Casino money, cash or seapass!

[MR_T]

Hi all

 

We are heading off for our first cruise next week and was just wondering what is accepted in the casino... Do we use our seapass to get chips or cash? Also what do we use for the slot machines?

 

Just trying to work out how much cash to take with us,

 

Thanks in advance

Tony

[Alg63]

The slots take US $. You can get a cash advance from reception but there is a 5% cash advance fee by Celebrity plus any charges your bank may impose. There is also an ATM but half the time on my cruise in Nov is was not working. You would only insert/use your seapass to get extra points/win bonuses as you played, or to charge extras to your room. You cannot insert your seapass into te slot machines as a method of payment or cash advance facility.

[garycarla]

The slots take US $. You can get a cash advance from reception but there is a 5% cash advance fee by Celebrity plus any charges your bank may impose. ...

 

The bank will see this is a a NORMAL purchase, just like drinks, excursions, etc onboard. If you are one that pays off you bill in full, no extra charge from the bank. If you are a fool and are paying the minimum and getting hit with 18-24% interest... well, that is another story.

[mandream]

Note that if you are playing in a casino tournament, you can get cash for the entry fee from your seapass account without the 5% surcharge.

 

As previously posted, this does not appear as a cash advance on your credit card. The amount is just rolled into your other onboard charges.

 

Mike

[cruisestitch]

Alg63 wrote

"The slots take US $. You can get a cash advance from reception but there is a 5% cash advance fee by Celebrity plus any charges your bank may impose."

 

Then garycarla wrote:

"The bank will see this is a a NORMAL purchase, just like drinks, excursions, etc onboard. If you are one that pays off you bill in full, no extra charge from the bank. "

 

Well, let's go into this a bit further. Keep in mind that the OP is from England.

 

The bank will, indeed be unable to distinguish a casino cash withdrawal as anything different than any other normal, on board purchase. They all go into the SeaPass account, and they altogether get paid to Celebrity.

 

HOWEVER, the bank MAY add charges for currency conversion. So Alg63 is right to make note of that possibility. This is not the interest charged for carrying a balance from one month to the next, but the "foreign transaction fee" and/or the "foreign conversion fees" may still apply.

[dkjretired]

Alg63 wrote

"The slots take US $. You can get a cash advance from reception but there is a 5% cash advance fee by Celebrity plus any charges your bank may impose."

 

Then garycarla wrote:

"The bank will see this is a a NORMAL purchase, just like drinks, excursions, etc onboard. If you are one that pays off you bill in full, no extra charge from the bank. "

 

Well, let's go into this a bit further. Keep in mind that the OP is from England.

 

The bank will, indeed be unable to distinguish a casino cash withdrawal as anything different than any other normal, on board purchase. They all go into the SeaPass account, and they altogether get paid to Celebrity.

 

 

 

HOWEVER, the bank MAY add charges for currency conversion. So Alg63 is right to make note of that possibility. This is not the interest charged for carrying a balance from one month to the next, but the "foreign transaction fee" and/or the "foreign conversion fees" may still apply.

 

I beg to differ with you on this. I have done this in the past when it was free and it goes into the bank as one purchase from Celebrity, the bank doesn't even see the details of the transaction just that x amount of dollars is being charged.

 

Same as if you went into Home Depot and bought a $500 saw, HD then sends it to the bank and most likely doesn't even know you bought a saw, for all they know you bought 2000widgets.

[cruisestitch]

I think we are saying the same thing -- but remember that the OP is not in the US. So when the charge comes through, it will be in US dollars that his/her bank will have to convert to their local currency. Just as if they bought a toaster at a department store, there may be a "foreign transaction fee" and there may be "foreign currency conversion fees" applied by the bank.

 

Celebrity would charge 5% for a casino withdrawal, and the OP's bank may charge them some fees because the transaction will need to be converted from US dollars to their currency.

 

There are some credit cards which don't charge "foreign transaction fees" but that's the point of saying that there MAY be a fee involved with charging the cash withdrawal (as well as any other on board charges) to the SeaPass account.

