If you are looking for a lively casino eager to accommodate VIP players as well as provide entertainment for the less experienced gamblers often found on cruise ships, you might want to try the action on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas or one of its four Voyager-class sisters.

The Casino Royale on the two-year-old Navigator is similar in size to the casinos on Mariner of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas.

These casinos are the largest found on the ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet, and Navigator's Casino Royale offers 16 gaming tables (6 multi-deck blackjack tables, two single-deck blackjack, two Caribbean stud poker, one three-card poker, one Let It Ride, three roulette and one craps table). Surrounding the tables are 294 slots offering wagering opportunities ranging from 1 cent to $25.

Most of the table games have a $5 minimum and $200 maximum. While the casino customarily also offers two blackjack tables with a $25 minimum and $500 maximum, casino management says it is always ready to up the table limits if enough players are interested -- and my two experiences on Voyager class ships would support this.

On a cruise a year ago on Mariner of the Seas, several VIP players had no trouble persuading casino management to provide a $50-$1,000 table, and on this sailing on Navigator of the Seas, there was enough action to support not only a $50-$1,000 table but a $100-$2,000 table nightly.

The dealers on Navigator were competent and friendly, and casino management was extremely attentive to members of the Royal Caribbean Players Club on the cruise. Not only were drinks comped but other goodies (such as hors d'oeuvres and cheese trays) turned up in some staterooms as well.

Overall, this casino had a very good feel to it, and the VIP players (even those being betrayed by the cards) seemed to generally view Navigator's Casino Royale as a fun place to gamble.

--The Savvy Cruiser