Is this Casino Royale offer a real mystery?

[GUEST71919]

While I hesitated to post this, my curiosity was so great that I decided that I just had to know more and I hope those who frequent this forum can help me do that.

 

The background - I gamble some, mostly on cruise ships (my only opportunity usually). We were recently on a 9 day on the Grandeur that ended June 8th and on that cruise I played for maybe an hour or more on several days and lost around $120. Although I cannot guess how much cash went through the Video Poker and slot machines in total; I am pretty good at video poker and even with the terrible odds on cruise ships can crank through the same $20-40 for a good bit of time. While we are second-tier status with both MLife and Caesar’s Total Rewards, that is due entirely to a military retiree status.

 

Maybe 2-3 weeks after we returned from this Grandeur sailing, I received an email from Casino Royale offering me a free cruise. Say what?!?  The email showed a list of about 12-16 cruises in June-July 2019 (5-8 day cruises) for an inside cabin. Some of those listed were the hexed Cuba sailings, but they accounted for only around 20% of those offered. 

 

It was maddening, but there was just no way that we could go - I had just spent 2 weeks away from my practice and DH from his position and so leaving again so quickly was simply impossible. But I was so surprised to receive the free cruise offer (even if for an inside cabin) and could not stop wondering why I had! DH suggested that the offer could be based on RCL’s calculation of a gambling “potential” and I am sure that is possible.  But I would love to know what those cruisers who have gambled in RCL casinos far longer than I think about why I may have received this offer.  Thanks for any thoughts you can offer 🙂

Edited June 30, 2019 by 2Beeze

[sandebeach]

If you put your Seapass card in the machine while you were playing, it tracks your points. The complimentary cruise offers from the casino are randomly sent out. Even though you could not do this cruise, there is always the possibility you will get another offer. 

[GUEST71919]

28 minutes ago, sandebeach said:

If you put your Seapass card in the machine while you were playing, it tracks your points. The complimentary cruise offers from the casino are randomly sent out. Even though you could not do this cruise, there is always the possibility you will get another offer. 

Thanks! I did use my Sea Pass and did use it when I played on the Allure although in 2018. I had seen people commenting about free cruises for high points, but I could not imagine that the money I put through the casino would warrant a free cruise (although it is possible that in playing I recycle more $$$ than I imagined 😂 )

 

So you are saying that the casino randomly sends anyone who plays at the casino that type of emailed offer not matter how little or how much they spend/play? I did not realize they would do that.

Edited June 30, 2019 by 2Beeze

[sandebeach]

From reading posts on other sites, a lot of people who were not regular casino players received offers for sailings this summer on Empress and Majesty. But several players like myself did not get that offer! Called Casino Royale and they just said, well, offers are randomly generated and sent out. So there is a possibility, now that they have sent you an offer, that you might get sent another offer. 

[ed01106]

There is also a possibility that they don’t just look at your gambling.  If you are someone who is very profitable for the ship via bar, art, excursions, speciality dining, etc.  They probably want you back even if you are only a moderate gambler.  As gambling already has a comp system easier to say it is from that then tell a patron you are getting a free cruise because last time you spent $2k in the spa and we are really hoping you do that again.

[GUEST71919]

 

 @sandebeach  Thanks for your reply 😊 But oh my, I would never have imagined that people were calling and complaining about the offer that we got!  I assumed RCL thought I deserved it, i definitely didn’t see it as taking from someone more deserving in some way, I just wasn’t quite clear why! 👀.  I do play in the casino, in fact I played much more on the RCL cruise before the last and at much higher levels, but I do not play at levels that I had assumed were compensated (that is at levels where my losses would likely cover the awarded cruise). I play every time I am on board (and would play more if the hours were not curtailed by port regulations).  Maybe we will run into each other in a RCL casino soon!

 

@ed01106  I think you could be right, it was the hypothesis of DH and it makes sense that the would assume getting certain cruisers onboard is in their best interest. I don’t know if you saw it, but there was a documentary made years ago and they went into great detail about the financial aspects - such as that the cabins are quite minor in terms of profit, especially the lower the category of cabin, and their real profit comes from things like alcohol sales and bingo (and they are constantly adding to those profit centers - art, specialty coffee, larger gift shops, and watch sales).

 

thanks again! And happy sailing!

[sandebeach]

I think it is great that you got an offer. I am hoping my family members get an offer, I am encouraging them to put their Seapass cards in the  machine when they are playing. I agree with the thought that Royal is trying to get people who use the casino, to sail more often. I love it when I get free offers!

Edited June 30, 2019 by sandebeach

[ed01106]

Also if the cruise line fills the ship by offering very cheap last minute fares they will 1, upset the folks paying full price. 2. train customers to wait for deals. 3. possibly attract customers that are very budget and are less likely to spend tons on the profit centers. 4. Have a hard time upselling customers from inside to higher priced cabin

 

OTOH, if the offer a free inside cabin to someone who always books a balcony cabin: 1 first question will likely be “so, is there an option to upgrade the cabin?” 2. folks who paid full price won’t know of your discount or might just think you are a degenerate gambler or (best case) decide they need to gamble more to get a free cruise 3 fill cabins with profitable customers.  So this is better for the cruise line particularly if the have a glut of upper end cabins available.  

 

[GUEST71919]

34 minutes ago, sandebeach said:

I think it is great that you got an offer. I am hoping my family members get an offer, I am encouraging them to put their Seapass cards in the  machine when they are playing. I agree with the thought that Royal is trying to get people who use the casino, to sail more often. I love it when I get free offers!

