Almost all major cruise ships in America or Europe have casinos and there’s a good reason for it. According to a study, nearly half of the onboard spending is generated by the casino floor. This presents cruise lines with every incentive to expand and improve their casino.
So, here is the list of the biggest and best cruise ship casinos.
List of Best Cruise Ship Casinos
1. Allure of the Seas
With the area of 18,000 square feet, Allure of the Seas by Royal Caribbean is the biggest casino cruise ship. The Allure had her first sail in 2010 and can accommodate 5,400 guests. It has two dozen restaurants, 15 bars and lounges, and many other facilities, like outdoor movie theatre, minigolf, rock climbing.
There are 27 table games, including blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, and some of the carnival games like Three Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, and other similar games. The slot total is 456 with all the hits like Buffalo Stampede, Buffalo, and 88 Fortunes.
2. Oasis of the Seas
The specifications of the Oasis were identical to those of her sister ship Allure of the Seas, but the Oasis is 2 inches shorter in length. Oasis had her maiden voyage in 2009.
Oasis underwent extensive renovations in 2019, resulting in the addition of new facilities such as eleven-story slide and a waterpark. She also has several new restaurants concepts.
She lost some casino space during the renovation but still has 15,000 square feet gaming area, including 24 tables and 464 slot machines. There are three tables and 46 slot machines in the no-smoking casino.
3. Norwegian Epic
Norwegian Epic was launched in 2010 and it was intended to have two sister ships in the same Epic class, but due to the unsuccessful deal, Epic became the only ship in the Norwegian Fleet. She can accommodate 5,300 guests and is 19 decks tall.
There are 15 restaurants, a dozen bars and lounges and other amenities like water slides, rock climbing walls, two pool areas and the Broadway-type theatres.
The Norwegian Epic used to have one of the largest casinos on a cruise ship in the world. After her remodel in 2020, she returned with the area over 13,000 square feet with 348 slot machines and 280 tables.
4. Symphony of the Seas
The Symphony of the Seas set her maiden voyage in 2018. The casino on the Symphony of the Seas was reduced in size, down to 12,000 square feet. It appears to be of similar size to that on Oasis and there are almost identical numbers of tables (24) and slots (452).
5. Sun Princess
Sun Princess is the latest and one of the best casino cruise ships. Princess Cruise Lines Sphere set off her first voyage in late February 2024 with the Sun Princess. She can accommodate 4,300 guests in a double stateroom. She was named after the iconic Princess Line boat from the television show “Love Boat.”
She has state-of-the-art cabins, rock climbing, and the usual zip lines. The casino has 17 table games and 227 slots covering more than 9,000 square feet of area. Table games that are associated with progressive slots on blackjack and various poker games are a great addition.
6. Norwegian Escape
Norwegian Escape is a Breakaway Plus class ship. She was launched in 2015 and can accommodate over 4,000 guests. There are no formal dinner nights on it.
There are over two dozen dining choices, 15 top-notch bars, Aqua Park, rock climbing, mini golf, and rope climbing. There are two pool areas, huge spa, and a fitness area.
The casino has 23 tables and 318 slots covering about 8,000 square feet area. There are many poker varieties like Three Card Poker, Pai Gow, staples of craps, blackjack, roulette, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em.
7. Carnival Celebration
One of the Carnival’s Excel Class ships is the Carnival Celebration. She was launched in 2022 and can comfortably carry over 5,300 guests and spends much of her time in the Caribbean.
There are 24 restaurants, Barbeque Smoke House concept, 15 bars and lounges, movie theatre, splash pad-type amenities, and climbing wall. There are 15 tables and more than 200 slot machines covering almost 5,000 square feet of space.
Also read: The Top 10 Biggest Casinos in the US
