Carnival Casino bookings... What is the final cruise price you pay including losses... ?

[KarmaCruisers]

Just now, New2Cruise76 said:

Am I reading that wrong? It looks like the total cost was 698, and then there's the 200 in OBC, so that would work out to 498 for the cruise.

You got it…if you take the $200 OBC as cashback..and purchase absolutely NOTHING onboard.

this is a “free” carribean 7 day for two people. It doesn’t get any cheaper for a 7 day cruise

[sgttami]

3 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Considering you can charge up to $5000 a day to your S&S and that daily number is increased when there it is a Premier/Elite/Ultra, you can bet people are spending more than $100 a day

Amen!  LOL

[sammee]

4 hours ago, jiggs said:

Punny

HaHaHa, I didn't realize I did that until you replied.

[sammee]

4 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Considering you can charge up to $5000 a day to your S&S and that daily number is increased when there it is a Premier/Elite/Ultra, you can bet people are spending more than $100 a day

That's one thing I won't do. I always bring cash just for the gambling. Same thing I do when we go to Atlantic City. I can not trust myself to let loose on the account or a credit card.

[KarmaCruisers]

5 minutes ago, sammee said:

That's one thing I won't do. I always bring cash just for the gambling. Same thing I do when we go to Atlantic City. I can not trust myself to let loose on the account or a credit card.

If you play a casino game, like BJ or video poker, with a low house edge;  and you use your carnival card to get 3% back..it’s not too bad of a deal

as said on this site:

https://oceanplayersclub.com/promotions/#:~:text=Every time you try your,experience not to be missed.
If you earn 7500 points on nothing but the best video poker they offer (4% house edge) you’re only losing $940 per cruise if you take advantage of the 3% cashback perk of the carnival Mastercard.

this isn’t TOO bad if you maximize it by taking Alaska cruises and you drink. (As you’d like get balconies and DOUeverywhere)

but grinding out $37,500 coin-in on low-edge video poker on a cruise..is no one’s idea of “fun”.

[seaman11]

3 hours ago, KarmaCruisers said:

Huh? I just got off the celebration and it was $880 for wife and I, on a “free” offer. (Ok $680 if you count the $200 OBC as cash-back)..but $68!? GTFO…port fees and taxes look like this…(we just got off the ship you just got on)

Im solo so yes less taxs port charges plus i paid last year theu went up . And tips i didnt count. Thsts on me i pay after and only 1 person. 

[dbrown84]

Excellent thread.  I've never cruised carnival before.  I'm researching to see if I want to take them up on their comp cruise offer.  One question about the $200 you get back as OBC.... can it be used to pay the service charge?  I rarely have onboard charges when I cruise, so I would have to figure out what to spend $200 on 

[bafinegan]

4 minutes ago, dbrown84 said:

Excellent thread.  I've never cruised carnival before.  I'm researching to see if I want to take them up on their comp cruise offer.  One question about the $200 you get back as OBC.... can it be used to pay the service charge?  I rarely have onboard charges when I cruise, so I would have to figure out what to spend $200 on 

yes.

 

[dbrown84]

2 minutes ago, bafinegan said:

yes.

 

That's great.  NCL charges an admin fee which is a sunken cost.

[mz-s]

29 minutes ago, dbrown84 said:

Excellent thread.  I've never cruised carnival before.  I'm researching to see if I want to take them up on their comp cruise offer.  One question about the $200 you get back as OBC.... can it be used to pay the service charge?  I rarely have onboard charges when I cruise, so I would have to figure out what to spend $200 on 

 

What service charge are you talking about? There is no service charge with Carnival that I'm aware of.

[dbrown84]

1 minute ago, mz-s said:

 

What service charge are you talking about? There is no service charge with Carnival that I'm aware of.

Oh, sorry.  Do you just tip folks individually?

[dbrown84]

1 minute ago, dbrown84 said:

Oh, sorry.  Do you just tip folks individually?

I see, I guess I mean gratuities.

[mz-s]

1 hour ago, dbrown84 said:

Oh, sorry.  Do you just tip folks individually?

 

OK I see. Gratuities aren't called service charges on Carnival. You can use your OBC to pay for gratuities.

[May1cruiser]

Lately, the $100 Balcony with DOU everywhere has cost us about $3k-$4k for a 7 day cruise for us combined. Has been as bad as $6k for 7 days. 

 

I do not recall coming out ahead in $ since restart. 

[icft]

26 minutes ago, May1cruiser said:

     *                           *                     *

I do not recall coming out ahead in $ since restart. 

Same here. Pre-covid I would occasionally come out ahead. In 12 since covid, zero times. They gotta pay off that debt...

[staceyglow]

3 minutes ago, icft said:

They gotta pay off that debt...

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[icft]

4 minutes ago, staceyglow said:

You say that like it's a bad thing.

It's not a bad thing, but it is Carnival's problem and they make it mine.

 

[staceyglow]

Just now, icft said:

It's not a bad thing, but it is Carnival's problem and they make it mine.

 

Whether they have trillions of dollar in debt, or they are making trillions of dollars of profit, they are going to charge as much as they think they can get on every single item on your cruise.  That is the way any successful business works - trying to determine areas where they can be more profitable and capitalizing on it.

 

In no scenario will Carnival (or any other cruiseline) say at their executive meetings, "You know what?  We have been making a lot of money in the casino, but since we have paid off all of our debt, let's be nice and loosen up the slot machines and make the odds better on our blackjack and roulette tables, so that icft can come out ahead."  They wanted your money before Covid, and they want it now.  No one is forcing you to gamble.

