CAS Comp Cruise

[Alliezona09]

I know that the costs and charges are much more expensive in NY than they are in Miami.

 

Also, was yours a full comp or just discounted.

 

Also, maybe it has something to do with your past casino cruise history?

 

Just guessing here.

 

Harriet

 

Your play levels are different than Harriet's.

 

So they offered you a comp inside, with $900 upgrade. They offered her a comp aft mini-suite.

 

On my upcoming Breakaway out of NYC, I got a comp Spa Suite in exchange for Taxes & Fees of $852 for two people...but this is a 12 day cruise, so not surprising it's a bit higher taxes & port charges.

 

 

.

 

Mine was a full comp but not thru CAS, it was from a land based casino~ but to me it still doesn't make sense how they charge the NCF on comped cruises :confused: but I guess that's something we'll never figure out, but hey not complaining just curious~ I'm happy to get on the Breakaway with free drinks in the casino before I even put a dime in, plus the CAS party and CAS boarding~ plus our Dawn cruise is another comped one, plus in December we'll get another free cruise from our land based casino~ :D So please don't think I'm complaining, just curious how they figure out the NCF's :D

Edited November 5, 2013 by Alliezona09

[bingo515]

I'm quite upset as I am having a similar issue as well. Was comped months ago an Inside cabin on the breakaway(Dec 1) left to pay port and tax fees. I was not planning on cruising again this yr but couldn't pass up the offer. I usually stay in a balcony but the upgrade was out of the budget at the time and the lady said I could always check back if the prices came down. I have now since called and told of flat upgrade prices. So right now if I pay upgrade Balcony price it is essentially the same price as anyone booking online, therefore eroding "the offer" if you will. If I want to upgrade to suite at the flat upgrade rate it would actually be more then if I just booked online today. I just don't agree with how they are doing this. At the very least I feel at time of booking the offer they would have told me they have set upgrade rates for better rooms that will not change based on market rates. I've tried to reach out to higher ups in NCL with no luck. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[cruise4kicks]

My understanding is that if you want to upgrade at some time after booking, the price is not based on current fares, but on the rates in effect at the time of booking. Moral of the story: Book what you will be happy with at the time of booking, because they won't give you the lower fares later.

[nyc12345]

Correct me if I am wrong, but you are still getting a better deal with a free cruise, even though you are paying port charges and government taxes. No matter how cheap those cruises get, they would never be less than just port charges plus taxes.

 

For your cruise, your port charge is $175, so even if they drop the price down to $269+tax, you are still paying $94 more per person, how is that better than your so called free cruise?

 

I wish they would send me offers like that. My sister got it from NCL CAS, my brother got it through AC casino, but I don't get any...:confused:

[spidybabe]

Just like land based casinos your offers will depend on your amount of play. Some people in Atlantic City can only get rooms Monday-Thursdays, some get weekend rooms, and some get suites. It's all relative to play. We are always happy with any comped room-either from CAS or land based casino. Usually get inside, then ask if any upgrades available--sometimes free to OV. For our next cruise we upgraded ourselves to aft balcony (can't wait), but we are still paying less for our aft balcony than regular price for inside GTY!! About $2000- off regular price for aft balcony. Can't beat that deal!!

Safe sailling

[lild428]

I'm glad some people see my point lol

 

Like I said, $200 is better than nothing but they act like they're giving me the world. And furthermore, their fees for upgrading to a different room are astronomical. Just funny to see the price differences between the different TA sites and NCL and CAS... the true cost of an inside room (excluding taxes and port charges) is peanuts. I start to feel bad for people who book so far in advance and then can't cancel and rebook to get a better price. Like I said, we have the luxury of booking last minute and it's worked out very well for us in the past. This will be our first CAS cruise and I guess I just expected a little more of an offer.

 

If they gave a free drink package instead of just free drinks in the casino, that'd make the deal very nice :D It's all to get you to stay in the casino longer, I'm no dummy.

 

So anyways, the guy at CAS told me that the comp perks are determined by how long you play, the type of game you play, and how much you bet. Not if you win or lose.

