Independent guide and review of Florida as a holiday destination

Casino Cruises from Florida

If you want to have a 'flutter' in Florida then you have a number of options including:

the Florida state lottery
at greyhound tracks
at horse racing tracks
in Indian casinos and
on casino cruises

Gambling in Florida is strictly controlled and as a result a number of cruise lines operate short casino cruises from a variety of Florida ports.

No matter where you are staying in Florida you are probably only a couple of hours away from a casino cruise

SunCruz VI operating out of Jacksonville

SunCruz VI operating out of Jacksonville [courtesy of SunCruz Casino]

By sailing around three miles offshore, these casino cruise ships can take advantage of International waters and passengers can then participate in a whole host of Las Vegas casino style games including Blackjack, Roulette, Poker, Craps, Mini Baccarat and traditional slot machines.

Casino cruises typically last around four to five hours with one sailing late morning (brunch) and the other early evening (dinner). You may also find late night cruises on offer as well.

If you fancy a slightly longer cruise then there are one day and two night mini-cruises to the Grand Bahamas with onboard casinos and many of the major cruise lines operating out of Florida also offer gambling on board their short Caribbean cruises.

As an incentive some (but not all) Florida casino cruise companies offer all manner of complimentary treats including free transportation to the port, free parking, free meals and drinks and free entertainment. Free drinks are usually only offered whilst gaming.

Typical cruise costs per person range from zero up to around $50 though you will often find reductions during mid week. Note that you may also need to pay various port taxes, Federal Excise Tax and a Passenger Security Charge.

Passengers usually have to be at least 21 to board and you will need to present either a passport or a valid government-issued photo ID to board the ship.

There has been quite a shake-up in Florida casino cruise lines over the last couple of years and several companies have suspended operations from specific ports or ceased operations entirely.

Sterling Casino Lines

Up until July 2008, Sterling Casino Lines sailed one of the largest casino cruise ships in Florida, the Ambassador II but following a number of technical problems and their lease at Port Canaveral expiring, they have ceased operations, at least for the time being.

The 1,800 passenger Ambassador II has four main casinos with fifty gaming tables offering a number of games including Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Craps and Roulette plus 1,000 slots.

SunCruz Casino

SunCruz Casino (part of Oceans Casino Cruises) operate more casino cruise ships than any other Florida operator though they have ceased sailing from Daytona Beach, Palm Beach and Madeira Beach. They currently operate from Jacksonville, Port Canaveral and Key Largo in Florida and Myrtle Beach in near by South Carolina.

The 165 foot catamaran, SunCruz VI can hold 600 passengers and sails from Jacksonville with 38 gaming tables and over 300 slots.

The 308 foot SunCruz XII can take up to 1,200 passengers from Port Canaveral and has 35 gaming tables and over 640 slot machines.

The smallest ship is SunCruz I which can hold 149 passengers and sails from Key Largo (Mile Marker 100). It has 7 gaming tables and 88 slot machines.

The 207 foot SunCruz VIII sails from Myrtle Beach with up to 600 passengers and has 22 gaming tables and 380 slots.

Las Vegas Cruise Lines

The newest player in the Florida casino cruise market is Las Vegas Cruise Lines and they had hoped to start operations in April 2008 with their ship, the 300 foot Liquid Vegas but first sailings from Port Canaveral have been delayed.

When operations commence, Las Vegas Cruise Lines will offer Craps, Blackjack, Three Card Poker, Roulette, Let-It-Ride, Mini Baccarat, Texas Hold'em and over 500 slot machines.

The ship can hold around 900 passengers and has four cocktail lounges, live entertainment, a dance lounge with DJ, hot and cold buffets and gift shops.

Casino Princesa

The 200 foot luxury yacht Casino Princesa used to sail twice daily from Miami and has 32 gaming tables offering Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Poker, Baccarat and over 240 slots. Casino Princesa has ceased operations and the ship has moved to Georgia and renamed the Emerald Princess II.

SeaEscape

SeaEscape sail twice daily from Port Everglades at Fort Lauderdale and unlike many of the other casino cruise lines they allow kids on board (if accompanied by an adult) where they can have fun in Camp SeaEscape.

Their ship, the MV Island Adventure at 15,400 tons and 512 feet is the largest day cruise ship in Florida and was renovated in 2007.

As well as the casino with over 40 gaming tables, SeaEscape also offer buffet or premium dining, a disco, theatre, lounge showing live revues of Broadway hits and favourite classics, video arcade, Thai Massage, cabins and a swimming pool. They even offer wedding packages if you fancy tying the knot at sea.

Palm Beach Princess Casino

As their name suggests, Palm Beach Princess Casino operates out of Palm Beach with Blackjack, Poker, Roulette, Craps and slot machines plus live entertainment, cabaret shows, a dance club and a sports bar.

The 421 foot Palm Beach Princess (formerly the Viking Princess) can carry 850 passengers and has three casinos offering Craps, World Series of Poker, Texas Hold'em, 7 Card Stud, American Roulette, mini Baccarat and over 400 slot machines plus a lounge, dining room, bar and grill, sports bar and a massage therapy room.

Treasure Island Casino

Treasure Island Casino (also part of Oceans Casino Cruises) has also ceased operations and they used to sail from Madeira Beach into the Gulf of Mexico.

Port Richey Casino

Port Richey Casino (also part of Oceans Casino Cruises) operates from Port Richey with Blackjack, Roulette, three Card Poker and over 300 slot machines.

Aquasino

The 228 foot Aquasino operates from South Beach, Miami with over 20 gaming tables, poker room, 200 slot machines, sports bar and cafe.

Big "M" Casino

Big "M" Casino operate from Myrtle Beach in South Carolina and Fort Myers Beach in Florida. The luxury 186 foot yacht has Blackjack, Roulette, Let-It-Ride, Three Card Poker and slot machines.

Horizon's Edge Casino Cruises

Horizon's Edge Casino Cruises offer two sailings each day Thursday through Sunday from Treasure Island on their Horizon Star cruise ship with Blackjack, Roulette, Three Card Poker, Texas Hold'em Craps and over 125 slot machines.