Cruise ships are supposed to be a source of relaxation and enjoyment, a place where you can let your mind take a breather and enjoy the beautiful views of the ocean, or maybe participate in some activities such as karaoke and gambling. Unfortunately for us, though, Enjoy Gaming's idea of entertainment on a cruise ship seems to be rather soggy.

Cruise Party is divided into two modes, Competition and Quick Play. In each of these modes, players can play one of four different games, roulette, slot machines, blackjack and poker. It sounds like a decent collection of gambling activities, but each of them suffers from a few notable flaws that severely hurts the player's experience.

One of the biggest problems that affects many of the games is that they lack the need for skill. In poker, for instance, all of the other player's hands are revealed, and seeing as the game tells you what your hand is worth, you don't even need to understand the game to win. All you have to do is sit back and click a few buttons while the game tells you how to win.

Another notable issue is that while the game features local multiplayer, it lacks online options. Seeing as the game is much more fun to play with friends than AI opponents, it would have been nice to be able to hop online and gamble with your buddies. Still, the addition of local multiplayer makes this a decent game to have at a party if you have a couple of friends who like virtual gambling.

Disappointingly, the game's solo experience feels lacking. With only two modes, each of which lacks an incentive to play since the virtual money serves no significance, there is not much all that much to do. If you are looking for a strategy-heavy gambling game, Cruise Party is not a viable option.

Cruise Party had a lot of potential to be a great gambling game, but due to some issues with its gameplay, the end result is not that great. For first-time gamers, Cruise Party might be a decent choice as the lack of strategy can make it easier to grasp, but eventually a point will come where you will want to be challenged. For more experienced gamers, check out one of the WiiWare service's other gambling games.