Royal Caribbean Casino Rules
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Royal Caribbean Casino Rules Average ratng: 6,8/10 3075 votes
lucky13
A few observations from my recent cruise on RCL with my family over February school vacation.
Ship:
The cruise was great for families. Our ship had Ice Skating, Mini-Golf, Basketball, Rock Climbing, a nice Theater, good bars and just about everything to keep us busy at sea. Our room was surprisingly comfortable with a small balcony.
Since this is a gaming site, here goes my observations.
SAVE YOUR MONEY. Rules were essentially horrific.
BJ, Single Deck, 6-5, dealt only two hands. Other table used 8 decks or continuous shuffling machines. I found a $25 hand shuffled 8 deck game. H17, DAS, No Surrender. Not bad, but I bought in for $1,000 and they watched the table like a hawk.
Craps, Single odds, 9-1, 7-1 for H6&8, H4&10, respectively. Field paid 2-1 on 2&12. Last night had double odds.
VP, here it was crazy. JoB paid 6/5.....
Poker, 1/2 NL, 10% rake, also NL. There was one pushed pot with about $150 in it, and the house took $15, and the two players chopped, each losing.
Craps, 0 & 00.
Slots. Didn't see any winners.
Bingo. No cumulative, now a $500 top jackpot for $40 buy in (I let my kids play).
Had to pay for drinks in a casino. Who knew????
Cruise was great, but the casino was pretty bad. When we docked in the Bahamas, a bunch of us headed over to Atlantis which was a great time. Real VP odds. Real BJ (I even saw a $500 minimum table on the floor that was packed). Craps had a $15 minimum. No Poker that I found. A nice treat after being stuck with the boat's casino.
Ship:
The cruise was great for families. Our ship had Ice Skating, Mini-Golf, Basketball, Rock Climbing, a nice Theater, good bars and just about everything to keep us busy at sea. Our room was surprisingly comfortable with a small balcony.
Since this is a gaming site, here goes my observations.
SAVE YOUR MONEY. Rules were essentially horrific.
BJ, Single Deck, 6-5, dealt only two hands. Other table used 8 decks or continuous shuffling machines. I found a $25 hand shuffled 8 deck game. H17, DAS, No Surrender. Not bad, but I bought in for $1,000 and they watched the table like a hawk.
Craps, Single odds, 9-1, 7-1 for H6&8, H4&10, respectively. Field paid 2-1 on 2&12. Last night had double odds.
VP, here it was crazy. JoB paid 6/5.....
Poker, 1/2 NL, 10% rake, also NL. There was one pushed pot with about $150 in it, and the house took $15, and the two players chopped, each losing.
Craps, 0 & 00.
Slots. Didn't see any winners.
Bingo. No cumulative, now a $500 top jackpot for $40 buy in (I let my kids play).
Had to pay for drinks in a casino. Who knew????
Cruise was great, but the casino was pretty bad. When we docked in the Bahamas, a bunch of us headed over to Atlantis which was a great time. Real VP odds. Real BJ (I even saw a $500 minimum table on the floor that was packed). Craps had a $15 minimum. No Poker that I found. A nice treat after being stuck with the boat's casino.
madmike
In the companies defence...
On the ship you'd be able to find a $5 min Bj table, even at night, the dealers would have had better PR than Atlantis staff, and despite the ship rules, Royal are still better than other cruise lines, (thinking Norweigan with almost all BJ games now paying 6:5 on BJ)
For better rules on Craps, sister company Celebrity cruises offer 3/4/5 odds every night, and almost always have a $5 min game.
For better rules on blackjack our sister company Azamara cruises offer late surrender, but the casinos are tiny, 5 tables and 5 dealers - not everyones cup of tea.
As for the drinks, the only major cruise line to try free drinks, changed the policy after 3 weeks in january, as every guest on the ship was hitting the casino bar. the casino margins are not good enough to support that level of hit.
the Texas hold'em, the rake is high (10% to $10 cap on most ships) but the game is soft enough that its beatable with even solid play. Also we don't rake without a flop (unlike Norweigan who rake every hand).
We do pick up drinks for big betting players, think $50+, and even offer a VIP program with cash rebates, free cruises and other perks based on your level of play.
On the cruise line its a casino attatched to a hotel, not the other way around. It's an important distinction.
On the ship you'd be able to find a $5 min Bj table, even at night, the dealers would have had better PR than Atlantis staff, and despite the ship rules, Royal are still better than other cruise lines, (thinking Norweigan with almost all BJ games now paying 6:5 on BJ)
For better rules on Craps, sister company Celebrity cruises offer 3/4/5 odds every night, and almost always have a $5 min game.
For better rules on blackjack our sister company Azamara cruises offer late surrender, but the casinos are tiny, 5 tables and 5 dealers - not everyones cup of tea.
