Can Someone Please Explain the Premier Cruise Experience?

This will be my first Premier Cruise. Will the casino be ridiculously crowded? Will I be on a schedule for casino raffles and tournaments? If we usually head to the cabin by 9PM, will I miss winning money and prizes in the casino because they do them late at nite? Will the hosts set up specialty restaurants for us, or do we need to ask them for a comp dinner?

I am just trying to figure out what to expect. Thank you for any help with this.

I recommend you search this board for Premier as there have been several threads about them. I've written reviews of the 4 I've taken.

My comps aren't huge (some casino cash + the same "gifts" in the cabin that everyone receives). Did get a comp steakhouse dinner once (casino hostess came up to me and offered it).

Yes, if you're in your cabin by 9, you'll miss the nightly drawings but there are also usually a few during the day, on sea days.

This will be my first Premier Cruise. Will the casino be ridiculously crowded? Will I be on a schedule for casino raffles and tournaments? If we usually head to the cabin by 9PM, will I miss winning money and prizes in the casino because they do them late at nite? Will the hosts set up specialty restaurants for us, or do we need to ask them for a comp dinner?

I am just trying to figure out what to expect. Thank you for any help with this.

The casino will be crowded and smoky. It may be open longer hours, as well as in some ports. There are usually drawings in the casino at 8 and 11Pm, as well as other promos like hot seats that could start at 10:30.

Free dinners are not a given, they are linked to how much and how long you have been playing.

You will have a casino welcome party during sailaway to explain many of the activities, as well as get schedules and other stuff delivered to your cabin upon embarkation and throughout your cruise.

Most smoke ever in a casino is during the premier and ultra premier

The casino will be crowded and smoky. It may be open longer hours, as well as in some ports. There are usually drawings in the casino at 8 and 11Pm, as well as other promos like hot seats that could start at 10:30.

 

Free dinners are not a given, they are linked to how much and how long you have been playing.

 

You will have a casino welcome party during sailaway to explain many of the activities, as well as get schedules and other stuff delivered to your cabin upon embarkation and throughout your cruise.

uh oh... we may miss the welcome party.... we love the sailaway party and don't want to miss it:)

A word of caution during hot seat promotions. "I know HOT SEAT is the name of the game. My machine number was called and unfortunately within seconds I moved to the machine to my right. The casino host came over for me to select a prize, but I was disqualified. I was not on the machine number they called for the winner. I never gave it a thought when I moved. Lesson learned!

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This will be my first Premier Cruise. Will the casino be ridiculously crowded? Will I be on a schedule for casino raffles and tournaments? If we usually head to the cabin by 9PM, will I miss winning money and prizes in the casino because they do them late at nite? Will the hosts set up specialty restaurants for us, or do we need to ask them for a comp dinner?

I am just trying to figure out what to expect. Thank you for any help with this.

This pretty much explains it with the exception that you might receive a couple things in your cabin, such as cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, a bottle of wine, etc. based on your play. You can always ask about any other comps you might qualify for. You will have information waiting for you in your cabin on embarkation day.

https://www.carnival.com/casino-premier-cruises.aspx

The slot tournament is usually on a sea day starting around 12 noon to about 3:30 or so. There is usually a drawing during the welcome aboard cocktail party, and some of the other drawings are very late in the evening around 10 or 11 PM or later.

The casino will be very crowded and it can be difficult to get a machine to play. It will also be extremely smoky in the casino.

Hope you have a great premier cruise!

I love the Premeir cruses. Extra gifts, extra party , extra cash.

yes casino will be very busy, but I am a craps player so never had a problem.

Smokey yes, but even not a smoker, I don't mind it.

You will need to be up till 11 each night so you can take full advantage of the drawings. Just get a nap before supper and you'll be fine.

Last Premier casino cruise, I was fortunate enough to win the drawing for the Free Cruise for two last night in the Casino, won $200 in a drawing, and got a BB offer in my mailbox. Will be going on a Premier Cruise again this January.

You have to really like to play in the casino. You spend your time playing from 8 to 11PM each night in the casino, to win prizes because you like to gamble. You get gifts, food, diners and free cruises.

I found the casino on the Dream out of NOLA less crowded then cruises out of NYC. We like to play, we enjoy ourselves, if I win a free cruise then there is more money to play with on the free cruise.

