Welcome to the Ultimate Guide to Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Card Rooms and Libraries. I like cruising, and sometimes I want to play a good card game with friends and family. Sometimes, I also want to read a good book. However, I found it difficult to determine whether the Royal Caribbean Cruise ships have a dedicated space for these activities.
I researched each ship and the location of the library or card room by reviewing both the cruisedeckplans.com site as well as the deck plans on the Royal Caribbean website. In this article, I will share some general observations about why it is so difficult to find this information. I’ll also provide a list of the locations of the libraries and card rooms by ship. Lastly, I’ll share some quick tips.
Please also check out my YouTube video!
Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Card Rooms and Libraries – General Observation:
Through my research, I found that almost all Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships have a dedicated library, that also serves as a card room and a game room, and a computer room. Seldom did I find a situation where there are two separate rooms (for example, there is a separate card room and a library on the Oasis of the Seas). In most cases, the selection of books in the library is sparse, as are the board games. Occasionally, you will also find puzzles and cards.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Card Rooms and Libraries – General Location:
The size and location of the library card room vary from ship to ship. Although at or near the Aft of the ship is the most likely place, sometimes the library card room is forward, or mid-ship. The Voyager Class library card rooms tend to be on Deck 7, except for the Adventure and Mariner of the Seas, where it is on Deck 5. The library card room on Freedom-class ships are forward deck 5, except on Liberty, where it is on Deck 10 aft.
Library card rooms on Oasis class ships are on Deck 14, with a few exceptions. The Oasis of the Seas has a card room on Deck 11, and a library that is on Deck 8 in the Central Park area of the ship. I read that the Deck 14 library card room on Allure of the Seas was scheduled to be changed to an Escape Room. However, I didn’t see any reports indicating when this would be done. I could not find any reports of a library or card room on Utopia of the Seas.
The Radiance class ships have library card rooms on various Decks – 9, 4, and 6. The library and card rooms on all of the Quantum-class ships are on Deck 6, in the Aft area, near a space called Two70. As far as I can tell, there is no library or card room on the Icon of the Seas. It is reported that people play games and cards at the Pearl Café.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Card Rooms and Libraries – Tips:
Do your research, but do not rely on what is written online. During my research, I found that the location of the card room given in an internet search did not always match the cruise ship map. I also found that some of the pictures posted online are pictures of the exact same library card room, and not the library card room on that specific ship. Sometimes there will be library card rooms that follow the same motif. However, not all do.
Some of the library card rooms are in convenient locations near lounges, bathrooms, and elevators. However, some are tucked away or inside of venues, making it slightly more difficult to take a quick bathroom break or grab a quick snack.
Bring your favorite books, games, or puzzles; most of these library game rooms are not well stocked. You may also find games missing pieces or instruction manuals.
Library card rooms tend to be small areas that may also be shared by computer stations. Sometimes, these smaller areas are lively with friends and families enjoying games. Other times, the room is so quiet you can walk in and hear a pin drop.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Card Rooms and Libraries – Alternatives:
Sometimes, you can play cards and games in places other than the library card room. When I was on Oasis of the Seas, I found it challenging to find a good spot to play cards with a group. The card room is in a tucked-away location on the 11th floor that is surrounded by cabins, not near other amenities. The configuration there is OK, but it isn’t great for card games involving more than 4 people. I had to find a new spot.
If the buffet area is open all day, it can be a great spot to play cards and games during off-peak hours.
Bars and restaurants (depending on the time and location) on Royal Caribbean cruise ships may also have tables and chairs that can be used to play cards and games. I was recently on Mariner of the Seas and saw people playing cards at Boleros and Playmakers. I also saw folks playing cards while enjoying a drink in the Bamboo Room, and while at the outside tables of the Globe and Atlas Pub.
Playing cards at Boleros would have been harder on Oasis of the Seas because of the location of Boleros on the Royal Promenade. However, the Café Promenade on Oasis of the Seas and on other cruise ships did make a good place to play cards and games. I also saw people playing cards at the Bionic Bar on Oasis of the Seas.
Lounges and clubs are also great places to play cards or games. Most Royal Caribbean cruise ships have one or more large lounges and a nightclub where game shows and other performances are held periodically throughout the day. These venues are often not in use all day, and may remain open with bar service in between events.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Card Rooms and Libraries – Comprehensive List:
Here is a comprehensive list of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Card Rooms and Libraries that I found as of the date of this article. Keep in mind that the information online is ever-changing, and is sometimes inaccurate. I recommend reading passenger comments on sites like Facebook or Reddit, checking Cruisedeckplans.com and the Royal Caribbean website. Happy Sailing!
- Adventure of the Seas – Deck 5, Forward
- Allure of the Seas – Deck 14, Aft (supposed to be converted into an Escape Room)
- Anthem of the Seas – Deck 6, Aft
- Brilliance of the Seas – Deck 4, Aft
- Explorer of the Seas – Deck 7, Midship-Aft
- Freedom of the Seas – Deck 5, Forward
- Harmony of the Seas – Deck 14, Aft
- Icon of the Seas – not on the deck plans, read that people play cards at Pearl Cafe
- Independence of the Seas – Deck 5, Forward
- Jewel of the Seas – Deck 6 Aft (next to Congo Bar)
- Liberty of the Seas – Deck 10, Aft
- Mariner of the Seas – Deck 5, Forward
- Navigator of the Seas – Deck 7, Aft
- Oasis of the Seas – Deck 11, Aft (at the end of corridor)
- Ovation of the Seas – Deck 6, Aft
- Quantum of the Seas – Deck 6, Aft
- Serenade of the Seas – Deck 4, Aft
- Spectrum of the Seas – Deck 6, Aft
- Star of the Seas – not on the deck plans
- Symphony of the Seas – Deck 14, Aft
- Utopia of the Seas – not on the deck plans
- Voyager of the Seas – Deck 7, Aft
- Wonder of the Seas – Deck 14, Aft
