VideoTech

I'm not sure if the reason US Citizens don't get a W-2 for more than $1200 in winnings is that in International Waters, it is not required? In US territorial waters, it is?

It has nothing to do with where the ship is. It has everything to do with where the company that owns the ship is based.

For instance on NCL, a U.S. citizen will get a W2g for a jackpot at or above $1200 because the company is a U.S. company and follows U.S. revenue laws.

........Are Harrah's and NCL Casinos at Sea cards linked in any way?

 

........And while I'm on a roll with newbie questions: are the discounts/perks better booking through CAS, Latitudes, plain ol' NCL.com, or do they all end up together in the end?

Harrah's/Ceasar's and NCL are both owned by the same holding company. There is no direct relationship between the two frequent gambler cards; that is, your Harrah's Total Rewards points do not carry over to the Ship and your CAS points do not carry over to Harrah's.

However, there is a marketing relationship between the two operations, and your TR status can affect the amount of your discount or comp on your first NCL CAS cruise.

How is it better to book? There's a lot of different theories about that. We feel it's best to book through our Harrah's marketing rep. He contacts NCL on our behalf, and then once we've established (through him) what NCL CAS will offer us, we usually deal directly with them to pay for an upgrade to a higher level of suite.

If you simply book directly through CAS and are a Harrah's/Ceasar's frequent player, you will automatically get a discount on the booking that is based on your Harrah's TR status.

After your first cruise through CAS on NCL, however, it may not make that much difference. As you continue to book future cruises through CAS, they will simply look at your play on your most recent cruise, and make you an offer based on that play level (and considering the popularity of the cruise itinerary and the ship as well).

Once you've started booking through CAS, do not go back to the regular NCL reps or NCL.com. You will not receive the discounts that you would otherwise get through CAS.

Does anyone have an idea what you tip these guys? I have no idea what would be considered high or low since there are no guidelines. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

There have been multiple threads about this but there really is no guideline. You tip what you think is deserved, based on the service they provided. Also consider how many people there are in your suite.

If it's any help, we (two adults) start at $10-15 per day for both the butler and the concierge, depending on the length of the cruise and whether or not we've asked for, and received, any unusually helpful service. Some people start much higher, others will suggest $10 per day PER PERSON in the suite.

I'd also suggest you consider tipping your cabin steward. Yes, they are in the service charge pool (the butler and concierge are not) but when you get right down to it, who really does the work of making sure your suite is the wonderful place it is? Your cabin steward. We always leave an additional tip for the cabin steward, along the same lines as that for the butler.

My husband got the offer from CAS for our cruise. Will we both have players cards and drink cards waiting in our cabin or just him? Also, did booking through casinos at sea afford you other vip benefits like lunch at cagneys or captains vip cocktail party?

Yes, you should both have players cards and drink cards waiting for you.

Unless you're booked in a penthouse suite or higher, you will not get the suite perks such as breakfast and lunch in Cagneys.

Your main benefit, at first, will be the drink card. You'll probably also get some little treats (chocolates, little snacks) in your cabin in the evening from the CAS people. If you play enough, they'll probably offer you a comp'd dinner in one of the restaurants, or a comp'd spa treatment, or send a bottle of wine up to your room.

Don't forget to "cash in" your CAS points on the last night of the cruise. Listen for the announcements in the casino about this; if you have enough points you go to the casino services desk on the last night and they will look at your play and offer you some credit against your final on-board bill.

I sail Friday for a weekend cruise on the Sky. I don't really know how I'm going to feel. I'm a little uneasy right now, but that's because I've been torturing myself by reading everything there is to read on the Costa board and in the news.....

I wouldn't worry about your cruise. Please remember that statistically, the number of incidents like this vs. the number of miles that cruise ships sail is very, very, very, very small. It is still an extremely safe way to travel.

Much the same can be said about airline travel...statistically, very safe. But when something happens, of course it attracts a lot of attention - precisely because it so rarely happens.

