Home / Guides / First time in a cruise casino

Getting started

Your first time in a cruise ship casino

If you've never played in a ship's casino, or never gambled at all, this is what to expect on board: when it opens, how old you have to be, how money gets onto the machines, which games are easiest to start with, and how to keep it to a budget you're happy with.

Short answer

Ship casinos generally open only once the ship is at sea in international waters, and close in port. The usual minimum age is 18, but Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Virgin Voyages require 21 on Alaska sailings (MSC's conduct policy does too), and Norwegian requires 21 to join its rewards program. You play with your cruise card or cash, and charging play to your cabin can carry a fee unless your tier waives it.

Put your card in the machine, or hand it to the dealer, before every session so your play counts. Decide what you're willing to lose before you board, and treat it as the price of the entertainment. The house has the edge on every game.

Terms with a dotted underline are explained when you tap or select them.

When the casino is open

Cruise lines don't publish fixed hours, because they depend on the itinerary. The pattern is the same everywhere: the casino opens once the ship is out at sea and closes again before it reaches port. Your ship's daily schedule or app lists the times for each day.

Holland AmericaThe casino operates only in international waters. Slots stay open overnight and close 30 minutes before arrival in port, and table games are unavailable while the ship is docked.
Royal CaribbeanCasinos typically run all day and into the early hours when the ship is at sea in international waters, with some exceptions. Times are in the Cruise Compass, the daily planner.
PrincessHours vary by ship and itinerary and are in the MedallionClass app. Princess advertises 24-hour slots while the ship is at sea.
CarnivalHours vary across the fleet and are in the HUB App. The casino doesn't open on the last morning, so cash out by the last night.
MSCAn exception to the "closed in port" rule: MSC says its casinos stay open while the ship is at Ocean Cay, its private island in the Bahamas.
Sea days are the long daysA port day may only give you an evening session. If you want lessons or a quiet table, a sea day morning or afternoon is usually your best chance.

How old you have to be

Most lines let you gamble at 18. Alaska is the big exception for several lines, and the drinking age can be higher than the gambling age: Carnival and Princess both set it at 21. Carry photo ID: Royal Caribbean and Holland America say they may ask for proof of age, and Princess requires government photo ID for gambling on its US-based ships.

Line	Age to gamble
Royal Caribbean	18. 21 on all Alaska sailings.
Celebrity	18. 21 on Alaska sailings (the age to join Blue Chip Club).
Carnival	18. Under-18s aren't allowed in the casino at any time. Free drinks for players are 21+. We found no separate Alaska rule.
Norwegian	18 to play, per our Norwegian page. 21, with government photo ID, to join Casinos At Sea Rewards and to use casino offers. We couldn't load NCL's gambling FAQ to recheck the 18.
Virgin Voyages	Adults-only ships. 21 for all gaming on Alaska sailings, including bingo. Elsewhere Virgin says the age follows applicable law and its onboard policy.
MSC	18. 21 in Alaska, per MSC's Guest Conduct Policy Not rechecked. The document wouldn't load for us this time.
Princess	18. To enter the casino, play slots or tables, or play bingo. 21 to drink. We found no separate Alaska rule.
Holland America	18. Bring ID in case you're asked.

Each line's rules are also on its page in our cruise line directory. Where we found no Alaska rule, that doesn't mean there isn't one. If you're 18 to 20 and sailing to Alaska, ask the line before you go.

Paying: cabin card, cash and fees

Your cruise card is also your casino wallet. On most ships you can move money from your onboard account onto a slot machine or buy chips with it, and it shows up on your final bill. Two things catch first-timers out: some lines add a convenience fee (A charge some lines add when you move money from your cabin account into casino play.) to these charges unless your tier waives it, and your card issuer may treat a casino charge as a cash advance (A card charge your bank treats like a cash withdrawal. Many card issuers add a fee and charge interest straight away.). Cash is the simplest way to stick to a budget.

Line	Charging play to your cabin, and fees
Royal Caribbean	Up to $10,000 a day with your SeaPass ($5,000 on slots, $5,000 on tables). A credit card must be on your account. ATMs in the casino. Fees: All table-game transactions carry a convenience fee, waived at Prime and above. ATM and bank fees may apply.
Celebrity	Up to $5,000 a day on slots and $5,000 on tables with your SeaPass. A credit card is required. ATM in the casino. Fees: Pearl and Onyx members pay convenience fees; Amethyst and above don't. Cash advances at the cash desk carry transaction fees.
Carnival	Up to $5,000 a day on your Sail & Sign card (more on invitation-only cruises). Cash is accepted at tables and slots on cruises from North America and Europe. Fees: None. No charge at slots, and since February 9, 2026 no service fees at tables or the cashier.
Norwegian	ATMs in every casino. Casino credit lines start at a $5,000 application. Fees: Convenience fees apply; higher tiers get part waived (Sapphire up to $600, Ruby $1,000, Elite $1,500).
Virgin Voyages	Sailor Loot (Virgin's onboard credit: money on your cruise account to spend on board. It usually can't be withdrawn as cash.) can be played in the casino but can't be cashed out. Fees: Cash advance fees are waived from Superstar up.
Princess	Credit cards aren't accepted in the casino; play goes on your stateroom account. Cash or traveler's checks can be exchanged for chips. Fees: None published.
Holland America	Cash is accepted in the casino. You can also charge play to your card or set up a Player Bank. Fees: None published.

