There’s a lot that’s familiar about the casino on a cruise ship. However, after dozens of sailings (and plenty of time spent in the ship’s casino) I’ve learned that there are some things unique to cruise gambling.
That includes what to know about drinks when playing, games I always avoid, and how I might have learned the way to beat one particular machine on a cruise… or at least get a ton of play for not much money.
I have all that, and a ton more tips and advice as I dive into everything you want to know about the casino on your cruise ship. So get those bets ready and let’s dive in.
Free Drinks? You Have to Earn Them
I’ll start with what you know about those adult beverages when you’re playing in the cruise ship’s casino. If you walk into the casino on the ship, you’ll notice that it looks just like a casino you’d find on land. The one exception is the group of waitresses in bustiers calling out drinks.
On cruise ships, you don’t find them. That’s because for the vast majority of people, drinks aren’t included while you play. Yes, you can play enough to get a drink package extended as a perk but for most of us, you have to get a beverage the old-fashioned way — head to the bar and pay full price.
Now if you have the drink package, it will work in the casino, so that’s a nice feature but you’re still paying for it instead of it being comped.
The “$20 Disguise” on Coin Pusher Machines
Let’s jump to a secret I’ve learned about the coin pusher machines you’ll often find on cruises, but it’s not the strategy that I’ll share in a moment that may help you win, or at least maximize your play.
These coin pusher machines almost always have folded up cash stacked on top of the coins as a little sweetener to make it even more fun to play. And if you look, you can see that there are several bills folded up together.
So if you can tell where I’m going with this, yes I can confirm that at least on the ships where I’ve seen them won, the cruise line is a little sneaky in putting a large bill on the outside and then singles inside.
This $20 wasn’t in fact several $20 bills, but a $20 with two ones inside. So when you win, you might not be getting as much as you thought.
Minimums Are Low (But Maximums Can Be High!)
Are you a small-time gambler? Then one thing you should know is that you’ll fit right in a cruise ship’s casino.
Limits are pretty low for table games. My most recent cruise I saw lots of $10 minimums and most of the time I see $5 minimums. So if you think you’re going to be playing with a bunch of high rollers, think again.
Slot machines have tons of penny-slot options and there’s $0.25 video poker. Sure, you can still bet a lot more if you want, but those hoping for low stakes will have no problem finding a spot to play.
Location, Location, Location
One thing that’s always fascinated me about casinos is the psychology behind them. So much of what goes into the space is done intentionally to get you to play more.
That’s exactly why you’ll almost always find the casino in the same spot no matter which cruise ship you sail.
Ships typically have three main interior decks, typically around decks 6-8. The casino is set near the middle of the ship, usually but not always on the lowest of these main interior decks. This placement is absolutely strategic. It puts the casino in an easy-to-reach location and near the heart of where there is the most foot traffic on the ship.
You’ll never find it tucked away at one end of the ship or on a deck that’s out of the way. That’s all on purpose to get more people playing.
Be Ready for Games You’ve Never Seen Before
If there’s something I love about cruise ships on casinos it’s that there are wild games that you never see anywhere else. But I’ve got to tell you that if you like your money, it’s probably best keep your cash in your pocket in most cases.
What I’m talking about are games like the skill cranes but instead of trying to get a stuffed animal, you’re trying to grab cash. Or the Keymaster game where you insert the key to drop bills or whatever this game is that features a huge ball or money where you have to cut the string to win.
These games definitely catch attention, but you would never see these games in a typical casino. Just know that games like this aren’t usually skill based, no matter what you’re playing for. You’d think that if you just put that crane in the perfect position, you’d win. They are typically programmed to only allow enough strength to pick up an object a small ratio of the time. There are similar features on other games. So even if you’re sharp, don’t expect to win based on skill or timing alone.
The Strategy I Used to Win at the Coin Pusher Machine
Speaking of unusual games, let’s talk about another game that you often see on cruises — the coin pusher machine.
It wasn’t until my last cruise that I learned there may be a way to possibly win the game if you’re strategic or at least get a lot of play for your money.
Now I have to give credit because I wouldn’t have learned this from another passenger. So Jenna from Kentucky, thanks for teaching me, and I hope you don’t mind that I’m spreading the word.
On the surface this game is simple. You drop a coin in, it pushes other coins down and over the edge. But there is some nuance to know. First, there are often folded bills put on top of the coins that you can also push over. And if you play enough coins, you reach a bonus level where you can win more.
With these machines, there’s only so many coins the table can hold until it’s full. At that point, you’re essentially breaking even. It’s not a perfect ratio but for each coin you play, one should fall over the edge. So you first want to look for a machine that looks pretty full.
But then you want to look for a couple of other things. First, you want to see the placement of the folded bills. You’re looking for machines where the bills are on the outer third of the field or even better the outer quarter, so bills that are close to the sides.
You also want to see if the machine has slots along the outside rails where coins are recycled back into the machine. Some do and you want to avoid these.
The strategy is then to work the furthest outside edges when you drop your coins to play. It’s tempting to work the middle of the field as this is where the cash and coins can be heavily stacked up. But when you push in the middle, the coins have the ability to spread out to both sides. So you keep plunking in coins and it keeps finding a spot to put them.
Along the edges — assuming there is no slot, the coins and cash are more likely to push forward, giving you a win.
Now, you won’t get rich off this strategy, and it’s not a guarantee that you’ll win. It is a casino after all. I still found myself down at times. But on a recent cruise I played with this strategy for about 4-5 hours over the course of the trip and came out about $30-$40 ahead. And even when I wasn’t winning, I was burning through my cash way slower than I would at a slot machine or video poker.
