Princess just trying to make a little extra money

[FredS]

State-of-the-Art Debit Gaming System

Debit Gaming allows you to download funds directly from your cruise card at any slot machine. Those funds are held in your player’s bank and can be accessed anytime from any slot machine. Rebates are granted based on the number of points you accumulate. There’s no need to visit the Cashier’s window for coins – although this is still an option.

 

Passengers onboard Caribbean, Crown, Emerald, Golden, Grand and Star Princess are already enjoying these changes! By the end of September 2007, this system will also be featured onboard Coral, Diamond, Island and Sapphire Princess.

 

Casino Hosts on Select Ships!

The role of the Casino Host, a new position on Princess, is to assist passengers in the Casino. Their role is to greet you, answer any questions, and explain the Debit Gaming system. Casino Hosts are currently on the Caribbean, Crown, Golden, Grand, Emerald and Star Princess, and will be available on Coral, Diamond, Island and Sapphire Princess by September, 2007.

 

Win-a-Car Slots

Win-a-Car slot machines have been added to Caribbean, Coral, Crown, Diamond, Emerald, Golden, Grand, Island, Sapphire and Star Princess. The car being given away is not just any car, but a brand new BMW. Several of these cars have already been given away to lucky winners, and we look forward to spreading the wealth in the future.

 

Non-Smoking Nights

Every Princess voyage now hosts at least one non-smoking night in the casino. This allows passengers who are bothered by cigarette smoke to be able to gamble in a smoke-free environment.

[West Coast]

Non-Smoking Nights

Every Princess voyage now hosts at least one non-smoking night in the casino. This allows passengers who are bothered by cigarette smoke to be able to gamble in a smoke-free environment.

 

I can't wait to see how they 'police' this...

[Cruise Gypsy]

I like the new "Cash Out" system for the slot machines. I am low roller and being cashed out $20 in nickels was a pain. Now I just move the $20 to my cruise card via a PIN and go to another machine and move the $$ to that machine and play.

 

Also, as a nonsmoker I really liked non-smoking night in the casino and it was pretty busy that night in the casino. So clearly it didn't hurt the donations to the casino that night and it was being enforced. If you were smoking a member of the staff would tell them they would need to leave the casino to smoke.

 

As always, gambling is entertainment - don't gamble with more than you can afford to lose.:)

[jlp20]

Originally Posted by FredS

Non-Smoking Nights

Every Princess voyage now hosts at least one non-smoking night in the casino. This allows passengers who are bothered by cigarette smoke to be able to gamble in a smoke-free environment.

 

 

I can't wait to see how they 'police' this...

 

Last week on the Caribbean, no need for police. Advertized Sunday and Monday that Tuesday would be smoke free, and it was.

[Ethel5]

FredS....

 

I don't see how this is making Princess any extra money. I have been on ships with this system and it's wonderful..no waiting for payouts, hopper filling etc.

[Stevesan]

FredS....

 

I don't see how this is making Princess any extra money. I have been on ships with this system and it's wonderful..no waiting for payouts, hopper filling etc.

 

Exactly. Many casinos have converted to the voucher system. No more filthy coins.

 

Here's how it works on Princess:

CASH OUT CASINO PLAY

 

NO CASH. NO COINS. NO WORRIES

Directions:

Access funds from your cruise card account. Then, go play.

1) Create A PIN:

Insert cruise Card

Press “change PIN”

Enter current PIN (hint: it’s your birth date)

Enter 4 new numbers

Re-enter them

If it says “PIN successfully chaged”, you’re good

2) Put Cash Out On Your Cruise Card*:

Insert cruise card

Press “debit cruise card”

Input your PIN and press Enter

Enter a dollar amount between $10-$200

(Some machines $100. Up to $1,000 per day, per card. $5,000 maximum per cruise)

Go Play

3) Done Winning? Put it in your bank

Make sure your cruise card is in the slot!

Press “To Player Bank”

Input your PIN & press enter

4) Wanna win some more? Go play!

Make sure your cruise card is in the slot!

Press “from player bank”.

Input your PIN & press Enter

5) View player bank balance.

Insert cruise card

Press “from player bank”

Input Your PIN & press Enter

* A 3% surcharge is applied to all cruise card debits. No surcharges apply to Cash Out transactions to/from the Player Bank. All winnings must be collected at the Casino Cage before the casino closes on the last night of the cruise. Player Bank can not be accessed when the casino is closed.

[mrdood]

The system works good, it may make Princess more money by making it super convenient to gamble without having to go "get" cash...

 

Smokeless night... hmmm I don't smoke, but my best friend does, he is the big gambler, would be interesting to see what he would do...

[Toto2Kansas]

I noticed on our last Dawn Princess cruise in April, they had a non-smoking night in the casino one evening. First time we had ever seen this on a Princess ship. I have to admit, the casino was almost empty most of the night, not many gamblers in there on that evening. I was kind of surprised seeing that we sailed out of California, I figured the casino would be packed. I wonder how long they will continue this practice if they loose money because of it?

[JLC@SD]

....sound like a great system to separate you from your money a little faster.....and make it feel painless......until you see how large the charge account is at the end of the cruise.

[Kurbanfan]

I love that system. Have used it on other lines as well.....

[Clutterlady]

....sound like a great system to separate you from your money a little faster.....and make it feel painless......until you see how large the charge account is at the end of the cruise.

