When it comes to Malaysia’s tourism industry, cruises rarely come to mind; however, in fact, in 2023 alone, Malaysia’s ports have seen around 1,000 cruise ships dock, welcoming more than 1.5 million passengers. Mostly, this is due to one of the undeniable attractive aspects of cruise tourism: the casino on board. If compared side by side, these casino boats attracted more passengers than their counterparts.
What is Casino Cruise / Casino Boat?
Imagine the Titanic, but with the addition of an extravagant, multi-level casino hub — that’s essentially what a casino cruise or boat is. What makes it different from most other casinos is the experience. One moment, you can enjoy the endless scenery with a free flow of liquor and a fancy buffet, and the next moment, you find yourself awestruck by the blinding lights and vivid crowd in the casino, all while floating on water.
The Best Malaysia Homeport Casino Cruise Options
Due to Malaysia’s tricky law that prohibits gambling activities except for licensed operators, there aren’t many cruises in Malaysia that allow gambling.
However, while many cruises are unable to operate their casino while docking, once they are sailing and enter international waters, they may resume their casino operation.
Here we have 4 main cruises, with the first 2 being under Resorts World Cruises, which is affiliated with Genting Group.
1. Star Voyager
|
Category |
Details |
|
Operator |
Resorts World Cruises |
|
Year Built / Refurbished |
Built 1997; refurbished 2025 prior to Asian deployment. |
|
Passenger Capacity |
1944 in the lower berth |
|
Staterooms |
972 |
|
Gross Tonnage |
77,441 GT |
|
Size |
Length: 261.32m Width: 32.2m |
|
Decks |
15 |
|
Homeports |
Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore |
|
Destinations / Regions |
Southeast Asia, East Asia |
|
Cruise Duration Options |
2 to 6 Nights, depending on the packages |
|
Other Highlights |
|
Formerly known as Star Scorpio, Star Voyager is one of the two ships under Star Cruises, sailing across Southeast Asia (mostly Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and East Asia (Taiwan and Japan). It features multiple casino spaces: VIP casino (12th deck). The Playbook Egaming (8th deck), Casino (7th deck), and The Playbook E-pub (7th deck).
However, don’t expect it to have the same glamour as you would see at most land-based casinos, like the ones at Resorts World Genting. Star Voyager’s casino is more of a comfortable lounge style. Still, it has the standard options: video slots and table games like roulette, blackjack and baccarat. Besides, due to its refurbishment in 2025, it also features some electronic tables with big screens streaming dealers at table games.
It has 3 homeports: Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. For Malaysia homeports, the ship is docked at Port Klang. There are currently 2 packages with Malaysia homeports between December 2025 and February 2026: 3 Nights Bintan – Singapore Cruise and 4 Nights Phuket – Singapore Cruise.
2. Genting Dream
|
Category |
Details |
|
Operator |
Resorts World Cruises |
|
Year Built / Refurbished |
Built 2016 |
|
Passenger Capacity |
3352 in the lower berth |
|
Staterooms |
1674 |
|
Gross Tonnage |
150,695 GT |
|
Size |
Length: 335m Width: 40m |
|
Decks |
18 |
|
Homeports |
Malaysia, Singapore |
|
Destinations / Regions |
Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia |
|
Cruise Duration Options |
1 to 5 Nights, with most packages having 3 nights |
|
Other Highlights |
|
Originally built by Meyer Werft for Genting Hong Kong in 2016, Genting Dream has been deemed one of the biggest and spacious cruise ships in Asia. After Resorts World Cruises took over ownership, the ship underwent a refurbishment and revival, setting sail again in 2025 with state-of-the-art, modern facilities.
Compared to Star Voyager, Genting Dream is a more premium, luxurious option. Its casino hub alone spans across three decks, from deck 6 to 8. Similar to Star Voyager, it has slot machines on all 3 decks, table games on deck 6, and electronic table games on deck 7. While it has premium rooms on deck 6, there is another, more exclusive option: the VIP casino on deck 16.
Its Malaysia homeport is at the ICQS Complex in Melaka.
