Club Royale - Masters is a joke, don't bother

[toxicfairy]

On 5/19/2023 at 5:25 PM, Tiggerontheseas said:

 

Oh, me too.  It’s a running family joke at this point.  If we are heading to the casino my husband asks if I would prefer to save time and just flush the money down the toilet now.  Ha!

On one cruise my husband was doing pretty good so when I walked over he gave me a few large chips to " kindly go away "🤣

[PWP-001]

9 hours ago, EZ1 said:

    Husband has been masters for several yrs. He was surprised when he first got to that level, as he plays the same not very high. I reminded him that because we go often within the year, his points add up (as it is the earned points for the whole year). We also do Princess & Carnival, but they rate only on the single cruise.

    But before covid, masters had extra benefits & special cruises. (They are just starting to add special cruises again). One great Xmas gift sent with a card was a free cabana on our next time we were at Coco Cay (after it had just opened).

We were allowed coastal kitchen, suite lounge, & suite sundeck-but the latter 2 not after covid. But then they put in the OBC instead,  (&  at the beginning the $2,500 free art, which only lasted 1 month!)

In December I sat next to a Masters player who said he made it during the period ending 3/31/22 which gave him benefits to 3/31/23 because they had reduced the qualification during the restart after COVID.  He said he wasn't going to requalify.  I told him that I didn't think it would be possible for me to make Masters and wasn't trying.  But as you say with your husband, it just adds up... if you play.

 

Since you mentioned the  cabana gift, I've thought several times that it would be nice to get a comped CocoCay Beach Club pass.  I like going there, but even spending my OBC, I just won't pay the $200 price tag.  

 

Right now, with their financial situation, I've read that CocoCay is a cash cow given the fees guests are willing to pay, so I certainly understand the decision not to displace revenue guests.

 

I started the gambling on cruises thing with Princess in January 2014 when they kept a ship in South Florida through the summer.  There was overcapacity in the market so it was inexpensive to sail on weekend getaways.  I ended up taking 10 cruises that year and those were the only ones that I paid for-- that is if I even paid for all of them.  Just can't remember since they presented an offer in your stateroom the last afternoon of a cruise. There wasn't a website like Royal has.  I know I sailed comp on 10 more cruises between 2015 through 2016 (81 days of sailing which included two 15 day Panama Canal crossings.)  

 

You know their formula is the same:  $5 in a slot machine earns 1 point.  My last cruise with them was a 15 day Panama Canal cruise in December 2017 and I earned 36,000 points on that cruise.  My offer:  7 days complimentary-- in an OCEAN VIEW room!  What????  I asked the casino manager and the answer was:  "it's the algorithms."  I canceled my January cruise and haven't sailed since.  Post COVID I get weekly emails and mail offers for mini-suites, $1,500 FP, and all the extras thrown in.  No, thank you.  Royal is treating me better.

 

 

 

[EZ1]

On 5/24/2023 at 6:42 AM, PWP-001 said:

In December I sat next to a Masters player who said he made it during the period ending 3/31/22 which gave him benefits to 3/31/23 because they had reduced the qualification during the restart after COVID.  He said he wasn't going to requalify.  I told him that I didn't think it would be possible for me to make Masters and wasn't trying.  But as you say with your husband, it just adds up... if you play.

 

Since you mentioned the  cabana gift, I've thought several times that it would be nice to get a comped CocoCay Beach Club pass.  I like going there, but even spending my OBC, I just won't pay the $200 price tag.  

 

Right now, with their financial situation, I've read that CocoCay is a cash cow given the fees guests are willing to pay, so I certainly understand the decision not to displace revenue guests.

 

I started the gambling on cruises thing with Princess in January 2014 when they kept a ship in South Florida through the summer.  There was overcapacity in the market so it was inexpensive to sail on weekend getaways.  I ended up taking 10 cruises that year and those were the only ones that I paid for-- that is if I even paid for all of them.  Just can't remember since they presented an offer in your stateroom the last afternoon of a cruise. There wasn't a website like Royal has.  I know I sailed comp on 10 more cruises between 2015 through 2016 (81 days of sailing which included two 15 day Panama Canal crossings.)  

 

You know their formula is the same:  $5 in a slot machine earns 1 point.  My last cruise with them was a 15 day Panama Canal cruise in December 2017 and I earned 36,000 points on that cruise.  My offer:  7 days complimentary-- in an OCEAN VIEW room!  What????  I asked the casino manager and the answer was:  "it's the algorithms."  I canceled my January cruise and haven't sailed since.  Post COVID I get weekly emails and mail offers for mini-suites, $1,500 FP, and all the extras thrown in.  No, thank you.  Royal is treating me better.

 

 

 

We also did some of those princess ones back when they had the 4 or 5 niters for under $200! I think it was on the Ruby. And one was even for Thanksgiving.

But we like the differences on the 3 cruiselines, & the Princess casino deals we get are also the jr suite, freeplay, & the princess plus included which covers all the gratuities for cruise, internet for the cruise, & drinks all over ship. Do many of the 14 day ones. Royal does have the best shows, & gives us the gr. suite once a year. Best thing about princess though is that their mattresses are so comfortable!! Also good dinners & best pizza slices on Lido.

On Royal, I have to ask for padding each time, except on Wonder last week-was so surprised that they finally put in great martresses on it!!