MSC isn't in this table because we couldn't open its casino payment details this time; our MSC page has what we found earlier. Fees and limits change, so check with the cashier before your first charge.

Cash out before the endCarnival says winnings left in your Player Bank (An account on the ship's casino system that holds your machine credits between sessions. You cash it out at the cashier.) must be cashed out by the last night; a balance over $25 is mailed to you as a check, which takes 3 to 6 weeks.
Chips stay on boardCarnival says chips are valid only on the ship and become souvenirs once you take them ashore. Royal Caribbean also tells guests to cash in chips before the cashier closes.
Check your folioLook at your onboard account in the app every day or two so the casino line on your bill is never a surprise.

Getting rated on day one

Being rated (Having your play recorded against your account so it earns points. At tables, staff note your average bet and how long you play.) costs nothing and doesn't change your odds. It just means the casino records your play, which is how you earn points, free play and any future offers. On most lines there's no form to fill in.

At a slot or video poker machine, insert or tap your cruise card before you put money in, and leave it there while you play. Carnival, Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Virgin enroll you automatically the first time you do.
At a table, hand your card to the dealer when you sit down, before you buy in. Carnival says to do it at the start of each session.
On Norwegian, you join by playing, but you must be 21 and show government photo ID to become a Casinos At Sea Rewards member.
On Holland America, insert your Players Club card in a slot machine or give it to the dealer, which also sets up your Player Bank.
Stop by the casino host desk once on the first day. Ask the questions below, and check your name and email are right so any offers reach you.

Each line's sign-up steps, earning rates and tiers are in Opening & keeping casino accounts. To see how the programs compare, use the side-by-side comparison or the finder.

Slots, video poker or tables?

There's no game you can beat over time, so pick the one you'll enjoy at a pace your budget can handle. Here's how the three main choices feel for a beginner.

Slots

The easiest start: no rules to learn and no one waiting on you. Denominations run from a penny up to $10 on Carnival (higher on some cruises) and up to $100 on Norwegian. Check the bet per spin, not just the denomination, because a penny machine can still cost several dollars a spin.

Slots usually earn points fastest. The math behind casino games explains payback, hold and volatility.

Video poker

Played alone at a machine like a slot, but your choices of which cards to hold change the result. The pay table on the screen tells you what each hand pays, so you can compare machines.

Lines earn it more slowly: Carnival gives a point for every $5 played on video poker against $2 on slots, and Royal Caribbean $15 against $5.

Table games

Blackjack, roulette and craps are on most ships, with a live dealer and a table minimum (The smallest bet allowed on each hand or spin at that table, usually shown on a sign at the table.). Norwegian lists minimums from $5 to $5,000; Carnival and most others say limits vary by table, so read the sign before you sit down.

A low-minimum table on a quiet sea day is the easiest place to learn, and you need to bet at least the minimum to be rated.

Lessons

Royal Caribbean offers free lessons for every type of game, Princess holds free slot and table lessons on each cruise, and MSC runs lessons in blackjack, poker, roulette and dice. Holland America no longer schedules them but says staff will teach you any game at an open table. Check your daily schedule for times.

Smoking

Cruise casinos are often one of the few indoor places where smoking is allowed, so if smoke bothers you, check before you sail.

CelebrityCalls its casinos smoke-free.
Virgin VoyagesNo smoking in the casino; there's a separate smoking room nearby on Deck 6.
Royal CaribbeanSays many ships have smoke-free casino areas, naming ships such as Oasis, Allure, Harmony, Wonder, Symphony, Freedom and Utopia of the Seas.
CarnivalNo smoking unless you're seated and playing, never at the casino bar, and not when the casino is closed. Some ships have a non-smoking section or a second, non-smoking casino.
NorwegianBliss, Joy and Encore have a separate smoking room. On other ships, active players may smoke cigarettes and e-cigarettes during gaming hours. No cigars or pipes.
PrincessSmoking only in designated areas while the casino is open, and all table games are non-smoking. Several ships have an extra non-smoking room.
Holland AmericaVaries by ship: some casinos are non-smoking, others allow smoking in designated areas for active players.

Ship-by-ship details are on each cruise line page and in the ship casino profiles.

Free drinks

Don't assume drinks are free because you're playing. On most lines they start only once you reach a tier or a points total, and they're served in the casino while you're actively playing. If you're under 21, check the drinking age too: it's 21 on Carnival and Princess. Our free casino drinks guide has the rules line by line, and why chasing a threshold just for drinks rarely pays.

Casino etiquette

Nobody expects a beginner to know everything. Dealers are used to explaining, and it's fine to say it's your first time.

