carnival cruise casino blackjack rules

Cruise ship casinos: Everything you need to know about gambling at sea

Cruise ship casino gambling is a big deal to some cruisers. You know how you often hear people on a cruise ship planning their day around the entertainment, tours and mealtimes? Last night, I eavesdropped on a conversation where a group of six people was planning their entire next day around time in the ship's casino.

For other cruisers, the casino is more of an onboard curiosity than anything else. What are all those table games? Do people actually win money — or free cruises — playing in cruise ship casinos?

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If you're curious, I've compiled answers to the most common questions people ask about cruise ship casinos. Some of the answers may surprise you.

Do all cruise ships have casinos?

Most large, mainstream cruise ships have casinos, including the ships of Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line (other than Pride of America), Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises and Virgin Voyages.

Specialty cruise lines like Disney Cruise Line, Paul Gauguin and most expedition cruise ships do not have casinos. Premium cruise lines Oceania Cruises and Cunard have casinos, while Viking, Azamara and Windstar Cruises do not. (Windstar and Azamara actually removed casinos from their ships and repurposed the space.)

Among the luxury cruise lines, Silversea and Seabourn have casinos on their non-expedition ships; Regent Seven Seas has casinos on all its ships. Smaller luxury ships like those belonging to Ponant, Ritz-Carlton, Scenic and Emerald do not have casinos. River cruise lines do not have casinos on board, even on U.S. rivers where "riverboat" gambling is reserved for casino boats, not river cruise ships.

Related: A beginners guide to picking a cruise line

Are cruise casinos open in port?

With a few exceptions, cruise casinos are not open while ships are in port. They are generally limited to operating while the ship is in international waters. This is why Norwegian's Pride of America doesn't have a casino. Since the ship cruises exclusively in Hawaii, it never leaves U.S. waters.

Cruisers are also often surprised to learn that the casino is closed on some nights during Alaska cruises . Cruises that sail from Victoria, British Columbia, to Seattle on the final night are a good example. The ship goes straight from Canadian waters to U.S. waters without ever reaching international open waters, so the casino closes the night before arrival in Victoria and does not reopen during the cruise.

Ports that currently allow the cruise lines to operate their casinos while the ship is in port include Bermuda and Malta, which require cruise lines to apply for a gaming license. Bermuda has allowed casino operations for licensed ships between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. since 2013. It's an ideal situation as Bermuda has no land-based casinos, and many cruise ships overnight in port on Bermuda cruises. Malta, which does have land-based casinos, allows ships that have been approved for licenses to open their casinos between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Which casino games are on cruise ships?

Gaming in cruise ship casinos usually includes a mix of slot machines and table games, such as three-card poker, Caribbean stud poker, craps, blackjack and roulette. Regionally popular table games like Texas Hold 'em and pai gow may also be available on some sailings.

Can you win money in a cruise ship casino?

Most cruise ship casino games operate under the same rules and payout percentages you would find in a land-based casino; therefore, the answer is yes, you can win money in a cruise ship casino.

Social media posts and casino announcements would indicate that at least a small handful of people win four- and even occasionally five-figure slot machine payouts on a regular basis. But just as in a land-based casino, it's far easier to lose your stake than it is to win that kind of money.

How many casino points do you need to get a free cruise?

As at land-based casinos, each cruise line offering gambling on board sets its own criteria for earning perks through the line's casino loyalty program or players club. Points are generally tied to the time played and the amount of money you gamble, including the money you win and recirculate.

Much like an airline loyalty program, casino points usually accumulate over a year, earning you better perks as you work toward increasingly higher status levels. Annual free or discounted cruises are one of those perks, often beginning with complimentary (aka comped) inside cabins at relatively low status levels.

Many casinos also let you match casino status from land-based casinos (or even other cruise lines), giving you a leg up. For example, I haven't cruised with Carnival in a while, and I've never played in the line's onboard casinos, but I signed up for the Carnival players club via its Fun Match program. When I registered, I uploaded an offer from a competing cruise line and a players club card from MGM. Now when I log in to Carnival's website, I am shown casino offers that include free and discounted cruises.