The crew on board every ship is trained for emergencies, but you can never predict how well any person will react (or remember their training) when the real thing happens. I'm sure there were many crew members on the Costa ship who did exactly what they were trained to do...but you won't hear anything about them.

And finally, I'm sure that this accident will cause all the cruise lines to re-evaluate their procedures and training. You'll probably start to see differences in the muster drills almost immediately, if for no other reason than that the majority of passengers will now be paying very good attention for a change.

Nothing in an emergency is going to happen the way that you think it will during training. Ever. Emergencies just don't play nice. Things go wrong. People forget things under pressure. Equipment that was just checked inexplicibly fails when needed. Passengers panic. And of course before an accident happens everyone thinks that it won't happen, so they don't take the training seriously. After this passenger and crews from all lines will take the muster a little more seriously. But then complacency will set in again. Until the next time.

Sparks, you hit the nail on the head. In the end, you are responsible for your own life. You can choose to listen in the muster drill, whatever it is, or you can choose to show up half drunk and act like it's all a big waste of time.

Personally, I always learn as much as I can about the layout of the ship, and in the back of mind as I do this is "what if?" I do the same thing on an airplane...where's the exit, what am I going to do "if" it happens?

I don't mean by this that it should be "every man for himself." Far from it. I think the muster drills are important, and I don't think they are thorough enough at all. I think every passenger needs to know what's going to happen after they get to their muster area, and they also need to know what options they have if they can't get to their muster station. None of this is explained at all in the current routine.

But I'm afraid the fact of the matter is that we probably won't see much changing, even after this incident.

We booked our NCL Epic cruise using Casinos at Sea. When do we get our gambling cards? Thank you.`

Generally, you will find your cards in your cabin when you board, along with a welcoming letter from the casino.

If they're not there for some reason, just go to the casino desk when it opens and they'll make you another one.

There is an advantage to both of you playing the same card. I mean just ask for two cards under the same name. They will do this for you. Both of you can play at the same time with that one card and you will accumulate more points. ;):) If you spend enough in the casino, the next time you book a cruise through casino marketing, you may get it free or at least a discount. I have gotten the last four free ! Ok, I know I really paid for them in the long run. LOL :o Oh, but I had a good time paying for them ! :D

If you are husband & wife traveling with the same last name, your accounts will automatically be linked, even though you will have individual cards. This way they can not only track your individual play (my DW plays a LOT more than I do!) but they can use the total of points both of you have accumulated for comps and credits at the end of the cruise.

And yes, if your play level is high enough, you will receive offers on future cruises from CAS. So it pays to make sure all your points are taken into consideration.

The only benefit is that it may save you a few minutes at the casino desk by having your info already in the system. Also, if you had points from a previous cruise they will show.

No, unfortunately, NCL's points system doesn't work that way. If you have unused points from a previous cruise, the casino manager has to email the previous ship, and find out about them to add them to your account.

It seems odd to me that they don't carry the points on a central server somewhere, accessible to all ships, as most land casinos do.

Take the old card with you and present it to the casino. If it is not too old, they may still have your info in the system, and can add the slot play coupon money to that card.

No, I think you have to get a new card. I believe they are specific to each ship, but it would be interesting to find out. We've never taken our old cards as they always have a new one waiting for us.

I bought the slot play coupons to use on our upcoming cruise. I know after reading many post about the slot play that you have to take your coupons to the casino and sign up for the Casino At Sea Program (which is free) in order for them to load the money on the card to play.

 

My question is this (because I just now discovered it)...

 

Last year on our NCL cruise we took advantage of the coupon they had in their book (NCL's) for pay $10 and get $20 in slot plays. What I didn't realize until now is that when we did this last year, they put it on the card and I just found the card which reads "Casinos At Sea" on it.