There’s Other Gaming Around the Ship
I’ve talked about the casino, but these days that’s the main place you can win money, but you should know it’s far from the only one.
Cruise lines have been on a trend of spreading wagering to events outside of the casino. Bingo is the most prominent way. Just about any ship you sail will have Bingo and we’re not talking about playing for pennies. Buying cards alone can be $50 to $100 and the prizes run into the thousands.
Then there’s Deal or No Deal where you can buy cards to play along and win money as well. Wheel of Fortune is a pay-to-play game for prizes on NCL too.
You can look on the daily planner for games to play and one good thing is they are usually more social and out in the open instead of being in a windowless casino.
Sorry! The Casino’s Often Closed
If you’ve never sailed before and are excited about the casino, one thing you should know is that you can’t simply head down and gamble whenever you want. Due to international laws, cruise casinos typically aren’t allowed to operate when within a few miles of the coast or in port. So expect it to be closed when
The rule of thumb is that if you’re at sea the casino will be open. Otherwise, it’s closed.
The Casino Is Tops for Sports Viewing
If you’re a sports fan, a cruise can be a frustrating place to be. There aren’t a ton of sports available in your cabin. In fact, there may only be a single sports channel on your cabin TV.
If you’re on the ship and want to watch a particular game or race or match, the best idea is to stream it via wi-fi. This is what I do for F1 races that I don’t want to miss.
The second best idea? Head to the casino. There’s always a bar area with multiple TVs and there are feeds here that aren’t available in cabins. If there is an event you want to watch, it’s your best option on the ship though it still may not have what you’re looking for.
An Inexpensive Place for Souvenirs
Gambling in the casino can be expensive, but one tip is that it can be a cheap place to get souvenirs.
First, the most surefire souvenir is to get a casino chip. You can go to a table or to a cashier and the cruise lines often have special $5 chips with the ship’s image that you can collect. I actually prefer just to grab a $1 chip from a table as a little memento.
But what I really like — and not all cruise ships have it — is when there is casino-used stuff you can buy or is given away. I’ve gotten casino-used decks of cards on MSC and dice from NCL and Carnival. All you have to do is ask and see if they have anything. Often it’s free and makes a unique souvenir most people don’t have.
Yes, Even More Games Most Casino’s Don’t Have
Now I mentioned the different games you can play in the cruise casino that aren’t on land. And I also mentioned some of the games outside of the casino you can play for real money.
But then there is another class of games that are also available that you don’t really see in a typical casino. For instance, these days the cruise line will have its own scratch-off tickets you can play. And there will be lotto drawings on the ship and there are poker tables where you can play Texas Hold ‘Em.
There are even slot and blackjack tournaments you can enter for a fee to try your luck and some cruise lines even have sports betting available.
If you haven’t gotten the picture by now, cruise lines want to get you playing any way they can so there is no shortage of opportunities no matter what you enjoy playing.
The Way to Avoid Expensive ATM Fees
Forget to bring cash? You can always go to the ATM but they are expensive on cruises. It costs $6-$8 to access your money.
Or you can do it the free way.
Cruise ships allow you to charge money to your room in the casino. So if you’re at a machine, you tap your card and follow the instructions to deposit money. It will credit the machine with no extra charges like the ATM, but instead you’ll see it as a charge just like if you had bought a drink at the bar. At the end of the trip, the charge is then applied to the credit card on file.
Just be careful as it makes it pretty easy to deposit funds, so you want to keep an eye on what you’re spending.
Need Bill Breaking? This Is Where to Do it
Even if you don’t gamble at all, there’s actually a reason you might want to visit a ship’s casino. When I travel I always take out some cash that I might need for the trip. The only problem is that it usually comes out to me in $20 bills. If I want to tip someone a couple of bucks or want small bills for a souvenir or a taxi, I’m out of luck.
But casinos on the ship will have bill breakers and if not, you can just head to the cashier. There, you can get denominations in any amount you want without having to make a small purchase somewhere to get small bills back.
What to Know About Smoking
If you’re a smoker, then the casino is the only interior place on the ship where you can light up… but that’s changing.
First, smoking is heavily restricted on a ship. It’s usually only allowed in a dedicated area outside. But most lines do let you smoke if you’re actively playing. What I’m noticing, however is that more ships are having spots in the casino that are smoke-free or even having the casino be smoke free and then a separate smoking area. And in general, I find cruise casinos much less smoky than those on land.
If you’re on an old ship it is more likely to feel smoky — especially when busy — but newer ships have casinos where it’s much easier to breathe.
More on Cruise Casinos:
- Cruise Ship Casino Gambling: Everything to Know Before You Bet
- Cruise Ship Casino Games Guide (Games Offered, Minimums, Payouts & More)
I disagree with the comment that “Slot machines have tons of penny-slot options….” Yes, there are plenty of slot machines that glow with the “1” cent play amount, but what is not obvious is that most, if not all, these machines do not let you wager 1, 5, or 10 cents a spin.
Most penny machines I have seen in recent years have a minimum number of “lines” for each spin. Most start at 25 or 30 lines (configurations of winning symbols) per spin. So, even if you think you are betting a penny per spin, it is actually 30 cents or more per spin. You have an option to raise you bet, too. Having multiple lines is supposed to improve the players odds, but most result in a few cents per spin (spend 30, win 11). I have seen “penny” machines that allow over a dollar per spin.
So, if penny slots are your game, be sure to look at the betting lines to see what each spin is actually costing you. Pace yourself and you could win sometimes.