Cruise ship bingo

Cruise ship bingo tips

• The safety drill usually happens before the ship leaves port, and it isn't a game moment. Tell kids ahead of time to stay quiet and follow the crew, then mark the square together once it's over. It's an easy first win for the card.
• On many ships, the cabin steward leaves a folded towel animal on the bed in the evening. Make checking the bed part of the bedtime routine, and ask kids to guess the animal before they open the door.
• Don't make the captain a must-have square. You might see the captain at a welcome event or on stage, or you might not see them at all, so agree up front that spotting any officer in uniform counts.
• Port days fill squares fast. Bring the card ashore in a zip-top bag: kids can mark the port stop as you step off, the shore excursion during the outing, and often a seagull at the pier.
• Treat the dolphin and whale spout squares as long shots. Sightings depend on the route and plenty of luck, so scan the water from an open deck on sea days, and tell kids that a full line without either one still counts as a win.

Best for

Ages

4 to 14 years, with adults able to play alongside

Group size

2 to 8 players: one family cabin, or cousins across a few cabins

Duration

One card per day, or one card stretched across the whole cruise