The advantage is due to the zero and the double zero. In Europe there is only one zero which cuts the casino advantage in half (2.75 % casino advantage).

[@drebiz2344]

Absolutely. I was on Royal Caribbean and the table games had really high minimum

[@litzie50]

Roulette has a 5.5% casino advantage which is 4 times the casino advantage of 1.4% on the main craps bet(the pass line)

[@rickyaguilar38]

Did you see any baccarat tables on your NCL cruise?

[@genekrupnik]

Excellent video. I am independent casino host and my clients never pay for cruise at any cruises lines. Please use your room key every time you play in casino. Charge to your room ONLY if no charges. If you would be part of my group you will never pay for drinks and will have comped more perks like wifi, drink package or tips. Any questions please let me know.

[@michaelholmes3092]

Hello I have a cruise in July on carnival magic and I am interested in getting free. Cruises or drinks lol thank you

[@genekrupnik]

@@michaelholmes3092 I can help you to get comped cruise only if you are casino player and have players card. I will need to verify your Theo (ADT) from any casino you play

[@gc4644]

I'm going on a NCL cruise to Alaska in May. I'm thinking on spending around $100 on slots. Will that get me any comps?

[@genekrupnik]

@@gc4644 no, it’s all about ADT. Your ADT will be 5. To get comped cabins on good cruises you need minimum 750. I have few cruises on Celebrity in next month from Miami and LA required 250. 250 is really low for casino players. Also I used casino play history from any casino in USA to get comped cabins for all cruise lines, except Disney cruise line

[@Scolopente]

I actually just got comped a 12 night cruise on NCL. I had to pay taxes and fees, but that was about $590. The key is I'm a solo cruiser but didn't have to pay double occupancy! So that's a bargain in anyone's book! I plan to 'spend' $100 a day (so around the normal cost of my cruise) gambling and see where that puts me within their program by the end.

[@williamgreen6179]

If you use cash to play dealer or slot roulette. Is the taxable rate on your total earning for the cruise or based upon each voucher you turn in at the cage. Land Casinos pay and tax based upon each voucher. Question if I cash in 10 vouchers for 400 each; am I given a W2g form since they were all under the 1200 dollar amount. Do any Casinos at the cage pay you back cash. Land base Casino don't ever give you a W2g form for table games such as Roulette. Roulette is exempt and is a self tax table game.

[@m.m.4645]

I have spent 20 $ on gambling, lost, all of it and that was it. I was never interested in gambling again. Probably saved me an awful lot of money which I can spend on cruising in general.

[@steveh5307]

I've only been cruising twice and both on Royal but the roulette pays are the same. There were both single and double zero roulette. Idk whether it was 3to2 or 6to5 on BJ because I didn't play or paid attention. Slots on one of two cruises were fun. I was hitting bonuses more frequently than Vegas (Vegas btw is HORRIBLE, especially on the strip, especially Caesar's properties) and ended up hitting a Major for $700 and my father hit a Major for $800.