clcjdn

You lost me at "I" :eek: LOL which translates into "I have no freaking clue". I have never paid attention to how any of that works but seeing as I like math I am going to re-read your post a few times very slowly and see if I can get the grasp of it.

 

Thanks for the challenge.:)

 

 

Rochelle

No problem....just trying to keep you sharp. :)

I posted this in the casino section as well, but I was just told that CAS raised the theoretical loss for ocean views from 2,000 to 2,800 based on last sailing. Seems like they are tightening that as well as removing the perks once someone gets to a certain status.....

On a side note, I am seriously questioning their calculation method on theoretical loss at this point....they told me I had a 2,000 theo loss, I put 4,500 points on my card, mainly video poker and some slots......at the dollar per point ratios, I cycled between $22,500 if I played only slots and $45,000 if I played only VP ($5 and $10 per point).....I multiplied that by the house edge on each game (used 5% on VP, which required perfect strategy, not many people play at that level, I am at 98.5% accuracy when I test) and used 20% on slots.....I come back with an expected loss of $2,250 on VP to $4,500 on slots......do you think they only use a house edge of 5% on video poker, or is there some other flaw in my logic that I am missing? Thanks!

I just got off the phone with my CAS rep.....she also said that they were increasing the theoretical loss amounts for comps at all levels.....something about the old threshold was $2,000 for an OV, but it is going up to $2,800 now.....I guess I will see how my June trip runs, but not looking very promising going forward, IMO.....

So I just got off the Epic yesterday. I went through my points with the host. I started the cruise with about 10,300 points. As of 4/1, I will lose about 6,000 points (from my Sun sailing). The 4,300 points from my Getaway sailing (8/2014) will be combined with my points on the Epic (3/2015) for my tier level from 4/15-3/16. I got about 4,500 points on this cruise, so I was told I will still be "hot". The difference as I am reading it is that even if I get 7,000 points on my June Breakaway cruise, I will still not get "Golden" but rather just have my first points to work on for my 2016 tier level.....proof will be in the pudding come June for me (although it would take a huge trip/increased budget to get to 7k points on a single cruise for me). On a positive note, 2 $1,500 hand pays, a dealt RF on $.25 for $1,000, and a few other cash outs of $500-$1,000 made this a pretty good trip. :)

I'm curious as to what the April offer will be as well.....just back from the Epic and trying to get caught up. I apologize if there is another thread, just haven't seen anything else yet. :)

Does the Hold Em' Poker table have a live dealer on the Epic?

Just off today....2 live poker tables with dealers.....1 used most of the time, 2nd hardly ever open.

HAHA me too! I've heard Disney CL has no casinos so guess me can scratch them off the list!

Hey, I resemble that comment.....No Disney for me either.....Epic tomorrow though!

I haven't redeemed for the tables, but I would assume so.

It's been my experience that machines are always tight on cruise ships. I hardly waste my time. When I want to gamble, I go to Vegas. In my opinion, spending time in a casino on a cruise ship is a huge waste of time.

I would say it depends on your objectives....I love Vegas and it is my primary spot for "good" gambling. However, we have local casinos in CO......better video poker machines than cruise ships, but not as good as Vegas. We primarily transitioned to NCL which has better machines and more video poker variety than Carnival. With the lowest payback on the ships, we do get value in the "comps" offered by CAS. I paid normal internet pricing for my first NCL, but since then, I have received comps on all NCL sailings we take. The price is about $600 for the two of us on pretty much any 7 day cruise (including Alaska and Europe, future plans there) and when they run a promo like the Kids Sail Free, it can be a huge score.....case in point, June on the Breakaway......$6,000 before the comp and promo....after the comp and promo, $1,200. I figure I can gamble $2,400 and still get 2 for 1 on my money since I just saved $4,800.....and all of that is before I even see if I can win on the machines.....no brainer for us.....however, if we just gambled casually, I would say to stay away from them because you wouldn't qualify for the comp deals......

I think that it is $100, and was told here that there is still a 3% fee charged against that to use in the casino.

 

gary

The casino has an offer where they take the $100 OBC back and give you $125 in credits. They have to be played once, but you can bank any wins you have once you run through them.

Thanks for the check in! We leave on her this Sunday!

Agree on the NCL front.....I have transitioned over to them. The only Carnival ones I take now are the "free" ones that I only have to pay taxes/port fees on. Figure I'll keep taking them as long as they keep giving. :)

I am not 100% on how long they last/expire. It seems to me CCL is focused on your last cruise mainly. However, I cannot see them only basing offers on that since people may have a "down" cruise or something. Best bet is to just email and ask what, if anything, you can get.....

