What’s up, Otaku Bettors!
I came across a magazine article about the luxury cruise ship Diamond Princess not too long ago.
It had photos of the onboard casino, and when I had a closer look — the roulette table was triple-zero (000).
That got my attention, so I started digging — talked to roulette players who’d actually been on cruise ships, reached out to cruise agencies, and checked official websites.
The answer? Triple-zero. Of course.
That said, it’s not a 100% certainty.
Cruise ship configurations apparently vary depending on which port they depart from. I asked several major travel agencies and couldn’t get a definitive answer.
What I can say for certain: most popular cruise ships use American Roulette — and among those with Las Vegas-style casino setups, the odds of a triple-zero table approach close to 100%.
Here’s the roulette info I gathered on popular cruise ships.
Diamond Princess
- Operator: Princess Cruises
- Roulette Type: American Roulette
- Triple-Zero (000): Reported on some ships
- Minimum Bet: $5 (varies by ship)
- Maximum Bet: $50
- Operating Hours: Open in international waters; typically 7:00 PM to midnight (varies by route)
- Chips and Currency: USD; onboard account payment accepted
- Beginner Support: Introductory sessions held at set times
MSC Bellissima
- Operator: MSC Cruises
- Roulette Type: American Roulette
- Triple-Zero (000): No information available
- Minimum Bet: $1–5
- Maximum Bet: $50
- Operating Hours: Open in international waters; typically 7:00 PM to midnight (varies by route)
- Chips and Currency: USD; onboard account payment accepted
- Beginner Support: Introductory sessions held at set times
Costa Serena
- Operator: Costa Cruises
- Roulette Type: American Roulette
- Triple-Zero (000): Confirmed
- Minimum Bet: €5–€10 (varies by ship)
- Maximum Bet: Not disclosed
- Operating Hours: Typically opens 2 hours before departure from each port
- Chips and Currency: Euro; onboard account payment accepted
- Beginner Support: Introductory sessions held at set times
Quantum of the Seas
- Operator: Royal Caribbean
- Roulette Type: American Roulette
- Triple-Zero (000): No information available
- Minimum Bet: $5
- Maximum Bet: Not disclosed
- Operating Hours: Open in international waters; typically 7:00 PM to midnight (varies by route)
- Chips and Currency: USD; onboard account payment accepted
- Beginner Support: Introductory sessions held at set times
Across the board, the roulette setups are pretty similar from ship to ship.
Costa Serena is the only one where I could directly confirm the triple-zero — but that came straight from a player who was actually onboard, so it’s solid.
That same player apparently filled out the cruise ship’s feedback survey with one request: please get rid of the triple-zero.
I also looked into the recently launched EXPLORA II, but it’s new enough that information is still scarce.
It’s a new brand from MSC Group — one of the world’s leading cruise companies — so I’d put money on triple-zero, but…
Oh — while I was researching cruise ship casinos, I came across something interesting worth sharing.
For cruise ships departing from Japan, once the vessel travels more than approximately 22 km (12 nautical miles) beyond Japanese territorial waters into international waters, the laws of the ship’s flag state apply — which means the casino can legally open for business.
This is governed by Japan’s Act on Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
In other words, Japanese law only applies within territorial waters (approximately 22 km) — once you’re on the open sea, the laws of the ship’s home country take precedence.
The “flag state” refers to the country where a ship is registered — essentially, the ship’s “nationality.”
Think of it like the country a car’s license plate comes from.
- Diamond Princess: UK flag state → UK law applies in international waters.
- MSC Bellissima: Malta flag state → Maltese law applies in international waters.
- Costa Serena: Italy flag state → Italian law applies in international waters.
Oh, and apparently all these cruise ships offer paid Wi-Fi.
Which means…
You do the math.