Smart Arsenal Fan

Here is a repost from another thread based on 1 point = $2.50 of casino play:

 

____________________

Originally Posted by sassy5683

so if i'm doing my math right you have to spend $12,500 to get 5000 points to get offered a "free" cruise???

____________________

 

Yes, correct!!!!

 

BUT, that $12,500 is $12,500 PLAYED, not necessarily LOST. Let's do some casino math for the shocked and awed crowd. I'll use roulette since that is what I am most familiar, and this will be some loose math based on average statistics.

 

Carnival's roulette wheel (zero and double zero) has a house edge of 5.26%, meaning for every $100 I bet (using the 1 in 37 chance to win) the casino will end up with $5. According to endless gambling research, people play 5 times the amount they start with at a sitting. So, if I start with $100 playing $10 per spin and keep replaying my winnings I should play $500 and end up with $75 left. If I keep playing my $75 I should play $375 and end up with $56. If I keep playing my $56 I should play $280 and end up with $42...and on and on. If I keep playing until my original $100 is all gone, I should have played $1835.

 

Based on that, to reach $12,500 of PLAY, I should have spent $700. So, in this example a 5000 point free cruise is NOT $12,500 of cash out your pocket, but $700 (assuming you get the average number of wins and losses). So it is entirely possible for people to say they only had $100 and ended up $200 ahead and still got a free cruise. It's also possible for someone to play $10,000 and be horribly horribly unfortunate and lose every time and not get a free cruise. It's not the win and loss that the casino counts but the amount of PLAY.

 

Please note this is based on a bunch of established averages and individual results WILL vary.

__________________

 

In a striking coincidence on my last cruise, that is exactly what I did. Started out with $100 (although I play $22 per spin) and finished up by $300 and received a free cruise offer on the last day of the cruise.

Awesome & enlightening.

I never would have taken the time to do the math to consider the above.

That should help take some of the sting out of those confused and/or disappointed.

It's a lottery. Nothing to be annoyed over.

Perhaps at some point you spent in casino, or you booked a suite, or booked several cabins, or balconies, or a bunch of shore excursions, or multiple steakhouses, or bought a high end ring in gift shop, or just had a high S&S spend...

the computer compiles all these "spenders" and spits out randoms from that list.

So not 100% random. It's a no brainer. They want people to fill cabins. It is 50/50 they may get some money back. Or 100% of nothing if cabin sails empty.

Tell me, should take a chance and give out to those who brag they leave with a $30 S&S and book independent tours? Or someone who will (potentially) spend again?

I say smart. And hopefully with some of our past bar tabs... I might make the cut some day. :p

Same with meat, I just consider it one of the perks being top of the food chain... lol

But seriously, its all in moderation. I don't let myself feel guilty if I eat an occasional hamburger or some cheesecake, because the rest of the time I watch what I eat. Same here. If I splurge once/twice a year I'm okay because I try during rest of year.

We booked the Splendor back in July and all the FTTF were sold out. I check multiple times a day and even contacted Carnival who said they'd send out an email heads up when more would be released. Well...yesterday (10 weeks out from cruise) I fluked on it and they had just released 15 more so I snapped ours up. Yay!!! And I didn't get an email heads up from them.

 

Keep checking!!

Good advise.

Because mine said they'll try to email.

No promises.

They cover themselves in the fine print of their terms & conditions:

Any attempts to assign a classical binary truth value to this statement leads to a contradiction, or paradox. This occurs because if the statement "This sentence is false" is true, then it is false; this would mean that it is technically true, but also that it is false, and so on without end.

:D

Back in the ol' days.... when I was on ships (and his Cruise Confidential days), we're talking the 90's..yes, things were a lot less strict. But everything was pre-9/11.

Now, no way.

Much more important question...

Why the anti-Kool Aid man? Did he destroy a wall of yours? :eek:

That's a lot from someone who didn't take the initiative to find the origin of the code Modder shared. As if you were aware it was a known invalid code...

 

Mistake fares are usually honored in this industry anyway. In fact, airlines are required by the DOT to honor all mistakes and typographical errors if the inbound or outbound is from an airport in the United States. Hotels typically tend to honor mistakes as well, even when they aren't mandated to.

Carnival, maybe not so much...

From their Shore Tour Terms & Conditions:

...In the event that the tour or price quoted or advertised through any website, Carnival’s sales person, sales agent, or any other source is booked, but is incorrect due to an electronic error, typographical error, human error or any other error, causing the tour or price to be listed, quoted or advertised for an amount not intended by Carnival, Carnival reserves the right to correct the erroneous price by requesting the Guest to pay the correct price intended, or by cancelling the tour in exchange for a full refund, but in no event shall Carnival be obligated to honor such tour booking resulting from the error, or otherwise be liable in such circumstances....

So that other shoe may still yet drop. :rolleyes:

Uber! :D

If done none before, definitely the Steakhouse. Then, next time Chef's Table.

I can't imagine doing Chef's Table as first experience. That's like first time cruiser doing Behind the Fun.:D

And your point is........:rolleyes:

 

Most are that age..................:eek:

 

Lookout fire storm...........................:D

Huh?? :confused:

..allow Carnival to send you port informaiton, like parking lots, weather alerts, late sailings, ect... to your phone to keep you informed...

