If you are looking to enjoy some time in the casino on your Alaska cruise this summer, the Golden Princess -- perhaps the nicest large ship currently based year-around on the West Coast -- offers a variety of gaming opportunities.

The ship's spacious Atlantis Casino is focused around two banks of gaming tables -- two roulette, one craps, seven blackjack, one Fun 21, two Let It Ride, and one Caribbean stud featuring a large linked progressive jackpot.

At one end of the casino, the Golden Princess also offers Texas Hold 'em fans two 10-player PokerPro tables that enable players to compete without benefit of a live dealer.

The PokerPro table injects the technology of internet Texas Hold 'em into the live poker setting. Players each sit in front of a touch screen that reveals hole cards and chip stacks. When it is a player's turn, the machine prompts you to check, bet, raise or fold.

We've heard mixed reactions to the automated table from poker players. No question, the game is faster. Some players really like PokerPro; some don't. But like 'em or not, we think you can wager on seeing more of these tables on cruise ships.

Also in the like it or not category, the Golden Princess -- along with most Princess ships and all Carnival cruise ships -- uses continuous shuffling machines at all of its blackjack tables. While these are the source of some grumbling among higher stakes players, casino supervisors report no sign that players are voting with their feet and switching to other games.

One of the interesting gaming opportunities found on the Golden Princess -- as well as the ships of most other members of the Ocean Players Club -- is a Caribbean Stud game offering a separate chance to win a linked progressive jackpot. For a dollar side bet, a player drawing a royal flush in diamonds stood to win more than $288,000 on this sailing, and a player drawing a royal flush in any other suit would have cruised home more than $144,000 happier.

For slot players, the Golden Princess has more than 200 machines, offering opportunities to wager anywhere from a penny to $50. One bank of slots is linked to the Ocean Players Club progressive Megacash jackpot, which on this May 2007 sailing had climbed to more than $225,000.

Overall, the Golden Princess probably is not the optimum cruise ship for casino high-rollers, but if you are looking for a nice casino in which to spend some time on an extremely nice ship, the Atlantis Casino aboard the Golden Princess may be a good bet.

--The Savvy Cruiser