Royal Caribbean Continues Swapping Jazz Clubs for Smoke-Free Casinos

Posted on: June 28, 2023, 12:38h. 

Last updated on: June 28, 2023, 10:42h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Royal Caribbean is heeding calls from guests wishing to gamble without lingering cigarette smoke by creating smoke-free casinos on its ships.

Royal Caribbean casino smoke Oasis cruise ship
The new, smoke-free casino room aboard Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas. The casino room replaced the ship’s jazz club. (Image: Trimline)

Casino.org reported in March that the cruise ship operator had replaced the “Jazz on 4” clubs with smoke-free gaming spaces aboard the company’s Oasis of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas ships. “Jazz on 4” are dedicated lounges for nightly jazz music. But according to rumors, they are being phased out across Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class consists of six ships, which are among the world’s largest. Along with Oasis of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, the class ships include Utopia of the Seas, Wonder of the Seasons, Allure of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas.

Wonder of the Seas, which went into operation just last year, is the world’s largest cruise ship, with a gross tonnage of 236,857 across 18 decks. Four bow thrusters with 7,500 horsepower each power the massive ship, which cruises at 22 knots. The ship has 2,867 staterooms and can accommodate more than 7,000 passengers.

Smoke-Free Casinos

Each of Royal Caribbean’s 25 cruise ships features a casino called Casino Royale. The slot machines turn on and table games get cards in the air once the vessels sail at least 12 nautical miles off the US coastline.

The Casino Royale aboard the Wonder of the Seas is a Las Vegas-style casino featuring 456 slots, 27 table games, and a high-stakes poker room. Smoking is allowed in Casino Royale venues, one of the few places aboard a Royal Caribbean vessel where cigarettes are permitted indoors.

For gamblers wishing to stay clear of toxic smoke, Royal Caribbean is doing away with the Jazz on 4 clubs, which are often wasted space during the day, and replacing them with smoke-free casino rooms. A statement from Trimline, a UK-based company that refits interiors of cruise ships, said recently that the firm replaced Jazz on 4 clubs with nonsmoking casinos not only on the Oasis of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, but also on Allure of the Seas.

Trimline workers transformed the former jazz spaces into smoke-free casinos while the ships were in service. The projects took about two weeks to complete.

Trimline’s team of demolition and removal experts, joiners, electricians, decorators, and laborers worked closely with data, IT, and casino commissioning specialists to ensure that their work was completed efficiently and with minimal disruptions to guests and crew,” the company explained.

“The team has worked tirelessly to ensure that the work is delivered to the highest standards, and we are delighted with the results,” added Trimline Project Manager Billy Morton. “We’re confident that these new smokeless casinos will provide an enjoyable experience for the guests on board.”

Royal Caribbean hasn’t commented on a time line as to when the Jazz on 4 clubs aboard Utopia of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas might be swapped out for a smokeless casino.

Casino Details

Royal Caribbean owns and operates the world’s five largest cruise ships: Wonder of the Seas, Symphony, Harmony, Oasis, and Allure. And the casinos aboard the vessels are also some of the largest ship casinos in the world.

Wonder of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas have the bragging rights for the largest casino floors, with each Casino Royale measuring about 12,000 square feet.

Budget gamblers can also find a seat inside a Royal Caribbean casino, as table minimums are as low as $5 per hand.