[pokerpro5]

I have never been on NCL (my first time will be December), but as you might surmise from my name, I am an expert on the casino industry and perhaps can shed a bit of light upon the operations of Casinos At Sea (CAS).

 

First off, you need to understand the CAS program, and its goals. Many people confuse CAS as being similar to hosts/casino marketing departments in Vegas. They are actually quite different, despite the fact that they engage in marketing partnerships.

 

I'll start simple. There is absolutely no way to get a better price than "only port fees and taxes". You always pay port fees and taxes. If you didn't, these are REAL fees that the cruise lines would have to pay themselves, so they always make sure you pay them. Therefore, if you are getting a free cruise where you just pay port fees and taxes, stop looking elsewhere for a better deal, as you will not find one. The only exception is if you want to upgrade, which I will get to later in this post.

 

So how does CAS work?

 

They are basically looking to get gamblers on board to lose money at their casino, at the least possible cost to NCL.

 

What do I mean by least possible cost?

 

If you are occupying a free room that would otherwise have been paid for by another guest, it is costing NCL money to have you on board.

 

Therefore, in most cases, CAS only hands out bottom-level interior cabins for free. And they enforce blackout dates, so you can't get these cabins during high season, such as the Thanksgiving and Christmas cruises.

 

Why?

 

Because on the less popular sail dates, these bottom level interior cabins either go empty or are sold EXTREMELY cheap (usually just a hair above port fee/taxes), so NCL is losing just about nothing by providing you that free cabin. Instead of giving those interior cabins to cheapo bargain travelers who are unlikely to spend much (or any) money otherwise on the ship, they are filling the rooms with known gamblers. Obviously a win for NCL.

 

This leads me to the question everyone is asking:

 

"If I got a free interior cabin, and if the NCL website lists it as being worth $499, why can't I upgrade to an oceanview room worth $599 for $100 per person? Why are they charging such outrageous fees for upgrades?"

 

This is because the "$499" room you're getting is worth $499 to you, but NOT to NCL. If it's going to likely sail empty, or if they are going to end up selling it for $269, then it's not really a $499 room, and you aren't going to get credit for $499 worth of comps. Instead, they will re-value the room at the rate it likely would have sold (by historical data from past cruises), and pretend that's what you paid. Your upgrade rate is based upon that.

 

Or, if you want to get really simple, CAS is giving you a room THEY want you to occupy. If you decide that you want to occupy a different category, the "free" deal is pretty much off, and now you're going to have to pay a lot for it.

 

Now, you might say, "But I got this room as an offer from my land-based casino! It was for all of the play I put in there! How can NCL/CAS be treating me as if they're doing ME a favor, when this was bought for me by my land based casino?"

 

Answer: It wasn't bought for you. It was a marketing partnership.

 

For example, Caesar's properties have been giving a way a TON of NCL cruise certificates.

 

Caesar's did not pay a dime for these. CAS gave them for free to Caesar's, to hand out to Caesar's mid-level and high-level gamblers.

 

The benefit from Caesar's end: They get to give away free cruises, and draw their reliable gamblers into the casino for this promotion, without having to spend any actual money on the promotion.

 

The benefit from CAS' end: They get known gamblers on board, occupying rooms that would have otherwise either sailed empty or gone for bargain rates!

 

It's a win-win for both sides.

 

Now, you might say, "Well, CAS is looking for gambling, so how about I just gamble a lot in their casino, and get myself a lot of nice upgrades in the future, and perhaps charge-offs from my shipboard account for this cruise?"

 

Unless you are a sick gambler and can't resist giving them a lot of action, this is a bad idea.

 

The cruise ship casinos have TERRIBLE odds. For example, their video poker has horrendous payouts compared to their land based counterparts, as do the slots. The blackjack is more standard (I think -- haven't checked NCL specifically), but it won't get you anything special comp-wise.

 

In general, the comp programs for CAS stink compared to land-based casinos.

 

That is, the same amount of action given in a land-based casino will earn you far more comps and status than on a shipboard casino. So why lose your money where you won't even get good recognition/benefits/comps for it?

 

Now, you might say, "Yeah, but if I give their casino a lot of action, my host back in Vegas will hear about this, and I will get a lot more comps!"

