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Shorter opening hours
Casino cruise ships don’t open their casinos the whole day round, but rather in the evenings until around 2 or 3am. It depends on the cruise line itself. You’d have to check the ship’s schedule. The casino will also only open when the ship is at sea or in port countries that permit gambling.Traditional casino games
In a lot of casino cruise ships, you can expect to find blackjack and several variations of poker, such as Texas Hold’em, Caribbean Stud and Let It Ride. You may find yourself playing the card games against the dealer, rather than other players. There will be at least one roulette table and, if you’re lucky, you may also be able to play baccarat. Variety is important on cruises, so you’ll also find slots, if you’re not feeling like playing against anyone. Some cruises have electronic poker tables, too, at which the players will sit, but there is no dealer present and the software takes care of the dealing.Tournaments
It’s common for casinos on cruise ships to hold tournaments. Usually, these will be either blackjack or slots tournaments although some cruises offer poker tournaments. Often, you don’t have to gamble any money, but instead pay a buy-in to enter. Some operators allow the participants to rebuy. The people who rebuy the most tend to win. Often the prize will be money, especially if it’s a Texas Hold’em tournament. This isn’t always the case, however, depending on the operator. Some cruise operators will award a free cruise for two as a prize to the tournament winner.![What is a Casino Cruise © Michał Parzuchowski / Unsplash](https://s.inyourpocket.com/img/text/england/brighton/what-is-a-casino-cruise-c-michal-parzuchowski.jpg)
Adults only
On most casino cruises, the minimum age to enter the casino is 18, especially if you’re in the UK. Some operators require you to be 21 years or older to enter the casino on any of their ships. If you’re in the US, the minimum age is 21 years of age to enter the casino. Note that because the casino is on the main thoroughfare on a lot of ships, you will see children in the casinos. They’re not allowed to hang around, though. If you’re not sure exactly what the age requirements are to play in the casino, check with the travel agent or operator.Payment
Most casinos allow you to pay in cash to play. You’ll exchange the cash for chips. It’s rare for casinos on cruise ships to be cash-only, but there are some which are, so it’s best to check with the cruise line first.If you’re not comfortable carrying lots of cash around with you in the casino, you don’t have to. You can use your cruise card to play, the card itself also serving as your cabin key, and the casino will charge the price of the chips to your card. Cruise cards are often usable on slots as well.
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