When will the cruise ports reopen?
The coronavirus crisis led to various Caribbean ports having to close for business. When will casino players be able to visit their favorite Caribbean islands once more?
Visiting a casino is one of the most popular things people like to do during a relaxing holiday in the Caribbean. But the coronavirus crisis has led to various closures, and that has left a lot of travelers in doubt about whether or not they should go on their holiday.
Our guide to the latest news on Caribbean islands with casinos and cruise ports will give you all the information you need to help make up your mind about whether to proceed with your break.
Antigua
The Antigua capital of St. Johns is home to King’s Casino, but there are plenty of gambling options on the island, with Grand Princess at Jolly Harbour Township among them.
Antigua is slowly opening its borders with many of the island’s top resorts expected to open in June or July, but P&O Cruises will not visit until October at the earliest, and Royal Caribbean International will not resume sailings before August.
Aruba
There are about a dozen casinos to visit on Aruba, with the best of them, including Stellaris at the Aruba Marriott and Excelsior Casino, which is at the Holiday Inn Resort Aruba on Palm Beach.
Inbound travel to Aruba will resume on a gradual basis between June 15 and July 1 but the island has no listed arrivals for its cruise port as of yet.
Bahamas (Paradise Island)
Paradise Island has been almost entirely untouched by COVID-19, leading to suggestions from cruise company Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line that sailings could resume soon.
Atlantis Casino on Paradise Island has hundreds of slot machines for visitors to try their luck on.
Bahamas (Grand Bahama)
The Bahamas Princess Resort and Casino and Isle of Capri Casino are among the major gaming sites on Grand Bahama.
This island kept COVID-19 under control well, and late July has been touted by Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line as a potential date to resume cruise visits to Grand Bahama, with Carnival Cruise Lines planning to resume sailings from August.
Barbados
While there are no actual casinos to be found in this part of the Caribbean, there are plenty of places on the island of Barbados where visitors can enjoy playing slots.
Barbados, which has had no new COVID-19 cases for some time, has been where many stranded cruise ships have headed to disembark during the pandemic, but there is no confirmation on when cruises to Barbados will resume.
Bonaire
Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino is one of the most popular places to stay on the island of Bonaire, partly due to its gambling options.
Silversea Cruises sells cruises to Bonaire for 2021/22 but the island’s cruise port was closed down as a preventative measure over COVID-19 and it is yet to reopen.
Curacao
Gambling is popular on the island of Curacao, with Carnaval Casino among the busiest sites.
Due to the coronavirus crisis, the Curacao Tourist Board says all incoming ships must quarantine for two weeks before disembarking at present, making cruises unfeasible.
Dominica
Mapau Entertainment Center is the primary place to go for a bet for visitors to Dominica.
Dominica is beginning to ease COVID-19 travel restrictions, but it is expected to be some time before the island is open to cruise ships once more.
Dominican Republic
Hard Rock Casino Punta Cana is among the best venues for gambling in the Dominican Republic, with alternative options, including Avalon Casino Punta Cana.
In response to the pandemic, the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism closed all of the island’s borders. Virgin Voyages has confirmed it will resume sailing to the Dominican Republic from October, with most hotels and restaurants expected to get the green light to reopen in July.
Guadeloupe
Casino du Gosier and Casino St. Francis are two of the most popular casinos on Guadeloupe.
According to the Guadeloupe Islands Tourist Board, the island is still not accepting visitors and no date has yet been set for when cruise ships may be able to visit Guadeloupe again.
Haiti
Haiti has plenty of good options for visitors who want to gamble, with Four Aces Casino and Plaza Casino – both of which are in the capital city of Port-au-Prince – among them.
However, Haiti has been hit harder by COVID-19 than most locations in the Caribbean with 3,000 cases in just a month – which means cruise ships will not be visiting for some time.
Jamaica
Acropolis Gaming and Entertainment Center in Kingston is popular among casino fans, with the Grand Lido Resort and Spa another good option for people visiting Jamaica who want to bet.
Port Royal in Jamaica only opened earlier this year, with the island keen to start welcoming ships again soon as its economy is highly dependent on this type of tourism. Despite this, no date has been confirmed for reopening by the Port Authority of Jamaica as of yet.
Martinique
Visitors who want to gamble during a trip to Martinique should consider top options for a bet such as Casino des Trois-Ilets and Casino Bateliere Plazza.
The Martinique Tourism Authority canceled planned cruise stops on the island in March as part of a particularly aggressive approach to controlling the pandemic, with no details of when ships may be able to visit again released by the body at this time.
Puerto Rico
El San Juan Resort & Casino is one of the most glamorous places to gamble in the Caribbean. Visitors to Puerto Rico also able to play at the Candelero Resort at Palmas Del Mar and the Wyndham El Conquistador Resort, which is at Fajardo.
Puerto Rico took early steps to control the coronavirus, including by declaring a state of emergency and banning cruise ships from docking. Measures to reopen the island to cruise visitors are yet to be confirmed, but Windstar Cruises has released a schedule for 2021.
St. Kitts
Royal Beach Casino is one of the best places to bet on St. Kitts, with the casino based at the St. Kitts Marriott hotel. The Sky Ultra Lounge is another option worth considering for tourists.
St. Kitts, which only recently opened the $48 million Port Zante cruise terminal, is yet to give a date for cruise ships being welcomed back. The island’s tourism chief Raquel Brown has said this would not happen until Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines can be met. International borders on the island of St. Kitts remain closed at this time due to COVID-19.
St. Lucia
Visitors to St. Lucia can place their bets at Treasure Bay Casino at Castries-Gros Islet Hwy.
St Lucia, which has recorded zero COVID-19 deaths, closed its ports from March 23 to early June, and the island has opened its borders to international travelers arriving by air only. Phase two of St Lucia’s plan to reopen to tourists will not take effect until August – details have not yet been confirmed by the government – so no cruise ships will be visiting the island soon.
St. Maarten
St. Maarten might only be a small island in the Caribbean, but there are plenty of places to bet, including the Casino Royale at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, St. Maarten’s Coliseum Casino, the Maho Beach Resort & Casino and the Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort.
The island will not reopen its airport until July at the earliest, and travel regulations are complicated because St. Maarten is split into two distinct parts. Borders are still closed at this time with cruise ships barred from docking at ports until further notice.
Trinidad
Royal Princess Casino and Club Royal Caribbean are popular gambling spots in Trinidad, but casinos on the island cannot reopen their doors until June 22 due to a COVID-19 lockdown.
Additionally, while no cruise ships are confirmed as visiting the island in the near future, Trinidad will be where hundreds of stranded cruise ship workers will be quarantined shortly.
Tobago
Tobago’s top gambling options for visitors to the island include Jade Monkey Casino Bar and Grill, which is known locally for its spectacular cocktails.
Like in Trinidad, Tobago’s focus is currently set on bringing home nationals who work on cruise ships, rather than reopening the island for visitors.
Turks and Caicos Islands (Providenciales)
Casablanca, in Grace Bay on Providenciales, is the biggest casino that can be found in Turks and Caicos Islands, though many bars and restaurants have some slot machines too.
The Grand Turk Cruise Center is not set to reopen until the end of August at the earliest even though international borders on the Turks and Caicos Islands are to be reopened in July.
U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Croix)
Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort & Casino in St. Croix is the best place to have a bet for visitors heading to the U.S. Virgin Islands, which is under a state of emergency until July.
Tourism has partly resumed on the islands, but cruise ships are not expected to be welcomed back for some time, though if they operate at lower capacity the date could be brought forward.
