Casino Discount explained to me by HAL

I noticed on our recent confirmations for two upcoming HAL cruises that a "casino discount" had been applied to the fare. I was speaking on the phone with a HAL pricing specialist about another topic (as to whether I was able to tag on Explore 4 perks with a Snap Fare price obtained earlier. answer: no) and thought I would take the opportunity to find out what this casino discount was. She indicated it was offered by Carnival Corp not HAL , attached to our mariner #s, applied to a wide variety of sailings, and amounted to a discount of 30%. What it amounted to for us was an $1800 further price reduction after the snap fare on one 12 day med cruise and proportionally less on a shorter caribbean cruise. As for our casino use, I would describe it as moderate to low, some black jack, let it ride and some occasional poker tournaments. Whatever the reason, it is amounting to rock bottom cruise pricing for us, so we will take it. Makes me want to 1. keep gambling 2. book more cruises.:):)

I noticed on our recent confirmations for two upcoming HAL cruises that a "casino discount" had been applied to the fare. I was speaking on the phone with a HAL pricing specialist about another topic (as to whether I was able to tag on Explore 4 perks with a Snap Fare price obtained earlier. answer: no) and thought I would take the opportunity to find out what this casino discount was. She indicated it was offered by Carnival Corp not HAL , attached to our mariner #s, applied to a wide variety of sailings, and amounted to a discount of 30%. What it amounted to for us was an $1800 further price reduction after the snap fare on one 12 day med cruise and proportionally less on a shorter caribbean cruise. As for our casino use, I would describe it as moderate to low, some black jack, let it ride and some occasional poker tournaments. Whatever the reason, it is amounting to rock bottom cruise pricing for us, so we will take it. Makes me want to 1. keep gambling 2. book more cruises.:):)

I will happily do my "entertainment" in the casino. My discount is MUCH more than what I have ever spent there.

It's the only time I gamble so I have no guilt once I saw the first casino discount ;)

Our experience is the same...our 'losses' at the casino are low despite playing every single day of a cruise (we budget our 'entertainment funds' out to make sure we can play every day). Just like Jacqui, our discounts have been greater that what we've spent.

Before HAL got all the new slot machines, we used to spend some time in the Casino nearly every night.

Didn't get any Casino offers for future cruises.

Thanks for sharing this information.

Are these casino discounts available to you folks for any cruise, or only certain cruises? And, are TA's able to secure these discounts for you as easily as if you were booking directly with HAL?

As noted in my original post the HAL rep indicated the discount would apply to a wide variety of sailings. the price was so good on the med cruise it prompted me to pick a week of vacation I knew we had in March and I knew when the price on the caribbean sailing came up so low the discount was applicable on that one too. Confirmed in writing when the email confirmation came in.

I should say I do all my bookings myself online on the HAL site.

I would think that your TA would get the same discount. Conceivably they will supply your mariner # at booking and that is the trigger.

Finally, I would add I have not noticed the casino discount being advertised or offered anywhere. It just showed up. Like the Easter Bunny. In July.

Before HAL got all the new slot machines, we used to spend some time in the Casino nearly every night.

Didn't get any Casino offers for future cruises.

I don't get casino offers either KK.. I just log in to the HAL site when I am checking a cruise and see the difference in the price.

With the price of the upcoming cruise I'll take any break I can get ;)

I will happily do my "entertainment" in the casino. My discount is MUCH more than what I have ever spent there.

 

It's the only time I gamble so I have no guilt once I saw the first casino discount ;)

I will happily START entertaining myself in the casino with hopes that I a.) win then and there, and b.) get discounts to do it again. :D

I will happily START entertaining myself in the casino with hopes that I a.) win then and there, and b.) get discounts to do it again. :D

Ditto what you said. And with a trans-atlantic coming up next spring I see myself easily spending time in the casino the first week.

Last summer I found a slot machine on the Koningsdam that I became good friends with. It paid almost every time I played and at the end of the 14 days I was $66 dollars ahead. :D Yoo hoo!

The casino rate was the reason I'm now going on a Mediterranean Cruise instead of Cuba. Two of us are going for less than the fare for one to go to Cuba( it was $6000 per person)

Add in Explore 4 .. and then we received a separate email after booking that we qualified for a free two night stay in Barcelona pre cruise for booking a Suite. I urge those that are in a NS to call the day AFTER you deposit to see if you can get this too.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We've been enjoying casino rates for quite some time. Our recent Med cruise on Koningsdam came in at 30% discount (Canadian). We spend time in the casino every night our our cruises, but we don't use the table games, just slots. Never spent more than $200-$300 per cruise. Saved $1500.00 on our Kdam cruise!