 

Well, if you have no self control, can't see where that's any cruise lines problem;)

[muffydawg]

Exactly. Many casinos have converted to the voucher system. No more filthy coins.

 

Here's how it works on Princess:

CASH OUT CASINO PLAY

 

NO CASH. NO COINS. NO WORRIES

Directions:

Access funds from your cruise card account. Then, go play.

 

1) Create A PIN:

Insert cruise Card

Press “change PIN”

Enter current PIN (hint: it’s your birth date)

Enter 4 new numbers

Re-enter them

If it says “PIN successfully chaged”, you’re good

 

2) Put Cash Out On Your Cruise Card*:

Insert cruise card

Press “debit cruise card”

Input your PIN and press Enter

Enter a dollar amount between $10-$200

(Some machines $100. Up to $1,000 per day, per card. $5,000 maximum per cruise)

Go Play

 

3) Done Winning? Put it in your bank

Make sure your cruise card is in the slot!

Press “To Player Bank”

Input your PIN & press enter

 

4) Wanna win some more? Go play!

Make sure your cruise card is in the slot!

Press “from player bank”.

Input your PIN & press Enter

 

5) View player bank balance.

Insert cruise card

Press “from player bank”

Input Your PIN & press Enter

 

* A 3% surcharge is applied to all cruise card debits. No surcharges apply to Cash Out transactions to/from the Player Bank. All winnings must be collected at the Casino Cage before the casino closes on the last night of the cruise. Player Bank can not be accessed when the casino is closed.

 

 

 

Just for clarification:

 

After creating the PIN (in step one), you put cash on your cruise card.

When you complete step 2 (putting cash on your cruise card), does it simply "charge" the credit card you authorized for onboard charges? And when you put cash on your cruise card this way they also impose the 3% surcharge?

 

So all this does is save you the trip to the ATM or casino cage to get cash to play with?

[Stevesan]

Just for clarification:

 

After creating the PIN (in step one), you put cash on your cruise card.

When you complete step 2 (putting cash on your cruise card), does it simply "charge" the credit card you authorized for onboard charges? And when you put cash on your cruise card this way they also impose the 3% surcharge?

 

So all this does is save you the trip to the ATM or casino cage to get cash to play with?

 

Correctimundo! And you don't have to handle that filthy lucre.

 

Yes, there is still the 3% surcharge unless you use the "Cash Out" option with the following weaseling out on your question:

Most use a credit card, some a debit card, for their on board account. In both cases the 3% surcharge obviously applies. Whether the 3% surcharge applies if you deposit cash against you cruise card is a good question. I would guess not. Does anyone have a definitive answer?

[muffydawg]

I wonder how "loading / depositing" cash onto your cruise card works if you "buy" the gift of casino credits ahead of time? The gift of casino credits (vouchers I've heard that are presented to you in your cabin upon embarkation) DOESN"T trigger the 3% surcharge on your folio and doesn't come through on your credit card (if that's the payment method used for the "gift") as a cash advance.

 

I wonder if you can "gift" yourself the casino voucher, take the voucher to the cage and have the voucher funds "loaded" onto your cruise card?

 

I know, seems like a lot of work to avoid a 3% surcharge ($30 on $1000 of value), but every little bit counts these days. $30 = a good bottle of wine.

[cruzzers]

The only time I will go to the Casino is on a non smoking night with my bad allergies. This worked out well on our last cruise and the casino was packed that night. We also loved putting our winnings on our card. That worked out well and we could bank it for another evening.

[chasetf]

Sounds to me like just another opportunity to loose your money faster. ;)

 

Just do not know why folks gamble when they know the odds are stacked against them. :confused:

[JLC@SD]

Well, if you have no self control, can't see where that's any cruise lines problem;)

......I have great self control........I stay away from the casino.......I have no interest in donating my $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.............;)

 

.......problem is ........we all knows people without self control.....;)

[Cruisin' Chick]

I usually avoid the casinos as I hate smoke (the Paradise, when it was non-smoking, was the last ship I hit the slots on) and I don't think I'm too lucky. But maybe we might try it if there's a non-smoking night.

 

This week we were at Chuck E Cheese (yes, pity me folks) and they are now giving the kids a card to use, instead of tokens.

[Julia’s Journey’s]

I'm another looking forward to the smoke free nights.

[West Coast]

Whether the 3% surcharge applies if you deposit cash against you cruise card is a good question. I would guess not. Does anyone have a definitive answer?

 

As soon as you get any form of cash via the casino, regardless of any credit balance that me be available on your ship-board account, there is a 3% charge. So, whether you go to the cashier and sign a piece of paper or 'transfer' it to your card, you still pay the 3%.

[West Coast]

I wonder if you can "gift" yourself the casino voucher, take the voucher to the cage and have the voucher funds "loaded" onto your cruise card?

 

Nope. When you take the paper 'gift' that will be waiting in your cabin to the casino and give it to the cashier, they will give you real money.

 

Now, if you want to put that on your card you would have to:

 

Go to any slot machine.

Insert your card.

Insert the cash (so the credit will appear on the machine)

Then, download the credit from the machine to your card.

 

As a side note, one of the nice things we found about this system is that if you do have, say $250 on your card, you can go to the casino cage and take out anywhere from $1 to $250 in cash. You don't need to take all the credit at once.