 

Wrong. They are completely separate. Gambling a lot, a little, or not at all will have NO effect on your land-based comps, nor will your host ever hear about it.

 

And what if you lose a lot of money on board? Does that mean you'll get a sweet free cruise offer from CAS for the future?

 

No. They base your comps upon which games you played and how long you played them -- a mathematical formula determining "expected loss". They don't care about actual wins/losses. And again, your comps from this casino will be very poor compared to their land-based counterparts.

 

In general, stay away from the casino. The odds are HIGHLY stacked against you (and this comes from a guy who gambles for a living), because they are treating you as a captive audience. Kind of similar to how food in amusement parks and stadiums is so overpriced.

 

What if you never touch the casino on board? Will that be the end of your offers to cruise free on NCL?

 

No, they will continue, provided you were getting them from your land-based casino, and not CAS itself. This is because your land-based casino decides who gets the free cruise coupons, and NOT CAS/NCL.

 

My advice to anyone booking a free cruise through CAS:

 

Unless you have given a lot of past casino action there, take exactly what you were offered -- nothing more. Do NOT upgrade, or your "free" cruise won't be anywhere near free. Do NOT feel pressured to play in their casino. Unlike land based casinos, where your host will be pissed if you take their comps and don't play, that's not the case on NCL. Once you're onboard, there are no expectations of play at all, unless you want CAS to give you breaks in the future (which as I said above, isn't worth playing their lousy games).

 

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Edited November 5, 2013 by pokerpro5

[pokerpro5]

On a separate note, Vacations to Go (and sites like it) are not what they appear to be.

 

For the most part, they are simply listing the exact prices being offered by ncl.com at the moment, and the "percentage off" you're getting is phony.

 

Don't believe me?

 

Go look for yourself.

 

Yes, you can sometimes (but often not) get shipboard credit through Vacations To Go, but you won't get very much. Often ncl.com is offering the same or similar shipboard credit.

 

If you're really looking to save a few bucks, there are travel agents out there that kick back as much as 10% of their commission to you after your sailing is complete. It's a bit of a pain in the ass to use them, but that's the best bet if you want to save money, especially if the cruise is expensive.

 

Vacations to Go is usually just offering you exactly the rates you'd get on ncl.com, falsely promoting it as some sort of great deal, and keeping the commission.

[Alliezona09]

Fantastic post pokerpro5~ I've had people tell me that my play on board a ship will be averaged into my play at my land based casinos~! I asked them how that was possible but they never answered! :rolleyes:

 

I'm not complaining about getting a free cruise was just curious about how they get the cruise fare given to comped cabins~ :confused:

[SASA13]

We have gone on "free cruises" for the past 3 years now. We are only offered a free inside, so we always upgrade to a balcony. When I asked CAS why an upgrade is more than I figure it should be ( according to the going rates for the cabin catagories on line), I was told that they figure the upcharge out by the REGULAR PRICE of the cruise. Which to me means, they can charge you whatever they want.

 

Needless to say, we still upgrade to balcony, we have a blast in the casino....The Epic has an outrageous casino, and even though we have never won anything more than a few hundred bucks, we wait every year to get the "free cruise" postcard in the mail and we book it immediately.

 

We don't expect to win in the casino, all we expect is to have a good time, and we do.

[pokerpro5]

We have gone on "free cruises" for the past 3 years now. We are only offered a free inside, so we always upgrade to a balcony. When I asked CAS why an upgrade is more than I figure it should be ( according to the going rates for the cabin catagories on line), I was told that they figure the upcharge out by the REGULAR PRICE of the cruise. Which to me means, they can charge you whatever they want.

 

Read my post above for an explanation as to why the upgrade is so expensive.

 

Needless to say, we still upgrade to balcony, we have a blast in the casino....The Epic has an outrageous casino, and even though we have never won anything more than a few hundred bucks, we wait every year to get the "free cruise" postcard in the mail and we book it immediately.

 

We don't expect to win in the casino, all we expect is to have a good time, and we do.

 

What games do you play?

 

Do you realize that you are likely playing at significantly worse odds in their casino than you would in Vegas or basically anywhere else? (This is true for their machines -- not sure about table games.)

