SoFlaAtty

On 8/10/2022 at 11:17 AM, ampurp85 said:

By the end of Casino Royale cruise year which is from April 1st to March 31st. So, if you make prime in Nov 22' you would have to take your free annual cruise by March 31st, 2023.......that is the latest sail date, not booked.

Not completely accurate. If new CR patron makes prime during November 2022, they do not receive an annual tier benefit (free cruise) until a few weeks after April 1, 2023, and must sail by March 30, 2024.

3 minutes ago, RosieRoo said:

That is not correct. JS are entitled to the same priority boarding as full suites at all ports. That is one of the few perks of booking a JS. 
 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/what-are-the-benefits-of-the-suites-program

I fully agreed with your understanding, bit port staff at Port Everglades did not agree. We had to get in the queue with many other passengers.

4 hours ago, Nessa1dc said:

Are Junior Suites considered "Suites" for early arrival and lines at checkin?

Not at all ports, or even on all sailings. Simple answer, it depends upon port staff at check-in.

4 hours ago, mickeychicky said:

Does anyone know if you add a THIRD person (I know they wouldn't be free) to the FREE cruise offers they send?   I have several waiting to be used but I know my son would not go without his girlfriend, which makes three of us.

When you call, realize that if your comped cruise offer code does not provide for a cabin category that supports 3 people in your cabin, then to add a third person, you will have to pay an upgrade fee to be placed in a cabin that does support 3 passengers. 

On 7/17/2022 at 11:54 PM, dakacz said:

Is there a way of finding current pont total on line?

Not at this time. Only cruise line casino program that I am aware of which does this is Royal Caribbean’s casino program.

dleahy4444 - You can check with BCC, but they will likely only be able to tell you how many tier points you earned. Someone might get back to you later to advise as to your ADW (average daily worth, similar to ADT). Understand that is calculated by a non-telephone agent.

You can definitely find out how much free play you earned once the casino opens on your next sailing, by asking the cashiers. They can check their computer.

At Amethyst, you earn a minimum of $100 free play, or 5% of your ADW, whichever is greater.

On 12/3/2021 at 11:06 PM, kwokpot said:

It's based on your last cruise's ADT, 5% or your tier minimum, whichever is higher. 

Actually, BCC and URComped explained that it is not based upon ADT (as term is typically used in land-based casinos), but rather on your ADW (avg. daily worth; Semantics?).

$360 time 20 (5% = 0.05), is $7,200. I know I bet far more than that on Slots, Craps and Blackjack.

I will be interested in amount of my free play to be awarded on December 2021 Reflection sailing, based upon amount played during Nov. 25 Millennium sailing.

On 11/24/2021 at 7:16 PM, CTSandy said:

You need to go to the casino cage and they will set you up with your free play and anything else you are entitled to.  

Just got off the Millennium yesterday. Cashier’s cage provided me $360 in free play, read from their computer. Unfortunately, they had no idea how it was calculated.

The “Play Onboard Points” amount provided me during that cruise by the casino host did not equal my tier points, the redeemable (those that were usable for free play on that cruise) points, nor equal to the amount of my tier points divided by the number of nights on that cruise.

So, that reference by the host was not attributable to my ADW (avg. daily worth).

Amhere219, THANK YOU!

I figured that tier points might be the answer, however, the host onboard my July sailing provided me both my tier points (slots and table games played) as well as what was termed, "Play Onboard Points". I suspect that measurement used some formula for converting table games points to overall tier points earned.

As for your other observation regarding an apparent downgrade in the BCC program, I hear you regarding the quality of casino loyalty programs. However, I know from personal experience with another cruise line (since the resumption of sailing) that its casino loyalty program seems to provide slightly less generous benefits/perks to its members.

Fairly new to Celebrity’s Blue Chip Club. Read the explanation of BCC benefits on Celebrity website, and came across terms providing for free play that will be provided based upon your BCC tier level, at the greater of a flat $$$ amount or a percentage of a player’s gaming activity.

Question: How do we determine our gaming activity level on our previous sailing? Is that the same as the number of tier points earned? If not, we would appreciate an explanation.

Thank you in advance for any clarification that you can provide.

16 hours ago, Love2cruise77 said:

Has anyone asked if the annual free cruise can be used for Wonder of the Seas?