 

[kona_wahine]

I got two “free” inside rooms this year, 7 day Panorama and 12 day Venezia. All we had to pay was taxes/port fees. Do I gamble on the handful of cruises I have had? The cruise before I started getting the offers  I won almost $900 on a $1 machine. It paid for all our port stuff and most of universal studios after. (I did not put it back!) The cruise before that I played $50 in a machine, Alaska cruise. I know it was only $50 as I was traveling with my granddaughter and that $50 was gone so fast it wasn’t funny. Or fun! I was done. The couple cruises before that I might have gambled a few hundred. I always set a limit, like $50 a day. That’s my story, but truth be told I have gambled way less than those rooms are worth, especially figuring in the $900 I won. 
 

and, btw, I haven’t received anymore offers since I booked the Venezia. 🤷‍♀️

Edited October 16, 2023 by kona_wahine

[lazydayz]

It really just depends.  We have spent more than I care to admit on some cruises, and won a small amount on others.  But when I step on the ship, I have paid maybe $600 for a 7 to 14 cruise for a balcony or suite, and get free drinks everywhere for two.  So even if I blow $5000 in the casino, it is worth it to me.  And I tend to book elite cruises, which comes with transportation or free parking, plus $300 in free excursions or spa credit, and two bottles of alcohol, plus some free play.  Given we are Diamond, we also get free laundry service. We usually do specialty restaurants, many of which are comped. All in all, Carnival wins, but it feels like a fair trade. 

[Colorado Beach Bum]

16 minutes ago, lazydayz said:

It really just depends.  We have spent more than I care to admit on some cruises, and won a small amount on others.  But when I step on the ship, I have paid maybe $600 for a 7 to 14 cruise for a balcony or suite, and get free drinks everywhere for two.  So even if I blow $5000 in the casino, it is worth it to me.  And I tend to book elite cruises, which comes with transportation or free parking, plus $300 in free excursions or spa credit, and two bottles of alcohol, plus some free play.  Given we are Diamond, we also get free laundry service. We usually do specialty restaurants, many of which are comped. All in all, Carnival wins, but it feels like a fair trade. 

Agree.  We enjoy gambling as our form of entertainment.  If we get room, drinks, excursions, transportation, steak dinners, etc all comped but we use all that money to spend in the casino it’s fair trade.  Much better than paying for all that and having no money, or a smaller bank for our gambling entertainment.  

[icft]

32 minutes ago, Colorado Beach Bum said:

Agree.  We enjoy gambling as our form of entertainment.  If we get room, drinks, excursions, transportation, steak dinners, etc all comped but we use all that money to spend in the casino it’s fair trade.  Much better than paying for all that and having no money, or a smaller bank for our gambling entertainment.  

Enjoying gambling as a form of entertainment it the key. If one is going to gamble regardless of how they paid for the cruise then the casino offers make doing what you were going to do anyhow much less expensive. But I think the idea of those who don't care to gamble marching themselves to the casino to earn perks is not very wise. They are working while on vacation. We, on the other hand, are just doing what we do for fun so it makes sense.

[Drew B 58]

I’ve only sailed twice on casino offers (plus my upcoming cruise).  First was a “free”* balcony for seven days + $200 fun play plus DOUE for me only.  I lost $450.  Second was a “free”* interior for four days plus DOU casino only for me and a guest.  I lost $300.  Upcoming cruise is a “free”* deluxe ocean view for me and a guest.plus DOU casino only for me and a guest.  The jury is out as to whether I will win or lose and how much.

 

In each of these scenarios, I was prepared to lose more, but I also could have won.  The losses I “suffered” were perfectly acceptable, though, as I believe I got more just in alcohol than I lost playing.  The “free” cruises were a bonus!  What would NOT have happened would be for me to lose so much that I would have felt the offer wasn’t worth it.  I have too much discipline for that!
 

* When I say “free”, that means I paid $100pp + taxes and port fees and got $100pp back in onboard credit.

[amcankid]

1 hour ago, icft said:

Enjoying gambling as a form of entertainment it the key. If one is going to gamble regardless of how they paid for the cruise then the casino offers make doing what you were going to do anyhow much less expensive. But I think the idea of those who don't care to gamble marching themselves to the casino to earn perks is not very wise. They are working while on vacation. We, on the other hand, are just doing what we do for fun so it makes sense.

You hit the nail on the head!

When my “kids” were younger we never gambled because I always felt like money I lost could have been used for them. Now that they’re all adults with their own lives we have disposable money that allows us to enjoy limited gambling with no guilt, and I can’t think of a better way to potentially lose a few grand here or there than taking a chance on winning a few grand here or there and in the meantime potentially getting cruises dirt cheap ( not free because of the port fees, taxes and gratuities). And enjoying the time we spend in the casino as it adds to the various activities offered to make our days at sea fun. 
But if we were gambling with the sole purpose of trying to get “free” cruises using money we shouldn’t be using then I feel that it’s a fools way to go!   
 

[pe4all]

15 hours ago, KarmaCruisers said:

 

Our upcoming Magic cruise looks almost exactly like yours.  I got a "free" balcony and Drinks On Us Everywhere plus the $200 obc.  DD got $100 obc and DOU in casino.  I alot around $1,000 for an 8 night cruise - that includes $$ for her to gamble with.