For me personally, I am an avid cruiser. I think they are the best bang for your buck as far as vacations go. The Casino’s on the boats tend to be a bit on the small side and they don’t give you free booze (which never made sense to me because the more liquored up people are, the more they gamble). The staffs are always friendly, even if they are a bit hard to understand but you won’t run into the overcrowding of tables. They always have another dealer waiting to go if tables start to fill up. Most of them are very clean but not smoke free. So if you don’t like cigarette or cigar smoke, then cruise casino’s aren’t for you. It’s hard to get a poker game going on a boat (unless it is a specific cruise for a poker tournament), but the craps games are some of the most fun around.

I highly recommend cruises and the casino’s are just a small reason why.

We’ve cruised a few times but haven’t been to a casino at sea. I hope to take another cruise next year and maybe we’ll have time to during that trip.

The wife and I discovered cruising a few years ago and haven’t taken any other kind of vacation since. I spent more time in the casino than I initally planned on but enjoyed every minute of it. As for the smoke, yep, it’s a killer if it’s something you can’t tolerate. I smoke a cigar when I gamble anyhow, so I fit right in.

I’m a big fan of cruising myself. I have never been on a vacation like it. The service and food are spectacular. I didn’t have much of a problem with the smoking in the casino. Most people were polite and kept the ashtray off to the side away from others.

It was a bit annoying though not to have any comps whatsoever. They obviously can’t comp you a room, but they could have done something possibly like free drinks.

We went on a riverboat casino cruise down the Mississippi River to New Orleans once but I have yet to go on any kind of ocean cruise.  The riverboat cruises are fun, though, and it’s kind of an adventure to gamble your way down the river like the riverboat gamblers from the wild west days.

RUkiddingme - 08 January 2009 10:58 AM

We went on a riverboat casino cruise down the Mississippi River to New Orleans once but I have yet to go on any kind of ocean cruise.  The riverboat cruises are fun, though, and it’s kind of an adventure to gamble your way down the river like the riverboat gamblers from the wild west days.

Oh! I want to do one of those! We’re the opposite since I’ve been on the ocean, but I’ve never done the riverboat cruise. I have gotten brochures from several companies and looked them up on the internet. It looks like so much fun. Reminds me of the movie Maverick with Mel Gibson. Love that movie!

I would love to try the riverboat gambling cruise as well. I agree that it would feel a lot like the movie Maverick. I think I’ll check it out online. The only problem is that I don’t live near the Mississippi.

I’ve never been on a cruise before, but I heard from some people that the cruise casinos are the place to be. I’d prefer a smaller casino with fewer people though - large ones with crowds and crowds of people sort of make me feel clastrophobic in a wierd sort of way. If I ever go on a cruise ship though, I’ll totally check out the casino though!

This sounds like a ball to me.  I have never been on a cruise of any type, but if they had a casino on a cruise ship I think that high times would be had by all who partake.  I think this would be a blast, I bet it would not be a cheap get-a-way though.

I went on the Royal Caribbean Cruise line when I was 22 with my parents as a family reunion and I tried the casino on there. I thought it was a great time and I’d do it again.

I’ve never been on a cruise but I was just looking into gambling cruises in Myrtle Beach. There are so many to choose from and for someone who has never been on one before I don’t know what I should be looking for.

RUkiddingme - 08 January 2009 10:58 AM

We went on a riverboat casino cruise down the Mississippi River to New Orleans once but I have yet to go on any kind of ocean cruise.  The riverboat cruises are fun, though, and it’s kind of an adventure to gamble your way down the river like the riverboat gamblers from the wild west days.

Oh this sounds like the perfect vacation to me! How cool would it be to be playing poker to the sound of the riverboat whistle as you paddle down the river? I’d love this. Which port did the riverboat leave from?

I’ve never cruised but have looked into some of the last minute cruise packages on some discount sites. The price seems great. I would prefer a ship with a casino for sure. That sounds like a dream vacation. A floating casino? I’m so in!

For those who have been on cruise ships before, do you really feel the waves and so on? I have never been on a boat bigger than maybe those that allow for up to 6 people to sleep on (have the area below deck) and I really am not water friendly. I would rather avoid spending the entire time being sea sick if you know what I mean.