Casino Points While Using Cash?

[Jaynay]

It's been a while since we've cruised and I hope someone can bring me up to date... (help!)

 

Can anyone remind me how we avoid the 5% charge on the sea pass card?  We usually bring cash with us to avoid the charge if possible. I think you insert your card in a slot machine, wait for a light (color?), and then insert your sea pass card. Play one or two games and cash out and then head to our favorite, the roulette board or blackjack.

 

And then there is this earning points for free cruises thing... VERY interested!  🤩🤩  Any strategy we (DH and I) should follow?  We don't gamble a lot, probably $100 a night between dinner and shows. 

[Jaynay]

34 minutes ago, Jaynay said:

. I think you insert your card in a slot machine, wait for a light (color?), and then insert your sea pass card.

oops, I mean, insertyour card in a slot machine, wait for a light (which color?), and then insert your cash.

[Sunshine3601]

Some of the newer machines you simply tap your sea pass card and then the little screen next to slot machine buttons will tell you your name, etc.    if your name does not show up tap the card again.   Prevents you from leaving the card in the machine when you walk away. 

At the slot machine you can do a room charge to your sea pass by setting up account with your birthdate.      You can then cash out at the slot machine and this avoids having to pay a 5% cash advance fee at the casino window. 

You need to get 2500 points by March 31, 2023 to be prime for April 1st thru March 31, 2024.    

IMO you earn points quicker on slot machines than you do at tables.    If you play table games, then ask the dealer to include your bets for points to be earned.   They may have pit boss come over to you to set up.     I rarely play table games so I am unsure right now. 

Video poker earns the least amount of points. 

Have fun and hopefully you win a little at the same time🤩

 

[Wlhoeft]

I learned this trick from a cruise you tuber. Go to the casino host and ask for a copy of your room card. Then you use your room card and husband uses the extra. I did this last year on Symphony. I felt silly and told him a you tube video told me to do this and is it a “thing”? He said yes and gave me an extra card. That way your points get put on the same account and accumulates faster. I’ve never gotten close to the 2500 points for a free cruise, but for some reason the casino keeps sending me emails for a free cruise. We’ve used 2 free cruises this year and another one coming in December. Wish I lived close to a cruise port and didn’t have to fly from Illinois!

[smokeykat]

43 minutes ago, Wlhoeft said:

I learned this trick from a cruise you tuber. Go to the casino host and ask for a copy of your room card. Then you use your room card and husband uses the extra. I did this last year on Symphony. I felt silly and told him a you tube video told me to do this and is it a “thing”? He said yes and gave me an extra card. That way your points get put on the same account and accumulates faster. I’ve never gotten close to the 2500 points for a free cruise, but for some reason the casino keeps sending me emails for a free cruise. We’ve used 2 free cruises this year and another one coming in December. Wish I lived close to a cruise port and didn’t have to fly from Illinois!

Wow! Thats a great trick! We usually stick close together and just use the same card. But this is a game changer 😀

[Jaynay]

13 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Some of the newer machines you simply tap your sea pass card and then the little screen next to slot machine buttons will tell you your name, etc.    if your name does not show up tap the card again.   Prevents you from leaving the card in the machine when you walk away. 

At the slot machine you can do a room charge to your sea pass by setting up account with your birthdate.      You can then cash out at the slot machine and this avoids having to pay a 5% cash advance fee at the casino window. 

You need to get 2500 points by March 31, 2023 to be prime for April 1st thru March 31, 2024.    

IMO you earn points quicker on slot machines than you do at tables.    If you play table games, then ask the dealer to include your bets for points to be earned.   They may have pit boss come over to you to set up.     I rarely play table games so I am unsure right now. 

Video poker earns the least amount of points. 

Have fun and hopefully you win a little at the same time🤩

 

Thanks for your help with this!

 

Regarding the highlighted part above, if you do a room charge, isn't that what generates the 5% fee?  At what point do you feed cash dollar bills to the slot machine (or at least that is what I thought I did after entering the SetSail card - just not sure of the order)?  I just prefer to bring a budgeted amount of cash each night and would like to play that without incurring the 5% fee - as I'm sure many others here would too!.

