Drinks on Us Program

[Elaine515]

To be rated at table games, I understood you have to play $25 hands for at least 4 hours?

 

I believe its $25 a hand for 4 hours each day of the cruise to be qualified for any comps etc... I have a friend who cruises for free on Carnival but gambles much more than required!!!

 

 

 

Well for the comps yea....it sounded like other person didn't know how you get points period.

 

How do you get a drink card as soon as you go to the casino if the points for that cruise are the only ones that count? For playing so much on previous cruises? Just curious, that would be great!

 

 

There are different levels of comps... Premium, Deluxe, etc etc... Each one gives you different "packages".. I don't know which one is the highest, but that one will give you a "drinks on us" card as soon as you arrive. They look at your gambling records for the past 2 years...

[dingusmcduffy]

Ok, so if I go to the casino on the first day and download $1500 onto a machine, does that give me my needed 1500 points? Then I can play off maybe $100 or $200 then cash out and have free drinks the rest of the cruise???

[IslandToIsland]

There are different levels of comps... Premium, Deluxe, etc etc... Each one gives you different "packages".. I don't know which one is the highest, but that one will give you a "drinks on us" card as soon as you arrive. They look at your gambling records for the past 2 years...

Oh ok....I am getting the premium package and I know thats not the highest....I guess I am not feeding the machine enough money. lol What does the Deluxe package consist of? Anyone know?

[dingusmcduffy]

Oh ok....I am getting the premium package and I know thats not the highest....I guess I am not feeding the machine enough money. lol What does the Deluxe package consist of? Anyone know?

 

http://oceanplayersclub.com/CPCAboutTheClub/VIP.aspx

[golfadj]

To be rated at table games, I understood you have to play $25 hands for at least 4 hours?

 

Wow them are real expensive drinks if the table goes against you.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

After this kind of "trial run" across part of the fleet, one would think that they would have had ample time to assess the program and either roll it out to the rest of the ships or end the experiment. But then again, I don't really find this unusual. Perhaps it was never really intended to be on all ships, or perhaps the driving force behind it has lost its steam. Or maybe it's just going to take multiple years, like some other programs with Carnival which come to mind... :rolleyes:

 

I know, right up front, when we book through the casino on NCL that both of us will have cards waiting for us in our cabin (when we first arrive onboard) that entitle us to free drinks in the casino for the duration of the sailing. They also will give $ off the booking itself. For our October sailing on the Pearl, though it's only a two day sailing - we got a few hundred off. For our Epic sailing the following month... how does $2,000 off sound? Yes - there is a casino which better knows how to treat players. I will also mention, as I do every time a Carnival casino thread occurs, that Celebrity beats them as well. Our 10 night (Thanksgiving) sailing on the Constellation was free, as was our sailing on the Solstice last year -- though on that one, in the interest of full disclosure, I did upgrade to a suite and paid the difference.

 

So Carnival .. how is that Drinks On Us program coming along? :rolleyes:

 

 

Tom

[terryinal]

For me it takes way to much money to get 1500 points. I never win a lot and if I do it is going to the house with me.

[popsec]

Wow them are real expensive drinks if the table goes against you.

 

The point is that if you go in chasing comps you're always on the losing end. If comps come your way because you're planning to gamble a certain amount anyway, you're still on the losing end but at least get some payback...

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

The point is that if you go in chasing comps you're always on the losing end. If comps come your way because you're planning to gamble a certain amount anyway, you're still on the losing end but at least get some payback...

 

Well said -- though not always on the losing end when you're there to play at a certain level to begin with... certainly often on the losing end! :eek:

 

On our recent Valor sailing, not only were the drinks free flowing, but - for some unknown reason, so were the chips, session after session. One of those times where you scratch your head and raise your eyebrows because you KNOW that such is not "normal", and you look around for a guardian (gambling) angel! :D

 

Fortunately I had the presence of mind to stop after 2-3 drinks and leave the table "up". No doubt additional drinks (or time) would have seen the pendulum swing back... with a vengeance! :eek:

 

Tom

[golfadj]

The point is that if you go in chasing comps you're always on the losing end. If comps come your way because you're planning to gamble a certain amount anyway, you're still on the losing end but at least get some payback...

 

Bet there are lots of people chasing the drinks and the casino counts on that.

 

House is against me when I have my faculties with me and after a few drinks one side gets better odds and it aint me.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Bet there are lots of people chasing the drinks and the casino counts on that.

 

House is against me when I have my faculties with me and after a few drinks one side gets better odds and it aint me.