As for the drinks, the only major cruise line to try free drinks, changed the policy after 3 weeks in january, as every guest on the ship was hitting the casino bar. the casino margins are not good enough to support that level of hit.
the Texas hold'em, the rake is high (10% to $10 cap on most ships) but the game is soft enough that its beatable with even solid play. Also we don't rake without a flop (unlike Norweigan who rake every hand).
We do pick up drinks for big betting players, think $50+, and even offer a VIP program with cash rebates, free cruises and other perks based on your level of play.
On the cruise line its a casino attatched to a hotel, not the other way around. It's an important distinction.
Royal Caribbean International: Blackjack, roulette, craps, poker, slots. $3-$5 for table games; penny slots. Table games vary by ship. Blackjack, Texas Hold ’em, and slot tournaments; rewards program; and game lessons. Age: 18; 21 on Alaska sailings. Payment: Cash, onboard account, or pre-approved line of credit. Smoking is permitted. Royal Carribean Casino Cruises information section: This casino can be found in Miami, Florida. Royal Carribean Casino Cruises has a total of 0 gaming machines for your enjoyment. World Casino Directory also lists and books casino hotels in Miami. You will also find pics of Royal Carribean Casino Cruises or find news about Royal Carribean Casino Cruises on this page.
Wizard
Administrator
Administrator
Royal Caribbean Casino Blackjack Rules
I wrote a little about the casino on the Norwegian Star in my May 3, 2007 newsletter. The Star did have free drinks, but cocktail service was very slow, requiring paperwork for every single drink. Regarding the caliber of the other players at poker, most were very soft, but there were two or three strong players camped out at the table the entire cruise to fleece them. It is a valid point that it isn't fair to compare a casino on a cruise ship to a land casino. I'm sure it is much more expensive to support a small casino on a ship per player than a large one on land.It's not whether you win or lose; it's whether or not you had a good bet.
RaleighCraps
I have cruised and played Craps on Celebrity, RC, and Carnival.It was quite some time ago, but I am pretty sure Celebrity only offered 2x odds at that time. However, as noted, the casino manager was the box on the craps table, and most nights I was the only player. He would buy me a beer or two during the evening, and most every night I was offered a high end cordial if I was there when they closed the tables.
RC was single odds. The place 6/8 is the same on all of the boats, and the same in all casinos, so just stayed mostly on the 6/8, with occasional forays into the 5/9. Paying the 4/10 vig upfront I find to be stomach wrenching, so I just won't play those numbers, unless the dice insist on rolling nothing but 4s and 10s. :-) No free drinks were ever offered on RC.
I had a few others playing craps with me on RC, but most of the time it was myself and my daughter who was learning the game. BTW, not every young lady new to craps is a lucky shooter :-(
Carnival was the same, 2x odds. I had more people join me in the evenings on Carnival, but there were a few hours of solo play. Carnival gave me a beer each night, and on the last day they gave me a tee shirt and hat too.
Regarding the hardways, I think the payout is the same as Vegas. The ships say 9-1, but you get to keep your original bet, whereas Vegas will say 10 for 1. They pay you 10, but take your original bet, thus the net result is exactly the same. The 2x 12 makes the field a high HA, so not much reason to play it.
Overall, I have found if I can play easy, PL bet and 6/8, the game is not that much different than most land based casinos. Truth be told, I was surprised to see the craps table the last time. I was sure it would be gone. There are so few of us who play the game on a cruise, and it takes a minimum of 2 staff to run the table, if they are willing to run with no box........
Every cruise I have managed to get up a significant amount, but have yet to get off the stinking boat still up. I think the next cruise I will play heavy the first night, and then get off at first port and fly back home, thus ensuring I get to keep my winnings. Either that, or mail all my cash and credit cards back home at the first port.
Always borrow money from a pessimist; They don't expect to get paid back ! Be yourself and speak your thoughts. Those who matter won't mind, and those that mind, don't matter!
cardshark
Norwegian used to have decent blackjack games, 3:2, 6 decks, S17, $5 min. They had $5 9/6 JOB, too. At one point, they even had Spanish 21. But its all gone now. Oh well, who's going on a cruise to gamble anyway?
FYI, on the major cruise lines, every single guest over 21 gets automatic casino credit. No credit check or wiring of money ahead of time required. You can request 'markers' at the tables by giving your ship card to the dealer. The amount is added to your onboard account tab which is usually secured at the beginning of the cruise with a credit card or a cash deposit, and settled at the end of your cruise.