 

Does this mean I'm already signed up for the program? Or did they just happen to put our $20 on that card because those are the cards that they use? I don't remember doing anything last year other than hand them the coupon and my sail card and they gave me the card.

 

Just wondering if I'll still have to "sign up" for the Casinos at Sea program or if I'm already considered a player. :confused:

I think you're already signed up. Even though you were just using the CAS card from your previous cruise to play off the NCL offer, they had to enter all your details to generate a CAS card for you.

Here's how you'll know: If you find an envelope from the casino already in your room when you board, with a CAS card in it, then you're good to go.

If you don't, then visit the Casino desk.

The pastries are supposed to be free. Never asked for one so I can't tell you for sure. With regard to the coffee: This seems to be a mixed situation. Every time I've asked for a regular (i.e. non-espresso coffee) at at Java Cafe, they've used the espresso machine to make me an "Americano" and charged me for it. I've stopped going to the Java Cafe at all.

I have a Penthouse booked for Feb.2013, on the Pearl. My TA told me that I would have theatre seating. Was she wrong???:eek:

No, she's not. We're in PH every cruise, and are always offered the priority or special seating by the Concierge. The way it works does seem to vary by ship and/or concierge, though.

Yes, it's really French! In our DOS on the Star this Spring it was a half bottle of Dom Pérignon Brut.

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Ooo, nice. We're trying to do an OS one of these days...maybe on our Dawn cruise this winter.

....I find it interesting when they call it "French Champagne" - my understanding is that if it isn't from France then its not champagne....

Technically, I believe that's correct. Champagne with a capital C can only come from the Champagne region in France, made in a certain way.

All others are supposed to be labled "methode champagnois" or some such (pardon my high school French spelling).

However, this is kind of like "Xerox." It's a distinction that's so commonly misapplied and in such general use that it lost the copyright.

But here's my question: Is the Champagne in the OS and GV really French? The bottle of sparkling wine you get in PH suites is definitely not. It's a moderately cheap California sparkler...pleasant enough to start the cruise though.

Hi

How was the slot on the Norweign Epic?

If you're asking how the slots are on the Epic: The Epic has a huge casino, spread over the entire width of one deck and quite long. There are plenty of new slot machines of all different denominations and types.

As with any ship's casino, payback percentages are probably lower than a land based casino. There are a few good machines scattered around, if you find one, hang on to it!

In spite of it's size, the casino can get quite crowded and smoky at night. There is a small "non-smoking" area tucked away in one corner of the casino.

:eek:

 

What you said!

 

To me it was the best excursion I have ever done.

 

The only difference, we had the bar open from the beginning, and some of the sailing did interfere with my beer drinking.:eek:

 

I was the main sail trimmer, on the True Blue, and we beat the Stars and Stripes.

 

What a great experience.:cool:

Actually, you're right, the bar was open from the start. I just didn't do any drinking until after the race.

Did the America's Cup off the NCL Sun this past January, and loved it. BTW, I'm in my late 50's, active and in fairly good shape, but not a gym rat by any means.

I should preface this by saying that I've sailed all my life, and followed the America's cup religiously. It's my NASCAR. The boats that are sailed here are the ones I've watched and followed, and to me they represent the best of America's cup racing (as opposed to what's going on now - but that's a different subject). I've always longed to get a chance to sail on one, so for me, this was a great opportunity.

Your group will have all kinds and all ages of people in it. Everyone is assembled at pier side, and at some point they divide you up into crews for the different boats. They try to keep parties and groups together on the same boats, and also to have enough different ages and skills for each boat. They ask about sailing experience, but it's not required at all.

On the tender out to the sailboats, the captain will explain the various duties and positions, and assign people to them. Some of the positions (like bartender or mainsail trimmer) require almost no work. Some of them, like "grinders" (the guys who provide the manpower to run the winches that control the sails) require some bursts of fairly strenuous activity, with spaces in between to rest up.

