If you’ve been paying attention to Royal Caribbean’s latest ship reveals and drydock updates, you might have noticed a recurring theme: the casinos are getting a lot bigger, and some fan-favorite lounges are quietly disappearing.
When the newest Icon-class ship, Legend of the Seas, debuts she will have a two-story casino spread out over decks 3 and 4 – the largest gaming space ever built in the Royal Caribbean fleet.
Ka-ching!
Royal Caribbean has realized where the real onboard revenue lies, and they’re leaning into it on new builds while aggressively retrofitting their older ships to match this new strategy.
A New Legend-ary Standard
Historically, cruise ship casinos were single-deck, centrally located spaces that you had to walk through to get from dinner to a show. On the new Icon-class ships, the real estate dedicated to gaming has exploded.
With Legend of the Seas, Royal Caribbean is taking it to the next level by introducing a two-story casino layout. This expansion ties directly to the popularity of the Club Royale casino loyalty program, offering more tables, hundreds of new slot machines, and dedicated high-roller spaces.
The Drydock Trend: Swapping Pints for Slots
While Legend gets to build from the ground up, Royal Caribbean’s older vessels are going under the knife to catch up. During recent drydocks, the cruise line has removed traditional bars, lounges, and live music venues to clear square footage for additional casino space.
- Radiance of the Seas: Fresh out of its February 2026 drydock, guests were shocked to find that the beloved Quill & Compass Pub had been entirely gutted. In its place? A brand-new non-smoking casino annex. The pub singer is out; the slot machines are in.
- The Oasis Class: The trend started with Wonder of the Seas, which debuted without the classic “Jazz on 4” club, opting for a non-smoking casino instead. The concept was profitable, so Royal Caribbean retroactively removed the jazz clubs from older Oasis-class ships to match.
- Freedom of the Seas: The Vintages wine bar, a staple of the Royal Promenade, was recently ripped out to make room for more casino space.
Follow the Money
Why is Royal Caribbean doing this? The simple answer is onboard revenue.
While a passenger might sit in a pub and nurse a $14 cocktail while listening to an acoustic guitarist for two hours, a slot machine can generate hundreds of dollars in a fraction of that time. As base cruise fares become more competitive, cruise lines rely heavily on what passengers spend after they board. Casinos are historically the most lucrative spaces per square foot on any ship.
Furthermore, Royal Caribbean’s casino loyalty program has seen explosive growth. Cruisers who drop a good chunk of money in the casino are given free cruises, creating a very profitable loop of repeat customers who need more machines and table games to accommodate their play.
The Passenger Trade-off
For cruisers, this trend is a double-edged sword.
- The Winners:
- Non-Smokers: For years, the number one complaint about cruise ship casinos was the smell of cigarette smoke. By converting these old lounges into secondary casinos, Royal Caribbean has finally created smoke-free gaming environments.
- The Gamblers: More space means a wider variety of slot machines, lower minimums at table games due to increased capacity, and less elbowing through crowds on busy sea days.
- The Losers:
- Nightlife Lovers: If you love the atmosphere of a British pub, the quiet of a wine bar, or catching some late-night jazz, your options are shrinking. Entertainment is being pushed out into larger, more crowded thoroughfares like the Royal Promenade or Central Park.
As Legend of the Seas prepares to introduce her record-breaking two-story casino, it’s clear that Royal Caribbean’s business model is shifting. The cruise line is placing a massive bet on gaming revenue, and so far, it’s paying off. Just don’t be surprised if your favorite quiet corner bar on your next cruise has been replaced by the flashing lights of a slot bank.