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LounVal
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Welcome to Princess! I’m not sure if there is a “number of points” or average table bet, but my experience has been that if you are spending a few hours a day in the casino and are friendly with the dealers and pit bosses, they will pick up the costs of your drinks while in the casino. They don’t have a special card, they just comp the drink each time. This even worked for my non-playing spouse. Of course keeping the partner happy goes a long way to keeping the player at the table. I have no idea how, or if, slot players have drinks comped.

 

 

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I primarily play slots. Usually by my 2nd trip to the casino, my drinks are comped. They've also sent champagne to my cabin.

 

I have read that slots on the ship casinos are extremely tight. Does anyone know if the cruise lines are mandated to pay out a certain percentage of their take (i.e. 85%) like Las Vegas?

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I have read that slots on the ship casinos are extremely tight. Does anyone know if the cruise lines are mandated to pay out a certain percentage of their take (i.e. 85%) like Las Vegas?

 

I don't know the answer to this but we play regularly in Vegas and while on cruises. I actually find the casinos on Princess to be pretty decent ... very comparable to what I find in Vegas. We've come out ahead at times and have seen others do the same ... at times is the key word.

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I have read that slots on the ship casinos are extremely tight. Does anyone know if the cruise lines are mandated to pay out a certain percentage of their take (i.e. 85%) like Las Vegas?

 

 

No one knows because cruise ship casinos are not held to any state gaming boards regulations. Cruise ship casinos are not regulated like casinos in Nevada and other states that have gaming boards. They operate in international waters under their own policies.

 

The payback percentage—also known as the payout percentage or return to player—is the amount of money deposited into a slot machine that is eventually paid back to the customer. This percentage is not determined in weeks or months, but rather over the life of the machine.

 

For example, let’s say that $100,000 is inserted into a slot machine with a 92% payout percentage. According to the RTP (“return to player”), the slot should pay back $92,000 of the wager in the form of wins, while keeping the other $8,000 in profit. Keep in mind, however, that the true payout of a slot machine may take millions of spin to determine.

 

Regulations or not, lack of competition gives cruise ship casinos little reason to cheat the captive masses. Competition is what raises slot payoffs. On the open water, cruise ships have no competition, just a confined audience. The casino knows you're probably a one-timer on a holiday and that your pockets are full of cash. It isn't looking for repeat business because you're probably never coming back. Obviously they do offer some deals to people who are willing to do extended play at the machines and tables but that just means you have a much greater chance of coming up empty.

 

As a one-time player, you probably can plan on a bruising when cruising when it comes to paybacks on slot machines. The payback percentages, at best, are awful as noted by gamblers who have looked at how cruise ship casinos work.

 

Also, slots operate with RNG. The Random Number Generator (RNG) is the brains of the slot machine. While most players know that there is a computer chip picking the numbers, they do not fully understand how it works and this can lead to some of the many myths and misconceptions about a slot machine. One of the most common myths is that a machine has a cycle that can let a player know when it is due to hit.

 

Just my thoughts and we are on cruise ships usually from 20 to 30 days a cruise, and do gamble some, but we have only seen or heard of a few people really win several thousand dollars. Most of the time our friends who like to gamble say they do not win including us.

 

Sorry for the long reply but I find it an interesting topic on cruise ships and in casinos. :)

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I primarily play slots. Usually by my 2nd trip to the casino, my drinks are comped. They've also sent champagne to my cabin.

'REALLY? On the Emerald cruise we just got off of 31 days around the horn we visited the casino everyday they were open and never, not once got a drink. No one even talked to us! We were playing slots, or video poker, not table games.

 

I don't know what you did, but I was never even asked if I wanted a drink..........good for you. Heaven only knows those machines are so tight it is a miracle to win anything. In our experience anyway. I hope someone is winning, it sure wasn't us.

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they are not regulated the video poker is terrible players have no shot

 

On video poker on the ship, the probability of making a hand is exactly the same as the probability in Vegas. The machine uses one 52 card deck (unless you are playing a game with jokers).

