RE: Using loot for casino

[tbmrt]

If I go to casino and want to use my loot there, do they take the 7%?

[_tacocat_]

No only if you charge actual $ to your room.  If you do that, it’s essentially casino credit, hence the charge.

[lisabucsfan1]

1 hour ago, _tacocat_ said:

No only if you charge actual $ to your room.  If you do that, it’s essentially casino credit, hence the charge.

 

Hmm... I thought the only place you could do this without the fee was the WPT room on SL. What would you need to tell the casino in order to use sailor loot? 

[_tacocat_]

7 minutes ago, lisabucsfan1 said:

 

Hmm... I thought the only place you could do this without the fee was the WPT room on SL. What would you need to tell the casino in order to use sailor loot? 

You just need to go to the cashier, tell them you want to use sailor loot, how much, and if you want slots or tables.  You can split the slot $ on your bands with your cabinMate if you want.  

The only caveat is that you need to have loot left to spend it (sounds silly, but can get complicated sometimes!).  If you have a charge like a coffee that’s supposed to get wiped out, you can’t use that loot until it’s been refunded (so if you had $90 of loot + a pending $10 coffee refund, you’d only be able to spend $90 until that $10 was refunded, if that makes sense!)

[CineGraphic]

15 minutes ago, lisabucsfan1 said:

I thought the only place you could do this without the fee was the WPT room

 

You will be charged a fee if you don't have any loot, and want to charge your slot play or chips to your on board account.

[lisabucsfan1]

8 minutes ago, _tacocat_ said:

The only caveat is that you need to have loot left to spend it (sounds silly, but can get complicated sometimes!).  If you have a charge like a coffee that’s supposed to get wiped out, you can’t use that loot until it’s been refunded (so if you had $90 of loot + a pending $10 coffee refund, you’d only be able to spend $90 until that $10 was refunded, if that makes sense!)

 

Makes perfect sense - and yep, going to the cashier didn't even cross my mind. HA! Thanks!

 

[AdoraBelle]

Side note, I could be imagining things, but I feel like the slots (Scarlet Lady) are a bit 'tighter' now than they used to be. I had leftover sailor loot on my recent trip and transferred some of it to casino money. On my last cruise in Feb, I was able to break even enough on some particular machines that I was able to convert a lot of sailor loot to cash. Same machines in May, this time I was losing much more quickly, felt like being in a Vegas strip resort. I know slots are inherently dumb/random, but you get a feel for how fast one of them will take your money, and we had spent a couple of hours with this same set of slots in Feb.

Edited June 6, 2023 by AdoraBelle

[Roneill76]

On 6/6/2023 at 10:43 AM, AdoraBelle said:

Side note, I could be imagining things, but I feel like the slots (Scarlet Lady) are a bit 'tighter' now than they used to be. I had leftover sailor loot on my recent trip and transferred some of it to casino money. On my last cruise in Feb, I was able to break even enough on some particular machines that I was able to convert a lot of sailor loot to cash. Same machines in May, this time I was losing much more quickly, felt like being in a Vegas strip resort. I know slots are inherently dumb/random, but you get a feel for how fast one of them will take your money, and we had spent a couple of hours with this same set of slots in Feb.

You will never be able to pull enough slot pulls to notice the difference in a change in percentage of payout. That percentage payout is based on a number much larger than you could ever get on multiple cruises. You just had bad luck on the last cruise.

[basenji56]

I have $700 in loot to use in the casino.  I have never gambled on a ship before.  How does the ship know which portion of your slots chips are promotional and which are winnings that you can cash out?  Sorry for sounding dense.

 

[cantgetin]

11 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

I have $700 in loot to use in the casino.  I have never gambled on a ship before.  How does the ship know which portion of your slots chips are promotional and which are winnings that you can cash out?  Sorry for sounding dense.

 

Do you have $700 in loot or is it somehow specified to the casino?  Normally Loot can be used for anything you purchase on the ship except future cruise certificates.  You can use it for spa, excursions booked while on board, alcohol, specialty coffee, shopping, etc.

[basenji56]

Yes, I can use it for all of those things. 
 

But I also have a large bar tab and I don’t drink 

 

I would use the loot for shore excursions but I can’t do that until I board so I may have to pay for those before I board with real money 

 

So I am looking for some way to avoid losing the loot. 
 