[KirkNC]

Use cash to avoid the surcharge.

[Alg63]

The bank will see this is a a NORMAL purchase, just like drinks, excursions, etc onboard. If you are one that pays off you bill in full, no extra charge from the bank. If you are a fool and are paying the minimum and getting hit with 18-24% interest... well, that is another story.

 

 

I would like to think you are not calling me a fool personally? :confused:

I am referring to any foreign transaction fees which may be assessed based on the passengers country of origin, so yes, there may be additional fees.

[dkjretired]

Alg63 wrote

"The slots take US $. You can get a cash advance from reception but there is a 5% cash advance fee by Celebrity plus any charges your bank may impose."

 

Then garycarla wrote:

"The bank will see this is a a NORMAL purchase, just like drinks, excursions, etc onboard. If you are one that pays off you bill in full, no extra charge from the bank. "

 

Well, let's go into this a bit further. Keep in mind that the OP is from England.

 

The bank will, indeed be unable to distinguish a casino cash withdrawal as anything different than any other normal, on board purchase. They all go into the SeaPass account, and they altogether get paid to Celebrity.

 

HOWEVER, the bank MAY add charges for currency conversion. So Alg63 is right to make note of that possibility. This is not the interest charged for carrying a balance from one month to the next, but the "foreign transaction fee" and/or the "foreign conversion fees" may still apply.

 

But any conversion charges would be on the whole amount not just the money taken out at the casino. From my experience the bank doesn't even know you took money out at the casino.

[cruisestitch]

Absolutely correct. The bank will not treat it the way they do a cash advance. To them, It's simply a purchase. It's Celebrity that adds a charge for cash withdrawal, not the bank.

[garycarla]

I surely was not referring to anyone hit with a currency exchange fee as a fool. Currency exchange is just part of doing business.

 

Paying 18-24% in interest is a whole other story.

 

So, I think everyone agrees. You may well pay the 5% charged by the cruiseline.

 

You will not pay a cash advance fee.

 

You might pay a currency conversion, the same as any other onboard expense.

[dkjretired]

I surely was not referring to anyone hit with a currency exchange fee as a fool. Currency exchange is just part of doing business.

 

Paying 18-24% in interest is a whole other story.

 

So, I think everyone agrees. You may well pay the 5% charged by the cruiseline.

 

You will not pay a cash advance fee.

 

You might pay a currency conversion, the same as any other onboard expense.

 

The only benefit is as a purchase you get your miles or points on the credit card for everything, even the money you took out since its a purchase. That was a big benefit when the charge was zero, lots of people used to take out their tip money from the casino and pick up the points.

 

The way I look at it, is if you use the money in the casino, the house edge increases by 5% over their already high percentage.

[swooldri]

OK..so if I understand this correctly..say I want a $100 cash advance from the casino, I will be charged $105 to my on board account. ( a 5% charge vs the 3% charge on RCI)...Correct?:confused:

[kacurl]

Ok i am now confused while on the solstice last year i just used my seapass card for the slots and was not charged any xtra if i wanted my winnings i just printed voucher and got my money

[justcrusn]

OK..so if I understand this correctly..say I want a $100 cash advance from the casino, I will be charged $105 to my on board account. ( a 5% charge vs the 3% charge on RCI)...Correct?:confused:

 

That is precisely how it works. I just did the same thing on RCI 2 weeks ago.

$100 withdrawl from the casino teller = $103 charge on my account.

It would be $105 on celebrity.

 

It was listed on my charges with everything else I purchased, wine,bingo,etc. and the only thing my bank saw was the cruise total as one debit.

[Andy]

Ok i am now confused while on the solstice last year i just used my seapass card for the slots and was not charged any xtra if i wanted my winnings i just printed voucher and got my money

 

Hi Kacurl,

 

What's being discussed in the earlier posts, is requesting money from the Casino cage, or at the Gaming tables. In those cases, there's a 5% surcharge.

 

When you cash out your winnings from Slots, there's no surcharge. I hope this helps !