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Free Cruise from Casino at Sea!!


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So...we got a postcard from NCL Casino at Sea with a free cruise offer....:rolleyes:

 

I checked it out online...blah blah blah....so, finally yesterday I called to get the details...............:o

 

Of course the 'free' cabin was an inside stateroom and we would have to pay for taxes & fees (as expected).....I inquired about upgrading to a balcony....and the total, for 2, with taxes & fees would be approx $780!! And we can use our $250 cruise certificate too! (so, $530 today) (This would be for the EPIC in early Dec)...we would also have to fly to Miami (approx $600 r/t, or less for both of us)....

So...for approx $1100 we can take a 7night cruise on the EPIC...I think that is a pretty sweet deal!! Of course my husbands' first question was 'how much to upgrade to a suite?'....But, I'll be happy with the balcony...(plus hubby gets $50 in free play)....:D

 

We have until the end of July to decide.............(no brainer, right?)

 

The only thing that is making my husband hesitant is the we just got back from a 4 day cruise (nyc to canada) and in Sept we are going on an 8 day cruise to Bermuda....so our 'cruise fund' account is pretty wiped out right now....BUT IT'S SUCH A GREAT DEAL!!:cool:

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So...we got a postcard from NCL Casino at Sea with a free cruise offer....:rolleyes:

 

I checked it out online...blah blah blah....so, finally yesterday I called to get the details...............:o

 

Of course the 'free' cabin was an inside stateroom and we would have to pay for taxes & fees (as expected).....I inquired about upgrading to a balcony....and the total, for 2, with taxes & fees would be approx $780!! And we can use our $250 cruise certificate too! (so, $530 today) (This would be for the EPIC in early Dec)...we would also have to fly to Miami (approx $600 r/t, or less for both of us)....

So...for approx $1100 we can take a 7night cruise on the EPIC...I think that is a pretty sweet deal!! Of course my husbands' first question was 'how much to upgrade to a suite?'....But, I'll be happy with the balcony...(plus hubby gets $50 in free play)....:D

 

We have until the end of July to decide.............(no brainer, right?)

 

The only thing that is making my husband hesitant is the we just got back from a 4 day cruise (nyc to canada) and in Sept we are going on an 8 day cruise to Bermuda....so our 'cruise fund' account is pretty wiped out right now....BUT IT'S SUCH A GREAT DEAL!!:cool:

So promise yourself that you won't drink, you won't do any excursions that could/would cost money and your time will be spent either on the ship (even while in port if necessary) and you'll only head to a reasonably close beach so the expense to get there would be limited. And then stick to it, so that DH can't say you went way over budget drinking etc.:)

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So promise yourself that you won't drink, you won't do any excursions that could/would cost money and your time will be spent either on the ship (even while in port if necessary) and you'll only head to a reasonably close beach so the expense to get there would be limited. And then stick to it, so that DH can't say you went way over budget drinking etc.:)

 

lol...thanks! But I'm sure I can rebuild the 'cruise fund' for some fun before then....it's just right now its pretty wiped out....lol...if I dont buy groceries for the rest of the month I could pay it....eating is so over-rated anyway...lol:D

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Congratulations.

 

We just booked a free one from the Harrah's (Caesar's now I guess) chain and the cost was just about the same. We chose the Spirit out of NOLA which was the same one we took in March. Between the ship not leaving until 1:30 a.m. and rain and clouds the whole trip we decided to try a do-over.

 

We just got back from a three week vacation and each of us had a card in our held mail from the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida. That would have been TWO more free NCL cruises. We were actually in Florida the day that we had to be there to pick up the cruises. It would have only been about a 120 mile detour from where we were heading (Captiva Island). We're a little bummed about missing that opportunity.

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Last April I had received an offer from CAS for a complimentary stateroom on 5 select cruises but didn't have the time to use the offer. Yesterday I decided to book the Epic in October and gave CAS a call to see what they could offer me. Without an offer already out there I was ready to accept the 20% standing discount. To my great surprise after checking my level of play on the only other NCL cruise that I've been on, the CAS rep offered me a balcony at the tax and port fees rate, about $520. The cruise is being offered on the website for a little over $2000 for a balcony so I was happy with the CAS discount seeing how I was planning on spending $1600 ($2000 minus 20%). The morale of the story is to call CAS before booking, regardless if you have an offer in hand. You never know what you're going to get.

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Just out of curiosity, if you don't mind me asking, but how much does one have to spend/lose/win in casinos before you get a free cruise, if there is a certain amount?

 

Thanks.

 

I'm not sure.....hubby didnt tell me how much he lost....but I'm guessing it was between $500-$1000.....probably more in the $700-$800 range....

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lol...thanks! But I'm sure I can rebuild the 'cruise fund' for some fun before then....it's just right now its pretty wiped out....lol...if I dont buy groceries for the rest of the month I could pay it....eating is so over-rated anyway...lol:D

OMG--You're too funny!!