Spa treatments are a good idea. 

[_tacocat_]

1 hour ago, basenji56 said:

How does the ship know which portion of your slots chips are promotional and which are winnings that you can cash out?

There’s a little tracker on a small screen on the slot machine.  It’ll tell you how much promo $ you have left.  You can cash out any of your winnings at any time, and it’ll spit out some money and leave you with the rest of your promotional $ on the machine.  Kind of confusing to explain if you haven’t seen it before hah, but just know that you WILL be able to see how much you have in total on the machine, and you can just subtract your remaining promo $ from that to see how much you can cash out!

[basenji56]

2 minutes ago, _tacocat_ said:

There’s a little tracker on a small screen on the slot machine.  It’ll tell you how much promo $ you have left.  You can cash out any of your winnings at any time, and it’ll spit out some money and leave you with the rest of your promotional $ on the machine.  Kind of confusing to explain if you haven’t seen it before hah, but just know that you WILL be able to see how much you have in total on the machine, and you can just subtract your remaining promo $ from that to see how much you can cash out!

I figured another way to cash out the chips was to play roulette by betting on the red or black.  When you win (a little less than) half the time, the chips you win are able to be cashed out.  Any flaws in this thinking?

 

 

 

[cantgetin]

2 hours ago, basenji56 said:

Yes, I can use it for all of those things. 
 

But I also have a large bar tab and I don’t drink 

 

I would use the loot for shore excursions but I can’t do that until I board so I may have to pay for those before I board with real money 

 

So I am looking for some way to avoid losing the loot. 
 

Spa treatments are a good idea. 

Another trick that works is to go to the big red desk on 7 after you board or to Sailor Services later in the cruise.  You can cancel your excursion giving more than 24 hours notice, which gets them refunded to the credit card you used to pay for them.  Then immediately rebook them using loot.  This worked 6 months ago, and the only risk was someone else seeing them available and grabbing it in the few minutes between the time you cancel and the time you rebook.

Your bar tab can be used for specialty coffee/teas/not so special hot chocolate, smoothies, and cold pressed juices as well as non-alcoholic "mock tails." And you can buy drinks for your "new best friends" with it.

[CanadianCruiser21]

5 hours ago, basenji56 said:

I figured another way to cash out the chips was to play roulette by betting on the red or black.  When you win (a little less than) half the time, the chips you win are able to be cashed out.  Any flaws in this thinking?

 

 

 

If you put half on red and half on black, there is a 4% chance you lose all your money every round. 

[basenji56]

7 hours ago, CanadianCruiser21 said:

If you put half on red and half on black, there is a 4% chance you lose all your money every round. 

Yes.  Which is why I wouldn't put all of my chips one one roll.  If you break it down to $50 a roll, you hedge that bet.  Still nothing is guaranteed but I would rather take home most of the loot than leave it all on the ship.

 

[lisabucsfan1]

If you are on Scarlet Lady, you could make friends with someone who has cash and likes to gamble in the WPT room. They charge buy-ins to your room.

[Team Stag]

21 hours ago, basenji56 said:

But I also have a large bar tab and I don’t drink 

 

So I am looking for some way to avoid losing the loot. 

I'm new to VV too; but I think there is a different between Sailors Loot and Bar Tab (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong).

"Mainstream Cruiselines" seem to have one bill with on board credit that can be used for Drinks (cocktails, specialty coffee, beer, wine, etc) as well as Shore excursions, spa, classes, on board merch, etc.  One bill for all.

My understanding is Virgin has "the Bar Tab" which is only used for Drinks and "Sailers Loot" which can be used for all the other items.  I don't believe the two are interchangeable.

[basenji56]

6 minutes ago, Team Stag said:

I'm new to VV too; but I think there is a different between Sailors Loot and Bar Tab (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong).

"Mainstream Cruiselines" seem to have one bill with on board credit that can be used for Drinks (cocktails, specialty coffee, beer, wine, etc) as well as Shore excursions, spa, classes, on board merch, etc.  One bill for all.

My understanding is Virgin has "the Bar Tab" which is only used for Drinks and "Sailers Loot" which can be used for all the other items.  I don't believe the two are interchangeable.