 

Just curious, how much do they charge you per person to upgrade to balcony? And how much is the balcony at that time if you just buy it outright?

[cruise4kicks]

Fantastic post pokerpro5~

 

Ditto that! Best post I've seen on CC for a loooooooong time. :D

[lild428]

On a separate note, Vacations to Go (and sites like it) are not what they appear to be.

 

For the most part, they are simply listing the exact prices being offered by ncl.com at the moment, and the "percentage off" you're getting is phony.

 

Don't believe me?

 

Go look for yourself.

 

Yes, you can sometimes (but often not) get shipboard credit through Vacations To Go, but you won't get very much. Often ncl.com is offering the same or similar shipboard credit.

 

If you're really looking to save a few bucks, there are travel agents out there that kick back as much as 10% of their commission to you after your sailing is complete. It's a bit of a pain in the ass to use them, but that's the best bet if you want to save money, especially if the cruise is expensive.

 

Vacations to Go is usually just offering you exactly the rates you'd get on ncl.com, falsely promoting it as some sort of great deal, and keeping the commission.

 

I never pay attention to the percentage off. I just watch the end price. I've booked many cruises through VTG and have ended up with some, IMO, nice OBC... $150 one time for an inside room. And almost always it has been cheaper than booking directly through NCL. That's just been my experience.

 

I did not pay the upgrade charge because I think it's absolutely ridiculous. Im fine with my mid-ship inside room. We don't spend a lot of time in there anyways.

 

My fiancé plays Texas Hold 'Em almost every night. We're not ballers like I'm assuming you are lol, but he always ends up even or a little ahead. He just likes to play. Where we live, we don't have that many land based casinos within short driving distance. Nor would I want him to be going to the casino each weekend ;) So when he plays on the ship he really enjoys it. He's a firefighter and works 24 hour shifts so he has a bit of insomnia so when I go to bed, he stays up and plays in the casino till 4am lol. In the past, they've given him some free drinks. So this time it'll be nice to have the free drink card. That'll save us some money since he's in there at night anyways.

[clean1owner]

I have never been on NCL (my first time will be December), but as you might surmise from my name, I am an expert on the casino industry and perhaps can shed a bit of light upon the operations of Casinos At Sea (CAS).

 

First off, you need to understand the CAS program, and its goals. Many people confuse CAS as being similar to hosts/casino marketing departments in Vegas. They are actually quite different, despite the fact that they engage in marketing partnerships.

 

I'll start simple. There is absolutely no way to get a better price than "only port fees and taxes". You always pay port fees and taxes. If you didn't, these are REAL fees that the cruise lines would have to pay themselves, so they always make sure you pay them. Therefore, if you are getting a free cruise where you just pay port fees and taxes, stop looking elsewhere for a better deal, as you will not find one. The only exception is if you want to upgrade, which I will get to later in this post.

 

So how does CAS work?

 

They are basically looking to get gamblers on board to lose money at their casino, at the least possible cost to NCL.

 

What do I mean by least possible cost?

 

If you are occupying a free room that would otherwise have been paid for by another guest, it is costing NCL money to have you on board.

 

Therefore, in most cases, CAS only hands out bottom-level interior cabins for free. And they enforce blackout dates, so you can't get these cabins during high season, such as the Thanksgiving and Christmas cruises.

 

Why?

 

Because on the less popular sail dates, these bottom level interior cabins either go empty or are sold EXTREMELY cheap (usually just a hair above port fee/taxes), so NCL is losing just about nothing by providing you that free cabin. Instead of giving those interior cabins to cheapo bargain travelers who are unlikely to spend much (or any) money otherwise on the ship, they are filling the rooms with known gamblers. Obviously a win for NCL.

 

This leads me to the question everyone is asking:

 

"If I got a free interior cabin, and if the NCL website lists it as being worth $499, why can't I upgrade to an oceanview room worth $599 for $100 per person? Why are they charging such outrageous fees for upgrades?"