I am so happy for you--and you don't have to "give up" a thing, as I had sadly suggested.

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I would think if he only lost around $700-$1,000, you may just qualify for a 20% discount. I lost a whole lot more than that and received an outside cabin. You never know though, so give them a call !

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I would think if he only lost around $700-$1,000, you may just qualify for a 20% discount. I lost a whole lot more than that and received an outside cabin. You never know though, so give them a call !

 

Our offer was for a free inside cabin....extra to upgrade to a balcony (but not much).....I honestly dont think he lost more then $1000....but he played everyday....win some/lose some....maybe I should ask him....lol :eek: (I probably don't want to know...lol)

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For everyone who gets the CAS offers, are you slot players or table games?

 

On a cruise I go to the casino every day but I am a table games person and I have never received any offers. I just may not be gambling "enough money" but time wise I am there.

 

I play a slot machine here and there but I like my card games ;)

 

 

Also do they give you anything if you already have a cruise booked?

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Just out of curiosity, if you don't mind me asking, but how much does one have to spend/lose/win in casinos before you get a free cruise, if there is a certain amount?

 

Thanks.

 

There's no such thing as a "free" cruise. What the CAS program does is offer comp'd rooms, with the value of the room depending on your previous spending in NCL casinos. You still have to pay taxes, port fees, and any surcharges that might be added.

 

If you're willing to spend more money, you can almost always get the comp'd room upgraded, say from an ocean view to a balcony, or from a balcony to a suite. You'll pay whatever is the current difference in price between your comp'd cabin and the upgraded cabin.

 

I won't try to answer your question about play amounts, because that's a personal subject. It varies with each individual, and the offers are also made subjectively by the CAS agents. It's surely obvious that there's a required minimum level of play you must hit in order to get the most basic offer. I've heard that is anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500 per cruise, but I don't think anyone knows for sure. When CAS sends out offers, they are looking at overall play history...perhaps you played higher on one cruise and lower on another, but they like the average...it's not an exact science.

 

Oh, and finally....the cruise is certainly not "free" if you stop to include how much money you spent in the casino on the last trip, just to get the comp! :) Most of us try not to think about that one.

Edited by VideoTech
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For everyone who gets the CAS offers, are you slot players or table games?

 

On a cruise I go to the casino every day but I am a table games person and I have never received any offers. I just may not be gambling "enough money" but time wise I am there.

 

I play a slot machine here and there but I like my card games ;)

 

 

Also do they give you anything if you already have a cruise booked?

 

Edit: WannaCruise - didn't see your post about calling and getting your tracking. So obviously you do use a CAS card at the tables. That also changes the second part of my answer too, so I'll drop that.EDIT.

 

To answer your other question: My DW and I are both slot players. As an aside, I believe you get better play tracking, $ for $, on the slots, since it's done by computer and every $ you play is recorded. Your tracking at the table depends entirely on the pit boss, who may be busy, distracted, or other wise uninterested, and might undervalue your play. Conversely, I guess they might overvalue it too, but I doubt that. But in the end, what you play is a matter of what you enjoy.

Edited by VideoTech
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Ok, I'm a craps player.

So, did you play for hours every night?

Was you pass line bet more then the minimum?:D

 

I'd say a few hours every night and an hour or so during the sea days. On that particular cruise I couldn't find anything better to do and the port days weren't busy sightseeing so I always had a couple of hours to kill at the tables. I probably lost over 2 grand so by no means do I consider this a "complimentary" offer. I paid for it last year and then some. But at least I'll get something for my losses.

 

I usually bet the minimum pass and then move it up slightly. My biggest plays are betting across and 3x, 4x and 5x's odds on the pass. That whole cruise I could never get a on a good roll, pun intended. Nobody could as we played with the same players the whole trip. Except for the annoying people who decided to play for the first time ever and constantly place bets with their hands on the table while the dice were out and being thrown. God that's so annoying. They should have 2 craps tables, one for beginners and one for the people who consistently play throughout the cruise.

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I got the free cruise offer and didn't even spend enough on my last 7 day cruise to cash points out at the end and I even started off with points left from my previous cruise.

 

My free inside cabin on the Spirit would cost me $254 in taxes, plus $170 to upgrade to ocean view or $230 to upgrade to balcony.

 

Seems like a good deal, but don't think I'm gonna go since the available dates are not convenient. (Would be convenient if the ship left from the West Coast though.....)

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If this is anything like a land based casino, it isn't based on how much you lost but on how much you risked. Your play is tracked (bet size, time, etc) but the outcome isn't a factor.

 

Very true....thanks for pointing that out. Most people just use the term "lost" somewhat generically when talking about their casino play. But the offers will come whether you actually walk away winning or losing, since the casino knows full well they'll get their slice of every dollar you put in play, no matter what the result. For the casino, it's always a "winning" business.

Edited by VideoTech
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