Related: How to earn free cruises and perks with casino loyalty programs on land and at sea

Some cruise lines also issue instant awards for the number of points earned (i.e., money spent) on an individual cruise, regardless of status. That would be like an airline awarding free future flights to passengers who spent the most money on their flights, no matter their loyalty status.

Most mainstream cruise lines use comped cruises to fill cabins on dates they anticipate having a surplus of vacancies. These extra offers often appear random, but are generally targeted for marketing purposes rather than as rewards for high amounts of play. New players may receive these comps after low levels of play because cruise lines are always interested in attracting new casino players.

All of that adds up to the possibility of receiving a free cruise for a small number of points earned for cruising, as well as guaranteed free cruises as your points rise to the levels of play set out in the cruise lines' casino loyalty programs.

What is the best casino game to play on a cruise ship?

The best casino game to play on a cruise ship is the one that is most entertaining for you. Ultimately, you play to have fun, right?

The games that require a combination of skill and luck are the ones where the odds of winning are in your favor. For example, the overall odds on blackjack favor the casino by only 1%, while the casino has a 25% edge overall when it comes to slot machines.

Those odds mean the cruise lines operating casinos will favor slot machine players over card players, both in terms of the number of games provided and the loyalty perks awarded.

In summary, for winning money, the best games are skill games. For earning loyalty perks like free cruises, slot machines are the best choice.

Are drinks free in the casino on cruise ships?

Historically, drinks have not been free to cruise ship casino gamblers the way they usually are in land-based casinos. There are exceptions, however.

Free drinks in the casino are a perk of casino loyalty on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess, Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Line. Reach the required level, and you'll earn free drinks from the casino bar, usually for a full status year. Carnival, Princess and Virgin Voyages also often throw in free drinks (either in the casino or throughout the ship) for individual comped cruises. Everyone actively gambling in the casino gets free well drinks on Celebrity cruises.

In addition, drinks are free in the casinos of luxury cruise lines like Silversea, Seabourn and Regent Seven Seas because all onboard drinks are included in the cruise fare. On the big-ship lines, anyone who purchases a drinks package or cruises on a fare that includes drinks will also be drinking "free" in the casino.

Are cruise ship casinos regulated?

Cruise ship casinos are regulated in two ways. They typically adhere to the laws of the ship's country of registry. But because gambling normally only takes place while the ship is in international waters, cruise lines that sail from U.S. ports also adhere to the rules set out by the Cruise Lines International Association. Those rules state that all equipment purchased and installed on the vessels of member cruise lines will meet the regulatory standards of the Nevada Gaming Control Board or other licensed jurisdiction for payback and internal software.

Additionally, house rules must be made available in every casino. Each member cruise line is to post at every gaming table minimum and maximum betting limits for each game, and only adults are allowed to play the slots or the tables.

What's the age minimum to gamble in a cruise ship casino?

The minimum age for gambling in a cruise ship casino is 18 in most cases, but there are exceptions. MSC Cruises has a minimum gambling age of 21 on any cruise with a U.S. port; otherwise, the age is 18. Some cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, raise the minimum age to 21 on Alaska sailings.

Related: The 6 best cruise lines for young adults

Do ships run casino tournaments?

Cruise ship casinos on mainstream cruise lines often host tournaments on board featuring various casino games. The list includes slot tournaments, as well as card game tournaments for blackjack and Texas Hold 'em.

Some tournaments are invitational, offered to casino loyalty members of a certain level only. These are often held on cruises hosted specifically for players who have reached that level. For instance, Royal Caribbean holds Signature cruises designed to pamper and entertain these top-level players.

Can you smoke in the casino?

Casinos are often seen as the last bastion of cruise ship smoking freedom (beyond small, designated areas on deck). But the number of ships that offer nonsmoking casinos is steadily growing.

