Royal Caribbean
The biggest floors at sea, and one of the best-known programs: Prime and above get an annual cruise.
- Smoking
- Mixed Smoking floors with non-smoking areas
- Rewards
- Club Royale · 1 pt per $5 on slots
Part of Royal Caribbean Group
Find the right cruise casino for your next sailing
Independent research on the casinos and rewards programs of ten cruise lines and 170 ships, with free tools to compare them for the way you play.
Or start with: choosing a cruise · a ship you've booked · a favourite machine
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Location, smoking rules, games and reports for 170 ships. Browse all ships →
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Sightings by ship, from dated player videos and reports. Open the slot library →
Four lines, four very different casinos
From the biggest floors at sea to smoke-free and adults-only rooms. Points aren't worth the same in every program, so the fastest earning rate isn't automatically the best.
Celebrity Cruises
Smoke-free casinos, with free drinks while you play from Onyx and rewards that lean to upgrades and credit.
- Smoking
- Smoke-free
- Rewards
- Blue Chip Club · 1 pt per $5 on slots
Part of Royal Caribbean Group
Carnival Cruise Line
Fast published earning on slots, invitations instead of tiers, and casino points that now count toward Carnival Rewards.
- Smoking
- Mixed Smoking floors; non-smoking areas on 15 ships
- Rewards
- Carnival Players Club · 1 pt per $2 on slots
Part of Carnival Corporation
Virgin Voyages
Adults-only ships with a non-smoking floor, and free play at every tier above Star.
- Smoking
- Mostly non-smoking Non-smoking floor; small smoking room
- Rewards
- Sea Roller Rewards · 1 pt per $5 on slots
Independent brand
Try it here
Which rewards program fits how you play?
A quick version of our casino match finder. Change the answers and the ranking updates as you go.
Your play: about … wagered a cruise, and the casino expects to keep about … of it (its theo (Short for theoretical loss: the amount you bet multiplied by the house edge. It’s what the casino expects to win from your play on average, and most casino offers are based on it.)).
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Ranked on the tier you'd reach, its free cruise and the value of its perks. Carnival, Holland America and Margaritaville don't publish comparable levels, so the full finder lists them separately.
See the full ranking with these answersRecent changes
The biggest 2026 changes to cruise casinos and their rewards programs.
- NCL's "$1 Million Takeover" on Norwegian Joy, with a $200,000 slot tournament and a $100,000 blackjack tournament. More →
- Carnival Firenze adds a third, non-smoking casino for adults-only sailings from Long Beach. More →
- New Casino Players Club perks: Wi-Fi for Gold, and a VIP host and an extra cabin for friends at Platinum. More →
- Carnival Rewards replaces VIFP. Leftover casino points now convert into Carnival Rewards points. More →
All updates (7 more)
- MSC adds progressive jackpots to 30 blackjack tables on seven US-based ships. More →
- Legend of the Seas debuts with Royal Caribbean's first two-level Casino Royale. More →
- Koningsdam and Rotterdam casinos expanded in dry dock, after Westerdam's in January. More →
- Club Royale video poker earning slows to 1 point per $15, and the annual free cruise now comes from a set list. More →
- MSC replaces Holland America as Wynn Rewards' exclusive cruise partner. More →
- The IRS W-2G threshold for slot jackpots rises from $1,200 to $2,000, and only 90% of gambling losses are deductible from tax year 2026. More →
- Princess removes poker tables from every ship except Coral and Island Princess (reported). More →
New to cruise casinos?
- Open at sea. Casinos usually open once the ship reaches international waters and close before port. Your daily planner lists the hours.
- Play on your cabin card. Your cruise card (SeaPass, Sail & Sign, NCL key card, MSC cruise card or Virgin's Band) tracks play and charges it to your account. Fees often apply unless your tier waives them.
- Points become offers. Slots and video poker earn points at a set rate, and table play is rated by average bet and time. Points unlock tiers, free play and cruise offers.
- Age and smoking rules vary. The usual gambling age is 18, often 21 on Alaska sailings. Smoking rules range from smoke-free casinos to dedicated smoking rooms.