December 19, 2019

Games to take on a cruise

Our family loves playing games. Games bring us together and allow us to put down our electronics and interact with each other in a fun way. We take games on our cruises and I thought it would be a good idea to share my suggestions on games to take on a cruise.

There are many different areas to play games on a cruise. If the weather is nice we like finding places outside. We have never had trouble finding a table and chairs somewhere that is a little protected from the wind. Depending on the time of the day there are numerous places inside to play as well. Many ships have comfortable sitting areas near the bars or even in the atrium of the ship.

Below are some of my favorite easy to travel with games as well as some suggestions from fellow cruisers. If you know of any I may have missed please leave a comment including your favorites.

These games to take can be purchased at many stores. If you click on the link in the name of the game you will be directed to Amazon where you can purchase it. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This said, I never endorse any product or products that I do not highly recommend. Any payment I receive helps me maintain and keep this site up and running.

Travel Games (in alphabetical order;-):

1. Cover Your A$$ets:

Card game Cover Your Assets, standing on a counter with a model cruise ship on the lower right side of counter — Cover Your A$$ets card game

The first player to reach $1,000,000 wins. This usually happens in three to five rounds. It is played with 2 – 6 players and can take from 15 – 45 minutes to play.

During gameplay, players stack matching pairs of assets to create their own asset stockpiles. Players need to pay attention because others can steal an asset from the top of another player’s stack during their next turn. All they need to do is show a matching asset card or a wild card (which are Silver and Gold) from their hands. The stack can be defended by showing the challenger a matching card from your own hand. But if they have another matching card, they can still steal the asset. This can go on and on!

2. Five Crowns:

Five Crowns card game, on a counter with a small model cruise ship on the lower right side of photo — Five Crowns card game

This game is our all-time favorite card game. It is a five-suited rummy-style card game. When we play it with friends who have never played it before they almost always go out and purchase their own game.

It is played with 1 – 7 people. Yes, there is an option to play it as a solitaire game. If you want to play it with more than 8 then you could play with two decks.

Besides jokers, there is a rotating wild card with each round played. You have to pay attention because it is easy to forget which card is wild. The game begins with three cards and 3s are wild, the next round has four cards and 4s are wild, and so on ‘til the Kings go wild!

After the first player goes out, each remaining player has one last chance to get rid of the cards in their hand. Points are accumulated by cards left in the hand that can not be played.

A junior edition is also available for purchase. This is for ages 5+.

3. LCR aka Left – Center – Right:

Dice gane Left, Center, Right, in package with a small model cruise ship on the lower right of the photo

This is a game we play every Thanksgiving. It is a blast and usually gets loud and a bit rowdy. It has become a great tradition!

If you want a fun game that 2 or more players can play then this is the one for you. It takes no skill but playing it is a blast, especially if you are playing with some cash. When we play, each player starts with $3.00. The last man, woman or child in the game wins all the money. You can also play with chips.

This is a game we play every Thanksgiving. It is a blast and usually gets loud and a bit rowdy. It has become a great tradition!

For years we played with three regular dice. If you roll a 4, a dollar or chip goes to your left, if you roll a 5, the dollar or chip goes into a pot (usually just a bowl or basket of some sort but could easily be a hat when traveling). If you roll a 6, a dollar or chip goes to your right. You do nothing if you roll a 1, 2, or 3. You roll as many dice as you have dollars or chips, but only up to three dice per turn.

New this Thanksgiving we played with an actual LRC game. Let me tell you, everyone liked it better because the dice are clearly marked L, C, R, and in large letters! It comes in a small plastic tube and travels very easily. It even comes with chips.

4. Pass the Pigs:

Pass the Piggs dice game, party edition, in box with a small model cruise ship in front of game

Pass the Pigs is a fun, easy to learn game for 2 or more players. It consists of two small pig dice and a score sheet. Players gather points depending on how the pigs land. The first to score 100 points wins. One game takes about 20 minutes if 4 people are playing.

It is a fun game and everyone looks to see how the pigs land. Who will get a sider, a pig pout, a hoofer. a razorback, a snouter, a jowler, a piggyback or the dreaded makin’ bacon?

Does this game sound familiar? It is exactly like PigMania, a game we had in the early 1980s, which is no longer made. (But just as fun;-).

The Amazon link above is for the party edition. If you are interested in the single edition, click here.

5. Qwirkle:

Tile travel game Qwirkle, on black background, with a small model of a cruise ship peaking in lower right corner of photo — Qwirkle travel game

Qwirkle is a tile-based game for 2 to 4 players. The playing time is usually from 30 – 60 minutes. It consists of 108 wooden blocks with six different shapes in six different colors. There is no board, players simply use an available flat surface to play on.

It is a pattern-building tile game. Using a strategy you match the shapes and colors to build the longest chains and rows you can. Anyone who plays a row of six tiles — called a Qwirkle — receives an extra six points. The first player to use the last of their tiles ends the game and receives a six-point bonus. The player with the most points wins.

The travel size Qwirkle comes in a nice soft-sided zipped case and can easily fit in any luggage or carryon bag for traveling.

6. Yahtzee to Go:

Yathzee travel game, in a red and black plastic cup, showing 5 dice on lower left and a small model of a cruise ship in the lower right — Yahtzee travel game

This popular and fun game has been around since 1954. It all started with a Canadian couple who loved to play games on their yacht. Originally it was called the Yacht Game. A short time later it was renamed Yahtzee and is now played all over the world.

Who will be the Yathzee king or queen? It can be played with 2 or more players. In order to play the game, you need 5 dice, a Yahtzee score pad, and a pencil or pen. I like the travel version because the score pad is small. It comes in a nice covered travel cup but if you want to save space the dice and scorepad can fit in a zip lock bag. You roll the dice to get the best combo according to the rules. You can take up to 3 rolls each turn. The highest score wins after 13 rounds.