Celebrity Cruises does not allow smoking in its ships' casinos, and the relatively small casinos on luxury ships are generally nonsmoking, as well.

Several lines have hybrid options. For example, some Carnival ships have separate smoking and nonsmoking casinos. Norwegian has separate smoking rooms on some ships; however, cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use are allowed in casinos on ships that don't have separate smoking rooms. Princess does not allow smoking except at designated slot machines, and Holland America also has designated smoking areas in the casino.

Related: Is smoking allowed on cruise ships? A line-by-line guide

Do cruise ship casinos take cash?

Cruise ship casinos accept cash at both slot machines and table games. As an example, you can sit down at a slot machine and feed in a $20 bill, which is then converted into "credits" on the machine's screen. The value of the credit depends on the denomination of the machine. Alternatively, you might walk up to a roulette table and lay down $20 and exchange that for chips.

The exchange of cash at machines and tables is a one-way deal, even when you win. Slot machines and dealers in cruise ship casinos don't dispense cash. When you finish playing, you may be issued a paper credit slip to take to the cashier's cage for cash, or you may have your winnings loaded directly onto your onboard account on some cruise lines. At the tables, you will take chips to the cashier to exchange back into cash.

If you don't travel with cash, you can find ATMs in the casino or at guest services. Alternatives to cash in cruise ship casinos are paper credit slips, which can be played as cash at either machines or tables, onboard credit or casino free play loaded on your stateroom account, or lines of credit arranged with the casino.

You can also charge gambling money directly to your onboard account like you would charge a drink at a bar or anything else on board. Fees for gambling charges vary among cruise lines, but in most instances, table games charge a service fee, and slot machines do not.

For example, my husband recently requested money from his onboard account at a blackjack table and was charged a 5% surcharge. The ship we were on was not set up to charge onboard accounts directly from the slot machines (sometimes they are), so I had to go to the cashier for a credit slip to play. I was not charged a surcharge, although if I had asked for cash, I would have been. Both of our charges were added to our final onboard bill.

Because there is no fee added to money for slot play, onboard casinos will usually put rules in place about how quickly you can cash out of the machine. The rules are designed to keep cruisers from using slot machines as ATMs to get either cash for the table games or to cash out onboard credit they've been given from the cruise line or their travel agent.

Bottom line

If you like to gamble, cruise ship casinos provide a fun way to spend a sea day or evening on the ship. You can take lessons to learn the games you don't know how to play and even participate in tournaments.

Besides the fun of playing on board, many cruise lines have players clubs that offer onboard perks and even free cruises. And since the odds of winning are about the same as in a U.S. land-based casino, with similar regulations in place, cruise ship casinos are a safe bet for fun and entertainment — though we always encourage you to play responsibly.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

• Cruise Casinos

Carnival Blackjack Rules

By polar_purple , August 26, 2009 in Cruise Casinos

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polar_purple

What are Carnival's Blackjack rules?

Dealer stands on all 17's?

Blackjack at 6:5 (ugh)?

Double under a 9 (e.g. A/7)?

Allowed to double after a split?

Surrender permitted?

Just curious...thanks!

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What are Carnival's Blackjack rules?   Dealer stands on all 17's? Blackjack at 6:5 (ugh)? Double under a 9 (e.g. A/7)? Allowed to double after a split? Surrender permitted?   Just curious...thanks!

Well I do know.....

you can't use a shiner or punched out cards. LOL!

Luckily Carnival still pays 3:2 for Blackjack. No Surrender, Insurance pays even money. Not sure on doubling.

Lisa&Neb

I would like dealer hits on 20 and 21, stands on 22!!!! that would be a great table!!!

Silverscreencruiser

I'll be on the Glory next week to find out the current rules, but as of last September, the rules were decent but not great:

Eight decks with automatic shuffler (as of three years ago)

Dealer hits soft 17 (as of last year)

Resplitting pairs up to 4 hands except for aces which can't be resplit; one card on split aces only.

Doubling after splits allowed; doubling on any two cards allowed.

