MSC Cruises Casino

The MSC line was founded by the man who created the Mediterranean Shipping Company, initially calling it StarLauro Cruises before rebranding as MSC Cruises in 1995. With 25 vessels on their books, there are numerous different experiences that you can have by opting for a cruise with the company. Whilst you can expect the bigger ships on the MSC Cruise line to have a casino, some of the smaller ones do not. That is worth bearing in mind if the casino is important to you, but there are many other amenities aside that you will be able to take advantage of whilst you’re on one of the company’s numerous ships.

The Casinos

When it comes to the casinos that you can expect to find on board MSC Cruise ships, you will be able to enjoy a Vegas-style experience in the hands of friendly and welcoming staff. The design of the casinos themselves tends to be modern and comfortable, which is ideal regardless of whether you’re a novice bettor or an experienced high roller. If you don’t know a huge amount about casinos, then you needn’t be too scared to head to the one on board, thanks to the fact that you can take part in lessons that will teach you exactly how to play all of the table games, as well as the likes of the various slot machines that you’ll find on the ship.

The casinos tend to all have a smoking area, although the exact size of it will differ from vessel to vessel. You need to be sitting down and taking part in the gambling to be able to take advantage of the indoor smoking area in the casino, which is worth bearing in mind if you’re someone who was planning to just nip in for a smoke and to see what is going on. You can also only take advantage of the smoking section if the casino is open, so whilst the ship is heading into or out of port, you’ll have to find somewhere else to light up. As you might expect, the rest of the casino floor is non-smoking, but both sections are well signposted.

High Rollers

On the majority of MSC Cruise ships, there isn’t a dedicated high roller area as you might expect to find in a land-based casino or that you might have come across in the casinos on board ships of other cruise lines. That doesn’t mean that high rollers aren’t catered to, however. If you’re someone that likes to bet big, then you need only speak to a member of the casino team on board who will be happy to help accommodate you. As you might imagine, that comes with its own share of benefits, which the staff will be more than happy to discuss with you so that you know that you’re getting bang for your buck during your cruise.

The Games Available

The casinos on the majority of MSC Cruise vessels are not small things, hidden away in a long-forgotten part of the ship. Instead, they are big and impressive offerings that you wouldn’t imagine would be out of place in the likes of Las Vegas or Macau. Consequently, there tends to be no shortage of options for players when it comes to the games that are on offer, starting with a huge number of slot machines. These are of the modern variety, meaning that there are loads of different games for you to choose from. There are also a number of video poker machines and electronic roulette machines, should they be to your taste.

In terms of the table games, there are normally at least one or two of all of the main games that you would expect to find in a casino. Whether all of the tables will be open will depend entirely on demand, but you can expect the likes of the roulette and the blackjack tables to be full whenever the casino opens its doors. Three-card poker and Texas Hold’em poker also tend to be popular offerings. One of the things that sets MSC Cruise casinos apart from others is the fact that you can play bingo on board, as well as pick up an MSC Cruise-specific lotto ticket, with both games offering decent prizes for the winners.

Some of the casinos are small, depending on the overall size of the ship that you’re sailing on, but if you can’t see a table game that you want to play, then don’t despair. Instead, speak to one of the members of staff in the casino and let them know. This is because some of the tables are actually double-sided, meaning that they can turn the felt over and give you access to a completely different game on the other side. In instances when a high roller wants to play a specific game, it is entirely possible that the casino will choose to bring a table out of storage to give the high roller their own space to play, so there are always options.

Paying for Your Betting

Obviously, anyone who has decided to head to the on-board casino in order to play some of the games on offer will need to know how they can go about paying for them. The first thing to know is that the casino will accept cash, which is where there are ATMs in the casino area that you can withdraw funds from before getting your money exchanged for chips with the cashier. If you plan to bet a decent chunk of money, you can get in touch with the cruise line ahead of your trip and send some money to be put on your room that you can then bet with once on board. In terms of paying your way, the casino will make your options work.