I ended up on one of the jib sheet grinders, which are the hardest working positions on the boat. There are four people running the jib sheet grinders, and two people running the main sheet grinders. There are 3 AC Staff crew members, one of whom Captains and steers. The other two each work one side of the boat, handling the ropes on the jib sheet winches and calling out orders to the grinders.

BTW, it's worth noting that these AC staff crew members are often younger professional sailors on the racing circuit, working their way up through the ranks. They know their stuff.

Once out at the boats (if you're not on the first sailing of the day), there's a little dancing around while the first crew gets off and onto the tender, and your crew gets on. Everyone gets put in their assigned places, and there's a safety lecture, because there are definitely some things on these boats that can hurt you if you put your hand down in the wrong place at the wrong moment.

Then the grinders all get some practice to learn how to work the winches. You have to grind in two different directions as the gears are changed on the winches.

After everyone's settled into their jobs, the fun begins. Sails are hoisted (in my case we were the first sail of the day, so we had to help with the hoisting too), and you head out for a standard timed racing start, with all three boats approaching the starting line at once, jockeying for the best position.

Once the race starts, it's definitely a race, and as others have noted, there's a fair amount of pressure on to win. I didn't feel that it was over the top, and for me, it definitely enhanced the experience. It wasn't just a "get out and sail around a bit" type thing. Although you're not using the most powerful sails these boats can carry, the speeds are decently fast. If it's a windy day, the boat will heel over, the water will splash along the decks, and you'll experience some of the most fun that sailing has to offer.

After the finish line is crossed, the crew breaks out beer and water, and there's the pesky speedboat with the cameraman in it, trying to find the best spot to take a group photo. You tie up back on the mooring, sails are lowered, and the dance to put the next crew in the boat begins again.

The tenders take you back (of course) to the AC store on shore, where you can buy those photos, and other gifts. Some AC boat excursions apparently include a meal, which is served at the store.

All in all, I'd say it's a great experience for anyone, with any level of interest in sailing. I had a great time, and it could only have been improved if I could have had a minute at the wheel, to actually steer and sail the boat.

BTW, we (the Canada 2 boat) won our race that day. Whoo Hoo!

I appreciate the advice. I'm guessing that I should first decide which cruise I want. Then call CAS, see what they offer. If it's just the Inside Stateroom (on both certs), then call my Harrah's/Ceasar's host to see what she can do. Right :rolleyes:?

My recommendation would be to decide on your cruise, then call your Harrah's/Ceasar's host and have them make the initial contact with CAS on your behalf (particularly if this is your first time cruising through CAS).

Once you've accepted whatever CAS offers, then you can deal with them directly if you want to pay for an upgrade.

This is our method, and we're very happy with the results.

The Caesar's Host has nothing to do with the CAS Comp.

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Ok, we'll split hairs. It is true that the amount of the comp is decided by NCL & CAS. It is also true that Harrah's/Caesar's owns a portion of NCL and that your Harrah's/Caesar's casino host, while not setting the $ amount of the comp, can have a positive impact on the actions of the NCL/CAS group. We are proof of this: everyone of our cruises, from RCCL to NCL has been comp'd, to some degree or other, through the actions of our Harrah's casino rep, and I believe we have consistently gotten better comp offers working through him than if we had simply called in "off the street" to CAS.

At the very least, your casino host can inform NCL/CAS of your level of play, which will allow them to better decide the $ amount they will offer you. Once you have cruised several times, and demonstrated a consistent play level on board, they would no longer need that information. But I still believe it would be better for a first time gambling cruiser who had a good relationship with a Harrah's/Ceasar's host, to work with through that person to CAS.

I got a CAS Cruise Certificate from Tropicana Las Vegas and now a 2nd Cert from Caesar's.

 

I'm a Caesar's TR Diamond Tier, but never been on a NCL cruise. Does anyone know if I should book the cruise through CAS or through my Caesar's Host. I really want the best room (I can get comped) and am also looking to see if I can combine the 2 CAS Certs for a room upgrade.