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The MS Radiance of the Seas has a Vegas-style casino that is an impressive 6,459 square foot with 188 slots and 11 tables.

Cruise ships are a great place for players top enjoy some gambling while they are on a relaxing vacation at sea. With many of the leading cruise lines offering ships that have full casinos, players who enjoy the thrills of blackjack will find great games that can be played. The main difference between playing on a cruise ship as opposed to a land casino is the limitation of game variations. Since there is smaller floor space available, most cruise ships will only offer a single variation of blackjack, though there may be a few that have two or more variations depending on the size of the casino.

Cruise ship casinos open their gaming tables the moment the ship is three miles offshore, in international waters. Gamblers will find that he betting options on a cruise ship are relatively low, so high rollers may not be interested in betting. However, for the casual blackjack player, these cruise casinos offer a great way to enjoy some gabling action while on vacation. There are even themed cruises, where the focus is on gambling and these can offer more game variations and even tournaments that can be played aboard.

Best Cruises for Gambling & Blackjack

Blackjack fans will want to make sure their selected cruise ship offers the game and below are the most popular ships for those that enjoy the thrills of blackjack.

Radiance of the Seas – Royal Caribbean

Destinations: Alaska, Australia/New Zealand, Transpacific, Hawaii

• Single and eight deck blackjack offered with a $5 minimum on both tables.
• Cruise offers blackjack tournaments.

More info: www.royalcaribbean.com

Voyager of the Seas – Royal Caribbean

Destinations: Asia, Australia/New Zealand

• 6 blackjack tables offered, 2 with single deck games.
• Small table limits, between $3 and $6. Two tables offer higher bets, ranging from $25 to $300 per hand.

Carnival Fantasy – Carnival

Destinations: Bahamas, Caribbean

• Multiple blackjack tables with variations such as Face Up and Fun 21.
• Low game minimums for casual players with some higher limits up to $300 per hand.

More info: www.carnival.com

Norwegian Jewel – Norwegian

Destinations: Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Pacific Coastal

• 9 multi-deck blackjack tables with $5 minimums.
• One table offered for high rollers for bets from $100 to $2000.

More info: www.ncl.com

Norwegian Dawn – Norwegian

Destinations: Bermuda, Canada, New England, Caribbean

• Multiple tables with eight deck games and side bets, like Lucky Ladies and Wheel of Madness.
• High roller table reserved with minimums of $100.

Five Important Tips for Playing on a Casino Cruise

Playing casino games on a cruise ship is not much different from playing at a land casino, but there are some slight differences to prepare for when sailing. The following tips will get gamblers ready for their onboard blackjack experience.

1. Plan gambling around the complete cruise itinerary. Always remember that all cruise ship casinos are closed when the boat is in port. There are some exceptions, such as in Bermuda and Nassau.

2. The casino will be open when in international waters, so those eager to play just have to wait for the boat to be between 3 and 12 nautical miles from shore.

3. Be ready to deal with smokers. Most of the cruise ships that offer a casino will have designated smoking areas and if the casino is small, smoking may be allowed everywhere in the casino. There may be some exceptions to cigar smoking.

4. Most casino games on a cruise ship are played by casual players. There are seldom card sharks or professional players on board, so prepare for a casual and relaxing experience at the tables.

5. Watch for themed cruises where a major focus is on gambling. These are the cruises that will offer blackjack tournaments and special events throughout the cruise that will make onboard gambling even more exciting and rewarding.

Playing blackjack on a cruise ship is not only enjoyable, but can be very rewarding. The mentioned ships are known for offering stellar blackjack games and payouts and players will find table minimums that will suit their budgets. Most cruise ship casinos will have at least one table that is for high rollers, where larger bets can be placed. One of the great things about onboard gambling is the rewards club offered by many cruise ships. This works just like a loyalty club at a land casino, where points can be earned to get free play or even onboard credits.