 

The VP machines tell you the exact payouts for each hand, so it is possible to calculate the house edge for each game of VP. There is an app that will make those calculations for you. I did not run the numbers through my cell phone app, but just thinking about it now, at my desk and without the payoff glass in front of me, I would guestimate that the payoffs were in the range of 90%.

 

For the slots, there is no way for a mere mortal to determine the probability of the various pay-off combinations, and therefore no way for us to determine the house edge.

 

The table games, the house edge is exactly the same as in Vegas playing at a table with the same lousy rules -- 6-5 BJ, whatever the rules are about doubling after splits, ...

 

Craps, the field pays only double for 2 and 12, just as some Vegas tables do now. Only double odds, like some Vegas tables. So the house edge is just the same as some of the less favorable Vegas tables.

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Sailing Princess for first time end of March. Does the casino give you a free drink card once you an certain number of points?

Any other tips about the Princess casinos would be welcomed.

 

Sailed on the Royal Princess recently and was in the casino daily. About half way through the 10-day cruise the Casino Host asked "what was I drinking?", and offered A complimentary cocktail - but that was once. I'm not sure if it was based on my points or not.

I have taken advantage of Casino invites before where "cocktails while in the casino" were included throughout the cruise. But that was spelled out as part of the package.

Several "jackpots" were hit on this sailing...one I witnessed, the other two I heard about.

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Sailed on the Royal Princess recently and was in the casino daily. About half way through the 10-day cruise the Casino Host asked "what was I drinking?", and offered A complimentary cocktail - but that was once. I'm not sure if it was based on my points or not.

I have taken advantage of Casino invites before where "cocktails while in the casino" were included throughout the cruise. But that was spelled out as part of the package.

Several "jackpots" were hit on this sailing...one I witnessed, the other two I heard about.

 

That's a good point, the points are easily visible, so maybe there is a cut off where drinks are offered or not offered.

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On video poker on the ship, the probability of making a hand is exactly the same as the probability in Vegas. The machine uses one 52 card deck (unless you are playing a game with jokers).

 

The VP machines tell you the exact payouts for each hand, so it is possible to calculate the house edge for each game of VP. There is an app that will make those calculations for you. I did not run the numbers through my cell phone app, but just thinking about it now, at my desk and without the payoff glass in front of me, I would guestimate that the payoffs were in the range of 90%.

 

For the slots, there is no way for a mere mortal to determine the probability of the various pay-off combinations, and therefore no way for us to determine the house edge.

 

The table games, the house edge is exactly the same as in Vegas playing at a table with the same lousy rules -- 6-5 BJ, whatever the rules are about doubling after splits, ...

 

Craps, the field pays only double for 2 and 12, just as some Vegas tables do now. Only double odds, like some Vegas tables. So the house edge is just the same as some of the less favorable Vegas tables.

 

Cruise ship casinos are in no way comparable to Las Vegas casinos.....many reasons for that.....here is a good article on why cruise ship casinos are brutal to the player....

 

https://www.cruzely.com/bad-bet-how-cruise-ship-casinos-offer-poor-odds-payouts/

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2 cruises ago, i won $1000 two nights in a row. Last cruise i won enough to pay off my bill at the end of the cruise. I consider that a big win! We'll See if that holds up this Friday.

 

This may not be true in your case but in Las Vegas they say there are two types of gamblers..."Losers and Liars" because everyone will talk about breaking even or a win but they will never admit how much they really have lost in casinos....:D;p

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No one knows because cruise ship casinos are not held to any state gaming boards regulations. Cruise ship casinos are not regulated like casinos in Nevada and other states that have gaming boards. They operate in international waters under their own policies.

 

The payback percentage—also known as the payout percentage or return to player—is the amount of money deposited into a slot machine that is eventually paid back to the customer. This percentage is not determined in weeks or months, but rather over the life of the machine.

 

For example, let’s say that $100,000 is inserted into a slot machine with a 92% payout percentage. According to the RTP (“return to player”), the slot should pay back $92,000 of the wager in the form of wins, while keeping the other $8,000 in profit. Keep in mind, however, that the true payout of a slot machine may take millions of spin to determine.

