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At some point, anyone who’s been taking cruises started as a cruise newbie. There’s all sorts of elements that you learn as you begin the cruising journey, but one aspect not always talked about relates to casinos.
If you’re here at Flip The Switch, you’re probably a casino enthusiast, but perhaps you’ve never taken a cruise, or are still relatively new to it. Players are familiar with the concept of earning comped casino visits, and the same can happen for cruises, but cruises work a bit differently because the casino isn’t always available.
Some cruise lines rate your daily play and others rate your per cruise play. For the latter, cruise selection becomes important because if you don’t have enough time to play in the casino across your cruise, you may not earn enough points to qualify for the next cruise to be comped, or to get the level of comp you were hoping for.
So with that in mind, here are some things to consider when evaluating cruise itineraries, specifically around ensuring you have what you need for a good sailing and a better chance at comps.
Length of Cruise
Naturally, more nights on the ship means more time the casino will be open. Casinos are generally open every evening as long as the ship is not at a port overnight, so the more nights you’re onboard, the more you’ll be able to access the casino after a relaxing day at the pool or exploring a new destination.
Choice of Ship
While the casinos will generally be open on a similar schedule, another element that can impact your willingness and availability to play is the ship you’re on. The casino size varies by ship class, and ships with smaller casinos can prove to sometimes be more difficult to get access to play. Or, you may find the game selection to be lacking in a smaller casino.
Some ships have non-smoking casino spaces that are air separated, reducing your exposure to smoke if you’re a non-smoker, but will also be smaller in size than the main casino in many cases.
Game rotation is also not the same across all cruise lines or ships, so if your preference is the latest and greatest, you may find some cruise lines more supportive of that option than others.
Number of Sea Days
Some days, the ship will be at port, but other days it will be at sea all day. This allows you to enjoy the various amenities on board, which includes the casino. Generally speaking, the casino is closed when at port, so sea days will be the only days you’re able to play at any time of the day. The number of sea days can differ depending on the length of the cruise and the number of port stops scheduled.
Which Ports The Ship Stops
While noted above that generally the casino is closed when the ship is in port, that’s not always the case. Sometimes the casino is able to open at certain ports. The most common of these are the private island destinations where the cruise line is also the operator and can control the permissions to allow for the casino to be open.
However, some countries let the cruise ships get licensed to open the casino, and they’ll sometimes avail themselves of this option.
Takeaway
You can get a lot more out of a cruise vacation when it comes to comps if you make sure you pick the ships and itineraries that balance things well. And if you’ve never sailed with Brian Christopher before, you could qualify for a FREE* cruise with Fun Match! Share your best casino offers and register to be extended an offer to join us on a cruise, including free drinks in the casino.
*Taxes, port fees, deposit and add-ons not included.
