The most important thing to understand before you book is that you are committing to about five hours, and roughly the first hour of it has no gambling in it at all. The Big M is not a building you can leave when you feel like it. It is a pair of ships that sail from 4491 Mineola Avenue in Little River, steam out past the three-nautical-mile line that marks the edge of state waters, and only then switch the floor on. We checked the published schedule, boarding prices and age policy against the operator's own site in September 2026.
The shape of a sailing
| Stage | Roughly how long | What is happening |
| Boarding | Before the posted departure | Fee paid, ID checked, ships leave promptly |
| Outbound | 45 minutes to an hour | No gaming. Bar, food service, deck |
| Open floor | Three to four hours | Machines and live tables in operation |
| Inbound | 45 minutes to an hour | Play stops at the line, ride home |
That first hour is the part people misjudge. Bring something to do, take the deck if the weather is with you, and treat the sail-out as part of the evening rather than dead time.
Schedule and price
At the time of writing the published pattern is Ship I on Tuesdays only, Ship II from Wednesday through Sunday, and neither ship sailing on Mondays. Both run the same two slots: a day cruise from 11am to 4pm and an evening cruise from 6pm to 11pm.
Boarding is $20 per person with fee and taxes included, rising to $30 for the Saturday evening cruise. Half of the $20 is a per-passenger port tax paid to Horry County, which was weighing an increase in 2026. Older write-ups describing both ships sailing every day of the year are out of date; the rotation changed and Mondays are dark. Ships leave promptly, so arriving at the posted departure time means watching them go.
What is actually on board
Ship I is the smaller vessel at around 159 gaming machines. Ship II joined the fleet in 2015, carries roughly 249 machines and covers most of the schedule. Both run live dealers, which makes this the only place in South Carolina to sit at a dealt table.
The listed table spread is blackjack, roulette, Three Card Poker and Let It Ride, with craps and Texas Hold'em appearing on some listings. Ship II's own page currently describes only slots, roulette and card table games, so do not plan a trip around craps without ringing ahead first. Machine counts come from early-2025 company statements rather than a count we made ourselves.
The rules that catch people out
The games take cash only. The boarding fee can go on a card, but once you are aboard you are playing with notes. There is an ATM on board and it charges. Draw what you intend to play before you leave Little River, because a surcharge at sea is a poor exchange rate and the machine is the only one for three miles.
You must be 21 to board, with valid government-issued photo ID, and the company says there are no exceptions. That is a higher bar than the sweepstakes sites most South Carolina players use from home, which generally take players from 18.
Dress is casual but not anything. No swimwear, and shirt and shoes at all times. Smoking is on the outside decks only.
Food is modest. The official line is $10 subs and wraps available throughout the cruise. A buffet has run in past seasons and some third-party listings still mention one, so treat it as possible rather than promised.
Whether it is worth doing
We rate the evening cruise the best choice of the two sailings, and it is better than the day cruise for one unglamorous reason: the ships are busier, so the tables actually run. A thin day cruise can leave a single table open and a dealer standing around, which is not what you paid five hours for. The Saturday evening sailing costs $10 more and is the busiest of the week.
Set expectations honestly before you book. This is a working day-boat operation, not a resort floor, and the rating of 4.3 from nearly 3,000 Google reviewers is a respectable score precisely because people judge it on what it is. Sailings change with season and weather, and the ships do not go out in everything, so confirm before you drive. Our Big M venue page carries the rest of the detail, and the South Carolina gambling laws guide explains the framework the boats operate around.
Playing from home instead
If five hours at sea is not the evening you had in mind, sweepstakes casinos run on a no-purchase-necessary promotional model and are what most South Carolina players use. Our best sweepstakes casinos in South Carolina guide ranks them from documented reviewer tests, and the payout times page tracks how long redemptions actually take.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a Big M casino cruise?
About five hours dock to dock, either 11am to 4pm or 6pm to 11pm, with three to four hours of actual play once the ship clears state waters.
How much does it cost to board the Big M?
$20 per person including fee and taxes, rising to $30 for the Saturday evening cruise.
Can you use a card on board the Big M?
Only for the boarding fee. The games take cash, and the onboard ATM charges.
How old do you have to be to sail on the Big M?
21, with valid government-issued photo ID, and the company states there are no exceptions.
Which days do the Big M ships sail?
Ship I on Tuesdays, Ship II Wednesday through Sunday. Neither sails on Mondays.
