P&O Cruises and Cunard casinos
The two British lines most UK cruisers know both have a casino on every ship. This is which ships, what you can play, what currency the casino uses, the smoking and age rules, and whether either line rewards casino play. It also covers what happened to P&O Cruises Australia.
All seven P&O Cruises ships have a casino with roulette, blackjack, three card poker and slots, run in pounds sterling. All four Cunard Queens have an Empire Casino, run in US dollars like everything else on Cunard ships. Both are for guests 18 and older, and both lines ban smoking in public rooms. Neither publishes a casino rewards program; P&O's FAQ offers a £5 free play slot bonus after your first £20 of play.
P&O Cruises Australia no longer exists as a brand. Carnival Corporation said it would "sunset the P&O Cruises Australia brand" in March 2025 and fold it into Carnival Cruise Line; its two remaining ships now sail as Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter.
Terms with a dotted underline are explained when you tap or select them.
Ship by ship
From each line's own pages, checked October 22, 2026. P&O names its ships but publishes the same casino description for all of them; Cunard describes each Queen and gives table and slot counts for three of the four.
| Line and ships | Casino | Games | Currency |
|---|---|---|---|
| P&O Cruises: Arvia, Iona, Britannia, Ventura, Azura, Arcadia, Aurora | P&O's help page says all seven "have a casino on board." P&O doesn't publish casino names, locations or counts. | Roulette, blackjack, three card poker and poker at hosted tables; reel and video slots; game shows, virtual horse races and bingo. | Pounds sterling. |
| Cunard: Queen Mary 2 | Empire Casino, Deck 2 midships, with a bar. 9 tables and around 55 slots. | Roulette, blackjack, three card poker and a heads-up Texas hold'em table (Cunard notes it isn't the regular game). | US dollars, "the currency used on board all our ships." |
| Cunard: Queen Victoria | Deck 2, mid forward, in Art Deco surroundings. 5 tables and 44 slots. | Roulette, blackjack, three card poker and Fun 21. The casino page also mentions Texas hold'em. | |
| Cunard: Queen Elizabeth | Deck 2, mid forward, open-plan under the Royal Arcade shops. 5 tables and 46 slots. | Roulette, blackjack, three card poker and Fun 21; the casino page mentions poker. | |
| Cunard: Queen Anne | Deck 3, mid forward, with a giant spinning wheel and the Room 1840 bar. Counts not published. | Slots and tables; Cunard doesn't list Queen Anne's games. |
P&O Cruises Australia's former ships, now Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter, are covered in our Australia guide and on our Carnival page.
P&O Cruises (UK)
From P&O's FAQ, its help page on the casino (last reviewed April 22, 2026) and its 2022 casino blog post. Where they differ, the newer pages come first.
- Currency and payingThe help page says all P&O ships "operate a 'cash-free' environment with prices in £ sterling." The FAQ says you can buy chips with cash from the dealer or charge them to your onboard account, and play slots with cash or your cruise card. Slot winnings must be cashed out onto your cruise card, and onboard spending money can't be used in the casino.
- Unused chipsExchange them on board before you leave; the help page says to ask a member of the onboard team.
- Opening hoursThe FAQ says slots open at 10am and tables at 12pm on sea days, both "until late," and on port days the casino opens about 30 minutes after departure. The help page says hours "vary by ship and demand" and the casino usually closes around midnight.
- AgeThe FAQ says entry "is limited to guests over the age of 18, regardless of whether or not they are accompanied by a parent/guardian," and 21 in US waters. The blog post says staff may ask for proof of age, and under-18s can join bingo and horse racing with someone over 18.
- SmokingP&O's smoking FAQ says smoking "is not permitted in cabins, on cabin balconies or in public rooms," only in designated areas of the open deck, and e-cigarettes follow the same rule. It doesn't name the casino.
- Lessons and tournamentsThe FAQ mentions a free daytime lesson for new players. The blog post mentions blackjack tournaments "for a small cost."
- House rulesNo dress code, but shoes and shirts at all times and no swimwear. Per the blog post, phones are fine on the casino floor and at the slots but not at live tables, and videos aren't allowed.
Cunard
From Cunard's casino page and its FAQ answer "Is there a casino on board?", which covers location, age, hours, limits and payment.
- Currency and limitsCunard's FAQ says prices are "in US dollars (USD $), which is the currency used on board all our ships," including sailings from Southampton. Most table games have minimums of $3 to $25 and maximums of $100 to $500. Slot denominations run from penny machines to $5.
- PayingYou can put banknotes into the slots or buy chips with cash, or use your cruise card at the slots and tables once a credit card is registered. Onboard spending money can't be used for the casino. Cash unused chips in on board.
- When it opensOnly outside UK territorial waters, "generally 12 miles offshore (approximately 45 minutes after departure)," and only if the voyage calls at an overseas port. On a voyage that calls only at UK ports, Cunard says it can't open the casino. Typical sea-day hours are slots from 10am and tables from 11am. When cruise casinos open explains the rules behind this.