Yes. I redeemed an annual tier benefit online for the 3/4 sailing, received an e-mail telling me that my offer was redeemed. Went to look at the Receipt, and saw that they applied my signature trade-in value ($1,000) and did not provide me a comped balcony cabin. They wanted $1,400 plus, taxes and gratuities. To book a balcony cabin at that time online at Royal Caribbean (not Casino Royale) website was only $1,600. So, essentially, they would provide me a balcony cabin after application of my annual tier benefit, for $200 more than for what RCL was selling that same cabin. $200 versus $1,000 trade-in value. HMMMMMMM! Needless to say, I cancelled that booking and got my tier benefit back.

JessyCruises, happened to us as well. Spent 45 minutes on the phone this morning with a really good CR telephone representative from the Philippines.

Hoping her efforts get this resolved.

It seems at least once weekly, some CR tech glitches impact our accounts.

Ask a rep to look up the points you earned on the missing sailing, and they can send an internal email with a screen grab of that sailings points, which should serve to evidence the level offer you earned on that missing cruise.

Be persistent, and good luck.

I know that on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, they offer Blackjack (1D, and 8D 6:5 $10 min; 8D 3:2 $15 or higher min.), Craps ($5 or $10 min, single odds until $25 min., and 3x/4x/5x odds at $50+ min.), Roulette, 3 Card Poker, UTH, and perhaps Baccarat (ship dependent).

As for the cruise lines listed below, do they offer craps, roulette, baccarat? And if so, please identify minimum bets, and for craps, odds.

Carnival?

MSC?

Virgin Voyages?

Norwegian?

Princess?

Holland America?

I realize that most North American based cruise lines (excluding WD) have onboard casinos with blackjack/poker variants, and slot machines.

From my prior sailings, I know RCL also has roulette, craps and baccarat (upon request).

Do Celebrity Norwegian, Holland America and Princess offer craps table games?

If so, on all their ships? If yes, but not all of their ships, which ones do not offer craps games?

Finally, minimum/max betting levels, and odds offered by each?

Thank you for any information you may be able to share!

dmcfad2 - I fully appreciate those who have openly considered 0Carb, and decided not to pursue it. From an objective standpoint, I completely understand your perspective that it "feels so restrictive".

But for me -- the stubborn old son of a gun that I am -- it is actually liberating. I shop in two (2) aisles of the store (meat section and eggs in the dairy section), either put my food in the refrigerator or the freezer, take out a package when I get home from work, put it in the oven for 20-40 minutes, and eat. Rinse, lather, repeat.

What's best, is that there is NO food prep the night or week before, no lengthy strolls through multiple aisles of the grocery store or butcher market, minimal cooking preparation before a meal, and within an hour of getting home, eating a couple of pounds of ribeye, roast, ground beef, lamb or salmon, or 6-12 pasture grown eggs. Done, well except for some water throughout the rest of the night.

PERHAPS, you might consider 0Carb when on cruise ships. "Special" preparations are very easy for the chefs and cooks, when you simply explain that you want them to cook (multiple orders) of prime rib, lamb, duck, ribeye, etc., without any sauces, only salt and pepper (or butter for those of you that mix meat and dairy).

My DW and I have experienced tremendous success on RCL sailings in the MDR and the Windjammer Buffet tending to our dietary practices. We recently sailed on the Celebrity Edge, and enjoyed similar dining accommodations from the Blu dining room.

I have been zero carb (Carnivore) since Oct. 2018, and she has been vegetarian since the late 1980’s.

Whenever we board, after dropping off our luggage in our cabin, I head to the MDR, meet with a maitre’ d (sometimes they call over a sous chef) and explain to him/her which animal-based entrees I eat, cooked WITHOUT anything else,

NO sauces, oils (not even olive or coconut oils), dairy (except real butter if I cook my own eggs at home, but not onboard), veggies, fruit, grains (think breads, pizza and pasta), nuts or seeds. Just meat!!!
 

Good old prime rib, ribeye steak, lamb, duck, salmon and eggs (no pork or shellfish for personal reasons). The fattier the meat, the better, as my body utilizes fat for fuel/energy. Without fat, I would have to ingest carbohydrates for energy. Protein, by itself, does not provide for adequate energy production for humans.

For those of you stumbling upon this post, and who might not fully grasp the fundamentals of human nutritional needs, there are three (3) available main macronutrients from our food options: protein; fats and carbohydrates. The first two are essential to meet human metabolic needs. There are no essential carbohydrates.

As for DW’s dietary practices, she simply chooses options from the menu, or ingredients from different menu items repurposed to her liking.