[Jaynay]

11 hours ago, Wlhoeft said:

I learned this trick from a cruise you tuber. Go to the casino host and ask for a copy of your room card. Then you use your room card and husband uses the extra. I did this last year on Symphony. I felt silly and told him a you tube video told me to do this and is it a “thing”? He said yes and gave me an extra card. That way your points get put on the same account and accumulates faster. I’ve never gotten close to the 2500 points for a free cruise, but for some reason the casino keeps sending me emails for a free cruise. We’ve used 2 free cruises this year and another one coming in December. Wish I lived close to a cruise port and didn’t have to fly from Illinois!

What a great idea!  Thanks for sharing!

[Sunshine3601]

25 minutes ago, Jaynay said:

Thanks for your help with this!

 

Regarding the highlighted part above, if you do a room charge, isn't that what generates the 5% fee?  At what point do you feed cash dollar bills to the slot machine (or at least that is what I thought I did after entering the SetSail card - just not sure of the order)?  I just prefer to bring a budgeted amount of cash each night and would like to play that without incurring the 5% fee - as I'm sure many others here would too!.

I have been a prime member for several years so I don't get charged the fee (waived for prime or higher members) but as I recall doing as a room charge on the slot machine does not incur the fee.    If you went to the casino cashier and handed them your card and asked for cash back then you are charged 5% fee.      Best to double check with them.      I usually bring my own cash as I set my gambling budget and if my cash envelope is empty them I am done (most of the time).    

[Sunshine3601]

4 hours ago, Jaynay said:

Thanks for your help with this!

 

Regarding the highlighted part above, if you do a room charge, isn't that what generates the 5% fee?  At what point do you feed cash dollar bills to the slot machine (or at least that is what I thought I did after entering the SetSail card - just not sure of the order)?  I just prefer to bring a budgeted amount of cash each night and would like to play that without incurring the 5% fee - as I'm sure many others here would too!.

Sorry I forgot to answer, no special order to insert money into machine.  You can do before or after you tap or insert your sea pass.   Just don't play until your sea pass is acknowledged on the small screen.

[RoperDK]

4 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I have been a prime member for several years so I don't get charged the fee (waived for prime or higher members) but as I recall doing as a room charge on the slot machine does not incur the fee.    If you went to the casino cashier and handed them your card and asked for cash back then you are charged 5% fee.      Best to double check with them.      I usually bring my own cash as I set my gambling budget and if my cash envelope is empty them I am done (most of the time).    

Yes, this is correct.  No 5% fee if you charge your room for cash at a slot.  The 5% is charged for a cash advance at the cashier unless you are prime or above.  To ensure this slot charge privilege doesn't go away. Spin a few times at the slot before going to cash it out.  Other cruise lines have caught on to the cash out trick used by some to just get walking around money and not recycling it in the casino.

[SamCharl]

Confused about asking for duplicate room card.  How does that differ from sitting next to each other and using the same room card?  Do the points accumulate faster one way or the other?

Thanks

[Bronx12]

20 hours ago, Wlhoeft said:

I learned this trick from a cruise you tuber. Go to the casino host and ask for a copy of your room card. Then you use your room card and husband uses the extra. I did this last year on Symphony. I felt silly and told him a you tube video told me to do this and is it a “thing”? He said yes and gave me an extra card. That way your points get put on the same account and accumulates faster. I’ve never gotten close to the 2500 points for a free cruise, but for some reason the casino keeps sending me emails for a free cruise. We’ve used 2 free cruises this year and another one coming in December. Wish I lived close to a cruise port and didn’t have to fly from Illinois!

Problem with this scenario, the last 3 cruises we were on the host would not give us an extra card, the hosts say it is against the rules  😞

[Wlhoeft]

I thought it was odd too, but I explained to the host what the extra card would be used for. He laughed and gave me one. The 3 cruises we went on this year, I just asked for an extra card and was given one. 

[later]

20 hours ago, Wlhoeft said:

I thought it was odd too, but I explained to the host what the extra card would be used for. He laughed and gave me one. The 3 cruises we went on this year, I just asked for an extra card and was given one. 

They are suppose to give you a duplicate card any more.

 

in the new tap machines you can tap 2 machines though,  but if someone is playing the other machine and wins a pay out make sure who Evers card was used moves to that machine before you get them to pay out or you will forfeit the winnings.

[robmtx]

Approx how much do you spend in the casino to get to 2,500 pts mark? For some reason I thought you had to do this in a single sailing, but sounds like you have a year, which might be doable for me.

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, robmtx said:

Approx how much do you spend in the casino to get to 2,500 pts mark?

That could vary wildly depending on your luck. You have the program year to make status.