Not all cruisers spend time in the arcade, but those that do know the costs of playing games can add up quickly. Carnival Cruise Line is now offering a great package deal for arcade tokens that can mean significant savings for interested gamers.
Guests cannot use quarters or tokens in the arcade; all games are cashless, and players must scan their Sail & Sign cards to pay for each game. Games are priced in digital “chips” with most games requiring 2, 3, or even 4 chips to play.
Now, guests can buy those chips at kiosks, and different packages offer great savings, especially for buying higher numbers of chips.
For example, $10 package offers 50 chips, but a $20 package offers 110 chips – 10 more than if a guest bought two $10 packages. Different package denominations are available to suit any guest’s budget and gaming needs: $30 (175 chips), $40 (250 chips), $60 (400 chips), and $80 (575 chips).
The best price is the $100 package for 800 chips – 300 chips, which is more than purchasing 10 of the $10 packages for the same price.
Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, has confirmed that these package deals are authentic and not yet another social media rumor.
“This is something that we do now and it is available to book online and also when you are on the ship,” he said. “For those who love the arcade it certainly sounds great.”
Guests should be aware that package pricing and chip totals are subject to change.
While Carnival Cruise Line has been offering the chip packages for several months, it hasn’t been widely advertised. Now, more guests are aware of the deal and able to take advantage of it.
Introducing the chip package may be a result of guest interest, as Heald has addressed the issue in the past. In January 2023, a guest suggested package offerings through Heald’s popular Facebook page.
Arcade Package (Credit: Shatima Ruffin)
“Y’all need to provide some kind of ultimate arcade package for each child. The arcade is where they want to be for most of the cruise,” the guest commented. “It is too expensive right now. Y’all have a package for booze. Have one for the arcade. Betcha the big kids would love this just as much as the little ones.”
Heald took note of the suggestion and likely passed it along to the “beards” for consideration.
“Thank you and that is a very interesting point, I wonder if we have ever thought of that,” Heald said at the time.
Who Uses the Arcade?
One common misconception about the arcades on Carnival ships is that these are “kids only” spaces. While each Carnival ship does offer dedicated spaces for younger cruisers through their youth programs, the onboard arcades are open to everyone.
Heald posted a poll in November 2024 that included asking about guests using the arcade. Of the more than 78,000 votes cast, just 5% (approximately 3,900) agreed that they always go to the arcade. Meanwhile, 34% (roughly 26,500 votes) said they never use the arcade.
While this would seem to indicate that arcades are not popular, it should be noted that Heald’s followers are largely experienced cruisers in older age brackets, rather than the children and teens who would certainly use the arcade more.
Read Also: What Are the Best Cruise Lines for Families?
Many travelers, however, did admit to being “kids at heart” and would play at least a couple games during their cruises, enjoying the nostalgia. The arcade is also a good place for hiding cruising ducks.
Available games vary from ship to ship, and often include racing games, Skeeball, air hockey, basketball shot games, shooting games, and other options. Many of the games award tickets for guests to win prizes or are direct prize games such as claws or other games of skill.
Appeared first on: Cruisehive.com