- Age"Only those over the age of 18 may use the casino facilities."
- SmokingCunard's FAQ says all public spaces are non-smoking except designated smoking areas, and smoking isn't allowed in staterooms, on balconies or in public areas except Churchill's Cigar Lounge. E-cigarettes are allowed only in designated smoking areas. It doesn't name the casino.
- LessonsGaming lessons are "generally available during the day," and the casino page says croupiers teach game rules.
What happened to P&O Cruises Australia
It no longer operates as a separate line. This is what the official sources say.
- Carnival Corporation, June 3, 2024The company announced that "in March 2025, the company will sunset the P&O Cruises Australia brand and fold the Australia operations into Carnival Cruise Line." Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure "will be rebranded and operated by Carnival Cruise Line brand," and Pacific Explorer would leave the fleet in February 2025. The release said P&O Cruises Australia guests would be invited into Carnival's loyalty program.
- P&O Cruises (UK) is separateThe same release says the announcement "does not impact P&O Cruises (UK), which is a separate Carnival Corporation & plc brand based in England."
- The ships todayCarnival Australia's help center answers questions about Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter and says their onboard currency stays Australian dollars, like Carnival's other Australian ships. The old pocruises.com.au address now redirects to carnival.com.au.
- For casino playersCarnival's Australian casinos, smoking, the Carnival Players Club and Carnival's 2028 changes are in cruise casinos for Australian and New Zealand players.
Rewards and offers
Neither line has a casino players club like Royal Caribbean's Club Royale or Princess's Players Advantage on the pages we opened.
| Line | Casino rewards program | Casino offers the line publishes |
|---|---|---|
| P&O Cruises | Not published. Its cruise loyalty club, the Peninsular Club, is in its help center; we found no casino earning in it. | "On all ships, you'll receive a £5 free play slot bonus after you play your first £20." Free lessons, and blackjack tournaments with an entry cost (2022 blog post). |
| Cunard | Not published. Its cruise loyalty program is Cunard World Club; we found no casino earning in it. | "Special offers, contests, and tutorials" in Queen Mary 2's Empire Casino, without details. |
If casino offers matter to you, ask at the casino desk on board what play earns. Lines that turn play into cruise offers are compared in our program comparison.
Tax on winnings
We don't restate tax rules here. Our UK guide quotes HMRC's guidance in Tax for UK players, and our Australia guide quotes the ATO in Tax on winnings. Neither P&O Cruises nor Cunard mentions tax forms on the casino pages we opened. This isn't tax advice.
What our other pages say
How this guide lines up with our other cruise lines page (last checked October 11, 2026).
- AgreesBoth pages say Cunard has casinos on all four Queens, P&O has one on every ship, and neither line runs a casino rewards program in the sources checked.
- Counts are Cunard's ownOur other lines page labels its Cunard table and slot counts as reported by a third party. The same counts (9 tables and around 55 slots on Queen Mary 2, 5 and 46 on Queen Elizabeth, 5 and 44 on Queen Victoria) are in Cunard's own FAQ.
- P&O offerOur other lines page says no P&O casino rewards program was found. That's still true, but P&O's FAQ does publish a £5 free play slot bonus.
- WordingOur other lines page says Cunard mentions "lessons" on Queen Mary 2; Cunard's casino page now says "tutorials," and its FAQ says lessons are generally available during the day.
- Not covered thereOur other lines page doesn't mention P&O Cruises Australia, currency, smoking or age for either line.
Play responsibly
Set a budget before you board. On Cunard, set it in dollars as well as pounds, because a dollar casino makes losses easy to underestimate. P&O says its onboard team "is here to support you" if the fun starts to fade.
If gambling stops being fun
In the UK, contact the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, run by GamCare, for free, confidential support. Australian and New Zealand helplines are in our Australia guide, and more UK options are in our UK guide.
Sources
- P&O Cruises — Frequently asked questions (casino games, paying, £5 slot bonus, hours, age, smoking policy) (accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- P&O Cruises — What do I need to know about the onboard casino? (ships, sterling, hours) (last reviewed Apr 22, 2026; accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- P&O Cruises — Cruise ship casinos (proof of age, tournaments, house rules) (Aug 10, 2022; accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- P&O Cruises — Find your perfect ship (seven ships) (accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- P&O Cruises — Help Hub: loyalty and shareholder (Peninsular Club) (accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- Cunard UK — The casino on the Cunard Queens (accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- Cunard UK — Frequently asked questions ("Is there a casino on board?"; smoking policy; US dollars on board) (accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- Carnival Corporation — Carnival Corporation to strategically align portfolio and absorb P&O Cruises Australia into Carnival Cruise Line (Jun 3, 2024; accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- Carnival Australia — Will the onboard currency change to USD on Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter? (accessed Oct 22, 2026)
- GamCare — Chat to us now (National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133) (accessed Oct 22, 2026)
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