Never spent more than $200-$300 per cruise. Saved $1500.00 on our Kdam cruise!

Lady Arwen - Just curious as to how long most of your cruises are when you spend $200-$300. I don't gamble but I might start to see if I get the discount.

And do you book via a HAL PCC or via a TA?

I spent about $100 cash and I played my winnings ( about another $100) . This was on a 10 day Partial Panama Canal this February.

I saved $1900 X two on the Mediterranean Cruise . Then when I found out I still qualified for Explore 4 I was all in.

I booked direct with my HAL GAL!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I'm leaving on Carnival #27 in a couple of weeks. My past few cruises on them have been "Premier" sailings. No idea why I started receiving them as I used to play slots, but not big amounts and not long hours daily.

I took advantage since they gave Casino Cash (real $$s that you picked up at the cage, so you didn't actually even have to spend it in the casino). You also had a private welcome-aboard party with free drinks, daily drawings, gifts in the cabin, and a Drinks-on-Us card so you drink free while playing.

My cash was never more than $300. Others received considerably more, but, hey! I'll take it! As a mostly-solo cruiser, the discounted fare, cash, and free drinks for part of the cruise was a huge incentive.

I'd wanted to sail HAL again after my first but, honestly, they were out of my price range.

Suddenly, less than a year ago, I received a mailing for special casino rates. I cancelled a Carnival cruise and was able to book Zuiderdam (11 night partial Panama Canal) for this past January for $299/pp for an inside. Even at 200%, it was a bargain!

I did spend quite a lot of time in the casino, mostly at the Roulette wheel, where I'm a very conservative player. At the end of the cruise, I received a "bounce-back" offer of a free interior cabin, but wasn't able to take advantage. :(

My upcoming K'dam sailing in November was at a casino discount. 30% sounds about right. When I return from my Carnival cruise, I'll contact the Club 21/Player's Club to see if I'll receive any perks while on the cruise.

I've been wanting to move on from Carnival for a while now (definitely will once I reach Milestone) and as long a HAL gives me casino discounts, I should be able to afford to continue sailing them.

Going on my first NCL cruise in April. I've read that their casino perks are more generous than those given by the casinos under the CCL umbrella. Hopefully I'l like NCL and will get some offers from them.

I did receive a brochure and flyer from HAL with eligible cruises. It says " Hurry book by August 15th while staterooms are still available" . However there is not an expiration date.

Interesting.. it says it would not be combined with complimentary beverage packages etc.

But mine is !

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

While we've never received a mailing of casino rate cruise fares, it is on file with HAL. An interesting point though, when I put my mariner number into a booking, the casino rate did not come up - it only worked with DH's number and we both spend the same amount (which isn't a lot) in the casino every night. Weird.

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Lady Arwen - Just curious as to how long most of your cruises are when you spend $200-$300. I don't gamble but I might start to see if I get the discount.

 

And do you book via a HAL PCC or via a TA?

Interesting information thus far on the casino rates. We gamble a bit every day, but do not qualify for the casino rate (I contacted the casino company and they said we were not big enough players).

What confuses me is how the casino and/or HAL can offer such deals to people who are light to medium gamblers? I am pretty certain that in land based casinos, the comps you can earn generally run from 1-3% of what you put into the machines, so using 2% you would have to run $50,000 through a machine (or table game) to get $1000 discount. Of course, that is not $50,000 in losses, but rather $50,000 "coin-in" (still alot of gambling though).

I do not doubt what people are saying about how much they gamble daily, as my friend gets these deals and he is not a big player.

Suddenly, less than a year ago, I received a mailing for special casino rates. I cancelled a Carnival cruise and was able to book Zuiderdam (11 night partial Panama Canal) for this past January for $299/pp for an inside. Even at 200%, it was a bargain!

This solo could get interested in taking up gambling as a participation sport for those kinds of rates!

Question, though: were you able to book a specific cabin, or did you have to book guarantee? And while I'm asking questions: how far in advance of sailing do these offers appear?

Interesting information thus far on the casino rates. We gamble a bit every day, but do not qualify for the casino rate (I contacted the casino company and they said we were not big enough players).

 

What confuses me is how the casino and/or HAL can offer such deals to people who are light to medium gamblers? I am pretty certain that in land based casinos, the comps you can earn generally run from 1-3% of what you put into the machines, so using 2% you would have to run $50,000 through a machine (or table game) to get $1000 discount. Of course, that is not $50,000 in losses, but rather $50,000 "coin-in" (still alot of gambling though).

