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How do the Casinos work on the Carnival Cruises?


fogunited
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Never been on a cruise and not sure how the casinos work on them? Do we have to bring cash? do we add credits on a card? do we take it off a debit or credit card? how do we cash casino chips in? Things of that nature would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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Never been on a cruise and not sure how the casinos work on them? Do we have to bring cash? do we add credits on a card? do we take it off a debit or credit card? how do we cash casino chips in? Things of that nature would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

When you check in you set up a sign and sail account. They will give you a S&S card (looks like a credit card) that is also your cabin key. Everything you purchase on board - drinks, photos, gifts etc, gets put on your account. This sign and sail account is backed by the credit card you give them at check in.

 

The casino is the only place on board that will except cash. (Aside from cash tips you might give service people.) For the table games you use cash. You can get chips charged to your sail and sign account but the casino charges a 3% advance fee (it shows up on your credit card as a total purchase of all your on-board expenses so it does not show up as a cash advance on your credit card. ) Should you win money on the table games you take your chips to the casino cage and they will give you cash.

 

Slot machines you can just put your sign and sail card into the machine and it will create a player "bank" which you can add money to from your on board charge account. This transaction has no 3% fee added to it. You can add money to your "bank" and then go to the casino cage and cash out your bank balance for cash to use at the tables. But I think they limit the amount to $300 at a time. I have not experimented with this because I normally bring cash to play with. You can also bring travelers checks and cash them at the casino cage if you don't want to have too much cash on you while you travel. Again if you should win on the slots you transfer the money from the machine to your bank and cash it out at the cage.

 

On the unlikely chance you should win a LOT of money, you can cash it out at the cash and then go to the guest services desk and you can pay your sign and sail balance there so you don't get a charge on your real credit card.

 

Hope that helps.

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I think cash is the only way to go with gambling funds....bring what you can afford to lose (because that is the most likely outcome!) and when it's all gone, you're finished!

 

I consider gambling to be "entertainment"...and allocate entertainment dollars for just that! I'm never tempted to spend more than I plan to...as I might if I could simply "charge" more!

 

If you access money from your account (whether ship's account or the credit card linked to it) you will incur a charge over a certain amount....so there's a "loss" right there!

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I think cash is the only way to go with gambling funds....bring what you can afford to lose (because that is the most likely outcome!) and when it's all gone, you're finished!

 

I consider gambling to be "entertainment"...and allocate entertainment dollars for just that! I'm never tempted to spend more than I plan to...as I might if I could simply "charge" more!

 

If you access money from your account (whether ship's account or the credit card linked to it) you will incur a charge over a certain amount....so there's a "loss" right there!

 

 

Excellent advice, cb. I'm from the same school of thought as far as gambling goes. I do more than my fair share of time in Vegas and cruise ships at the craps table, but once the cash that I set aside for gaming for that day is gone, then so am I, right out of the casino.

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I think cash is the only way to go with gambling funds....bring what you can afford to lose (because that is the most likely outcome!) and when it's all gone, you're finished!

 

I consider gambling to be "entertainment"...and allocate entertainment dollars for just that! I'm never tempted to spend more than I plan to...as I might if I could simply "charge" more!

 

If you access money from your account (whether ship's account or the credit card linked to it) you will incur a charge over a certain amount....so there's a "loss" right there!

 

Funny I tend to be the exact opposite, I prefer to put all my gambling on my S+S card. I like to be able to look on the TV and see exactly what I have spent on the entire trip. This way I only use cash for tips and the occasional purchase on land. I realize on certain lines I am giving away 3% but I prefer to do that then have a large amount of cash on hand. To each their own i suppose.

 

I do agree that gambling is entertainment, I love to laugh and joke around at the table and I hate when grumpy people (or dealers) are at the table

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  • 1 year later...

 

If you access money from your account (whether ship's account or the credit card linked to it) you will incur a charge over a certain amount....so there's a "loss" right there!

 

Please explain this "charge over a certain amount" for me. Thanks! I have never sailed on Carnival but I am thinking about taking them up on a free cruise.

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willow-- You can get cash at a table using your sign and sail card (your onboard account) but they charge you a 3% fee. You can use that same sign and sail card without the charge at a slot machine and put it on your players bank and cash out at the casino cage but that transaction is limited to $300 or $500 a day??? I could be wrong there as I don't do that. Just keep in mind that you need to play some of that on the slot or they will stop allowing you to do it.