Loyalty Scheme

If you’re someone that likes to take advantage of casino loyalty schemes, then you’re in luck, with MSC Cruises boasting one of the most player-friendly systems that you will find on any cruise line. At least, that is true when it comes to video poker and roulette, with other games asking for a little bit more on the spending front to earn tier points. Having said that, it is also worth noting that you need to get through quite a lot of betting if you’re doing it specifically for the purpose of earning a free cruise certificate, which isn’t as good as on some other cruise lines. Of course, really it is all about earning those tier points as you place your bets.

You will get one tier point for every $3 that you wager on slot machines and video poker, which then increases to one point for every $5 spent on roulette. When it comes to table games, how much you earn will depend on the likes of how long you spend playing and what your average bet is. The good news is that there are clear guidelines on board that spell out exactly how many points you need for each tier, as well as what you will get in the way of rewards depending on your status. As an example, 34,000 points on a USA trip over around a week will get you an MSC Yacht Club Deluxe Suite for use on a future cruise.

The MSC Signature Player Rewards system has a UChoose system, which means that the player themselves can choose the length of their future free cruise, as well as the destination and the stateroom category. If you have enough Dream Points, then you will have a host of options open up in front of you, with no fees or charges put on when you use your complimentary cruise certificate. In other words, the ‘free’ cruise really is free, which isn’t always the case with such offers from other cruise liners. There aren’t really specific tiers as you might have enjoyed elsewhere, but you will soon learn what you can get for your Dream Points.

Routes

If you want to head on an MSC Cruise, then the first thing that you need to do is to decide where it is that you’d like to head to. If you have enough time and the idea tickles your fancy, you can keep things simple by just opting for a world cruise. If you’d rather be more specific, you can head to Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, or other sections of the continent as they suit. Alaska cruises are sure to offer those sailing an entirely different experience for those heading to the Bahamas and Florida, whilst Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve is a choice that you won’t be able to take advantage of on any other cruise liner.

Of course, this site is mainly aimed at the Caribbean, so it isn’t outrageous to assume that you might fancy heading somewhere in that part of the world. The good news is that there are plenty of options, thanks to the fact that MSC Cruises call at any of more than 30 ports, depending on the cruise that you opt for. You can see the Mayan ruins of Mexico on the Western Caribbean cruise that departs from Galveston, for example, or see the lush El Yunque National Forest by sailing from Miami. Your best method will be to choose where you want to sail from and to and then look at the options that are open to you.

What Else Is on Board?

With so many vessels in the company’s lineup, it is fair to say that there can be a wide variety of amenities when it comes to heading off on an MSC Cruise. If you are the sort of person that thinks about their stomach before anything else, you will be pleased to know that the main restaurants offer high-quality food that promises a different menu every day. Mediterranean dining and international cuisine are to be expected, whilst the meat carvery will delight those for whom the pasta station seems a little disappointing. There are also speciality restaurants, which cater to those who have something a little more special in mind.

MSC Starship, Virtuoso & Kids Clubs

Away from the restaurants, there are bars both indoors and outdoors that can give you a decent place to sit and have a drink whenever you fancy. The MSC Starship Club is an immersive experience that those on board the MSC Virtuoso can enjoy, with night bars being where you’ll want to head if you’re not ready for the day to end just yet. If you have a family, then you can look to make use of the Kids Club to give yourself a bit of free time, or you can take advantage of the outdoor activities that are sure to do their best at tiring your little ones out. Depending on the ship, you can head on a zip line, use the waterpark or simply sunbathe by the pool.

Entertainment, Fitness & Sports

If you know anything about cruise ships, then you will know that the best ones offer guests the chance to take in some West End-quality theatre shows, which will differ from ship to ship and also depending on the time of year that you find yourself on board. If you’re more of a fitness buff, you might want to head to the gym or take advantage of the power walking track. There are also options such as basketball and a tennis court, plus some ships have a five-a-side football pitch or a volleyball area. If that all sounds far too much for someone heading on holiday, you can instead opt to simply relax in the spa and get one of countless treatments.