 

 

 

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!

 

 

Payout percentage refers to the percentage of the time a slot machines PAYS-- something. If the wager is $5.00 and the reels land in a combination that pays $1.00, that is a pay.

 

Do you really think that a land-based casino that boasts a 91% payout percentage is really operating on a 9% margin? That's a silly thought.

 

Here are my comments on Princess casinos, based upon 20 cruises (124 days) over the past four years. The relationship between the casino operation and Princess is not as close as you will find on Carnival Cruises or NCL, two other lines that I've gambled on. This translates for the player into a rigid formula for comps, including drinks, specialty restaurant meals, and offers to sail again. Both NCL & Carnival award comp drink priveledges once a certain point level is reached. In both cases, drinks are limited to active players.

 

With Princess casinos, it's first about establishing yourself as a player. A day sitting at the $6 or $10 blackjack table won't do it. For slots, you might get a comp meal in a specialty restaurant at 2,000 to 3,000 points.

 

With every cruise, the points are reset. (NCL employs a more traditional players club that tracks points fleetwide, allowing them to accummulate over their players club year of April 1st to March 31st, and hit player tiers that include more benefits and perks the higher the level you reach.) On Princess, every cruise starts you at zero, as if you've never played before.

 

After several cruises with sufficient and consistent play, you could get an offer for a VIP casino cruise, usually 4 or 5 day cruises which comp your cabin (only pay port charges and tax) provide a welcome reception with open bar, in room goodies, special promo drawings, and..... a comp drink card while actively playing. But they are so strict with those cards, that you CANNOT walk up to the casino bar and get your comp drink. You must be sitting at a table or machine.

 

As for your first cruise, a good host will seek you out once you've hit sufficient points Otherwise, seek out the host and ask about the points. On my first cruise, the first morning, when the staff was in about 9 am I asked for the casino host and questioned how the points worked and what I'd get for them. His answer, without knowing where I was: "Well, when you hit 2,000 points, I'll comp your dinner in a specialty restaurant." I said okay and went back to playing. Within the hour, I went back to him and stated: "I hit the 2,000. What's next?" He was surprised and blurted out: "Get to 5,000 and I'll comp the other." Yes, In my mind it was: "Hmmm 2,000 for one, but now 3,000 for the other..." but I shook my shoulders and went back to playing. Typically, I've found that they don't offer drinks much while playing at slots, when you're new to Princess.

 

As for other comments posted so far. Casinos on ships are "self-regulated," meaning that there is not a regulatory authority that oversees them. However, it is in their best interest to operate honestly and with integrity. Otherwise, noone would play in a casino they felt was rigged or cheated. And casino operator know: they do NOT have to cheat to win in the end.

 

As for the slots on a ship vs. a land-based casino, yes the ship stocks tighter slots. Ships have a captive audience that changes every cruise. The land-based casino relies mostly on those same locals who will go somewhere else if they don't feel they are winning often enough.

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We have put lots of mileage on slots in cruise ship casinos and never been comped a drink. Ever! I won a bottle of champagne once and a hat at a slot tournament thought. The only jackpot we won (Over 3K Eruos) was on a Costa ship. All other wins were on land in Aruba and Curacao. Plan to buy your own drinks while they take your money.....

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DW and I are not big gamblers (at least compared to some of the folks I've seen) We usually play cards and the minimum bet. But there was a night she was sitting at a table with some bigger rollers, and the table was offered a drink. She's not a big drinker so asked if I wanted something then ordered me a beer. I've enjoyed the discussion, but I guess I never thought much about comp beverages. Not sure if this is the way it's always worked, or if Princess has been introducing the concept a little at a time.

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WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!!

 

 

Payout percentage refers to the percentage of the time a slot machines PAYS-- something. If the wager is $5.00 and the reels land in a combination that pays $1.00, that is a pay.

 

Do you really think that a land-based casino that boasts a 91% payout percentage is really operating on a 9% margin? That's a silly thought.

