If you’ve ever visited the cruise ship casino or browsed the daily schedule or cruise compass, you’ve probably seen a slot tournament listed as an upcoming activity. Cruise ship slot tournaments don’t require a lot of skill, talent or gambling know-how, so they can be a fun activity for adults of gambling age. Much like other cruise games (bingo, for example), the cost of playing in a cruise slot tournament is fairly low, the skill required is minimal, and the prize for the winner can be fairly generous. However, unlike bingo, your odds of winning may be better because fewer people will likely participate.
After years of curiosity, I recently participated in my first slot tournament on Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas, and I’m now hooked. I’ll definitely play in the tournament on every cruise I go on. If gambling on a cruise ship sounds fun, but you’re not a high roller, give it a shot.
How do slot tournaments work?
The idea of a slot tournament might seem strange compared to a poker tournament or blackjack tournament. After all, winning at card games requires some level of skill and knowledge, while slot machines wins are based on luck. So with that in mind, how do slot machine tournaments work?
First of all, the slot tournament will even the playing field by having everyone play on the same type of machine, the same type of game, and the same bet level. Typically, a cruise casino will have a row of machines designated for the tournament. The number of slot tournament machines will depend on the size of the ship and the casino. On smaller ships, there could be as few as five or six slot machines for the tournament, but larger ships might have a dozen or more.
Second, while luck is certainly important in winning a slot tournament, slot contests are more tests of endurance and attention. You’ll be assigned a slot machine to use alongside your competition. Once everyone is seated at their slot machine (or standing), the slots will count down to the start. Everyone will play for a set amount of time, usually somewhere between three and five minutes, during which you’ll spin the reels as fast as you can, tapping the spin button furiously as the points build up. A video screen will display your score and the current standings in real time.
In addition to the reel spins, there will often also be an on-screen component in addition to the reel spins. In my game, there were bubbles and stars that popped up on the screen randomly. Tapping these symbols would award additional points– sometimes producing bonuses that could propel you into first place!
Standings are updated after each round, with a set number of people advancing to the finals. I was lucky enough to finish second in my heat with enough points to qualify for the finals. A few people who were close to making the finals purchased a second chance ticket and were able to compete for a better total and a shot at the finals.
The finals operate the same way as the preliminary rounds– you’re seated at your special machine (I was hoping for the same one I had in the prelims, but no luck), and you compete against the other finalists for 3-5 minutes. Winner takes all!
Are there slot tournament rules?
The slot tournaments are run like a pretty tight ship… so the slot tournament rules are simple. Pay the entry fee. Give your ticket to the casino host. Sit at your assigned machine. Spin the wheels as fast as you can. Be nice. Make friends. Don’t smack-talk (at least not too much). And most important, have fun!
How to enter a slot tournament
Check your ship’s schedule for the slot machine tournament. On a shorter cruise, there will likely only be one, but on longer cruises, there may be multiple. Try to arrive at the casino in plenty of time– at least 15 minutes in advance, as there may be a line at the casino cashier. Typically, you’ll pay your entry fee to the cashier and receive a ticket receipt.
Once you receive your ticket, take it to the casino host at the tournament area. Chances are there will be a small crowd of other players hovering around the slot tournament machines. This is a great chance to make friends with your cruisemates!
Depending on the number of people playing and the number of machines available there may be multiple flights of competition before the finalists compete for the grand prize.
How much does it cost to enter a slot tournament?
Entry fees vary based on the cruise line and any special promotions, but you can expect to pay between $20-$30 to enter most cruise ship slot tournament. If you don’t qualify for the finals, you may receive an offer for a “second chance” entry for a reduced price.
In the Royal Caribbean slot tournament I played in on Radiance of the Seas, my entry fee was $25, and a rebuy would have cost another $20.
Of course, high-stakes slot tournaments will cost more– well talk about that next.
How much can I win in a slot tournament?
