Casino Program Changes

[Shippy]

888-561-2234

 

They are giving incredible discounts on upcoming cruises to try & help people use their earned credits.

We had no intention of going again until next summer as it was not that long ago since our last cruise.

They just gave us an incredible deal on a suite catagory we never dreamed of ever being able to get. So......off we go next month :O)

[PompeySailor]

888-561-2234

 

They are giving incredible discounts on upcoming cruises to try & help people use their earned credits.

We had no intention of going again until next summer as it was not that long ago since our last cruise.

They just gave us an incredible deal on a suite catagory we never dreamed of ever being able to get. So......off we go next month :O)

 

Glad it worked out for you

Remember this is only for CR VIP members:)

Happy Days!

[Life is Good Cruising]

Current I can't complain about the current Club Royale program now, cash back is good, cruise discounts and drink coupons are good. Don't know how much better it can get for me when this new program rolls out in March.

 

Was told by CR their new program will be very similar to Vegas based casinos and they will have tier levels. IMO, I'm thinking maybe for slot players, one of the new benefits will be loading $ (freeplay) onto your seapass card for slot play only, just like land based casinos. Don't know how they will work the $ for table players.

For those that cruise several times a year, that may help some people move up the ladder into a higher tier. Wonder if any of these new benefits will be a little similar to the MLife benefits since they partnered with them. How will the new program effect MLife members cruising on RCI? We'll all have to wait and see what's in store for us, hoping it's all good :)

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentWithGallery.do?pagename=mgm_partnership&cS=NAVBAR

[PompeySailor]

Current I can't complain about the current Club Royale program now, cash back is good, cruise discounts and drink coupons are good. Don't know how much better it can get for me when this new program rolls out in March.

 

Was told by CR their new program will be very similar to Vegas based casinos and they will have tier levels. IMO, I'm thinking maybe for slot players, one of the new benefits will be loading $ (freeplay) onto your seapass card for slot play only, just like land based casinos. Don't know how they will work the $ for table players.

For those that cruise several times a year, that may help some people move up the ladder into a higher tier. Wonder if any of these new benefits will be a little similar to the MLife benefits since they partnered with them. How will the new program effect MLife members cruising on RCI? We'll all have to wait and see what's in store for us, hoping it's all good :)

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentWithGallery.do?pagename=mgm_partnership&cS=NAVBAR

 

MlIfe Platinum and CR VIP, so I cannot see many major differences for us, as long as being VERY LOYAL CR members we are rewarded accordingly. RC will still get a shot at my bankroll.

For us if they give more, even better.

Just as long as they keep lifetime membership and the perks we get now, all good.

Hopefully they will keep it "In House" and DO NOT outsource to a private Casino:eek:

Happy Days!

Edited October 7, 2014 by PompeySailor

[Life is Good Cruising]

MlIfe Platinum and CR VIP, so I cannot see many major differences for us, as long as being VERY LOYAL CR members we are rewarded accordingly. RC will still get a shot at my bankroll.

For us if they give more, even better.

Just as long as they keep lifetime membership and the perks we get now, all good.

Hopefully they will keep it "In House" and DO NOT outsource to a private Casino:eek:

Happy Days!

 

Club Royale's new program will be similar to Vegas based casino, IMO, I doubt if we will still be able to keep lifetime benefits, especially if someone doesn't cruise often enough, I could be wrong.

In Vegas, the MLife benefits start every October and those benefits are not lifetime benefits either. The land based casinos in NJ, Ct. Pa, etc. also do not provide lifetime benefits, you have to qualify every year to keep your level/tier. We can do all the speculation that we want, we won't know the specifics till January 2015.

 

Wishing us all the best with this new program.

[seaofwonder]

I didn't realize there were levels within the program.

 

 

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[Life is Good Cruising]

Currently there are no tier levels that I know of in Club Royale. Club Royale said their new Player's Club program will be very similar to Vegas casinos and will have different tier levels.

 

I was talking about how the land based and Vegas casinos have different tier levels and may be similar to what Club Royale will roll out March 15 2015. Examples of Player's Club would be MLife, Total Rewards and others. Maybe their new program will be similar to NCL (Casinos at Sea).

 

http://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/casino-cruise/players-club

[seaofwonder]

Currently there are no tier levels that I know of in Club Royale. Club Royale said their new Player's Club program will be very similar to Vegas casinos and will have different tier levels.