 

Here are my comments on Princess casinos, based upon 20 cruises (124 days) over the past four years. The relationship between the casino operation and Princess is not as close as you will find on Carnival Cruises or NCL, two other lines that I've gambled on. This translates for the player into a rigid formula for comps, including drinks, specialty restaurant meals, and offers to sail again. Both NCL & Carnival award comp drink priveledges once a certain point level is reached. In both cases, drinks are limited to active players.

 

With Princess casinos, it's first about establishing yourself as a player. A day sitting at the $6 or $10 blackjack table won't do it. For slots, you might get a comp meal in a specialty restaurant at 2,000 to 3,000 points.

 

With every cruise, the points are reset. (NCL employs a more traditional players club that tracks points fleetwide, allowing them to accummulate over their players club year of April 1st to March 31st, and hit player tiers that include more benefits and perks the higher the level you reach.) On Princess, every cruise starts you at zero, as if you've never played before.

 

After several cruises with sufficient and consistent play, you could get an offer for a VIP casino cruise, usually 4 or 5 day cruises which comp your cabin (only pay port charges and tax) provide a welcome reception with open bar, in room goodies, special promo drawings, and..... a comp drink card while actively playing. But they are so strict with those cards, that you CANNOT walk up to the casino bar and get your comp drink. You must be sitting at a table or machine.

 

As for your first cruise, a good host will seek you out once you've hit sufficient points Otherwise, seek out the host and ask about the points. On my first cruise, the first morning, when the staff was in about 9 am I asked for the casino host and questioned how the points worked and what I'd get for them. His answer, without knowing where I was: "Well, when you hit 2,000 points, I'll comp your dinner in a specialty restaurant." I said okay and went back to playing. Within the hour, I went back to him and stated: "I hit the 2,000. What's next?" He was surprised and blurted out: "Get to 5,000 and I'll comp the other." Yes, In my mind it was: "Hmmm 2,000 for one, but now 3,000 for the other..." but I shook my shoulders and went back to playing. Typically, I've found that they don't offer drinks much while playing at slots, when you're new to Princess.

 

As for other comments posted so far. Casinos on ships are "self-regulated," meaning that there is not a regulatory authority that oversees them. However, it is in their best interest to operate honestly and with integrity. Otherwise, noone would play in a casino they felt was rigged or cheated. And casino operator know: they do NOT have to cheat to win in the end.

 

As for the slots on a ship vs. a land-based casino, yes the ship stocks tighter slots. Ships have a captive audience that changes every cruise. The land-based casino relies mostly on those same locals who will go somewhere else if they don't feel they are winning often enough.

 

We have had over 420 days on Princess ships and also have a second home in Las Vegas. We get comps from the Ocean Players Club before we ever get on a Princess ship because of our status levels at the casinos in Las Vegas. There are many ways to achieve these levels without really gambling as locals know.

 

I actually gamble very little because we know what happens to most people in casinos. It sounds like maybe you work for the house on a ship because of your enthusiasm for cruise ships casinos? :)

 

I stand by what I know based on research versus an anecdotal account of time in cruise ship casinos. The fact is no passenger really knows what is happening behind the scene in the Princess casinos.

 

Most people know in Las Vegas if you are being comped it is because you are losing and the casinos want you there not because they like or value you but because they can count on taking you for a ride. Wishing you all the luck in the world and hope you hit it big!!! :cool::cool:

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Never received a drink or any other comp playing the slots on any Princess ship, but I do have a secret method to winning a fair amount on a consistent basis. It works anywhere, actually. I play a "modest amount" per day, set by myself at the beginning of the cruise. Let's say it's $20.00 per day. When I lose it, I'm done - no playing tomorrow's money tonight. When I win $100 or $150, which can happen occasionally, even playing small amounts per spin, I cash it out, turn it over to my spouse, and it never, ever goes back into a machine. I know that "hot-streak" thinking is not logical (nor is gambling in general - I'm paying for "entertainment"), so I control my impulses, and it often works out.

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Photos of the craps table and VP DW pay table here:

http://cruisingrobsblog.blogspot.com/2017/12/pictures-of-star-post-drydock-121617.html

 

Generally, the odds are poor.

