Casino at Sea

[Russiamomm]

Can someone explain in simple terms how this works?  I am currently booked for the October 10 sailing on Beakaway to Bermuda.  Haven’t paid a dime yet but final payment is due August 11.  I booked directly with NCL but I’m thinking I should have gone through CAS.  Will call them on Monday but looking for some insight.

 

By way of background, I play regularly.  The last trip I had booked was pre-COVID and I had received $250 off the cruise fare.  Of course the trip was cancelled.  I got the fare back but was never able to figure out if that credit is still out there or if it expired.  Has anyone had any luck getting pre-COVID CAS benefits reinstated?  What advantages do you get booking through CAS?  I’ve never done it.  Wondering if it’s worth cancelling the existing reservation and rebooking through CAS.

 

like I said I will call Monday but just looking for advice from fellow gamblers before I make the call.  Thanks,

 

 

[imacruiser99]

The only way to get CAS benefits is actually book thru CAS.  I get cruise benefits from Caesar's as well as CAS and when I booked the most recent cruise (via CAS), they told me I had a free cruise thru them as well, so decided to book the CAS "freebie" instead of the Caesar's cruise.

 

They were very helpful in actually telling me which offer was the best and what benefits I would get for each of the offers.

[Russiamomm]

14 minutes ago, imacruiser99 said:

The only way to get CAS benefits is actually book thru CAS.  I get cruise benefits from Caesar's as well as CAS and when I booked the most recent cruise (via CAS), they told me I had a free cruise thru them as well, so decided to book the CAS "freebie" instead of the Caesar's cruise.

 

They were very helpful in actually telling me which offer was the best and what benefits I would get for each of the offers.

Thanks.  How do you know what offers are out there?  The last time the credit just showed up in my Latitudes account.

[cruiserbear55]

59 minutes ago, Russiamomm said:

Can someone explain in simple terms how this works?  I am currently booked for the October 10 sailing on Beakaway to Bermuda.  Haven’t paid a dime yet but final payment is due August 11.  I booked directly with NCL but I’m thinking I should have gone through CAS.  Will call them on Monday but looking for some insight.

 

By way of background, I play regularly.  The last trip I had booked was pre-COVID and I had received $250 off the cruise fare.  Of course the trip was cancelled.  I got the fare back but was never able to figure out if that credit is still out there or if it expired.  Has anyone had any luck getting pre-COVID CAS benefits reinstated?  What advantages do you get booking through CAS?  I’ve never done it.  Wondering if it’s worth cancelling the existing reservation and rebooking through CAS.

 

like I said I will call Monday but just looking for advice from fellow gamblers before I make the call.  Thanks,

 

 

If you have gambled on NCL ships in the past and have used your casino card, CAS will have a record of your play. Give them a call. Right now they seem more than willing to recognize past play, even though none of us have sailed in a long time. Depending on your play, you'll get free cabins, free casino drink cards, on-board credit, comped specialty dining meals, money off your final bill, etc. Our next 2 booked cruises we have comped mini-suites through CAS. We just pay port fees, admin charges, and the DSC.Happy Sailing!!

[RRSeeker]

Just call them and ask. I called on Friday and they called me back and offered me a free cruise. I don’t think I can use it by January since I already have a cas cruise booked in February. I would love to go but no one wants to go with me.

 

I would go alone but I don’t know if I would enjoy that. I know a lot of people cruise alone but I am not used to that. I wish I was.

[Russiamomm]

Thanks all.  I will let you know what they say.  
 

RRSeeker - hop on the 10/10 to Bermuda.  I think I’ll likely be traveling solo on this one.  You play Blackjack?  That’s about all I play.  😀

[RRSeeker]

37 minutes ago, Russiamomm said:

Thanks all.  I will let you know what they say.  
 

RRSeeker - hop on the 10/10 to Bermuda.  I think I’ll likely be traveling solo on this one.  You play Blackjack?  That’s about all I play.  😀

Slot girl only. I have played tables in Vegas but not really my thing. I like to not have to think a whole lot when I play. When I go to a casino I just want to forget about real life for a little while.
 

I would love to but on a vacation blackout at work October 1st until November 14th. I really wanted to do the Epic on December 5th to San Juan. I have a ton of vacation to use up and so little time to use it. I have two weeks already planned but over two weeks left to figure out.  