With cruise ship blackjack games, players will usually come in contact with beginner and casual players, so those that are used to extreme competition may be disappointed. However, any player with skill will benefit from the table action since many of the players will not have mastered the basic blackjack strategy, providing experienced players with a great benefit and advantage. The game rules are mostly the same as in land casinos and players will have the ability to place side bets and even compete in cruise ship blackjack tournaments.

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Quote: LostWages I've been able to memorize the Wizard Strategy simple exceptions by Jeff Pepper (only 18 cells to remember!). We're getting ready to go on a Carnival Cruise trip, and I verified that they do have 3:2 blackjack, but the minimum bet starts at $10. That's a bit rich for my pocket. They do have $5 minimum to play 6:5 blackjack or "21". I am going to play recreational with a modest bankroll of $500. This will be my first time on a live blackjack table. Any advice from those of you with more playing experience?

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Quote: gordonm888 3. Watch for dealer mistakes. The dealers are usually not the world's best

Quote: gordonm888 1. Remember the casino is open only when the ship is not in port and not within 2 hours of U.S shores. 2. Also, realize that the casino is completely unregulated and Carnival has been on a campaign to increase revenues from their casinos. Ask a wide-open leading question of your dealer such as "Is this game the same as the Blackjack game that I play in Las Vegas?" which gives the dealer the opportunity to tell you about any weird differences form conventional BJ. Heaven help you if they've deleted Queens from the deck, lol. 3. Watch for dealer mistakes. The dealers are usually not the world's best - for instance, they usually work another (non-casino) job on the ship when the casino is closed.

Quote: LostWages While I feel a little discouraged that "the longer you play by Basic Strategy, the more likely you are to lose all your money . . . ", at least I'll have some consistency in my losing (or winning) based on a reference point of the strategy card. As I gain experience like yours, perhaps I'll start learning Advanced Strategy - wish they had legalized gambling here in Hawaii. Having said that, I have my bankroll management in mind to balance out ensuring we have a fun cruise and a good time. I favor your other statement that if I play perfect Strategy, it should take longer to lose! Appreciate your time and attention!

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Quote: LostWages When I come to the table and get a seat, do I show my Basic Strategy card to the dealer before I put my cash on the table for chips? Of course, I'm hoping NOT to use it unless I get brain-freeze or cold feet on my first session on a live table game. Your words of experience tell me I shouldn't have to worry. Tks!

• Threads: 12

Quote: JimRockford As long as you're playing 200 practice hands a day, go ahead and learn true basic strategy rather than a simple strategy. It's not really much harder if you practice. You'll feel better not having to look at your card very often.

Quote: LostWages 2F, I look forward to reading your long (or short) post about my playing 200 practice hands a day. I'm still using WOO "simple strategy", and have now learned a few exceptions to memorize. Tks!

Quote: LostWages Is that proper etiquette? What is the "proper" way to leave a blackjack table?

Quote: LostWages Thanks everyone for your suggestions and comments on "how to leave a blackjack table". Now I have multiple options from which to select the one with which I feel most comfortable. Counting the days to my first sit down action!

Quote: TwoFeathersATL It is always YOUR decision when to leave the table. You can leave at the end of any hand for the table. Yes, you can color up to a smaller number of chips with the same cash value, a mostly recommended approach. Or you can just slide them off the table into a burlap bag, or your underwear. No one cares! Was that really a serious question on your part?

Quote: LostWages I like adding your suggestions to my "ammunition" and "lifeline" pocket - Tks for tips, which BTW all make perfect sense to me. I believe reading somewhere about rules that say I can tell the dealer to save my place so I can take a bathroom break (or whatever). Is that correct?

Quote: LostWages Joeman, You suggested that if I buy-in for, say, $80, I should leave when I hit $160 or $0, of after 45 min if I haven't reached either limit. Other postings I've read suggest I leave when my bankroll is down 50%, or if I'm up 30-40%. I noticed during some of my practice sessions on WOO's BJ Game & Trainer, that with good play I am fortunate enough to get a winning streak after 10 deals and end up with $52.50. The Game bankroll is $1,000 but I know my starter bankroll would indeed be $80 (to match what I do when I play VP Deuces are Wild). So if I've made $52.50 after just 10 deals, should I (a newbie, reminder) indeed leave the table and go do something else for a while before thinking of returning to the BJ table? I know part of the experience is recreational, and it will be for me. And it seems wise to leave when I'm winning. Just looking for thoughts from you or other readers.