Phones and camerasRoyal Caribbean allows phones in the casino but not while you're playing a table game, and says filming video is prohibited. Princess allows still photos but not video or cellphones. Leave other guests out of any picture.
Buying inRoyal Caribbean says you can buy chips at the table or at the cashier. At a table, wait for a break between hands before putting your money down.
Hands offRoyal Caribbean lists mishandling your cards or chips among the things not to do. If you're unsure whether you can touch something, ask the dealer.
TippingRoyal Caribbean calls tipping the dealer good form: toss a chip to the dealer before a new round, or leave one when you cash in your chips at the table. Bartenders can be tipped in cash or chips, even when the drink is free.
DressRoyal Caribbean asks for shoes and a shirt, with swimsuits covered up.
KidsRoyal Caribbean lets children walk through the casino but not stay. Carnival doesn't allow under-18s in the casino at any time.
MachinesRoyal Caribbean asks guests not to hog slot machines. Play one at a time on a busy night.

Set a budget before you board

A budget only works if you set it before the first spin. Every casino game has a house edge, so over a cruise the most likely result is that you lose some or all of what you bring.

Pick a total for the whole cruise that you'd be comfortable spending on a show or a nice dinner, and think of it as spent.
Split it by the nights you plan to play. If a night's share is gone, you're done for that night.
Bring it as cash, or use the cabin card only up to that amount. Charging play to your account makes it easy to lose track.
Don't top up from winnings you've set aside, and don't try to win back losses.
Keep a note of each session. Our free casino log records buy-in and cash-out and helps at tax time too.

Want to see how long a budget might last at a given bet? The calculators in The math behind casino games run the numbers.

What to ask the casino host

The casino host (The casino staff member who looks after players: sign-ups, points, comps and offers.) desk is the place for questions. Hosts are there to help, and also to encourage play, so ask your questions and keep to your own plan.

Is my card set up?Confirm that your cruise card is linked to the casino program and that your name and email are right.
What are the hours?Ask when the casino and tables open on the next port day and sea day.
What does it cost to use my cabin card?Ask whether there's a fee at the machine, the table and the cashier, and what your daily limit is.
Do I get free drinks?Ask whether you qualify now, and what the rule is.
When are the lessons?And which tables have the lowest minimums.
When does play stop counting?Some lines stop counting points before the last night. End-of-cruise comps explains the cutoffs and what hosts hand out at the end.

If you win

Winning at sea doesn't make it tax-free for US players. The IRS says gambling winnings are fully taxable and must all be reported, including wins you don't get a form for. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity issue a W-2G (The IRS form a casino issues to report certain gambling wins, such as a single slot jackpot of $2,000 or more in 2026.) to US citizens and residents for a single slot jackpot of $2,000 or more, including in international waters. Carnival's casino FAQ still lists the old $1,200 slot threshold.

Have your Social Security numberCarnival says it normally withholds no tax on a slot jackpot if you give a valid Social Security number, and withholds if you can't.
Keep recordsSave any W-2G, your final folio and your own session notes. Celebrity says its win/loss statements leave out table games and machines that don't track your card.
Taxes in detailThresholds by line, the 2026 loss rules and notes for non-US players are in Cruise casino winnings and taxes.

Play responsibly

On a ship the casino is always a short walk away, the drinks may be free and there are no clocks to remind you of the time. Stop when your budget for the night is gone, take breaks, and don't play to cheer yourself up or to win back losses.

If gambling stops being fun

Call 1-800-GAMBLER, or the National Council on Problem Gambling's National Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-MY-RESET (call or text), for free, confidential help in the US. You can also ask the casino host about the line's casino exclusion list; Norwegian's program terms, for example, bar anyone on its exclusion list from membership.

Sources

Royal Caribbean — International age policy (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Royal Caribbean — Casino Royale guide (updated Feb 23, 2026)
Royal Caribbean — How do I access cash to play in the casino? (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Royal Caribbean — The dos and don'ts of casino etiquette (Oct 14, 2025)
Celebrity Cruises — Onboard casinos FAQ (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Celebrity Cruises — The Casino (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Celebrity Cruises — Blue Chip Club (footnote 4) (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Carnival — Casino and Carnival Players Club FAQ (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Carnival — Locations where you can smoke (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Carnival — Carnival Players Club (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
NCL — Casinos At Sea (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
NCL — Casinos At Sea Rewards (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
NCL — Casino terms and conditions (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
NCL — Smoking policy FAQ (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Virgin Voyages — Casino (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Virgin Voyages — Onboard policies FAQ (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
MSC Cruises USA — Casino (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
MSC Cruises USA — Guest Conduct Policy (updated Jun 3, 2026; not reopened Oct 21, 2026)
Princess — Casino (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Princess — Age requirements (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Holland America blog — The casino's best games at sea (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Holland America — Casino (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Holland America — Shipboard account charges and payment (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
Holland America — Smoking policy (accessed Oct 21, 2026)
IRS — Topic 419, Gambling income and losses (reviewed Sep 24, 2026)
National Council on Problem Gambling — National Problem Gambling Helpline (accessed Oct 21, 2026)

Last checked October 21, 2026

More guides