Where’s The Casino On My Caribbean Disney Cruise?
Where’s the Casino on my Disney Cruise?
There are some activities many adults consider integral to the cruising experience – hitting up a buffet multiple times a day, shopping for tax free goods in port…and gambling. Those folks will find themselves asking “where’s the casino?” Here is the lowdown on what to expect when you cruise the Disney Magic, Wonder, Dream, or Fantasy on an Eastern, Western, or Bahamas cruise.
You’ve Got To Know When To Hold ‘Em
Welcome to Disney Cruise Line. If you’re booking your first cruise with DCL, you may be surprised to find out there is no casino onboard. What there is is bingo. Don’t scoff. Bingo is seriously fun and you may win some money back onto your onboard account. Bingo is played on both sea days and port days (check your Navigator for times and locations), and both kids and adults can participate. Most people opt for the electronic cards (just sit back and watch them mark themselves off) though purists may choose manual cards with ink stamps. Game play goes quickly though, so we don’t think anyone but a seasoned pro would be able to keep up with more than 1 or 2 manual cards. Each cruise will have a big final big day with a potential (though not guaranteed) $5000 or even $10,000 jackpot.
You’ve Got To Know When To Fold ‘Em
Even if you don’t win cash as bingo, you may win other small prizes like tote bags. Jackpots and crowds get larger as the cruise goes on, so your chances of winning something are better earlier in your itinerary. Other opportunities to win random things onboard include raffles for treatments or cash at the spas on embarkation day. You do have to be present to win. These are usually around 3pm (before the lifeboat drill). If you need baseball caps, bags, or want to participate in another raffle for cash, stop by any Disney Vacation Club presentation – there will be plenty during your cruise.
You’ve Got To Know When To Walk Away
OK, maybe bingo and raffles don’t do it for you. You’re in luck. You’ll find casinos in Nassau and St. Martin (though not in St. Thomas, the Cayman Islands, or the Mexican ports). San Juan also has many large chain resort hotels with casinos attached. Jamaica does have plenty of casinos, but none are convenient to Falmouth.
| Port | Casino | Location | Contact or Web Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nassau | Atlantis Casino | Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island | www.atlantis.com |
| Nassau | Crystal Palace Casino | Wyndham Resort, W. Bay St. | Wyndham Resorts Web Site |
| Sint Maarten (Dutch) | Atlantis World Casinos | multiple locations | www.atlantisworld.com |
| Sint Maarten (Dutch) | Princess Casino | Princess Port de Plaisance Resort, Simpson Bay | www.princessportdeplaisance.com |
| Sint Maarten (Dutch) | Casino Royale | Maho Beach Resort | www.playmaho.com |
| St. Kitts (Basseterre) | Royal Beach Casino | Marriott St. Kitts and Nevis | www.marriott.com |
And Know When To Run
Hey, did you know that the only legal gambling in Alaska is bingo and pull-tabs? Me either until I looked it up.
Do you care that there is no casino on any Disney ship? Is it a plus for you? Talk about it in the comments! (Options for folks cruising the Mediterranean or Northern Europe will come in another article.)
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The casino scene in Nassau is due to change by year end. The Bahamar Resort (http://www.bahamar.com/) has been under construction for a few years now, and once it opens it is going to have a brand new casino that replaces the Crystal Palace. It will be larger than Atlantis’ casino, and will be the new ‘largest casino in the Caribbean’.
The only disappointing thing about no casino is not coming home with all your on-board charges paid for. I learned that poker tournaments on cruise ships are VERY soft, and a skilled player can usually win at least one of the tourneys on board. My very first one, I won $1200, enough to cover all of our cruise charges and still leave us with some cash at the end.
I’m a little surprised no one has come down on pro-casino side. They’re hugely popular. Me, I’ll let you guys know my take after cruising on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas in July.
No one stated they were anti-casino or even anti-gambling…the responders (as I read them) are simply glad that Disney does not feature casinos on their cruise lines…even if that contributes to the higher cost of a cruise. Disney has always been a family brand. Some things just don’t go together.
It’s a huge plus for us that there isn’t a casino on DCL. We know this is one of the biggest reasons why DCL costs more than other cruise lines, but we really appreciate the fact that there’s no casino. There are couple of casinos near where we live, and we know too many sad stories of those who start out “just having fun” and losing them quickly trying to win back their loss. Even though we won’t gamble, it’s hard for us to be part of it, so to speak – we know where the “savings” for our fare came from.
I agree w/ the sentiment that we don’t need a casino, but at the end of the day it’s about economics. There’s no casino for Disney to make money from and they let you bring on your own alcohol. Both of these are large revenue generators for other cruise lines. Would Disney cruises be more affordable if these things were different? Considering that they’re one of the most expensive lines out there, the outcome would be interesting.
I’m glad there aren’t casinos on the Disney ships. On the one Norwegian cruise I took there was a smokey casino which we had to walk through to watch the movies which were basically shown on TV screens in the lounge at the back of the casino. The movie theatre on the Disney ships is sooooo much nicer.
It’s not necessary for me to have a casino on a ship, but if it were that important to me, I’d go for a cruise that had one. On the flip side, ships having casinos don’t offend me or make me want to pick a cruise for that reason.
I was visiting WDW a few years ago when I was asked to complete a survey regarding my opinions on gaming at any Disney property. Who I like it? Would it affect my vacation habits?
I made it clear I saw no need for casinos on Disney property. I’m glad they haven’t gone there.
We find not having a casino is a bonus! It leaves more room on the ship for activities my family can enjoy together.
Can’t see why it would be a plus. If you don’t like casinos no’ones forcing you to go.
Disney has more than enough ways to take your money. 🙂
It’s a plus to me. On other ships, you have to walk through the casino to get across the boat. It’s loud and smokey and a general annoyance to us non-gamblers. Plus as others have pointed out, it leaves boat space for activities I’d rather do.