 

 

 

I was talking about how the land based and Vegas casinos have different tier levels and may be similar to what Club Royale will roll out March 15 2015. Examples of Player's Club would be MLife, Total Rewards and others. Maybe their new program will be similar to NCL (Casinos at Sea).

 

 

 

http://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/casino-cruise/players-club

 

 

Ahhh, I thought I read some saying they were CR VIPS and I was thinking that was different.

 

Question: if you book through a TAX can you call CR for discounts? Or do you need to book through CR?

 

 

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[Life is Good Cruising]

Ahhh, I thought I read some saying they were CR VIPS and I was thinking that was different.

 

Question: if you book through a TAX can you call CR for discounts? Or do you need to book through CR?

 

 

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If you book through a TA, the TA would have to call Club Royale for the casino rate, for you. I mostly book direct with CR, but have a few booked with a TA.

 

If you currently have a sailing booked through a TA, you can still call CR and advise them the name of your TA, CR will then tell you to have your TA call them for the discount rate.

[PompeySailor]

Ahhh, I thought I read some saying they were CR VIPS and I was thinking that was different.

 

Question: if you book through a TAX can you call CR for discounts? Or do you need to book through CR?

 

 

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You are a CR VIP if you are a CR member:)

[canuckcruiselover]

Also interesting we get comped more when we win. This is the factoring process, they comp you as they want another chance at your money.

This is how the comp system has been explained to us over the years.. Give the casino a chance to win your money.

 

 

 

I agree. When I was asked if I would like to join the "club", I had just won a $4,000 jackpot on video poker. I was literally swarmed, not only by the host, but also several of the casino staff. With the fuss they made, you would think I won $40,000!

[PompeySailor]

Also interesting we get comped more when we win. This is the factoring process, they comp you as they want another chance at your money.

This is how the comp system has been explained to us over the years.. Give the casino a chance to win your money.

 

 

 

I agree. When I was asked if I would like to join the "club", I had just won a $4,000 jackpot on video poker. I was literally swarmed, not only by the host, but also several of the casino staff. With the fuss they made, you would think I won $40,000!

 

Love the poker machines, nice win on your part.. Just hope you didnt give it all back:)

And you are totally correct, they want a chance to get that 4K back..

And way back when, when the gods were on our side and we were winning, that's when we were kindly introduced to the program:D

 

Be lucky!

Happy Days.

[Ambiverol]

You need to book through CR to get casino rates. Sometimes it is really good, sometimes it's not. You are still eligible for the other perks, including rebate, regardless of how you book.

 

"VIP" is what they call any member. So, everyone in the program is technically a CR VIP (member).

 

I spoke with CR today about a cruise I have booked and asked a few questions about the changes. First things first...they answered the phone immediately...no wait! The agent stated they have recently tripled their staffing. He did not provide too many details about the new program except that they are going to a tiered system and the rebate is eliminated. I can't stress enough how pleased I was with them simply answering the phone.

 

To add to a previous post, there is currently no official tier system in place. However, bigger gamblers get better perks. The rebate is based on a percentage, so that works itself out. In addition, players with more action get more free cabins, upgrades, wine/treats in the room, specialty dining, spa comps, etc.

 

Take a blackjack masters cruise for example. Let's say there are 40 cabins (balcony) booked for the cruise. Royal may make 10 upgrades available to club royale close to sail date. Let's say it's 1 CLS, 1 OS, 2 GS's, and 6 JS's. They manually go through and rank the players on board based on previous play. They call and ask the top guy what he'd like and just continue down the list.

 

Club Royale is more like an old school casino where you had to ask the pit boss for paper comps to get a meal. It seems very manual and tedious. The new program will surely be more streamlined.

 

I am trying to be optimistic about the changes. I still feel, with the limited info we have, that this will be a great advance in the program and make many people happy.

 

But...I think some higher rollers may jump ship. Bigger players are used to comped suites, drinks, meals, etc. They'd get that anywhere. Without the rebate, Royal is no different than other lines. I'm not sure what could possibly be added that would make up for the loss of the rebate.

 

And having that rebate in play made you come back within a year. How does one refuse if CR is offering you a free cruise, with a free entry to a tournament that may win you $15,000 or so, free drinks, and $5,000 cash from the cage (that will disappear if you don't go)? That expiring rebate keeps people coming back, even if they're not in the cruising mood (gasp!).

