Casino Cruises and Gambling

Most luxury cruise ships have a casino on board. On these cruises, though, gambling is nothing more than an activity available to the guests, one of many choices cruise travelers can pick from while they are between ports-of-call.

Todays cruise lines recognize that people enjoy gambling while cruising, casino cruises have taken off in popularity, especially in areas where there are no land-based casinos.

History of Casino Cruises
Gambling on the water has had a long history in the United States. During the 19th century, riverboats traveled between cities, and while many of the passengers were using the boat as a means of transportation, a good many others used the riverboat as a home for gambling. Card games were especially popular on riverboats; in fact, poker was invented on the Mississippi River.

When legalized casino gambling was limited to Nevada and, later, Atlantic City, casino cruises gave those who had access to ocean shores an option for gambling. While the ship’s port may have been in a state where gambling was illegal, as soon as the ship was three miles off shore, it was in international waters and no longer in the jurisdiction of the United States or state laws.

Casino Cruises Today
Over the past two decades, gambling laws around the country have begun to loosen. In the mid-nineties, states along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers decided to once again open the waterways to gambling. While some riverboat casinos are permanently docked, others cruise along the river.

To compete with the land-based casinos, cruise ships — both the luxury liners and the day-trip cruises — are building more elaborate casino options to enjoy on the open sea. Some casino corporations have begun commissioning floating casinos. For example, Crystal Cruises have “Caesar’s at Sea,” which is the ocean-version of the Las Vegas desert casino.

Most casino cruises are day trips, a few hours out at sea and then return to port. There are some that are destination cruises as well, such as a cruise from Florida to the Bahamas where the main activity on board is gambling. Many of the casino cruises provide transportation to the port at no extra cost.

What Casino Cruises Offer
Like any other type of cruise ship or casino, casino cruise ships want to offer passengers a one-of-a-kind experience that will have people returning.

In the not-so-distant past, casino cruises did not have much competition. The only land-based casinos were in the Nevada desert, and then later, on the New Jersey coast where the attractiveness of the ocean lasted only a few months a year. Casino cruises thrived in the southern coastal states.

Today, casino cruises must compete with a growing number of land-based casinos. To remain competitive, the casino cruises offer many of the same amenities that can be found in any casino.

Casino Games
The most important aspect to any casino cruise is the games offered. For logistical reasons, a ship will not offer as many games as a land-based casino, either in volume or in variety. However, the most popular games are aboard every ship. The larger ships will offer hundreds of slot machines, dozens of tables of different card games, and roulette wheels.

Food and Beverages
Whereas buffets are popular dinner choice in land-based casinos, they are often the only meal choice on a casino cruise. A few of the larger casino cruise ships have small restaurants or offer menu orders, but the buffet meal is the standard food offering. The casino cruises also offer fully stocked bars so patrons can enjoy adult beverages.

Most casino cruises charge a boarding fee, and that fee often includes food and beverages. If there is a charge for food or drinks, it is minimal, usually under $10 for the meal.

Entertainment
Because casino cruises focus on gambling, the games of chance are the main entertainment. When there is entertainment, however, it is not the large, lavish shows that one will find in a land-based casino. It is usually a small musical group. However, some the luxury ships meant for longer cruises will offer a variety of entertainment choices, including standard casino cabaret shows.

Day Trips
Casino cruises are usually a day trip that lasts about five hours, on average. They make for a nice excursion as part of an extended vacation or as a way to host a special event (some cruise lines offer private bookings).

Picture From : DELUXEVOYAGES

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