 

Anecdotally, I've done well playing slots on the first night or two, and poorer later in the cruise. I've heard a rumor that while a casino needs to keep their payout at a certain percentage on slots, ships do also, but they are done on a per voyage cycle meaning that they may pump up the payouts the first few nights to keep you coming for the rest of the cruise. That is speculation however.

 

Table games are what they are with roulette and craps having the least wiggle room for many payouts. Blackjack usually has some tweaks that advanced players will scoff at but the average joe won't care, 21 is still 21.

 

If you are a casual player, you won't care.

 

If you are a serious player, the odds are awful, but they will always "comp" your meal in the dining room and provide you with at least standing room access to a "vegas style" show/comedian in a lounge! :D

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We have had over 420 days on Princess ships and also have a second home in Las Vegas. We get comps from the Ocean Players Club before we ever get on a Princess ship because of our status levels at the casinos in Las Vegas. There are many ways to achieve these levels without really gambling as locals know.

 

I actually gamble very little because we know what happens to most people in casinos. It sounds like maybe you work for the house on a ship because of your enthusiasm for cruise ships casinos? :)

 

I stand by what I know based on research versus an anecdotal account of time in cruise ship casinos. The fact is no passenger really knows what is happening behind the scene in the Princess casinos.

 

Most people know in Las Vegas if you are being comped it is because you are losing and the casinos want you there not because they like or value you but because they can count on taking you for a ride. Wishing you all the luck in the world and hope you hit it big!!! :cool::cool:

 

Yes, I am aware that local casinos partner cruise lines, awarding comp cruises to players. I receive those offers from locals casinos here in South Florida. But this started as a question about comp drinks.

 

And as a few have already pointed out, Princess casinos don't comp often when playing slots and most tables. Let me point out they do buy you a drink if you hit a taxable jackpot.

 

Your comments about who gets comps in Las Vegas reminds me of the one and only time drinks were free-flowing. Two friends sitting at the $25 blackjack table and they appeared intoxicated. Everytime they looked ready to go, the pit boss asked them if they would like another drink. That kept them at the table.

 

No, I don't work for Princess or any cruise line. I've just taken a number of cruises on Princess over the past few years, and I probably play too much. Typically someone at Carnival Corporation in the Ocean Players Club area emails the casino manager and host to inform them that I will be on the ship. I've been lucky to have numerous conversations with individuals who have shared information about the operations, and that is the source of my knowledge about casino operations.

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Yes, I am aware that local casinos partner cruise lines, awarding comp cruises to players. I receive those offers from locals casinos here in South Florida. But this started as a question about comp drinks.

 

And as a few have already pointed out, Princess casinos don't comp often when playing slots and most tables. Let me point out they do buy you a drink if you hit a taxable jackpot.

 

Your comments about who gets comps in Las Vegas reminds me of the one and only time drinks were free-flowing. Two friends sitting at the $25 blackjack table and they appeared intoxicated. Everytime they looked ready to go, the pit boss asked them if they would like another drink. That kept them at the table.

 

No, I don't work for Princess or any cruise line. I've just taken a number of cruises on Princess over the past few years, and I probably play too much. Typically someone at Carnival Corporation in the Ocean Players Club area emails the casino manager and host to inform them that I will be on the ship. I've been lucky to have numerous conversations with individuals who have shared information about the operations, and that is the source of my knowledge about casino operations.

 

Sounds like we are on the same page.....we did the Royal Majestic, which even had a VIP casino, and the 5 card poker table was always crowded the entire 30 day cruise. About three weeks in a number of the players who had always played were standing and watching. Several of them indicated that they were no longer playing because they had reached their $25,000 credit limit. The casino managers had been very friendly to those guys and gals up until that time. I am sure that cruise was a very profitable haul for the Princess casino. :eek:

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We cruise about 4 or 5 times a year a- play only slots and in the casino everyday -we always get comp drinks....maybe because we get to know the casino host and revisit a lot. We get pretty good casino cash offers at the end of the cruise also.

eclue:cool:

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