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Casino prmotion: free or discounted cruises

BakedAlaska7751

By BakedAlaska7751,
in Holland America Line

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BakedAlaska7751

BakedAlaska7751

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Who here goes on the casino promotion cruises? We did one a year ago December (Canary Islands and Madiera, Mainland Portugal and Spain, and Rotterdam, from Southampton) and enjoyed being given the opportunity. The inside cabin would have been free but we upgraded to a suite. (why not?) We're also signed up for one in May, to Scotland and Norway out of Copenhagen. We just got another mailer for even more, with options to sail all over the caribbean for next to nothing besides the flight.

 

Do you know how much time or money we had to spend in the casino to get these? Is there a minimum or do they send these to everyone who stopped in once or twice on a cruise?

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JPH814

JPH814

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I am a small player (craps mostly). On our last HAL 10 day cruise i probably gambled 6 nights buying in for $200 each time. Won some lost some.

 

When I booked our upcoming trip, I was given a 15% reduction on the cabin price. I did not even request it - when my travel agent called HAL, he was told of the additional discount.

 

It came with no strings attached. Although if I don't spend some time in the casino, I imagine future discounts might disappear.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

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Lady Arwen Holiday Sharing Rare

Lady Arwen

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We booked a HAL cruise online and received a nice Mariner discount. When I called HAL to upgrade our cabin, I was told that we qualify for a casino discount, which was reflected in the price of the upgrade.....about 15% less than my online price. I was told that this discount can only be applied to your booking by calling HAL directly (or your TA) and that it is not calculated into the online price.

 

We had spent quite a bit of time in the casino on our prior cruise, but we did not win or lose a fortune......a few hundred dollars up and down. Apparently HAL has a formula to determine who receives this discount.

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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

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I've only had one offer in the mail for one of those "cheap" casino cruises. Not something we would book, so thanks but no thanks.

 

BUT, for my upcoming cruises, I received the casino discount for both 2017 and 2018. I usually go to the casino on my cruises, but what I "donated to them" is a whole lot less than the discount we got.

 

It doesn't seem to be the same percentage on each cruise and I have no idea why I am getting it now when I didn't before, but I will happily take it ;)

 

And yes, I will be back in the casino with 8 days at sea ;)

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BakedAlaska7751

BakedAlaska7751

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I've only had one offer in the mail for one of those "cheap" casino cruises. Not something we would book, so thanks but no thanks.

 

BUT, for my upcoming cruises, I received the casino discount for both 2017 and 2018. I usually go to the casino on my cruises, but what I "donated to them" is a whole lot less than the discount we got.

 

It doesn't seem to be the same percentage on each cruise and I have no idea why I am getting it now when I didn't before, but I will happily take it ;)

 

And yes, I will be back in the casino with 8 days at sea ;)

 

I'm confused about your post. There aren't any casino-only itineraries. A casino cruise is just a cruise we book at steeply discounted rates because it's a promotion we got for going to the casino. As four-star mariners, we enjoy cruises and love to take them when there's a promotion.

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Cruise Junky

Cruise Junky

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We booked a HAL cruise online and received a nice Mariner discount. When I called HAL to upgrade our cabin, I was told that we qualify for a casino discount, which was reflected in the price of the upgrade.....about 15% less than my online price. I was told that this discount can only be applied to your booking by calling HAL directly (or your TA) and that it is not calculated into the online price.

 

We had spent quite a bit of time in the casino on our prior cruise, but we did not win or lose a fortune......a few hundred dollars up and down. Apparently HAL has a formula to determine who receives this discount.

 

My Casino rate shows up as soon as I log in and click into a category.

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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

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I'm confused about your post. There aren't any casino-only itineraries. A casino cruise is just a cruise we book at steeply discounted rates because it's a promotion we got for going to the casino. As four-star mariners, we enjoy cruises and love to take them when there's a promotion.

There are special deals, better than the casino disount offer that I think the OP was referring to?

 

I have received one offer. I could have literally sailed for next to nothing.

 

It wasn't a casino only cruise, but a casino offer for specific cruises. Sorry, if I wasn't not clear.

 

There are two casino rates to clarify - one is for specially discounted cruises and others are cruises where your discount is applied.

 

The cruises they feature are a really good deal, just not our cup of tea and 7 day cruises no longer are on our bucket list (most times ;) )

 

I am just happy to get the discount on the cruises I am interested in ;)

Edited by kazu
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RocketMan275

RocketMan275

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Do you know how much time or money we had to spend in the casino to get these? Is there a minimum or do they send these to everyone who stopped in once or twice on a cruise?

