Free upgrade secret

[Putterdude]

We hardly gamble at all and have been upgraded twice in the past 2 years, so maybe high rollers get upgraded more often....but I suspect I am money ahead. :)

[johhnnyt]

Its a pretty sophisticated system they have for monitoring players, and like most have mentioned you're not gonna get freebies unless you spend enough in the casinos to warrant it. Last cruise there was a guy who every night would cash in about $5K get chips and play $20 a roll on roulette, or a few hands of blackjack. He pissed off quite a few people cashing in and out several times a night more than anything else.

I asked the casino manager about it and he said, the guy thought the casino would comp him some things if he showed he had money to throw around the casino, but reality was they wouldn't.

From what I understand the rule of thumb is average bets must exceed $50/hand in blackjack or craps $25/roll in roulette or play the $5 slots , and you have to play at least 2 hours a day to really expect them to give you anything more than a free drink.

[RosieCanberra]

Its a pretty sophisticated system they have for monitoring players, and like most have mentioned you're not gonna get freebies unless you spend enough in the casinos to warrant it. Last cruise there was a guy who every night would cash in about $5K get chips and play $20 a roll on roulette, or a few hands of blackjack. He pissed off quite a few people cashing in and out several times a night more than anything else.

I asked the casino manager about it and he said, the guy thought the casino would comp him some things if he showed he had money to throw around the casino, but reality was they wouldn't.

From what I understand the rule of thumb is average bets must exceed $50/hand in blackjack or craps $25/roll in roulette or play the $5 slots , and you have to play at least 2 hours a day to really expect them to give you anything more than a free drink.

Personally, I would rather just buy the drinks and gamble as I see fit. If something free eventuates, so be it.:D

[snausman]

Thanks everyone for all the information, do appreciate it.

 

Laura

[Fixit2010]

First this is not really getting a free upgrade. Celebrity know what the cost for every passenger is to allocate an upgrade. Just like a mobile phone provider can see your spending habit and decide on an upgrade allocation. In the casino instance, you are just spending money here in this facility.

 

Secondly it is no different from buying goods from a wholesaler. I can buy x number of consumer electronics and get a "free gift". Sometimes its a laptop, sometimes it could be an iphone and other times its something else.

 

By the time you qualified for the free gift or free upgrade you would have spent the qualifying minimum amount.

 

No secret, plain old commerce. All businesses want to keep their big spenders as they know, if a customer goes elsewhere, they have to work 10 times harder to get them back.

[gymjudge55]

lais, be sure to get a card!! I usually play the tables but wasn't doing all that well and went to the machines. On day 3 the casino hostess came up and called me by name and introduced herself. I thought that was weird, like how does she know my name; but I guess the track by the machine and know who is playing what?

 

Anyway she gave me a Blue Chip card and free drink coupons. Whenever I play either the tables or the machines I ALWAYS use my card.

Drinks are comped, you get specialty restaurant comps, and as mentioned previously, toward the beginning of the year you are emailed a list of complimentary cruises. I'm guessing these are cruises that don't sell well but they include Caribbean, Mediterranean and Alaskan. It doesn't include port charges or tips but the cruise (usually in a CC) is "free". Also at the beginning of the cruise, you can check in at the casino cashier and based on the previous cruise, there will be a cash rebate. An additional "perk" is that you don't have to pay the 3% (though I hear it's now 5%) charge on cash advances.

 

I agree w/ DoCruises about my reasons for gambling. When I lived in Pasadena, I'd be off at least once a month to Vegas for my "free" suite, meals etc. In Texas there are no casinos and I'm not fond of Shreveport or the Oklahoma casinos.

 

And before anyone says anything, I KNOW it's not "free" hence the "". Yes I pay for it every time I lose a hand of blackjack or a pull of a slot machine. I enjoy gambling. Sometimes I go home a big winner, sometimes I go home more or less even and YES many times I go home a LOSER w/ a capital L but I never gamble more than I can afford to lose.

 

Oh and I personally DO NOT bring 10K w/ me to gamble FYI.

 

Good to know, I am a Vegas junkie, go several times a year for free and love to play. Not a high roller, not looking for comps, but I will play anyway and hopefully get a little something for the play.

[techsearch]

To the OP, wow - a whole lot of opinions on here! :-) just wanted to jump in and tell you I get it, totally. And GLAD to know this. We too play Vegas a good bit, free planes sent for us, suites at Wynn and Bellagio, comped steakhouse meals, etc. And we are so NOT high rollers. Much like you, sometimes we come home only down a few hundred bucks. Where else can we go for a long weekend and live the high life for a few hundred bucks in a swank hotel. So, I get it. But i don't seem to play as hard on the ships, your info shared here might make me reconsider that in the future....really didn't know comps/upgrades were available. So, net, net - good to know, thanks for sharing!