[Russiamomm]

38 minutes ago, RRSeeker said:

Slot girl only. I have played tables in Vegas but not really my thing. I like to not have to think a whole lot when I play. When I go to a casino I just want to forget about real life for a little while.
 

I would love to but on a vacation blackout at work October 1st until November 14th. I really wanted to do the Epic on December 5th to San Juan. I have a ton of vacation to use up and so little time to use it. I have two weeks already planned but over two weeks left to figure out.  

I hear you.  I’m kind of the opposite.  I like Blackjack because I can I tell myself there’s at least a little skill involved. LOL. And I love the comradery of a good table with fun people. Sorry you can’t do October, but certainly understand work issues.  I’m a year from retirement and won’t have to worry about that anymore.  😃

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, Russiamomm said:

Thanks all.  I will let you know what they say.  RRSeeker - hop on the 10/10 to Bermuda.  I think I’ll likely be traveling solo on this one.  You play Blackjack?  That’s about all I play.  😀

If you have played in the casino in the past and provided them with your player's card or room key, they will have a record of your play. If you book through the CAS office, they will offer you something based on your theoreticals. The goal is to get a discount greater than the $20/night service charge they charge for booking through them. 

[Russiamomm]

Hi everyone.  Just an update.  I called CAS and really glad I did.  The man was very nice.  Gave me an initial price that was almost $300 less than I paid.  I told him to do it.  He called ten minutes later.  Said he looked over my history, takes to a supervisor and lowered the price again.  More than $750 less than I was booked for.  Super easy.  They just adjusted the old reservation with the new price.  Still have my spa booking, dinner reservations etc.  Very happy!  And I”m not even that big of a gambler!

[BirdTravels]

23 hours ago, Russiamomm said:

Hi everyone.  Just an update.  I called CAS and really glad I did.  The man was very nice.  Gave me an initial price that was almost $300 less than I paid.  I told him to do it.  He called ten minutes later.  Said he looked over my history, takes to a supervisor and lowered the price again.  More than $750 less than I was booked for.  Super easy.  They just adjusted the old reservation with the new price.  Still have my spa booking, dinner reservations etc.  Very happy!  And I”m not even that big of a gambler!

Good for you!!!!

 

On the cruise, no matter how much you play, make sure to give the dealer your room key to swipe. CAS is looking for consistent play (even small play) during the cruise. A little time after dinner nightly will get you a discount or comp on your next cruise. 

[flcraigs5]

Can someone share casino at sea contact info?

[cruiserbear55]

45 minutes ago, flcraigs5 said:

Can someone share casino at sea contact info?

1-877-PLAY-NCL

[complawyer]

just an fyi.  we started sailing with ncl via an offer from cesar's entertainment for a free cruise in 2010. thinking there was nothing to lose, we drove into vegas and got a certificate for an inside cabin, anywhere they sailed. you were allowed to pay the difference and up grade cabins. thus began our relationship with ncl. they offered this 3-4 times per year, and whenever i wanted to book a cruise i would call casinos at sea. (i even had them on my speed dial) fast forward to about 4 years ago, we get an unsolicited call from one of there cruise consultants. so i decided to use her.  i did this for about the next few years, we currently have 4 cruises booked thru dec 2022. i wanted to see if i was really getting the best deal,so i called casinos at sea. i was advised that we had a cruise certificate for a free club suite. my wife spends hours at night in the casino. had we not called, we would have never known about the freebie. something ourconsultant didnt tell us,or possible didnt know. most of the people at casinos at sea are knowedgeable, helpful, patient and extremely well informed.im seriously thinking about dropping my consultant, and going back to booking thru casinos at sea (still have themonspeed dial even after 11 years)

 

moral of the story.. let the casino know you belong to the casinos at sea program, and keep checking your play status.  i usually play blackjack or texas holdem, but never give them my card (what a dummy)

[kollegekreed]

Just do you know, what you get quoted will change depending on who you speak to many times. Ive called and been given one story and called the next day and someone else took hundreds of dollars off the quote.

 

the one big problem with CAS is their “admin fees”. On Royal Caribbean you really just pay taxes and port fees. You can cruise in an inside cabin for $150. On NCL the casino charges booking fees of a couple hundred bucks minimum. 

[BirdTravels]

Admin fee is $20 per night per person. 
 