 

It's win-win I suppose. Either it will be great, or I can now explore some other cruise lines/vacation options without being roped into this cruise/rebate cycle.

[seaofwonder]

Thank you all for the information!

 

I agree re the rebate. We usually take it in cash and just dump it back into the machines. We don't gamble on land (no time and nearest casino is 90 minutes away), so we splurge on the ship (we don't drink or do much else on board....for us the ship is just a floating hotel that gets us to the next country).

 

 

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[jd10367]

Thanks for the info everyone. I'm glad someone told me to call and set up my rebate for cash in the casino,otherwise I would have lost it. I also had the call picked up right away. ;). I did ask the person if the new program would be by invite only and they said yes. Thanks again... Being I am brand new to bring a member the changes won't mean much to me. I didn't even know to call the CR for a discount when we booked this cruise. Since it's 2 weeks away I am way past final payment.

[lazydayz]

So I am a CR member and called for upcoming cruise. Getting a nice rebate. I know about free drinks in the casino, but am I entitled to a free specialty dinner? If so, do I have to ask the casino host? Anything else I am missing? I am not a whale but am a dedicated slot player. Thanks for the info.

[Shippy]

So I am a CR member and called for upcoming cruise. Getting a nice rebate. I know about free drinks in the casino, but am I entitled to a free specialty dinner? If so, do I have to ask the casino host? Anything else I am missing? I am not a whale but am a dedicated slot player. Thanks for the info.

 

...that is in addition to your rebate.

I also like it on the Oasis or Allure because you can get in to all shows, except the Comedy Club, without reservations. Just show them your card.

Also, no charge for charging money to your card in the casino. I think it is 5% for anyone else.

[lazydayz]

Thanks. I had forgotten about the fee waiver on cash advances.

[glentally]

That is what they tell you. But I had one cruise where I lost 4K and I know I bet a ton more (was up and down and was in casino for 7 days). Got a $425 rebate.

 

Next cruise was $1300 that was lost in two days with no jackpot (just horrid losing). My rebate? $130.

 

This last cruise we played about 6 days and lost 3K. Our rebate was $325.

 

 

Ouch, they must like you! What do you play to lose that much? I get mad at myself if I lose $100!

[seaofwonder]

We just play slots. Couple bucks a pull. We're just perennial losers....but have fun doing it :)

 

We don't gamble on land and don't drink, go to spas, but pictures, etc. so gambling is our fun onboard :)

 

 

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[American Bear]

I started a thread asking about the Club Royale changes in the casino section of the forum with no replies. Now I find this!

 

I too received the email and don't have any info beyond what is mentioned. One thing I found interesting, they never referred to "Club Royale". Instead they referred to it as their "new casino loyalty program". I wonder if a name change is coming.

 

I've been a club royale member for awhile and have extensive experience with the program. I'm no expert on all things cruising, but this is one subject I know. I'll bullet some points to add to what's been discussed already, in case it helps. It's all moot in a few months anyway!

 

-CR has already changed. It is invite only, but has become more inclusive in the past few years. This is great news for most, but the top tier gets a feeling that it is watered down. The program used to only be top tier, so the treatment was excellent. Now it is difficult to even contact CR.

 

-Revamping is probably a good idea. Instead of some strange, secret, invite-only club shrouded in mystery; lay it all out there. Big gamblers can still get excellent treatment and lower tiers can also be comped accordingly.

 

-There was a lady who used to run the program. She knew investing a few dollars into gamblers, would yield great rewards for the company. They were not receptive. She was great, but eventually quit. Casino staff and players still speak fondly of her. Now, years later, the company seems to be realizing the potential profit from gamblers.

 

-Their call center is the worst. It's in Oregon (not miami). I make sure I have 2 hours blocked off when trying to call them. Sometimes I'm surprised with a short hold time, normally it's forever. Often, I hang up after holding for 1hr+, but I'm always thinking, "What if I was next!?!" Apparently they just hired a bunch of people, so that should help. This is the sort of thing the bigger gamblers grumble about with the higher number of members. Let everyone in, no problem. But have a system in place to handle all of the new business.

 

-It seems people are confusing the ship-based rewards and club royale rewards. The point rewards displayed on the chart at the cashier have nothing to do with club royale.

 

-Rebates are action based, win or lose. 5k is the max.