[Fixit2010]

Mind if I ask those who do play on the ship for big $, how much have you lost in a night when lady luck stood you up?

[Shippy]

Mind if I ask those who do play on the ship for big $, how much have you lost in a night when lady luck stood you up?

 

.....or should I say investments :O)

 

However, last May on the Infinity, I hit a $1800. jackpot on a quarter machine. It took 3 coins so more like a 75 cent machine. I always play max coins in.

In September, I hit $2400. on a penny machine on the Oasis. That was 200 coins in max so really $2. a spin to do max coins......no tax forms at sea !

 

I always put my seapass card in the machine. Every point you get counts. Although you might read in the 'official information' that it is $5. a spin on the machines for Club Royale (Royal Caribbean's club or the Blue Chip club,Celebritys) it simply is not true. It is just like a land based casino. You can actually see your points add up on your card when in the slot machine. Obviously points add up faster on a dollar machine than a nickle one.

It is the total number of points that qualify you.

One of the casino hosts told me it should average 300 points a day or 2100 total for a 7 day cruise. So if I do not play one day, I can just make up the points the next day.

Aside from all the perks already mentioned in these posting, I will be getting $375.00 & my husband $325.00 cash at the casino cage on our cruise this May. That was based on the play we had on our last cruise. I have gotten as high as $1100.00 in the past.

It is kind of fun to wait for 'the letter' about a month after you get home to see how much you get on your next cruise.

 

I generally play quarters & can make my necessary points fairly easily.

[GranthamMommy]

.....or should I say investments :O)

 

However, last May on the Infinity, I hit a $1800. jackpot on a quarter machine. It took 3 coins so more like a 75 cent machine. I always play max coins in.

In September, I hit $2400. on a penny machine on the Oasis. That was 200 coins in max so really $2. a spin to do max coins......no tax forms at sea !

 

I always put my seapass card in the machine. Every point you get counts. Although you might read in the 'official information' that it is $5. a spin on the machines for Club Royale (Royal Caribbean's club or the Blue Chip club,Celebritys) it simply is not true. It is just like a land based casino. You can actually see your points add up on your card when in the slot machine. Obviously points add up faster on a dollar machine than a nickle one.

It is the total number of points that qualify you.

One of the casino hosts told me it should average 300 points a day or 2100 total for a 7 day cruise. So if I do not play one day, I can just make up the points the next day.

Aside from all the perks already mentioned in these posting, I will be getting $375.00 & my husband $325.00 cash at the casino cage on our cruise this May. That was based on the play we had on our last cruise. I have gotten as high as $1100.00 in the past.

It is kind of fun to wait for 'the letter' about a month after you get home to see how much you get on your next cruise.

 

I generally play quarters & can make my necessary points fairly easily.

 

Thank you for the information OP. My husband and I usually spend a few hours each evening in the casino. Some spend there money on the premium drink package, we budget for the casino.

[h20cruzer]

Here is what I dont get..... joining the Blue Chip on Celebrity is by invitation only. People might play more if there was a club for everyone. Makes me mad because I dont gamble those kinds of $$$ that I am excluded. I do gamble everyday but not large amounts.

If fell left out now and dont really want to give them any money.

[gymjudge55]

Here is what I dont get..... joining the Blue Chip on Celebrity is by invitation only. People might play more if there was a club for everyone. Makes me mad because I dont gamble those kinds of $$$ that I am excluded. I do gamble everyday but not large amounts.

If fell left out now and dont really want to give them any money.

 

There is a club for everyone - Fortune Club. Blue Chip is for high rollers.

[Karynanne]

Here is what I dont get..... joining the Blue Chip on Celebrity is by invitation only. People might play more if there was a club for everyone. Makes me mad because I dont gamble those kinds of $$$ that I am excluded. I do gamble everyday but not large amounts.

If fell left out now and dont really want to give them any money.

 

The Blue Chip Club has been in existance for quite a few years, and up until recently was really never mentioned on this board.

 

If you enjoy gambling for enjoyment, continue it and just have fun. Those passengers that have been members of this club usually are discreet about about the rules and regulations and perks.

[AMAC86]

The biggest money suck is that quarter sweeping machine! Don't do it!!!!!!