I'm saying that it wouldn't be a very effective optional sign up program, if the only ones being allowed to sign up for it would have to meet the requirement of being a minimum of 99 years old. :eek:

Actually you can sign up for it and it could be worth it....

 

What it does is allow Carnival to send you port informaiton, like parking lots, weather alerts, late sailings, ect... to your phone to keep you informed. Does not cost anything.

 

Kind of like the Airlines alert system...

Not true. If it was, only 99 year olds would be informed. :D

Its an advisory. To advise. About the Home Port. :D

I was told its there because many were asking/waiting for their post-cruise excursion offerings to show up, but for many ports it would be a looooooong wait because not all ports offer them.

I think it came from a pissed off passenger... "Well then you shoulda told me, so I wasn't wasting my time!!!!!"

btw, they said they kept raising the minimum age because people kept booking it. :rolleyes: Must be nice to have that much time on their hands...

We leave on Saturday on the Glory, waited until 3 weeks ago to book so needless to say FTTF was sold out. I emailed Carnival Excursions and told them to add me to the list if any became available and they replied they would be happy to. Couple weeks went by and nothing, I had still continued checking Carnival's website multiple times per day and last friday, BOOM there was 4 left and I got one. Then last night I get an email from Carnival saying I am sorry we have not had any openings and FTTF is sold out and will not be available. Uhhh, ok. I replied back that I had got lucky I guess and snagged one last week. Moral of this story...Check multiple times per day and dont expect the Excursion email saying we have held one for you.

 

To each their own but we have found FTTF to be one of the best values during our cruises. Alot more perks than just getting on the boat and getting to your room first.

I'll bet someone booked a ticket for every person, then realized that's not needed.

And good advise to still keep checking, because according that email above, they don't exactly promise you they'll notify you. :(

I agree. It's pure profit for Carnival. The only real thing you can do on the ship early is eat and by the time you are finished eating, your room is ready.

Not true. Personally we always like to explore the ship, to be able to get the lay of the land, so to speak... and to be able to do so early, without missing out on anything, without the crowds, and without having to drag our carry on luggage around is wonderful. Well worth a measly $50. :D

Funny how one person's, "We were 'nickel & dimed'!" complaint....

Is another's is , "We should have a choice what we want to spend our money on! ie, "a la carte"!"

And another's, "I'll be happy to pay a much higher cruise fare and and then have everything "all inclusive"!"

Crazy. No wonder the "beards" can do no right.

This is new. We did the "select" retreat last year and it was outstanding. Maybe 15 people and 15 workers there. You never were in need of anything. Drinks were always available, food was very good and the massage, which was extra, was great. The Rocky Shores appears to be very similar.

 

Last week we wanted to do Rocky Shore but we choose an independent A/I at a resort. It was 1/2 the price, very nice but, was really big and very different than the select excursion.

I looked online and notice the "Adults Only" has now been removed from the Rocky Shores... Looks still limited, but kids will be allowed. :( (I only like my kids. ;) )

LOL! I think they would have looked much better if he had just put the eyes on them. Maybe he ran out of the black dots!

This is why, in lieu of a John Deere key chain, I always give as a thank you gift, one of our #10 deluxe "Bag O' Eyes" from my company, ACME Googly Eye Inc. We're talking over 3 pounds worth of assorted sizes!

:D

I think just about everybody on this thread is missing the point.

 

Last week the Magic missed the port of Cozumel due to a medical emergency. As a result, all passengers were given a $200 OBC, a 50% discount on a future cruise and a refund of their port fees.

 

This week the Breeze misses a port due to a medical emergency and the passengers are given nothing but a refund of the port fees (as required by law).

 

People know that ports can be missed. However, people also expect fair treatment. Carnival set the precedent of giving large awards for missing ports. Now people just want to be threated the same as others.

 

How does Carnival decide which passengers to compensate and which not to compensate for a missed port. Another example of Carnival's uneven application of it's own company policies.

 

And for those who have forgotten, there was no Ebola on the Magic.

Bottom line, can the Breeze passengers want the same treatment? Sure.

Can even choose to demand the same treatment.

But.... are they entitled to it?

100% no.

And depending on your personal make up... that either "makes total sense" to you, or is "not fair" to you. :rolleyes:

Either way, doesn't change the fact that it is reality.

I hear you RS. I kind of wondered the same thing. Like Andy said, why would Royal Caribbean let Carnival stop there, but the quote is from a pdf of the RCC annual report.

Because if its empty on a day where no RCCL ship is to call on it, and they can make $$$, why the hell not? To paraphrase: "Profit is Job 1"

It's Win/Win.

I think there's less rivalry than is assumed.

btw, I've stopped at "Little Stirrup" Cay on Fascination, and while nice, I prefer Half Moon Cay. :) And definitely owned by RCCL.

In n Out.

Then it's all debating about who comes in 2nd place... :D

Unfortunately many people pefer to get their expert advice from TMZ not the CDC.:rolleyes:

Even TMZ has perspective... they've reported "More Americans have been married to Kim Kardashian than have died from Ebola."

:rolleyes:

Ah..

Try another computer or update your browser version.

Sincerely,

Voice of Experience :o

Yep! As soon as people stop posting silly questions about it and others stop responding.....OOPS! :o

 

I cruise in 13 days.

So true.

...Damn!

Any of the shorter cruises over New Years Eve. A Blast!!! And always more groups of single females than males.