 

-Those numbers on Royal's website indicating the minimum bets/time are sort of a guide. What I mean is, don't set the stopwatch at 4 hours exactly each night, bet $25 each hand, and walk out at 4 hours and 1 minute. It might not work. On the other hand, if you are betting a decent amount, you may get the invite with much less time than required.

 

-Also, even if they followed that formula exactly, remember that is the minimum and would qualify you for the minimum comps (which are still good, just saying).

 

-I usually only gamble 2 nights on a 7 night cruise, but I hit it pretty hard. I've never had a problem getting comped very well, and nobody has questioned my hours played. As long as the end number of their formula is reached, they don't care how you got there.

 

-Agree with previous post. Time is the most controllable thing the player has if looking for comps. Obviously, don't play for comps....but if that's your concern, don't hop in and out of different tables during the course of a few hours. Your comps will be really low.

 

-It's easier for a slot-only player to correlate "points" to rebate. It gets a little more murky for table players.

 

-Double points promotions will count toward ship-rewards, but do not count as extra "action" toward club royale status

 

-Free cruises come in various forms. They post the tournament cruises at the beginning of each year. They also open up a few throughout the year (presumably low sellers). One can also call and just ask. Finally, I've been contacted directly by hosts (via email) from certain ships I've sailed, and they have offered free cruises on dates of my choosing on their respective ships.

 

-They also pick up prepaid grats. I just pay taxes, and am often upgraded to excellent cabins. However, they will not comp a 3rd (child). He gets charged the casino rate plus taxes and grats.

 

-Free drinks do get attributed to you directly. I've never heard of them being deducted from rebates, but I guess it's possible. You don't necessarily see the receipt, but it does reflect your name. Most of the time it is done in the background. The servers quickly figure out your name. The receipt looks a little different than the one you're used to.

 

-2k per person, per day for withdrawals...can be increased to 5k pp. So a couple can take out 10k per day on the seapass. But...you can go to the cashier with any credit card and max it out. It doesn't count toward the sea pass limit. It rings up as a purchase, not a cash advance.

 

-Money is personal and relative. It's hard to compare when speaking in terms of "I spent a ton of time and money in that casino!". That means something different to all of us. Royal is only concerned with the bottom line. They have all of the data, to the penny, and court people accordingly.

 

 

In summary, I feel their program has been a little too strange for a little too long. Make it more like land-based casinos. Everyone can be rated, and let the chips fall where they may. The hybrid system in place now (ship rewards separate from club royale rewards) is too confusing for many. Lump it into one big rewards program, just do it right. Have an infrastructure in place to handle all of the new volume. At the very least, do not alienate the top-tier gamblers that have been loyal for years.

 

If they are going to model land-based casinos, perhaps they are doing a "bronze, silver, gold" type system. If so, at least have a separate phone number for bookings. It is in Royal's best interest to answer the phone when a player with a $57K bankroll (previous poster) calls. If that person is unable to get through because 100 people are in front of him (with $300 bankrolls), he will eventually get frustrated and go elsewhere. Any other line would be thrilled to score that player.

 

I imagine the changes to this program will make more people happy than upset. I'm just not sure I'll be in the majority, haha.

 

 

 

I would also agree with much of what you said!

In recent years I haven't been happy with the CR club, and most likely won't be afterwards! We'll see!:rolleyes:

I became a VIP CR member on my first cruise many, many years ago! Was invited to join after 30 minutes in the Casino, don't know if that's good, or bad!:eek:

We get the free cruise offers, the free drinks in the casino, but there always seemed to be an undercurrent of trouble in how the upper mgmt. at RCL viewed the CR dept., limiting the number of cabins available on a cruise to less then 15, etc., you could hear the stress in the CR employees voices when you called to book a cabin! RCL never really appreciated this dept., and its value to the Company!

Truthfully our benefits at land based Casinos, and on other cruise lines are superior, and have kept us away from what was once half a dozen RCL cruises a year to maybe 1 or 2 a year, and this includes our C&A D+ benes.!

 

One suggestion I think every CR member would agree with is combining RCL, and Celebrity's casino clubs, allowing for complete interaction, and use!

A second suggestion would be to have separate clubs, one VIP club for current members, and a second one for all other gamblers! And when a new gambler shows the level of betting high enough(a standard posted for all to know) they would be invited to join the VIP level CR club!