• Threads: 20

Quote: Joeshlabotnik I would stay away from ANY game in ANY shipboard casino. Here's why: a ship at sea is essentially its own jurisdiction, subject PERHAPS to admiralty law and PERHAPS to the laws of the country in which the ship is registered (which is often someplace like Liberia, and rarely the US). My point is that you would not have ANY recourse if you were cheated. The casino could remove several ten-count cards from the shoe, for example, and you could never detect it--and the house edge would be increased by several percent (you couldn't tell, for example, if there was one less ten of diamonds, Jack of spades, Queen of hearts, and King of clubs in the shoe). While you don't have to worry about direct dealer cheating (a good cheating dealer wouldn't work for the minimum wage and the limited hours that a cruise ship provides), you have NO assurance that the game is fair. There IS NO independent monitoring or auditing of shipboard casinos, and if you somehow did feel that you were cheated, all you could do is complain to the ones who were cheating you! Good luck with that. Aside from that, you are paying $100+ a day to be on board this ship. Presumably, that's because you are getting experiences that you can't duplicate--the onboard meals and entertainment, the ports of call, etc. But you can find a casino practically anywhere in the country--or the world--these days; there's a casino under every rock. Why spend your time and money doing something you could just as easily do by hopping in your car and driving an hour or two to your local casino? Other people have called me paranoid (and a lot worse) for refusing to gamble in places where I have no protection from fraud and cheating and no recourse for damages, but we paranoid people tend to last longer :) Think about it. You're playing the Mega Gonzo Ship on a Shingle Progressive dollar machine and you hit the jackpot for three million dollars. The casino manager comes up to you and says, "Sorry, but Nigerian Cruise Lines has had a pretty bad year, and we're not going to pay you." What would you do? What COULD you do? (I know we're talking BJ here, but the principle is the same.)

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Quote: LostWages Joe - FYI, I did avoid the Carnival Cruise BJ. The 3:2 BJ was $15 min, too rich for me. There was $10 BJ, but still rich and worse, 6:5 payoff. I was so tempted, but my mind was still screwed on tight. I really appreciated your posting! BTW, if your time and interest permits some comments, I made a full BJ TR here: https://wizardofvegas.com/member/lostwages/blog/#post1411 If you enjoy reading about food journeys, I also made a 15-day blog about that too! https://wizardofvegas.com/member/lostwages/blog/#post1410 Have a nice day, LW

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Bad Bet: How Cruise Ship Casinos Offer Poor Payouts

Ever wonder why the casino is located where it is on a cruise ship? Nearly always you’ll find it near the center of the ship with an entrance from the main promenade walkway. That’s because making the casino inviting — and easy to get to — rakes in more cash for the cruise lines.

But if you’re a casual gambler, then you might not realize there is something more that the cruise lines often do to make even more money. Cruise ship casinos offer some of the poorest payouts of any casino you’ll find. As the only game in town, you can’t just head off to another casino with better payouts.

Don’t get us wrong. We’re big fans of casino gambling. We’ve placed bets, thrown dice, and pulled slot handles everywhere from Las Vegas to Louisiana. And it’s widely known that the “house always wins.” But what you’ll find on a cruise puts the advantage heavily in the casino’s favor.

How strong is that advantage? Well, it depends on the game, but we’ve found some examples of bad bets in ship casinos that you’ll want to know about before you put your money down.

Blackjack Rules Not In Your Favor

Blackjack is one of the most popular table games at any casino. It’s also among the games with the lowest house edge if played under specific rules, such as paying 3-to-2 on blackjack and having the dealer stand on all hands worth 17. In fact, according to the WizardOfOdds.com , a player can actually expect a positive return if playing with the most generous rules while also playing the optimal strategy.