And while Casino Royale does not charge an admin fee, you’re really restricted to the ships and dates they offer because the cash value of the offers are insulting. CAS will put you on any cruise, but your comp $$$ goes further on a cheap cruise than on an expensive cruise (4 day Caribbean vs 10 day Med). 

Edited July 22, 2021 by BirdTravels

[Sue Do-Over]

The other hidden bonus of booking with CAS... casino drink package.  We're not big drinkers, and are fine with the limited selection of drinks, and only getting served while in the casino, which lets us skip the Ultimate Drink Package and save those massive grats.

Use your 'stinky drinky' card to pick up Gatorades and bottled waters each evening, so that you're set for shore excursions in the morning.

 

Casino players who are not booked through CAS can ask the pit boss/ casino host to review your play history -- they can hand out the drink cards at their discretion. 

[keep on cruisin]

Always wondered about this too.  We are on the same October 10, Breakaway  in Club Balcony. Wife and I play every night at the tables for a couple of hours.  When asking Pitt boss what benefits we have earned it has not meant a thing.   It's it even worth going through CAS.  Not big players but still a couple hundred dollars each night for each of us. I guess it never hurts to make the call.

Edited July 29, 2021 by keep on cruisin

[Russiamomm]

8 hours ago, keep on cruisin said:

Always wondered about this too.  We are on the same October 10, Breakaway  in Club Balcony. Wife and I play every night at the tables for a couple of hours.  When asking Pitt boss what benefits we have earned it has not meant a thing.   It's it even worth going through CAS.  Not big players but still a couple hundred dollars each night for each of us. I guess it never hurts to make the call.

First of all, I’ll see you in October!  I’ll be at a Blacjack table.  😃

 

I would definitely make the call.  I’m not a huge spender but do play almost every night on a cruise.  As I said above, they discounted my fare over $700.  I would make the call soon as final payment date is fast approaching.

[complawyer]

we havent been on a cruise for 2 years, but when we are, my wife spends hours at the slot machines. for the past few years, i have been booking my ncl cruises with a cruise consultant.  i called casinos at sea just to ask a question, and was advised that because of her play, we got a free club suite. we didnt even know about this, and would not have found out if we hadnt called

[keep on cruisin]

So I called and they said my wife dabbles and I play which was interesting since my wife plays longer than I do most nights as she tends to lose slower.  ☹️At any rate they said we did not lose enough to qualify for much.  Although he said we were not that far from there minimum.   He did knock about $120.000 off which is better than nothing. 

[pcakes122]

On 7/22/2021 at 6:20 PM, BirdTravels said:

while Casino Royale does not charge an admin fee, you’re really restricted to the ships and dates they offer because the cash value of the offers are insulting.

On Royal at Signature level or above, you are assigned a host who you can work with to book sailings/ships outside of the standard offers which is great.  The main drawback I find on Royal is that for upgrades they still charge double for singles traveling alone.

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, pcakes122 said:

On Royal at Signature level or above, you are assigned a host who you can work with to book sailings/ships outside of the standard offers which is great.  The main drawback I find on Royal is that for upgrades they still charge double for singles traveling alone.

You must have a great host. My host ever picks up his phone and never returns emails. And some targeted offers can only be booked through your assigned host and not the general casino booking line. 

[UKstages]

i've spoken with the folks at CAS a few times in the past few days. i had one decent experience and one truly outstanding experience. i had called to book my "free" cruise from caesars, but i also asked about a CAS offer i received via email a few days earlier offering me a free "stateroom."

 

i asked, "which is better to use? any difference in the two offers?" the first consultant told me "well, you'll want to use your caesars offer first... because you have to sail on that one by january 31st. the one from us, that one is good through december 31st." so i booked a balcony room on the same 7-day bermuda sailing that a couple of you have mentioned in this thread (october 10). i haven't been to bermuda since i was ten or eleven years old... and that was, um, awhile ago. 

 

one thing i do like about NCL is that - while traveling solo on these "free" cruises - there is no single supplement. the certificate is for the room, not two passengers, although it does include free fare for two people. for solo travel, you pay port fees, taxes, gratuities and service charges for one person only.

 

i also asked her about a paper certificate i had for a free cruise that i picked up at caesars palace in las vegas in january of 2020, just before all hell broke loose. it expired in april of 2020. had it been extended?why, yes, she said, it had! i asked if i could combine it with this reservation for a one category room upgrade, as i have in the past... and she said she had no idea what i was talking about.   even so, it was a very pleasant interaction with a nice rep and i was glad i called and got booked for the october itinerary.  for many years, i never used the caesars cruise benefit. (my first free cruise on NCL was in 2019 on the bliss.) and i look back on that now, thinking that was really stupid.

