Although cruise ships are filled with round-the-clock buffets, comfortable accommodations, shopping, art galleries, casinos, arcades, Internet cafes, dance lessons, clubs and poolside entertainment, there may be some time to fill as you float from destination to destination. Pass the time and the sea miles by playing a dice game. Dice games usually require little experience or skills and since the dice are so small, don’t take up vital suitcase room.
With requirements of only six dice, a note pad and a pen, the Farkle dice game is ideal to stow away in your cruise luggage. An unlimited number of people may play Farkle, with a minimum of two, which involves a risky game of chance as you roll to try to gain specific numbers. You can use any dice for Farkle; there’s no need to purchase specific Farkle dice if you’ve got a collection of old dice from other long-abandoned games. Farkle is a two-tiered game; players must first “roll in,” which revolves around reaching a specific number of points. Some players may successfully roll in while others keep trying. You can only begin accruing points after rolling in. Farkle games are usually played to 10,000 points but games may be shortened if you want to take a dip in the pool or attend the cruise’s evening entertainment.
If you’re traveling with a large family or have made friends with your cruise dinner mates and cabin neighbors, a game of Bunco on the high seas may be an ideal way to pass the time between ports. Bunco is a dice-rolling game usually played with a minimum of 12 people; you must have multiples of four, as the game is a partner game and played four people per table. If you planned ahead and brought the Bunco scoring cards, you’ll only need to look for a bell or noisemaker and a couple of pens. Otherwise, you can create Bunco scoring cards quickly on some ship notepaper from your room. Bunco’s goals are to roll a specific number, one through six, each round of the game. Points are assigned--and taken away--depending on the roll of the dice. Players switch partners and tables each round. The game is usually played with a pre-determined number of rounds, but you can use the ship’s dining schedule as your limit. Bunco is an optimal game to play during the downtime between meals, since the main Lido restaurants will have excellent open tables for your players. Bunco is often played with all players exchanging prizes at the end; consider looking for a small item while in port or in the gift shop, or offering something you brought from home.
If you’re cruising alone or just looking for a way to unwind away from the buffet and pool crowds, a few spins of the Yahtzee game may have you in ship shape. Yahtzee is a handheld dice game that may be played solo or with an unlimited amount of players. The game is slightly similar to poker; you’re trying to achieve certain “runs” of dice, such as a straight, full house and four of a kind. The challenge comes when it’s on your shoulders to decide which dice to keep and which to toss back or pop back into the game. Yahtzee, sold by the Milton Bradley Company, comes as a useful hand-held game with the dice held firmly into a plastic container; helpful when played atop a rocky cruise ship. Yahtzee sets come with their own score cards, but you can make your own with just paper and a pencil. You can also make your own Yahtzee game by piling six dice in a Dixie cup and covering it with your hand when you shake. The goal of the game, to get one of each of the dice categories, is usually what determines the winner.
