Royal Caribbean Might Want to Rename Harmony ‘Casino of the Seas’
Posted on: May 21, 2026, 09:47h.
Last updated on: May 21, 2026, 09:48h.
- Harmony of the Seas offers the largest casino aboard a Royal Caribbean ship
- The vessel’s recent drydock expanded Casino Royale to include over 500 slot machines
Royal Caribbean is known for building the largest cruise ships in the world. A recent revamp of one of its vessels now offers one of the world’s most expansive casinos at sea.
Royal Caribbean recently completed its drydock of Harmony of the Seas. The Oasis-class ship, which first set sail in 2016, remains the planet’s sixth-largest ship in terms of gross tonnage.
Harmony of the Seas is following a trend in the cruise industry to offer more gaming. The ship’s six-week drydock included expanding its Casino Royale space, with The Attic Comedy Club, Crown Diamond Lounge, and Jazz on 4 all being converted into casino facilities.
The revamp resulted in the largest casino among the Royal Caribbean fleet. Guests aboard Harmony of the Seas can now play more than 500 slot machines and test their luck on 37 live dealer table games.
Casino Royale offers many table game favorites, including blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, and three-card poker. There are also opportunities for Texas Hold’em games.
The Harmony of the Seas drydock additionally resulted in about 100 new staterooms. The inside cabins replaced a little-used conference center.
Casino Pushback
Royal Caribbean has been converting its Jazz on 4 lounges on most of its ships into smoke-free casino spaces. Onboard casino gaming has become more in-demand in recent years, as gaming in the US has gone more mainstream with the proliferation of sports betting.
With smoking rates continuing to decline, guest surveys found that more cruisers would gamble in the absence of secondhand smoke. Royal Caribbean isn’t alone in betting on more gaming.
Last year, Carnival ran several adults-only casino-focused excursions. The ACES (All-Casino Exclusive Sailings) featured slots and table game promotions, as well as tournaments. Carnival also became the first cruise line to join the American Gaming Association.
Of course, not everyone is in favor of more casino gaming aboard their cruises. Last fall, Casino.org reported on numerous complaints regarding the added casino areas.
“Can’t find a single empty pool deck chair or more than 6″ of space in a pool, but they can add a second level for gambling,” read one comment on a Royal Caribbean Reddit.
Another opined that, “The way cruise lines are expanding casinos … I’m surprised they haven’t named a ship Casino of the Seas.”
“Cool, an even bigger smoke-filled area to avoid,” read another.
Cruise Casino Regulation
While the odds you find aboard a casino cruise might be slightly worse than inside a brick-and-mortar casino, the games are nonetheless regulated for fair play and are required to come with consumer safeguards.
The Cruise Lines International Association, based in Washington, DC, requires its members to adhere to the same casino regulatory standards of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Often considered the gold standard of gaming regulation, Nevada’s laws mandate that slots pay out at a minimum rate of 75%.
Most casinos program their slots to pay considerably higher, often around 85-90%. Cruise slots are typically lower, around 80-85%.
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