On my recent cruise, the slot tournament prize was $500– and there were no second or third place prizes offered, so it was winner-take-all. After talking with other friends who’ve played in slot tournaments on other cruise ships, that’s pretty common.
Cruise lines love gamblers though, and recently, some cruise lines have offered some exciting slot tournament prizes. Carnival offers a million dollar slot tournament annually. In this tournament, the top 100 players earn prizes. In the 2023 million dollar tournament, the slot tournament’s winner received $500,000, second place won $150,000 and third received $50,000. Not too shabby, right? The 2022 tournament saw about 1600 players, giving you a 1 in 16 shot of winning some sort of a prize. However, you might not win enough to cover your entry fee. The cost to enter in 2023 was included as part of a special casino cruise fare, which came out to about $200 more than the standard cruise line rate per person
Norwegian also offers a $100,000 slot tournament annually. Entry to the 2024 tournament is a hefty $500.
Norwegian’s 2024 $100,000 slot tournament will be offered on an October 27 seven-day Cruise onboard Norwegian Jade from Miami. Carnival will host two 2024 $1M slot tournaments. The first will be on Carnival Jubilee on May 18 from Galveston. The second will depart from Port Canaveral onboard the Carnival Mardi Gras on November 2.
Other cruise lines, including MSC, occasionally offer high-stakes tournaments on special cruises for casino club members.
What cruise lines offer slot tournaments?
While it might be a stretch to say “if there’s a casino, there’s probably a tournament,” it’s a safe rule to follow. Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Virgin Voyages all host slot tournaments regularly. Other popular cruise lines, like MSC, occasionally offer special slot tournament cruises for gamblers, but they aren’t offered regularly.
Is a slot tournament exciting?
Yes! Perhaps not if you’re a spectator, just wandering through the casino, but if you’re playing in the tournament, it can be very exciting. Just the motion of slapping the spin button hundreds of times per minute is enough to get your heart pumping– and then there’s also the possibility of taking home enough cash to finance your next cruise!
After I finished my preliminary round, I took a glance at my Apple watch to check my heart rate, and it was a whopping 145 BPM! By comparison, my resting heart rate is usually around 70, so yes, I must have been very excited. The casino host spotted me checking my watch and joked with me that he didn’t want to escort me to the medical center.
Is there a good slot tournament strategy?
While most of your slot tournament win (or loss, for that matter) will be based on luck, there are definitely some slot tournament tips that will help improve your odds of winning. Implement these pointers as part of your slot tournament strategy:
Cruise ship slot tournament tips
- Get there early. There’s a lot of fun stuff happening on the cruise ship, so it’s easy to lose track of time. Aim to arrive about 15 minutes early so you can check out the lay of the land. Plus, you never know if there might be a line at the cashier – you don’t want to miss your shot!
- Minimize distractions. Slot machines are designed to be exciting to play. They make noise, blink, and produce fun animations. In a slot tournament, you’ll also have a display screen that will show your ranking and score. Resist temptation and ignore all of these. Don’t check to see how you’re doing. Only focus on the spin button and the on-screen components that can earn you more points. And for God’s sake, don’t talk on your phone or take pictures when it’s your turn. Just play, play, play.
- Warm up. I know, this sounds silly. But if you’re a knuckle cracker, crack ‘em. Stretch out your fingers. Loosen up your wrist. Believe it or not, a slot tournament is an endurance test. You wouldn’t try to play a sonata on a piano without warming up first, right? Same goes for a slot tournament.
- Play fast and furious. Your best slot tournament strategy is to get the maximum number of possible spins in your allotted time, so keep spinning those reels as fast as you can. Start with your dominant hand, but switch hands if you need to (I did several times). Don’t wait for the reels to stop to make your next spin, just go!
Did I win? Sadly, no. I finished in fourth place overall, but had a blast and met some really fun people. Plus I made friends with the casino host, which can have benefits if you’re a high roller (I’m not, but it never hurts to make friends with ship staff).
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