That is my understanding too.  I have fairly large amounts in each category.  I expect to lose a good portion of my bar tab because I just can't drink that much.  I guess I could buy drinks for strangers.  

 

But I hope not to lose the Sailor's Loot portion of my Onboard credit.  For now, I will wait to book excursions until onboard (taking that risk of unavailability) and book a massage.  And use the casino plan to move the money into cash.

 

[cantgetin]

45 minutes ago, Team Stag said:

I'm new to VV too; but I think there is a different between Sailors Loot and Bar Tab (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong).

"Mainstream Cruiselines" seem to have one bill with on board credit that can be used for Drinks (cocktails, specialty coffee, beer, wine, etc) as well as Shore excursions, spa, classes, on board merch, etc.  One bill for all.

My understanding is Virgin has "the Bar Tab" which is only used for Drinks and "Sailers Loot" which can be used for all the other items.  I don't believe the two are interchangeable.

This is not quite right.  The bar tab can be used for beverages--alcoholic or not--such as "non alcoholic cocktails," and  cold pressed juices.  It can be used for the "bottomless brunch" at The Wake or Razzle Dazzle, as well as the drink parings at Test Kitchen.  You can buy drinks for yourself, a cabin mate, or your "new best friends."   It cannot be turned into cash, and is a "use it or lose it" proposition.

 

Loot can be used for anything you purchase on board except a future cruise certificate.   This means it can be used for spa, shopping, excursions if booked while on board, casino, alcohol,  etc. It cannot be used for purchasing things in advance of your cruise.  Loot can be converted to cash if you win in the casino (gamble on loot, collect your winnings in cash).  It is also "use it or lose it."  

If you have both a bar tab and loot, any beverage purchases will first go to your bar tab.  If you spend all of your bar tab, it will then be taken from your loot, and only when you have spent all of both will drinks be charged to your credit card.  

What other cruise lines do has nothing to do with what VV does....in many ways,

Edited August 25, 2023 by cantgetin

[cheryl8503]

Is sailor loot the same as on board credit? Can OBC be used like cash in the casino?

 

[CineGraphic]

10 minutes ago, cheryl8503 said:

Is sailor loot the same as on board credit? Can OBC be used like cash in the casino?

 

 

Yes, and yes. Speak to whoever is in the casino cashier's cage

[jmoak]

On 8/25/2023 at 5:50 AM, basenji56 said:

Yes.  Which is why I wouldn't put all of my chips one one roll.  If you break it down to $50 a roll, you hedge that bet.  Still nothing is guaranteed but I would rather take home most of the loot than leave it all on the ship.

 

I just posted similar question on another thread...thinking the same thing in terms of hedging the bet...but if they give you the "loot" in promo chips, do they take the promo chip away when you win? If so, say you bet $20 on red and $20 on black, you would when $20, but they would take both promo chips therefore you would be down $20 overall? Am I thinking correctly? If you get to continue to "push" your original promo chip then you would essentially be even - assuming you didn't land on green...

[basenji56]

3 minutes ago, jmoak said:

I just posted similar question on another thread...thinking the same thing in terms of hedging the bet...but if they give you the "loot" in promo chips, do they take the promo chip away when you win? If so, say you bet $20 on red and $20 on black, you would when $20, but they would take both promo chips therefore you would be down $20 overall? Am I thinking correctly? If you get to continue to "push" your original promo chip then you would essentially be even - assuming you didn't land on green...

I believe they take the promo chips away when you lose.  So if you bet $20 on red and $20 on black, if it lands on red, you should keep your promo chips and get $20 in cashable chips.  You would lose your $20 in black promo chips.  You would keep your cashable chips and never bet them again.  

 

But I have never done this before so I am not sure if they only give you promo chips if you win.

 

[jmoak]

4 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

I believe they take the promo chips away when you lose.  So if you bet $20 on red and $20 on black, if it lands on red, you should keep your promo chips and get $20 in cashable chips.  You would lose your $20 in black promo chips.  You would keep your cashable chips and never bet them again.  

 

But I have never done this before so I am not sure if they only give you promo chips if you win.

 

Ok. This is good and should work assuming they allow you to continue to bet the promo chip as well. Thanks!