But all casinos — both on land and on cruise ships — adjust those rules to put the advantage in their favor.

The most common rule change you’ll see is blackjack paying 6-to-5 instead of the more usual 3-to-2. If that doesn’t sounds like a big deal, consider that a $10 bet would pay $12 on blackjack instead of $15 under the typical rules.

The 6-to-5 tables are rampant on cruise ships and lower a gambler’s expected return by about 1.5% over the long-term. You can still find some 3-to-2 payouts, but usually only if you are playing higher limits (>$25 per hand)

Another rule commonly found on cruise ships is that the dealer must hit on a “soft 17” (when the dealer shows an ace and six). This rule is actually in the casino’s favor and increases the house edge by about 0.2%. That may not sound like much, but combined with other rules and lower blackjack payouts, it adds up.

Low Payouts on Video Poker

Are you a “Jacks or Better” video poker player? That’s likely because you know that a “9/6” machine has a payback of 99.54% over the long-term. In other words, play long enough (thousands and thousands of hands) and you can expect to lose less than $0.50 for every hundred dollars you bet.

That payout makes video poker one of the best bets in a casino. Of course, you likely also know that casinos will adjust the payout to increase their take.

If you aren’t familiar with video poker, you can judge the payout of a machine by how much it pays players for a full house and a flush. A machine paying back nine credits on a one credit bet for a full house and six credits for a flush is called a “9/6” machine. These are the two payouts that the casinos can adjust to tweak their edge.

It’s extremely rare to find “9/6” machines in most casinos. You often find something like an “8/5” or a “7/5” machine. On cruise ships, you’ll most likely find the dreaded “6/5” machine.

Jacks or Better video poker paying back six credits for a full house and five credits for a flush have an expected return of 95.12% over the long-term. In other words, you can expect to lose about $5 for every hundred dollars bet — about ten times more than you’d lose on a “9/6” machine.

Craps Games with Bad Bets

Few places in the casino can be as exciting as a craps table that’s rocking on a busy night. The cheers can be heard no matter where on the floor you are. On the flipside, a table that goes cold can clear out quickly, making the craps table feel like a graveyard. After all, no one wants to keep playing when they are losing money.

To keep more of your hard-earned clams, it’s smart to know what are good bets at the craps table and what are bad bets. What you’ll find on the cruise ship are small tweaks that are actually poor bets.

First, you’ll often find the “Big 6 | Big 8” bets. This large area pays you even money if there is a six or an eight rolled on the table. But if you simply “place” the same bet with a dealer, then you’d earn 7-to-6 ($7 on every $6 bet).

Casinos place these “Big 6 | Big 8” in order to lure in bets with a higher house edge. Even Caesars Entertainment (the people behind Caesars Palace) have written about how poor of a bet this spot is on a craps table :

“Here’s the thing. Don’t bet on the Big 6 and 8. Yes, they’re big. We’ve established that. And red, too. It’s not a horrible bet, we know that. But betting on the 6 and 8, on another part of the table, makes a lot more sense.

“Up near the dealer are a row of numbers, including the 6 and 8, and when you “place” your bet there, it pays 7-to-6, rather than even money. For betting on the same numbers.

“Doesn’t sound like a big difference? A bet on the Big 6 and 8 has a 9 percent house advantage (hint: that’s a lot). A place bet of $6 (since it pays 7-to-6, you place a multiple of $6) has a house advantage of just 1.5 percent.”

What you’ll also find on many cruise ship craps table is a small difference in payouts on the field bets. The field bet is the easiest bet on the table. Place a bet and if on the next roll the dice show 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12, then you win. All numbers pay back even money, except 2 and 12. These traditionally pay double your money if a 2 is rolled and triple your money if a 12 is rolled. This gives the house an edge of 2.8% on the bet.

