Here's how it went down, what I learned and how much it cost me - plus tips on how you, too, can get 'free' cruises from onboard casino play.įor more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter. So I channeled the luck of my grandmother and dived into researching Royal Caribbean's Club Royale casino program, with the aim of beating the system and netting a comped cruise. Were they mythical, or exclusively for high rollers? Could I start from nothing, take one cruise, stick to a strict gambling budget and parlay that into a free sailing? The idea was exciting - addictive even - and once it took hold, I couldn't let go.Įven though I don't gamble much, I do come from a long line of slot machine players. I've always been intrigued by the concept of complimentary casino cruises. However, this is a story about how I played the slots in Royal Caribbean's Casino Royale to earn a 'free' cruise.

Before starting research for this story, I don't recall ever playing anything in a cruise ship casino. This is a story about gambling, even though I'm not much of a gambler.

Do celebrity cruises have casinos