What made me 2x as crazy is that we also have Delta companion ticket we cannot use before it expires - I wish I could have given both to you or anyone, it seems such a waste ☹️ But life plays that way with us sometimes. But yes Sandebeach’s family - put that card in!

 

Edited June 30, 2019 by 2Beeze

[GUEST71919]

23 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

Also if the cruise line fills the ship by offering very cheap last minute fares they will 1, upset the folks paying full price. 2. train customers to wait for deals. 3. possibly attract customers that are very budget and are less likely to spend tons on the profit centers. 4. Have a hard time upselling customers from inside to higher priced cabin

 

OTOH, if the offer a free inside cabin to someone who always books a balcony cabin: 1 first question will likely be “so, is there an option to upgrade the cabin?” 2. folks who paid full price won’t know of your discount or might just think you are a degenerate gambler or (best case) decide they need to gamble more to get a free cruise 3 fill cabins with profitable customers.  So this is better for the cruise line particularly if the have a glut of upper end cabins available.  

 

Yes, the documentary was really about that issue - selling cabins late for lower (something happening less now, but...). I guess it is like many other things like hotel rooms, rental cars, airlines tickets  etc. where certain people get much lower rates than others. It is upsetting and unfair, but seems to be the way things are in business. It would be dicey business for them to try to predict outcome with that many variables. Won’t stop them for trying.

 

Funny thing you mention the cabin type - I did wonder what the cost would be to upgrade since we typically sail in suites (or even if upgrading was a option).  Now that you bring it up, I wonder how much that fact alone may have figured in?? Hmmm. God only knows what decision models that they are using, although from the point of view of a social scientist they often seem to be pretty far off the mark (e.g., assuming that what people say they will do and what they actually do is closely related).  Degenerate gambler 😂🤣 

Edited June 30, 2019 by 2Beeze

[ed01106]

15 minutes ago, 2Beeze said:

 

 

Funny thing you mention the cabin type - I did wonder what the cost would be to upgrade since we typically sail in suites Ieven if upgrading was a option).  Now that you bring it up, I wonder how much that fact alone may have figured in?? Hmmm. G

 

Best guess full cost of suite minus the full cost of an inside room would be the offer, could be more or less depending on supply and demand. 

 

And doing it that way is likely more effective marketing than offering you $800 off a $4000 suite which is basically what they are doing. Cause they never actually expect a suite passenger drop down to inside room.  

Edited June 30, 2019 by ed01106

[GUEST71919]

43 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

. Cause they never actually expect a suite passenger drop down to inside room.  

 

They should not count their pennies, I might fool them 😉

[ed01106]

17 minutes ago, 2Beeze said:

 

They should not count their pennies, I might fool them 😉

Anything could happen,  But the odds that you would upgrade to a suite from a free inside cabin is much greater than the odds are that I would, therefore you got the offer rather than me.  I most definitely think your cabin selection was a major factor in you getting the offer.   The house doesn’t win all of their bets....but they win most of them.  

 

It can happen that a cruiser pays for a dozen speciality dinners one cruise and none the next.  Or spends $1000 at the spa one cruise but doesn’t go the next time.  But you got the offer cause the predictive models say based on past habits 2Beeze is a very profitable customer. 

[GUEST71919]

On 6/30/2019 at 12:11 PM, sandebeach said:

If you put your Seapass card in the machine while you were playing, it tracks your points. The complimentary cruise offers from the casino are randomly sent out. Even though you could not do this cruise, there is always the possibility you will get another offer. 

 

‘So new info - I got a recent email from the casino that made it clear that I was at a level that qualified for free cruise vouchers. 🤣 I had to laugh! Clearly I put more money through those machines than I had originally thought 😳 At least it explains the offer!

[CSHS1979]

Welcome to the club, I'm guessing you qualify for Prime. Lots of offers, you can find them on the website

[sandebeach]

2 hours ago, 2Beeze said:

 

‘So new info - I got a recent email from the casino that made it clear that I was at a level that qualified for free cruise vouchers. 🤣 I had to laugh! Clearly I put more money through those machines than I had originally thought 😳 At least it explains the offer!

You probably made 2,500 points, which puts you at Prime level. Free drinks in the casino! If you made Prime after March 31, 2019, then you will keep that status this year  through March 31, 2020, and also the following year (until March 31, 2021). There is also a thread in this Forum, called Offers Received from RC, where people post a lot of great information. 

[GUEST71919]

11 minutes ago, sandebeach said:

You probably made 2,500 points, which puts you at Prime level. Free drinks in the casino! If you made Prime after March 31, 2019, then you will keep that status this year  through March 31, 2020, and also the following year (until March 31, 2021). There is also a thread in this Forum, called Offers Received from RC, where people post a lot of great information. 

That rolls around pretty fast I am sure! Would be nice if I could actually use a perk lol We did get $500 off on the last sailing and I was really happy with that, the timing for us and those types of offers hasn’t been good. Hopefully we will run into one another at a casino on the high seas one day soon.

[hwmyones]

On 6/30/2019 at 4:23 PM, ed01106 said:

 

Best guess full cost of suite minus the full cost of an inside room would be the offer, could be more or less depending on supply and demand. 

 

And doing it that way is likely more effective marketing than offering you $800 off a $4000 suite which is basically what they are doing. Cause they never actually expect a suite passenger drop down to inside room.  

 

Not the case at all. I usually get balcony and junior suite comp offers from the casino and typically upgrade to a grand suite or crown loft suite if oasis class ship. This is an upgrade from a comp junior suite certificate to a crown loft suite on a 7 day oasis 12/1/19. The crown loft suite was far more than $1700 more than the junior suite. The upgrade amount you’re paying is typically discounted too if you have prime or signature status.