 

LOL

 

Lubrication does wonders (money slips easier from your hands)!

 

Tom

[Elaine515]

Ok, so if I go to the casino on the first day and download $1500 onto a machine, does that give me my needed 1500 points? Then I can play off maybe $100 or $200 then cash out and have free drinks the rest of the cruise???

 

 

 

Very funny but NO... You have to play to obtain the 1500 points and its the # of spins, not the dollar amount...

 

Lets just say you start with $20 and get really lucky and keep winning and keep playing... you are thus adding up the points... Now lets say you start with $20 but don't win a thing... you put another $20 in the machine and another but still not winning big but keep pushing that button all the time adding up the points...

 

So, if I made any sense at all, its not really the amount you put into the machine as much as how many spins you play that will get you to the 1500 points... Of course it also takes less spins if you're playing a $1 machine as compared to the penny machine, but again, its all adds up to the # of spins on each machine...

[zano 59]

So Tom , were the free-bees from the Cruise line or the Players Club :confused:

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

So Tom , were the free-bees from the Cruise line or the Players Club :confused:

 

Some is up front from the players club (stuff in cabin and such) - after that it's from the casino host or manager. Those latter "showings of appreciation" are certainly a function of their past dealings with you (if any) along with your demeanor and willingness to gamble (most notably the amount).

 

Tom

[golfadj]

Some is up front from the players club (stuff in cabin and such) - after that it's from the casino host or manager. Those latter "showings of appreciation" are certainly a function of their past dealings with you (if any) along with your demeanor and willingness to gamble (most notably the amount).

 

Tom

 

Does Carnival own the casino or is the space leased out to outside contractor?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Does Carnival own the casino or is the space leased out to outside contractor?

 

Though I have never asked, I would assume that it's ALL (even if a subsidiary) Carnival. I can't see them giving up part of that big bowl of gravy!!

 

Tom

[RWolver672]

I think people are confusing the "Drinks on Us" program with the Ocean Players Club. They are two completely separate programs. You don't have to be a member of the Ocean Players Club to qualify for the Drinks on Us program.

 

I spent roughly $280 on the slots varying between 5 to 45 cents per pull. I hit the 1000 points mark on the last day of the seven day cruise. That gave me $10 in free money on my casino account. DW had hit 1000 the night before and hit the free drinks on the last night. (She never did tell me how much she had spent though.)

[LuvCruiSun]

They have it on the Triumph. I didn't get to 1500 points until the last day though, so only used it for a couple drinks.

[NewfieGirl79]

It was on the Liberty in May. DH hit the free drinks on the last evening of the cruise.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Sounds like a lot of loyal players hit it on/around the last day. Yes, Carnival does not have any competition when you are on their ship. But I wonder how much they calculate you have to lose first, before they give you something tangible back?

 

Tom

[LuvCruiSun]

My husband and I both hit a progressive royal flush for a total of $4500!! So we were way ahead when I finally got my free drinks.

[Silverscreencruiser]

I never play slots and I don't play $25 a hand blackjack so I'll probably never get the free drinks, but I understand from their standpoint why they prefer slot players to table players. A blackjack or similar card table requires one Carnival employee to service from 1 to 8 players at a time. The craps tables require even more employees per player. On the other hand, 1 or 2 employees can handle whatever needs to be done at the slot machines for potentially dozens of players.

 

If they could make everyone happy by only offering slot machines on a cruise, they would have less than half the casino staff they do now.

[popsec]

I never play slots and I don't play $25 a hand blackjack so I'll probably never get the free drinks, but I understand from their standpoint why they prefer slot players to table players. A blackjack or similar card table requires one Carnival employee to service from 1 to 8 players at a time. The craps tables require even more employees per player. On the other hand, 1 or 2 employees can handle whatever needs to be done at the slot machines for potentially dozens of players.

 

If they could make everyone happy by only offering slot machines on a cruise, they would have less than half the casino staff they do now.

 

Also, the odds are much better for the player at table games

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

On our Valor cruise recently, they had 2 or 3 new (electronic) blackjack tables. They had 1 person in the pit to help with questions and such. This certainly saves them on staffing if it catches on. Though I don't see them using any extra space they gain (staff quarters) to bring back the full deck band! :)

 

Tom

[kayakittyyak]

My mom got to the 1500 points on the second day of our Freedom 8 days cruise in May. I can say one thing - the wine they served her so SOOO much better than the wine I was getting for my prepaid drink tickets LOL! The bar tickets were showing $8+ for some glasses and $9 for others.