 

It probably is keyed to your casino and on-board spending patterns and perhaps some other things. I saw a show on Vegas about high spenders in the casino and the discount/perks they received. Very definitely depends on your spending patterns.

 

The Vegas show called the really big spenders "whales". The discount/perks were pretty much a function of what games they played, how much they bet, and how many bets they made rather than winnings or losings. After all, the casino is set up to take a percentage of the money you put on the table. The larger the bets, the more bets you make, the more the casino expects to win in the long run.

 

Rough numbers. Suppose you play roulette with zero and double zero. The house edge is roughly 5.26% on a single spin. The casino knows the total number of your bets and the amount. Easy to figure how much you're worth to the casino and how much of a discount to offer.

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JPH814

JPH814

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You are right in that it is not a matter of wins and losses. Your value to any casino is based on the size of you bet (on average) and the amount of time you spend at the table. This is because casinos know that if you stay at a casino long enough, you will lose.

 

I am a little surprised at the discounts offered to players like me on cruises. They same play at a land based casino might get me a free hotel room ( value $100) or maybe $ 50 or so credit to spend in a restaurant. What I am getting from HAL is five times that amount or more.

 

Not that I am complaining...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Edited by JPH814
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ChinaShrek

ChinaShrek

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My Casino rate shows up as soon as I log in and click into a category.

 

No such rate exists for me when I log-in. I have to call HAL to get the Casino rate and was told by my PCC that Casino rates are only available by calling HAL. It was 30% off the cruise that I booked.

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Florida_gal_50

Florida_gal_50

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My Casino rate shows up as soon as I log in and click into a category.

 

Does it specifically state it's a casino rate? When I log in I see a discount for a lot of cruises but that is a Mariners discount. I wish I'd get a discount for the $10 I spend in the casino per cruise but I'm guessing I wouldn't be seen as a high roller :D.

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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

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No such rate exists for me when I log-in. I have to call HAL to get the Casino rate and was told by my PCC that Casino rates are only available by calling HAL. It was 30% off the cruise that I booked.

 

WOW! Nice :)

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Cruise Junky

Cruise Junky

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Does it specifically state it's a casino rate? When I log in I see a discount for a lot of cruises but that is a Mariners discount. I wish I'd get a discount for the $10 I spend in the casino per cruise but I'm guessing I wouldn't be seen as a high roller :D.

 

No. but when I had my TA book today she phoned to make sure the rate was the casino rate and they confirmed it was. She got the same rate that I did looking online. It was about a 15% discount.

Edited by Cruise Junky
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JPH814

JPH814

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Can I safely assume that the casino rate is not combinable with any perk such as explore 4?

 

 

I have explore 4 and casino discount as well as a discount from my TA (and OBC for stock ownership!). [emoji106]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

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Lady Arwen Holiday Sharing Rare

Lady Arwen

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My Casino rate shows up as soon as I log in and click into a category.

 

When I log in and get my (discounted Mariner) rate I then call HAL and I receive another 15% discount, sometimes more. I was told by HAL that it is not shown online and you must call to get the additional discount. This has held true for every single cruise in the past two years. Try calling them and ask what your casino rate would be.

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Cruise Junky

Cruise Junky

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When I log in and get my (discounted Mariner) rate I then call HAL and I receive another 15% discount, sometimes more. I was told by HAL that it is not shown online and you must call to get the additional discount. This has held true for every single cruise in the past two years. Try calling them and ask what your casino rate would be.

 

I have no mariner discount as I've only sailed with them once and my TA did call to make sure it was the casino rate.

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kangforpres

kangforpres

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Last year my wife got a long list of Casino Club offers via an email from HAL and we took them up a a 7 day RT Alaska from Vancouver on the Volendam for $599pp for a Neptune! I think the Interiors were free Ocean View's $199 and Vista Suite $399. Since the online price for the same cruise at the time of the offer was $2199pp for a Neptune it was quite a deal.

 

The only odd thing was I gamble on cruises and she doesn't. She use too but stopped altogether about 5 or 6 cruises ago. Maybe the offer was a strategy to get her back into the casino?

 

-paul

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travelnap

travelnap

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From time to time I do get casino player mailings and emails from HAL for discounted cruises. They usually start at $99 per person plus port charges and go up accordingly for OV, Balcony, and Suite Cabins. They are usually a very good deal. I have used them in the past and I am not a big gambler. Although I do spend a lot of time in the casino on sea days, I am definitely not a high roller. A lot of the times the cruises they offer on the casino player specials are short term, usually 30 to 45 days out, or on dates that are maybe not the most popular. The last mailing I got had two cruises I liked, but both were over Easter and I couldn't take advantage of them.

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