We typically can also find an abundance of acceptable options for breakfast, and in the Windjammer Buffet.

Anyone else zero/low carb who sail on cruise ships?

Favorite cruise lines catering to your dietary practices? Specific ships? Tips for getting wait staff and chefs to honor your dietary practices?

Just now, OHCruisinDad said:

I agree with the need to hyperlink the offer codes/descriptions to the list of offerings.

 

I was able to select a lower tier cabin for my preferred sailing week and then upgrade for a very nominal cost.  See my post #3314 above.  It all depends on the rep you get and their knowledge and level of expertise with their reservations system.

I concur.

My sole point was that I had a face-to-face conversation with an executive casino host from Club Royale, who displayed an interest and willingness to explore various methods of making the casino program more customer friendly.

I had a lengthy discussion with an CR Executive Casino Host recently.

He agreed that their IT need to provide a hyperlink in the offers webpages to the listing of eligible sailings.

He also agreed that cruise certificates earned, should also afford those receiving them to select from lesser tier level cruise category offerings, on a first come, first select basis (but at the ascribed cabin category for those lower tier certificates - seemed quite reasonable).

Here’s hoping for a modicum of progress.

Just reached Signature status on RCCL's casino program this past weekend, so I have not had to pay cash transaction fees at casino for a long time (since I became Prime in April 2019).

1.   Initially, I was applying for casino credit in advance of each cruise, and was "graciously" afforded a line of credit on each sailing.

2.   Then, I discovered that I could get cash from the room at no additional charge being Prime.

3.   Later, I discovered that I could charge cash against the room, having a BofA Preferred Rewards credit card, and earn 3% on each transaction, as I designated TRAVEL as my preferred bonus category.

4.   Finally, I have charged cash to the room, knowing the AP play of getting 3% on the back end through my credit card.

However, that all being said, I cannot bring myself to allow money to be left on my cruise statement, and find myself going to Guest Services on the cruise ships, paying off whatever has been charged to the room. But, I first have to ensure that I win sufficient funds at blackjack to be able to do that. I guess that's not a bad thing. Just not making 3%, but having piece of mind, probably worth a lot more. Paraphrasing the MasterCard "priceless" campaign commercials:

Being Prime, and having $0 casino transaction fees;

Earning 3% credit card reward fees on every casino room charge;

Not having any charges on your cruise statement, priceless.

There's some things you [don't want to] charge, and for that, [you get peace of mind)!!!

1 hour ago, Luke gs Daddy said:

This was just recently? We leave Sunday. Is there anymore to it?

 

Thanks

LgsD, if you are looking for an explanation as to how it works, or how to do it, just ask the ship's casino host for help.

It is really very simple once you have seem it, and done it once.

OHCruisinDad,

Thank you. Did you sign up for your BofA RCCL Visa (and perhaps MC) credit card in person or online, at a BofA branch office, or onboard a RCCL cruise ship?

Any recollection as to when you saw BoFA and/or RCCL during the course of a year offer the best sign up bonus points?

OHCruisinDad,

Using your BofA Visa Card, do you get charged a balance transfer fee when converting points to OBC? Other purchases or cash-outs?

i have BofA rewards cards for business, and interested in maximizing my points/rewards.

Being Prime with RCCL’s Club Royale program, I can charge money for slot machines or chips for table games, without RCCL’s 5% fee, as a room charge. I believe that will earn credit card points as a travel purchase, but just getting off Symphony OTS, so will not know definitively until my next statement issued.

Appreciate your feedback, as I want to maximize my opportunities with my BofA accounts.

44 minutes ago, cb at sea said:

We simply bring the cash we want to gamble with.  Large bills are not hard to carry...no sense in paying to get gambling money....that's a loss right off the bat!

Yes. However, if you use your linked credit card, and can get cash by charging to your room, with NO fee, and get triple points on your credit card, that’s a 3% win before you make any bet.

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

So, you can earn triple points, but unless you are an upper tier casino player, you pay a 5% service charge to advance against your sea pass. So, if you advance $1000, you pay $50 for your 3000 points.  

BirdTravels, both my wife and I have Prime status, so no charge from Club Royale nor RCCL for cash charges in slot machines to the room. Simply have to remain aware that there were charges which will come due when credit card bill arrives.

Beyond that, getting triple points on those charges help defray some of the costs incurred playing and using the credit card for source of funds for playing in the casino.