Some people go to a Broadway play and spend a $1,000 for a few hours of entertainment. Some people lose a $ 1,000 in a casino and get a few hours of entertainment. It's kinda the same

Is my husband included in the raffles and drawings and also the free drinks?

How about the tournaments?

Your husband will get the gifts in your room, the free drink card, and be included in the party & dinners (if offered). He won't get any money or tournament entries. I can't remember if my wife was in the raffles & drawings or not.

He'll be included in the raffles and drawings.

My view may be different than many on this subject.

We live 15 minutes from Atlantic City and gamble very often.I don't like the premier cruises simply for the fact of the casino being SO busy ALL the time, even very early like 7am or very late. It's very hard to get good machines or to have a choice for that matter.

The smoke is REALLY bad

Getting a drink is more difficult than usual because everyone has the drinks on us card. Even with me tipping every drink Cash

For us we like a nice quiet casino and we usually get the points the first night for drinks on us card. If I want cookies or strawberries for $10 I can afford to buy them.

Just my 2 cents :)

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My view may be different than many on this subject.

 

We live 15 minutes from Atlantic City and gamble very often.I don't like the premier cruises simply for the fact of the casino being SO busy ALL the time, even very early like 7am or very late. It's very hard to get good machines or to have a choice for that matter.

 

The smoke is REALLY bad

 

Getting a drink is more difficult than usual because everyone has the drinks on us card. Even with me tipping every drink Cash

 

For us we like a nice quiet casino and we usually get the points the first night for drinks on us card. If I want cookies or strawberries for $10 I can afford to buy them.

 

Just my 2 cents :)

 

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I agree with you. My DH has been invited on several Premier cruises, but we have never gone. He can't drink (medical) and quit smoking 12 years ago, so this type of cruise holds zero appeal to him. We would rather go on a casino offer for a reduced rate. We don't get as much casino cash, but the cruise fare is typically less expensive and the casino isn't as crazy busy or smoky.

My view may be different than many on this subject.

 

We live 15 minutes from Atlantic City and gamble very often.I don't like the premier cruises simply for the fact of the casino being SO busy ALL the time, even very early like 7am or very late. It's very hard to get good machines or to have a choice for that matter.

 

The smoke is REALLY bad

 

Getting a drink is more difficult than usual because everyone has the drinks on us card. Even with me tipping every drink Cash

 

For us we like a nice quiet casino and we usually get the points the first night for drinks on us card. If I want cookies or strawberries for $10 I can afford to buy them.

 

Just my 2 cents :)

 

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This is my 2 cents also. I was on two several years ago. The freebies were nice, but the casinos were ridiculously crowded - like don't change a machine if you like it, because you won't get on another one crowded. Also, just about everyone in the casino has the DOU cards and getting a drink (even when I tipped everytime) was really, really slow. There were times when I would go to the bar and pay for a drink thinking it was well worth paying than waiting forever.

As long as you go in knowing what to expect, it will be a good time.

How can you determine if a cruise is going to be a Premier Cruise? I looked on Carnival's site and it looks like you have to be invited. We like to play in the casino, but not if it going to be as crowded and smokey as some posters have mentioned.

How can you determine if a cruise is going to be a Premier Cruise? I looked on Carnival's site and it looks like you have to be invited. We like to play in the casino, but not if it going to be as crowded and smokey as some posters have mentioned.

There will be some announcements and a few displays showing it is a Premier.

If you typically receive extra comps from the Casino Hosts on a regular cruise, the Premiers attract people who drop big cash early so the bar for extra goes way up. I have seen people with 30,000 points on day two.

How can you determine if a cruise is going to be a Premier Cruise? I looked on Carnival's site and it looks like you have to be invited. We like to play in the casino, but not if it going to be as crowded and smokey as some posters have mentioned.

I don't think there is any way to tell if the cruise is a "Premier" cruise or not, unless you're invited. DH and I have gone on a few cruises where the casino was mad crazy and when we asked a dealer or pit boss they told us that it was a Premier cruise. We did not know this going in, otherwise we wouldn't have booked it.

The premier cruise offers show up in my "Manage My VIFP" on the Carnival site. I usually get a "post card" about 2 weeks after the offers appear on line.

I don't bet a lot on each sailing, but I cruise frequently, so perhaps it adds up that way. There have been several cruises where I wouldn't even qualify for a DOU card by the last night of the cruise, yet I keep getting PC3 invites.

I can't take advantage of the latest offering - we already have a 10 day cruise and two months in Panama this winter.