 

This is because the "$499" room you're getting is worth $499 to you, but NOT to NCL. If it's going to likely sail empty, or if they are going to end up selling it for $269, then it's not really a $499 room, and you aren't going to get credit for $499 worth of comps. Instead, they will re-value the room at the rate it likely would have sold (by historical data from past cruises), and pretend that's what you paid. Your upgrade rate is based upon that.

 

Or, if you want to get really simple, CAS is giving you a room THEY want you to occupy. If you decide that you want to occupy a different category, the "free" deal is pretty much off, and now you're going to have to pay a lot for it.

 

Now, you might say, "But I got this room as an offer from my land-based casino! It was for all of the play I put in there! How can NCL/CAS be treating me as if they're doing ME a favor, when this was bought for me by my land based casino?"

 

Answer: It wasn't bought for you. It was a marketing partnership.

 

For example, Caesar's properties have been giving a way a TON of NCL cruise certificates.

 

Caesar's did not pay a dime for these. CAS gave them for free to Caesar's, to hand out to Caesar's mid-level and high-level gamblers.

 

The benefit from Caesar's end: They get to give away free cruises, and draw their reliable gamblers into the casino for this promotion, without having to spend any actual money on the promotion.

 

The benefit from CAS' end: They get known gamblers on board, occupying rooms that would have otherwise either sailed empty or gone for bargain rates!

 

It's a win-win for both sides.

 

Now, you might say, "Well, CAS is looking for gambling, so how about I just gamble a lot in their casino, and get myself a lot of nice upgrades in the future, and perhaps charge-offs from my shipboard account for this cruise?"

 

Unless you are a sick gambler and can't resist giving them a lot of action, this is a bad idea.

 

The cruise ship casinos have TERRIBLE odds. For example, their video poker has horrendous payouts compared to their land based counterparts, as do the slots. The blackjack is more standard (I think -- haven't checked NCL specifically), but it won't get you anything special comp-wise.

 

In general, the comp programs for CAS stink compared to land-based casinos.

 

That is, the same amount of action given in a land-based casino will earn you far more comps and status than on a shipboard casino. So why lose your money where you won't even get good recognition/benefits/comps for it?

 

Now, you might say, "Yeah, but if I give their casino a lot of action, my host back in Vegas will hear about this, and I will get a lot more comps!"

 

Wrong. They are completely separate. Gambling a lot, a little, or not at all will have NO effect on your land-based comps, nor will your host ever hear about it.

 

And what if you lose a lot of money on board? Does that mean you'll get a sweet free cruise offer from CAS for the future?

 

No. They base your comps upon which games you played and how long you played them -- a mathematical formula determining "expected loss". They don't care about actual wins/losses. And again, your comps from this casino will be very poor compared to their land-based counterparts.

 

In general, stay away from the casino. The odds are HIGHLY stacked against you (and this comes from a guy who gambles for a living), because they are treating you as a captive audience. Kind of similar to how food in amusement parks and stadiums is so overpriced.

 

What if you never touch the casino on board? Will that be the end of your offers to cruise free on NCL?

 

No, they will continue, provided you were getting them from your land-based casino, and not CAS itself. This is because your land-based casino decides who gets the free cruise coupons, and NOT CAS/NCL.

 

My advice to anyone booking a free cruise through CAS:

 

Unless you have given a lot of past casino action there, take exactly what you were offered -- nothing more. Do NOT upgrade, or your "free" cruise won't be anywhere near free. Do NOT feel pressured to play in their casino. Unlike land based casinos, where your host will be pissed if you take their comps and don't play, that's not the case on NCL. Once you're onboard, there are no expectations of play at all, unless you want CAS to give you breaks in the future (which as I said above, isn't worth playing their lousy games).

 

Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

Actually, the blackjack isn't so good. When I was on the Dawn, I think you had to play $25 minimum to get time and a half on Blackjack. Otherwise it was even money.

[lild428]

Ha, my sailing just went down in price again. Currently through VTG, it's $319 for inside room, plus $139 gov't taxes = $458pp. Also includes $100 OBC.

 

So total through VTG would be $816 (I took off the OBC). That's a pretty sweet deal if anyone wants to join me LOL :D CAS is saving me $188. Plus any drinks we get in the casino. Like I said, it still saves me money.