I have used:

exechost@carnival.com

Last time I dealt with Lilian.....she is good also!

Did you send to the general casino mailbox or the executive host email? The argument is that the card is based on previous play not on the current offer/deal. Whether you had 5,000 points or more on your last cruise was not impacted by the promotion you got for this one........these were Martin's words to me in an email:

"To answer the first question: complimentary drinks on a cruise such as this is based on whether you reached the 5,000 point threshold on the cruise prior to prequalify."

I am not sure if Martin is still with CCL, but worth a shot..... :)

The 3% fee is present no matter what type of account you have set up. I don't believe the casino systems that charge the fee "know" anything about your account except for pass/fail on authorizations. Depending on your level of gambling, you can ask the host to review your account for any "comps" on the last night. If you have played "enough" they will likely waive those fees. I used quotes here because it is such a gray area, and you really will not find out until it happens. Thanks!

Did you email one of the executive hosts? Whenever I go on the short ones, I email them first to see if I had enough points on my last cruise to pre-qualify for the drink card. Usually it is 5,000 points on a 7 day cruise.......hope this helps....

I know they don't have the Drink on Us program at all on the 3-4 cruises, no matter how many points you accumulate.

That is in direct conflict with my January 2015 cruise on the Triumph (4 days). I received the card prior to playing based on previous play. However, there were signs all over saying the Drinks On Us card was available once you reached X points.....and I really want to say that X was 1,500, but I am not 100% on that.

Sorry, but NCL suspends UPB plan over Spring Break

For under 25 I believe. We are going on Sunday and my 27 year old cousin has it.

I go every couple of days and check my charges and pay some cash along the way. You do not want to do it the last day usually very crowded at the front desk.

I usually do it after I win something big in the casino.....so in all of my cruises, I have done it twice. ;) Hopefully I will do it again on this next one. :)

The cruise line will get authorizations for charges along the way, so if you don't want a large hit against your card (temporary via authorization) I would suggest paying with cash along the way. The other option would be to pre-pay with the cash (creating a credit in your on board account) and then using it up/using casino to cash out on the last night.

1. Yes, they both operate with cards. You can use cash to fund the cards however.

 

2. For a 4 day cruise it's $74 pp per day.

The $74 is for the UDP (Ulitmate Dinner Package) and is the total price. The UBP (Ultimate Beverage Package) is $54 per person per day (all adults in cabin must purchase, unless part of the promotion) so $216 for a 4 day cruise and includes drink gratuities.

I haven't received a "free" cruise on Carnival, but I have received them directly. I also have been on multiple "comp" cruises from NCL. When I have received the Carnival variety, they are actually cheaper than NCL. Literally, the only fees you pay are the taxes and port fees (like $75-$100 for 2 both times). I am not sure with this offer though, since I have not had one before. As for drinks, you will likely have to earn them with points, unless it is part of the land based package deal. In my opinion, it wouldn't hurt to ask...... :) Hope this helps!

I was just wondering how that works. Just received a cruise comp from cas and booked it for the dawn. I just don't know what else might be included.

Since you booked a comp through CAS, you should get a "Drinks on Us" card, I believe. I went straight to "Hot" on my first, so I cannot say I have first hand knowledge, but that is what everyone here says. The main thing at the "hot" level is a dinner for 2 in a specialty restaurant, but you can always ask the host if they can hook you up. On my last one, my dinner for 2 turned into dinner for 6 with 2 cocktails for each of the 3 adults at the host's discretion. Also, be sure to ask the host to review your play on the last night (don't take any cash out options) and they may take off more $ than you would receive in gambling credits. Speaking of, I think you may get $50 in points when you hit "hot" but I am not sure how that works with cashing out/host review. I didn't know to ask on the first cruise, so nothing was taken off. Good luck!

I sailed on the Jem last May. I was just short of gaining hot with cas. I am currently lucky. I achieved enough points for a casino drink card during the cruise. My question is, i have booked a cruise on the dawn this coming june. Will my perks stay the same or do I have to start allover again. Thanks in advance for any help.

My understanding is that the accumulation period runs from 3/31 (previous year) to 4/1 (current year). Anything after 4/1/2015 will be separate from points earned between 4/1/2014 and 3/31/2015. Not good for your situation, but I hope this description helps.