 

I am not aware of how much they will limit you to put on your account overall but realize it will depend on your credit limit on the credit card you back your on-board account with. I would assume they will do pre-charges to you card to validate you can charge that amount as you hit certain points. I have seen people do multiple thousand dollar S&S card withdrawals in the casino throughout a cruise so its at least $3000 if there is a cap.

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willow-- You can get cash at a table using your sign and sail card (your onboard account) but they charge you a 3% fee. You can use that same sign and sail card without the charge at a slot machine and put it on your players bank and cash out at the casino cage but that transaction is limited to $300 or $500 a day??? I could be wrong there as I don't do that. Just keep in mind that you need to play some of that on the slot or they will stop allowing you to do it.

 

I am not aware of how much they will limit you to put on your account overall but realize it will depend on your credit limit on the credit card you back your on-board account with. I would assume they will do pre-charges to you card to validate you can charge that amount as you hit certain points. I have seen people do multiple thousand dollar S&S card withdrawals in the casino throughout a cruise so its at least $3000 if there is a cap.

 

Thanks for that explanation. I know on Princess that I have taken numerous $300 downloads to the slot machines in a day and never paid a fee.

 

Sue

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  • 2 weeks later...

Went on Carnival Imagination from Long Beach to Mexico...Nice cruise, however, still awaiting casino winnings for over 2 months :mad:...Played Texas Hold em on electronic table with several other guests. I inserted my cruise card for chips which was charged to my cruise account. When I left the table with winnings, I was told by the casino employee to insert my card and my winnings would be credited to my cruise account. When my cruise statement arrived before debarkation, there was nothing indicating my casino winnings. Waited 20 minutes in line to speak to guest services who then told me that a separate check would be sent to me in short order...Two months later and several phone calls to Carnival where I was told everything from two weeks to three months to receive my casino winnings I am still without a check. I was forwarded to casino services at one point and waited on the phone for 40 minutes with nobody even answering the phone. Is it unfair to assume that somebody is sitting at a computer at carnival with the ability to cut me a check if guest services would call them. The only words that come to mind is scam and rip off...Can you imagine if Vegas waited several months to pay off winnings to those few who actually win? It's not the amount of the check (over $100)...but the principal of the thing that they were happy to take my money immediately, but appear much less interested in paying off, sitting on my money. I would recommend not gambling in these casinos (especially electronic games) if you wish to collect your winnings in a timely manner. I am still waiting :mad:

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Went on Carnival Imagination from Long Beach to Mexico...Nice cruise, however, still awaiting casino winnings for over 2 months :mad:...Played Texas Hold em on electronic table with several other guests. I inserted my cruise card for chips which was charged to my cruise account. When I left the table with winnings, I was told by the casino employee to insert my card and my winnings would be credited to my cruise account. When my cruise statement arrived before debarkation, there was nothing indicating my casino winnings. Waited 20 minutes in line to speak to guest services who then told me that a separate check would be sent to me in short order...Two months later and several phone calls to Carnival where I was told everything from two weeks to three months to receive my casino winnings I am still without a check. I was forwarded to casino services at one point and waited on the phone for 40 minutes with nobody even answering the phone. Is it unfair to assume that somebody is sitting at a computer at carnival with the ability to cut me a check if guest services would call them. The only words that come to mind is scam and rip off...Can you imagine if Vegas waited several months to pay off winnings to those few who actually win? It's not the amount of the check (over $100)...but the principal of the thing that they were happy to take my money immediately, but appear much less interested in paying off, sitting on my money. I would recommend not gambling in these casinos (especially electronic games) if you wish to collect your winnings in a timely manner. I am still waiting :mad:

 

Why didn't you cash out at the casino cage? On Princess they kept announcing, "Don't forget to cash out your casino account before the casino closes on the last night."

 

Sue

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I was told by the casino person managing the poker table that I should just insert my card and my winnings would appear on my cruise account (which it didn't). Plus, there was nobody at the cashiers cage anyways. I just want to know why it takes three months for them to send me a check. Imagine if Vegas worked that way :eek:...My charges appeared in 3 minutes...Three MONTHS...Really :mad:...Still waiting...

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I was told by the casino person managing the poker table that I should just insert my card and my winnings would appear on my cruise account (which it didn't). Plus, there was nobody at the cashiers cage anyways. I just want to know why it takes three months for them to send me a check. Imagine if Vegas worked that way :eek:...My charges appeared in 3 minutes...Three MONTHS...Really :mad:...Still waiting...

