Bingo

The daily high-stakes bingo games are even more popular than the casinos. You can play for as little as a dollar a card. Most ships have a bingo game with a jackpot that snowballs throughout the cruise into hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Another popular cruise pastime is the so-called "horse race": Fictional horses are auctioned off to "owners." Individual passengers can buy a horse or form "syndicates." Bids usually begin at around $25 and can top $1,000 per horse. Races are then "run" according to dice throws or computer-generated random numbers. Audience members bet on their favorites.