FYI, on the major cruise lines, every single guest over 21 gets automatic casino credit. No credit check or wiring of money ahead of time required. You can request 'markers' at the tables by giving your ship card to the dealer. The amount is added to your onboard account tab which is usually secured at the beginning of the cruise with a credit card or a cash deposit, and settled at the end of your cruise.
cclub79
My first real gambling was on Celebrity Cruises, and then RC. It was the only place to gamble legally for an 18-20 year old. It was the 90s, Caribbean Stud had just become very popular, so those tables were hot. Blackjack was still decent rules (S17, 6:5 hadn't been invented). I think it was the first place I saw Double Exposure as well. I did notice that when I started betting Green Chips only, I got some attention from the bosses, to the point that someone came out of the cage and dealt to me by the second night. Maybe it was because of my apparent closeness with the young British dealer. Thinking back to the first trip, she and I probably broke some rules regarding the relationship between crew and passengers, but I'd rather not get into non-gambling exploits! I have so many great memories and stories from the trips. One that my friend enjoys: There was this very attractive young woman at one end of the BJ table, and a crusty old fool at the other end, and I sat down in the middle. I'd seen her before and was happy she was in the casino. We started playing, and after every poor decision she would make, crusty fool would yell 'WRONG!' Eventually she was flustered enough to leave. I glared at him, as if to say, 'Idiot, she may be wrong but she was AT OUR TABLE and STUNNING!' I waited about two minutes before cashing out and trying to find her, and for the rest of the trip I never saw her again. To this day, my friend and I will say 'WRONG!' where appropriate. BTW, he's still my best friend and he does not gamble one penny ever.
Interestingly, the rules for boarding ships was much more relaxed then. My buddy and I were freshmen in college, 18 years old, and we drove to Florida to board the ship. I didn't have a passport or birth certificate for some reason, and they let me on anyway. Someone said 'Just don't do anything bad because you will not be able to use the services of the American Embassy or Consulate when you are on the trip.' Now, I believe you must be at least 21 to get on a ship without a guardian, and that guardian must be over 25. (With an exception for married couples, maybe?) And they ABSOLUTELY will NOT let you on without a passport. My last cruise, there was a couple that was protesting as they were being led away from the line, unable to board.
Interestingly, the rules for boarding ships was much more relaxed then. My buddy and I were freshmen in college, 18 years old, and we drove to Florida to board the ship. I didn't have a passport or birth certificate for some reason, and they let me on anyway. Someone said 'Just don't do anything bad because you will not be able to use the services of the American Embassy or Consulate when you are on the trip.' Now, I believe you must be at least 21 to get on a ship without a guardian, and that guardian must be over 25. (With an exception for married couples, maybe?) And they ABSOLUTELY will NOT let you on without a passport. My last cruise, there was a couple that was protesting as they were being led away from the line, unable to board.
Nareed
Could it be that with more gambling options more widely available just about anywhere, cruises don't attract serious gamblers anymore? If so, then naturally they'd skew the rules the better to fleece casual gamblers who don't know any better.
Also cruise lines seem to have gone family-friendly in a big way. Gambling is a family-unfriendly activity. At the very least it would be a low priority.
Also cruise lines seem to have gone family-friendly in a big way. Gambling is a family-unfriendly activity. At the very least it would be a low priority.
Wizard
Administrator
Administrator
Could it be that with more gambling options more widely available just about anywhere, cruises don't attract serious gamblers anymore? If so, then naturally they'd skew the rules the better to fleece casual gamblers who don't know any better.
I've been on three one-week cruises, and have never seen anybody betting serious money. The average bet was about $25.
It's not whether you win or lose; it's whether or not you had a good bet.
Casino Royale On Royal Caribbean
Nareed
I've been on three one-week cruises, and have never seen anybody betting serious money. The average bet was about $25.
:) I play $5 BJ when I can find it.
I seem to recall decades ago there were gambling cruises to nowhere. A cruise to nowhere is one where the ship just sails around, never going too far from it home port, and the passengers enjoy the ship's amenities. They're usually short (two/three days). A gambling cruise would sail just far enough to reach international waters and then open up the casino.
Royal Caribbean Casino Rules 2020
Such cruises would have been attractive to serious gamblers living in coastal areas (say the gulf coast of Texas, Florida, much of the Eastern coast), as a cheaper option to a trip to Vegas or AC.I heard of them. I don't know if they ever existed.
Donald Trump is a fucking criminal
RaleighCraps
Nareed,Myrtle Beach , South Carolina still has those Casino boats. They sail twice a day on weekends I believe. I 'think' they have to sail 3 miles out to effectively be in International waters, and then they can legally have gambling operations. I think the sailings last for 4 hours or so.
Does Royal Caribbean Have Casinos
Always borrow money from a pessimist; They don't expect to get paid back ! Be yourself and speak your thoughts. Those who matter won't mind, and those that mind, don't matter!