3. Piano Land Cruise
|
Category |
Details |
|
Operator |
Astro Ocean Cruises with local partner Hwajing Travel & Tours (Malaysia bookings/charters) |
|
Year Built / Refurbished |
Built 1995; refurbished 2024 |
|
Passenger Capacity |
1882 |
|
Staterooms |
850 |
|
Gross Tonnage |
69,840 GT |
|
Size |
Length: 260 m Width: 32 m |
|
Decks |
13 |
|
Homeports |
Malaysia |
|
Destinations / Regions |
Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand |
|
Cruise Duration Options |
3 to 7 Nights, depending on the packages |
|
Other Highlights |
|
Hwajing Tours and Travel has entered into a charter agreement with Astro Ocean Cruises and successfully brought the Piano Land Cruise (formerly known as Oriana) to Malaysia’s shore. It will make its first sail from Malaysia on 29 November 2025.
It has a casino club onboard, called Monte Carlo Club Casino. However, this was known before its rebrand from Oriana to Piano Land Cruise. But, since it’s chartered to the Malaysian travel agency, it’s likely that it remains intact. Besides, it also has manual and automatic mahjong tables on decks 5 and 13.
Please take note that while it has many stops in Malaysia, you can only embark and register at the homeport, which is Port Klang.
4. Berlin Oceanis Penang
|
Category |
Details |
|
Operator |
Berlin Capital Group |
|
Year Built / Refurbished |
Built 1980; refurbished 2025 |
|
Passenger Capacity |
500 |
|
Staterooms |
150 cabins |
|
Gross Tonnage |
9,570 GT |
|
Size |
Length: 139m Width: 18m |
|
Decks |
7 |
|
Homeports |
Penang Malaysia |
|
Destinations / Regions |
High seas |
|
Cruise Duration Options |
Day cruise / short overnight stay |
|
Other Highlights |
|
When Berlin Capital Group acquired the ship in 2024, the Berlin Oceanis has since been marketed as an entertainment-focused cruise, as announced by Berlin Capital Group on its social media, aiming to provide an “offshore entertainment city”. Of course, casinos are definitely one of the major entertainments on this cruise.
People don’t usually go on more than 1 night on this cruise, as it’s more focused on providing offshore entertainment. It only has one homeport in Malaysia, which is in Penang.
Pros and Cons of Casino Cruises
After considering everything, the positive aspects of casino cruises really boil down to one thing: experience.
Casino Cruises Are All About The Experience
Casino is just part of the cruise experience, which also includes luxurious restaurants, bars, stellar live shows, fun activities, and the beauty of the ocean scenery. Of course, there is a cruise like Berlin Oceanis whose whole purpose is more casino-focused. But, generally speaking, people go to casino cruises because they can enjoy the entire relaxing, luxurious cruising experience.
Downsides to Casinos on Cruises
However, if you really want to make a detailed comparison, the casinos on cruises are still behind the land casinos at Resorts World Genting or even online casinos. For one thing, their payment options might be limited, as most are using USD only for transactions. Besides, there are not as many game options as the other. Last but not least, they only allow for gambling in international territorial waters, which, to many people, is still considered quite dangerous.
Alternative to Casino Cruise?
If you truly value the casino experience in itself, there are way more options out there. For example, online casinos are starting to pick up momentum in Malaysia. They not only have a vast game options but also integrate crypto payment systems, making your playing experience more anonymous and thus safer.
You can check out our online casino reviews on some of these online casino options to see which is the best in Malaysia.
FAQ
What cruise ship has the best casino?
While it’s subjective, we think Genting Dream has the best casino among the 4.
Has anyone ever won money on a cruise ship casino?
Yes, of course. Just like any other casino, there are wins and losses every time.
Are cruise ship casinos harder to win?
Not entirely. For the most part, everything is the same. However, there might be a chance where the house edge is slightly higher to protect the profit margins when the player pool is very limited, due to the limited number of passengers.
Do you need a passport to go on a cruise?
Yes. However, some people have reported that you don’t need it for Berlin Oceanis. Make sure you check with the authority beforehand.
What time does the Genting Dream cruise casino open?
It depends on your itinerary, as different itineraries have varying casino opening hours.
What happens when you win a jackpot on a cruise?
Similar to other land-based jackpots, the staff will first verify your winnings. Afterwards, depending on the amount, they will pay in cash, chips, or write you a cheque. However, some will split the winnings if it’s too big. Some will also credit them to your shipboard account for you to cash out once you disembark on the last day.
Do I need cash for the cruise ship casino?
Yes. Most casino cruises still require you to have cash, and it’s often in USD currency. While you still can bring MYR onboard to exchange for USD, the rate might not be as favourable.
Do casinos offer free cruises?
It depends on the casino and the cruises, as different rules apply. However, some do reward you with free cruises based on your VIP level.