 

I just did some reading on the Carnival site and found out that it says your winnings will be mailed to you in 8 to 12 weeks. You don't have to like it, but they do have it right there to inform you. I am just learing the ins and outs of Carnival since this will be my first cruise with them.

 

Sue

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  • 3 weeks later...
I just did some reading on the Carnival site and found out that it says your winnings will be mailed to you in 8 to 12 weeks. You don't have to like it, but they do have it right there to inform you. I am just learing the ins and outs of Carnival since this will be my first cruise with them.

 

Sue

 

Wow and no way! I want my money ASAP when I win the same way they take it when I lose......I will stick with NCL maybe I will try RCCL in the future it seems they are updating their casino's to be more inline with land based casinos as well. I have a free Carnival cruise certificate to pick up from AC I am not going to bother after reading this.

 

Thanks for the info :)

Edited by monkeybone
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  • 2 months later...

Once on Baird, what do you find to be the best ways to get your casino points? Slots? Table games? Playing with cash every time and then cashing out chips at the cage? What tips/tricks do you find work the best for a new CCL player?

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Once on Baird, what do you find to be the best ways to get your casino points? Slots? Table games? Playing with cash every time and then cashing out chips at the cage? What tips/tricks do you find work the best for a new CCL player?

 

Slot machines automatically track your points, so it is the most reliable. Table games are not automatic. They scan your card when you sit down and note your buy in amount. Then the pit boss watches tables and verifies the amounts you are betting at various times. This is highly unreliable. For best results on table games, make sure the pit boss notices you. Tip the dealers sometimes. For me, I always use the same color chips and make the same size bet every time. Every dealer, boss and host in the whole casino knew how much I bet each time. They only had to record how long I was sitting there playing. They are also supposed to record anytime you use cash to buy chips, and of course they have a record of when you charge chips to your S&S account. Probably the worst way to buy chips is to use cash chips from previous winnings. It's better to cash them in the cage and use cash.

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I was told by the casino person managing the poker table that I should just insert my card and my winnings would appear on my cruise account (which it didn't). Plus, there was nobody at the cashiers cage anyways. I just want to know why it takes three months for them to send me a check. Imagine if Vegas worked that way :eek:...My charges appeared in 3 minutes...Three MONTHS...Really :mad:...Still waiting...

 

Your winnings should appear on your "player bank account," which is different from your "cruise account." Winnings in your player bank account will not appear on your cruise account as they are totally separate. You need to cash out your player bank account on the last night of the cruise. The day of disembark is too late. You have to wait for a check. There is a cashier in the cage anytime the casino is open. The casino is open anytime the ship isn't in port, starting about an hour after the ship leaves any port. Again, the casino is closed the day of disembark so they remind people several times to cash out at the cashier on the last night. Otherwise, you wait a long time for your check.

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Wow and no way! I want my money ASAP when I win the same way they take it when I lose......I will stick with NCL maybe I will try RCCL in the future it seems they are updating their casino's to be more inline with land based casinos as well. I have a free Carnival cruise certificate to pick up from AC I am not going to bother after reading this.

 

They only way you have to wait for your winnings is if you are doing something wrong. Aside from winning a big jackpot at one time--like in a single hit (I think $10,000 is the threshold), your winnings will be available immediately. Like you can win $5000 in roulette over the course of a night, then $5000 the next night, and $5000 the next night and just cash in your chips each night for cash and they never say anything to you. They don't track who and how much people are cashing in from chips (again, unless you come with a huge amount of chips at one time).

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I have cashed in $1100 slot tickets at the casino cashier on Carnival several times. I have had a friend win 5K on a video poker machine and she was paid out cash by the attendant (with a W-2 also). I had a 2k accumulated slot win it would not print a ticket and it had to be hand paid by the attendant, since it was accumulated and not a single hit it did not receive a W-2. If you charge gambling to your S&S card and want to pay it off you have to pay it off at the guest services desk, you can't pay off the S&S card in the casino.

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  • 1 month later...

What sucks is that you get zero points while playing Texas Hold Em on the Poker Pro machines and it seems that those would be just as easy to track as the slots.

 

As far as the guy not getting his winnings from the Hold Em machine it is pretty simple. You CAN get your winnings immediately if you follow the directions they give you. The say to cash out before the close of the casino the last ship day multiple times and it is available in the form of cash in your hands. I have cashed out around 1 am before getting off of the ship at 8 am.

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