 

I do not doubt what people are saying about how much they gamble daily, as my friend gets these deals and he is not a big player.

I think that it depends more on how much time you spend in the casino as opposed to how much you money you spend. We can make $50.00 last an entire evening......each and every evening. With the casino rate that we get it is a huge incentive to book our cruises with HAL. Looking right now for 2018 and waiting anxiously for 2019 Europe. HAL knows what they are doing!

I agree that the time and amount bet is the determining factor (as it is in land based casinos). If you can find a machine that pays off alot of small pots and thus you play for quite awhile, you will be rated higher than if you lost the same amount of money but in a short period of time.

Same goes for table games. In general, blackjack is the best game to play as the odds are better and thus you can often play for a longer period of time. Long ago I used to be able to sit for hours at a blackjack table on $50, seldom winning or losing more than this.

For those that get the letter in their mailbox from Club21, do contact the oceanplayers club. I didn't after several cruises. Now I wish I had. This time, I did contact them and received casino cash as well :)

So, you just never know.;)

What confuses me is how the casino and/or HAL can offer such deals to people who are light to medium gamblers? I am pretty certain that in land based casinos, the comps you can earn generally run from 1-3% of what you put into the machines, so using 2% you would have to run $50,000 through a machine (or table game) to get $1000 discount. Of course, that is not $50,000 in losses, but rather $50,000 "coin-in" (still alot of gambling though).

 

I do not doubt what people are saying about how much they gamble daily, as my friend gets these deals and he is not a big player.

We are not big players (though our 'budget' for a cruise may be much higher than most.

We plan to 'lose' $200 per day in the casino...each one of us gets $100 per day to spend. (we separate the cash into daily envelopes and keep it in our safe...one envelope per day).

Our first stop in the casino, I may sit down at a blackjack table and put a $100 bill down along with my seapass. I have a system of sorts...I'll play 10 hands. If on a hot shoe, I may play a few more. Let it Ride, I'm a strict 10 hands. Cash out, and off to the cage. Many times I may still have close to the $100 I started with, or maybe a little more. My husband does the same. Then we'll head off to a show, or maybe dinner.

Then back to the casino where again, we'll sit and put the $100 (or $80 that's left) cash back on the table. Play more, cash out at the cage. Go get a cocktail, then back to the casino with the cash.

I think that to the casino, it may look like we've each used close to $300 on that one night...but we're really playing with the same $100 we started with.

At the end of the night, whatever casino money is left for that day goes in a 'winnings' envelope and the next day we pull a fresh $200 envelope out. This goes on every day and almost without exception, we finish the cruise with almost as much as we started with...and a couple times much more if we have good hits at the tables. That money then goes to Guest Services to pay off the onboard bill.

So we may have not actually 'spent' a lot of money in the casino, but to HAL based on the cash that we put on the table every different time we show up in the casino, we play a lot. I'm convinced that's how we got on the list.

Now the pit bosses are also paying attention, and we've seen them follow our play and enter information about our betting pattern in a spreadsheet that is updated on players they see a lot of. On this last trip, my husband bet pretty regularly at black jack and was noticed; he got a letter on the last day with a discount offer...that was the first type of letter we'd ever received while still on board.

I agree that the time and amount bet is the determining factor (as it is in land based casinos). If you can find a machine that pays off alot of small pots and thus you play for quite awhile, you will be rated higher than if you lost the same amount of money but in a short period of time.

 

Same goes for table games. In general, blackjack is the best game to play as the odds are better and thus you can often play for a longer period of time. Long ago I used to be able to sit for hours at a blackjack table on $50, seldom winning or losing more than this.

Now that I think about it, I do play Black Jack regularly , say 5 of the 7 nights, and usually for a Minimum of an hour each time, as I have a system whereby i most often break even or am ahead a bit. As long as I am not losing I continue playing. The swiping of our cards every time we are there makes sense now as I often wondered why they would bother to track a very low roller black jack player.

Take it where you can get it!

We managed to twice get a 'free' week at a five star resort in Thailand. One of them during Chinese New Year vacation time. A dinner and two lunches thrown it to boot.

The cost? Sitting through a 90 minute presentation and saying no thanks to the time share and no thanks to the phoney vacation club. Plus a 60Euro service charge time for the week' stay.

Need to look into this and find out how to get the list so to speak.