What’s common in cruise ships casinos is for both the 2 and 12 to pay double. With this lower payout, the house’s advantage jumps to 5.6% on the field bet. That may not seem like much, but it’s a huge difference when it comes to gambling.

Should You Gamble on a Cruise?

With all of the lowered payouts in a cruise ship casino, it begs the question — should you even gamble at all? Speaking personally, we still gamble while on a cruise. However, we play with a much different mindset than when playing on land.

We know that there isn’t just a house edge like in a regular casino; the odds are stacked heavily against us. That’s why we gamble drastically less than we would if at a land-based casino with more favorable payouts. We play for pure entertainment; not with the idea that we will come out ahead.

Taking a cruise is supposed to be fun, and lots of people have a great time gambling (including us). So if you think it’s a good time, there is no harm in playing. Just know that coming out a winner is more of an uphill climb than you may expect.

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it may have been nothing but pure luck, but my wife who does not win much no matter what casino she plays or where she plays, won a big jackpot while on a cruise, she won a few minor jackpots, but she won a large on play slots, she has never won any big until this cruise, while I usually win some big ones, I only won a small one , because of the pay back on the casino, they do not have .25 cents Keno machines, you have to play at least 50 cents and the pay off is half of what you would won if you play on land…it takes .50 cents to win 1200 dollars on a 7 out of 7 , that would be 4,000 dollars in a land casino, you have to play a dollar to win 3000 dollars on a 7 out of 7 play keno on a cruise , a dollar would net you 8,000 thousand dollars if you it 7 out of 7 playing keno on land, it took me a few days to figure it out that I should only play a few hundred dollars a day and if I won anything at all I should play that money the next day, because I would just lose it all back if I kept playing… I lost all the money I started out with, the next time I will only play for a few hours a day and keep whatever I win if any for the next day, or just play every other day…Play you have to pay for drinks at the casino, They did give me a few free drinks, but that was only after I had over 1000 points built up.

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carnival casino rules

By Cybearsfan72 , March 20, 2005 in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Cybearsfan72

I heard the casinos games have different rules than regular casinos back in the states.

I heard that blackjack table dont have queens in the deck. What other weird gimmicks do these casinos do to change the odds?

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the no queens thing is for fun 21 not black jack...same as spanish 21...some of the game are different but they explain it to u if u ask...its still fun and relatively easy..:)

Regular blackjack tables do have the Q's in them. Blackjack pays 1.5 times your bet. They also have face up blackjack and Fun 21.

Tom-n-Cheryl

The BIGGEST difference in Carnival casinos, and those on land is:

Don't expect any free drinks on Carnival.

The casino on Carnival does not stay open 24/7 (this, btw, is a GOOD thing.. LOL)

cruisinfanatic

I heard the casinos games have different rules than regular casinos back in the states.   I heard that blackjack table dont have queens in the deck. What other weird gimmicks do these casinos do to change the odds?

And deuces are wild!

Krazy4Kruisin'

don't know about spanish 21 or any other blackjack games, but regular and normal blackjack does not have deuces wild in the casinos onboard

MERVYN BREMMER

That's why I stick to the slots....just keep throwing quarters in and it keeps taking them....nothing to figure out;) :D

Only double odds offered on craps table. Small improvement from the single odds offered on my first cruise.

One thing we discovered in the casino is that on the LET IT RIDE tables, they had an additional $5 bonus you could play and it was for 3-card poker (your 3 dealt cards). They had the regular bonus for $1 but the amounts seemed less than back home and the bonus does not pay for 2-pair like it does everywhere else.

The $5 bonus was good to me as I was dealt TWO 3-card straight flushes during the week good for $200 each...it was nice. We had a group of 38 on this cruise and many of us played the Let It Ride since it had the added addition of playing 3-card poker without having to go to another table.

My husband went up to the Carnival site and somehow found the place to email the casino host and ask for the rules to Blackjack to see about surrender, etc. We got an answer back fairly quickly from the host on the Carnival. You might try that!

Is there a Casino onboard?

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/Carnival_Casino.aspx

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