If you haven't done so already, and you work well with your Caesar's host, book through them. We book through our Harrah's host all the time, and feel we get better service that way.

Because the NCL CAS system and the Harrah's/Caesar's system are not directly linked, your Caesar's host will be able to work with CAS with his/her knowledge of your play and possibly help you to a better comp from CAS.

This is an interesting thread, I have cruised with Norwegian a couple of times now and I don't know what your all talking about.

 

I googled CAS and all I see is a credit application to apply for credit for what?

 

Where would you put the card in the machine? The last few times I sailed I had to use my room key card in the slot machine. (maybe Norwegian doesn't do that but I thought they did) Anyway, is there something we can do ahead of time to get this card or just wait until we go? I have 4 sea days so I might be in there a bit...if I am winning. lol

No, NCL's player card system is different from other lines. For instance, on RCCL you use your sign&sail card in the machines, and can carry a balance on the card - your wins and losses are added to/deducted from the cash balance on the card.

Putting your room key card in the machine does nothing, as far as I know. On NCL the CAS card is obtained from the casino manager's desk. This is a separate card from your room key/shipboard account card. It does not carry any cash value.

You put the CAS card in the same slot you were putting the room key card in. The small video display panel should then show your name. From that point on, every dollar you risk is being tracked and you should begin to see points accumulate on the display (I think...been 8 months since my last cruise, and can't remember specifically if you get a point accumulation as you do with player cards on land based casinos).

If you are not already a member of the Harrah's Total Rewards system, then you will have to wait until you board to go to the casino and get the CAS card from the desk there. If you are a TR member, and your trip was booked through CAS, your CAS card will be waiting for you in your cabin when you arrive.

Are you a member of Harrah's/Caesar's program? I think this is all tied together if I understand things correctly. Last year my friend who had never been on Norwegian and thus not a member of CAS got an offer. She and I went on that cruise....and are now going in Dec.

 

So after you book ;) come to the roll call for the 3 Dec cruise!

You're correct, Harrah's Total Rewards and NCL's CAS program share a client list, because Harrah's is a partial owner of NCL. Harrah's Total Rewards members will get offers from NCL, and your Total Rewards status will help NCL determine what your likely play on the ship will amount to.

However (and unfortunately), any play on NCL don't carry over to your TR points, and your TR points aren't usable on NCL ships. Too bad...it would be nice if they'd work out a system for that!

I enjoy playing slots/video poker while cruising but other than that I don't go to casinos so I'm not sure how this works. Can someone explain? On our last cruise I just put $$ on my sign & sail card (this was RCCL, haven't been on NCL yet) and then used that card in the video poker machine. Is there a different card I need to get that will track my play?

 

Thanks.

RCCL's system is different than NCL's. If you're going to cruise and gamble on NCL and want your play to be tracked for discounts and future comps, you need to join the Casinos At Sea program. You do this at the Casino desk after you board.

You use the CAS card in the machines and at the tables to get them to track your play. The CAS card does not carry a cash balance, the way the RCCL sign & sail card does. It's just for play tracking.

After you've established a play level on your first cruise with a CAS membership, you may get offers from CAS for discounted cabins on future cruises. It depends on how much you play.

Also, on any cruise that you gamble on with a CAS card, your play will be evaluated at the end of the cruise and you may be offered a discount on your final bill from the ship.

....I can't help but feel like we might get better service if the staff member isn't wondering the whole time if they're just going to get stiffed at the end of the trip....

I think if they are wondering that (about getting stiffed at the end), then they don't understand the purpose & function of the gratuity. It's *earned* not *assured*. If it were assured, then it would just be a service charge on the room....and thus we're back full circle to the beginning of all of these threads about tipping!

But you have a point about running out of money at the end of the trip...of course, there's always the ATM....