The third suggestion would be lifetime membership once someone attains VIP status! Loyalty is only given by us if it is given by CR Dept and RCL! :eek:

And that hasn't been the case in the last few years!:mad:

[homeschoolmama]

American Bear, I agree with your suggestions. One other area that has slipped is the casino host. I too have been vip for years. The casino host used to greet me within minutes of entering the first time. Now, on some ships, I have not seen the host until the 2nd or 3rd day, or I have had to search them out in order to get the benefits rolling. These experiences really disillusion me. Feeling like a vip makes one want to continue to make the "investment", but seeing a host a couple times a week tells me "who cares". If they take rebates away and/or don't grandfather in vips who have been such for years will take me out of the rccl casinos for good.

 

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[Daghis]

I, too, have had poor experiences with casino hosts during recent Royal Caribbean cruises.

 

On my cruise on Independence of the Seas, there was no casino host onboard. They (one of the casino cashiers) did put a Club Royale sticker on my SeaPass when I picked up my cash rebate, but when I tried to get a drink at the casino bar, I was told that I could only get soda or water. I didn't qualify for alcoholic drinks because I wasn't a "VIP".

 

I decided not to go to the casino after that experience. When we were in San Juan and I could use my cell phone domestically, I called the Club Royale office and complained. They were quite surprised about this and said that they were going to contact the casino onboard. On the last night, I did stop by the casino again and as I was cashing out, the casino manager approached me, saying he'd been looking for me since he had been contacted by the main office, and apologized. He offered to comp us dinner at Chops Grille that night, but we'd already had dinner. Overall, it was a very negative experience.

 

Then, a few weeks ago on Allure of the Seas, they didn't have my cash rebate at all. (Yes, I had let Club Royale know about this cruise ahead of time.) I spoke with the casino host who said she'd follow up with the main office to find out about my rebate. It finally showed up on day 3. I did get free drink coupons from her. Other than the times I went up to ask what was going on, I pretty much had no interactions with her. This was a far cry different from my experiences with other casino hosts like J.J. MacDonald who would seek me out in the casino to see how I was doing and perhaps offer me something.

 

I did call Club Royale after returning home. The woman with whom I spoke was shocked at these experiences. She said that she wrote up an e-mail to her manager regarding my experience on Independence of the Seas in March, and she explained that one of the employees in her office wasn't keeping up with the cash rebate requests and that's why it probably got lost.

 

Now with the change in the casino program coming, I'm not sure at all what to expect from Club Royale in the future.

 

My next cruise is sailing on March 14, 2015, right before my next cash rebate would expire, so at least I'm not going to lose it (assuming it gets handled properly).

[seaofwonder]

On our August cruise it took 6 days to get our rebate. Thankfully it was a 12 day cruise! It was very annoying having to check daily when I had called in before leaving and they assured me it would be there.

 

 

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[Shippy]

I would also agree with much of what you said!

In recent years I haven't been happy with the CR club, and most likely won't be afterwards! We'll see!:rolleyes:

I became a VIP CR member on my first cruise many, many years ago! Was invited to join after 30 minutes in the Casino, don't know if that's good, or bad!:eek:

We get the free cruise offers, the free drinks in the casino, but there always seemed to be an undercurrent of trouble in how the upper mgmt. at RCL viewed the CR dept., limiting the number of cabins available on a cruise to less then 15, etc., you could hear the stress in the CR employees voices when you called to book a cabin! RCL never really appreciated this dept., and its value to the Company!

Truthfully our benefits at land based Casinos, and on other cruise lines are superior, and have kept us away from what was once half a dozen RCL cruises a year to maybe 1 or 2 a year, and this includes our C&A D+ benes.!

 

One suggestion I think every CR member would agree with is combining RCL, and Celebrity's casino clubs, allowing for complete interaction, and use!

A second suggestion would be to have separate clubs, one VIP club for current members, and a second one for all other gamblers! And when a new gambler shows the level of betting high enough(a standard posted for all to know) they would be invited to join the VIP level CR club!

The third suggestion would be lifetime membership once someone attains VIP status! Loyalty is only given by us if it is given by CR Dept and RCL! :eek:

And that hasn't been the case in the last few years!:mad:

 

RCL (Club Royale) and Celebrity's Blue Chip Club have been reciprical for years.

We are just average slot players. After we qualified for the Club Royale, we were automatically put in the Blue Chip Club. We did not even realize it until we went on a Celebrity cruise and the slot host informed us.

We have also used our rebates from RCL on Celebrity and vice versa.