 

later that day, still interested in clarifying whether my other certificate had any value, i called back. there's an old call center axiom that says if you don't like an answer you're given... HUACA... Hang Up And Call Again. so i did. this second cruise consultant also said i couldn't use my other certificate for a one category room upgrade, but she did volunteer that the in-house offer i had received was about to expire. she told me that CAS sent me an offer in april (i never received it) and that they sent me another one in july (which i only received a few days earlier). most importantly, she said my offer was for a cruise up to 10 days in length and that it was for a comped haven suite! 

 

say what?

 

yeah, that's right, a comped haven suite... (prima excluded; new year's excluded; also asia, baltic, south america and australia excluded).

 

but the offer had to be booked by july 31st, which was the next day! i told her i had to research the options and call back, which i did. i mean, you want to make the most of an offer like that, right? book a 10-day cruise, if possible, rather than a 5 or a 7. and you'd want it to be on one of the newer ships with the full haven experience. so i had to look at all the available itineraries and check availability.

 

i really wanted one of the transatlantic sailings, but they were all 12 and 14 days or longer, including a 12 day sailing on the prima next september.  when i mentioned this to the rep when i called back, she said, "well, i can have your play evaluated. i may be able to get you on the prima on that cruise or another longer cruise... it may be an inside cabin, or maybe a balcony. it won't be the haven, but," she said, "if you qualify for a comped haven, we can probably put you in a different room on another cruise... or even on the prima... just not in the haven."

 

my point here is this: call and discuss your comp status/offer with a knowledgeable rep. they may see something "in the system" that you don't have access to... or may be willing to go to bat for you for a slightly different itinerary or some other special service or accommodation. that may be $150 off your fare or it may be something better than that. just as with a land-based casino, it's all based on your play. and if you call and you don't get a knowledgeable rep with whom you feel comfortable, don't book... HUACA.

 

in the end, i didn't ask her to see what she could do for the prima transatlantic sailing... as i really wanted to experience the haven.

 

so, i wound up booking a 10-day cruise on an older ship, the gem... the itinerary and the timing worked better for me. and, yes, it's not the full haven experience of the mega ships, but i'm looking forward to it. I'm booked in a courtyard penthouse, which i think is actually the lowest level haven accommodation, but my rep told me it was the "fourteenth highest rated cabin on the ship." when i asked if that was according to guest surveys or to NCL's own ranking system she said she didn't know. 

 

i asked this rep to also look at my reservation on the bermuda sailing ... and she was able to find me a much better midship balcony cabin than the one i had booked a day earlier. she spent about 45 minutes with me and i think she was one of the best agents i had ever spoken to. 

 

this experience does make me wonder, though, how many haven cabins are they comping? 

 

and at what level of play?

 

i mean, i know what my play is like and it's "strong," as casino hosts have told me in the past, but based on what i get in vegas and atlantic city or even kansas city, i wouldn't expect a comp on this level. and one thing is for sure, CAS sucks at marketing and outreach... i didn't even know i had this offer... the one email i received (a few days before the offer expired) simply said i had a free "stateroom" waiting for me.

 

 

 

 

[BirdTravels]

4 minutes ago, UKstages said:

one thing i do like about NCL is that - while traveling solo on these "free" cruises - there is no single supplement. the certificate is for the room, not two passengers, although it does include free fare for two people. for solo travel, you pay port fees, taxes, gratuities and service charges for one person only.

 

this experience does make me wonder, though, how many haven cabins are they comping? and at what level of play?

CAS is "paying" NCL for double occupancy for the room. Yes, you pay port and taxes for one person. 

 

And depending on your CAS tier level, if you upgrade to a better room, the cost of a single upgrade (not two). 

 

"Comping" and "Discounted" rooms come in many forms.

• Land-based certificates, Land-based tier comps (like a Caesars free cruise for being a Diamond/Seven Star member) and land-based tier discounts. In these cases, the land-based casino is paying for the cert/discount. 
• And those rooms booked directly with CAS. In these cases, CAS is paying for the rooms. 

On many cruises, there are 20%-25% of the adult passengers sailing on some sort of casino fare. (And many cruises where it is a lot less).