[pokerpro5]

I never pay attention to the percentage off. I just watch the end price. I've booked many cruises through VTG and have ended up with some, IMO, nice OBC... $150 one time for an inside room. And almost always it has been cheaper than booking directly through NCL. That's just been my experience.

 

I did not pay the upgrade charge because I think it's absolutely ridiculous. Im fine with my mid-ship inside room. We don't spend a lot of time in there anyways.

 

My fiancé plays Texas Hold 'Em almost every night. We're not ballers like I'm assuming you are lol, but he always ends up even or a little ahead. He just likes to play. Where we live, we don't have that many land based casinos within short driving distance. Nor would I want him to be going to the casino each weekend ;) So when he plays on the ship he really enjoys it. He's a firefighter and works 24 hour shifts so he has a bit of insomnia so when I go to bed, he stays up and plays in the casino till 4am lol. In the past, they've given him some free drinks. So this time it'll be nice to have the free drink card. That'll save us some money since he's in there at night anyways.

 

Is this the digital texas hold 'em machine? I know that Princess has/had these.

 

If it is, I will give a few tips (based upon my experience on Princess) that will probably apply to NCL, too.

[pokerpro5]

Ha, my sailing just went down in price again. Currently through VTG, it's $319 for inside room, plus $139 gov't taxes = $458pp. Also includes $100 OBC.

 

So total through VTG would be $816 (I took off the OBC). That's a pretty sweet deal if anyone wants to join me LOL :D CAS is saving me $188. Plus any drinks we get in the casino. Like I said, it still saves me money.

 

Out of curiosity, can you tell me the exact sailing date, port, and destination?

 

I want to compare for myself with VTG, because every time I've looked at VTG, they are offering the identical prices to NCL.com, and when they offer onboard credits, they're not impressive.

[lild428]

Is this the digital texas hold 'em machine? I know that Princess has/had these.

 

If it is, I will give a few tips (based upon my experience on Princess) that will probably apply to NCL, too.

 

Nope - the table game. It's the only game he plays. I like it too and play a couple hands every now and then. Any tips are greatly appreciated lol You can always PM me too.

[lild428]

Out of curiosity, can you tell me the exact sailing date, port, and destination?

 

I want to compare for myself with VTG, because every time I've looked at VTG, they are offering the identical prices to NCL.com, and when they offer onboard credits, they're not impressive.

 

Pearl out of Miami, December 8th. Goes to GSC, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.

[pokerpro5]

Nope - the table game. It's the only game he plays. I like it too and play a couple hands every now and then. Any tips are greatly appreciated lol You can always PM me too.

 

So they have texas hold 'em on board with a human dealer?

[pokerpro5]

Ha, my sailing just went down in price again. Currently through VTG, it's $319 for inside room, plus $139 gov't taxes = $458pp. Also includes $100 OBC.

 

So total through VTG would be $816 (I took off the OBC). That's a pretty sweet deal if anyone wants to join me LOL :D CAS is saving me $188. Plus any drinks we get in the casino. Like I said, it still saves me money.

 

See, I'm looking at VTG right now for your sailing, and I am seeing the identical price to ncl.com ($349 before tax), except you get $100 onboard credit compared to $25 on ncl.com

 

Can you tell me the "Fast Deal #" so I can enter it and see what you are seeing? Are you part of any group like military or whatever, where you might be getting discounts?

 

From what I can see by running a few tests, rates are IDENTICAL to ncl.com, except they give a little more onboard credit (usually $100 instead of $25, for the cheaper cabins).

Edited November 5, 2013 by pokerpro5

[lild428]

See, I'm looking at VTG right now for your sailing, and I am seeing the identical price to ncl.com ($349 before tax), except you get $100 onboard credit compared to $25 on ncl.com

 

Can you tell me the "Fast Deal #" so I can enter it and see what you are seeing? Are you part of any group like military or whatever, where you might be getting discounts?

 

From what I can see by running a few tests, rates are IDENTICAL to ncl.com, except they give a little more onboard credit (usually $100 instead of $25, for the cheaper cabins).

 

Ahh... I do login with my email address and we get a firefighter discount. So for me on Fast Deal #18321 it says Firefighter Rate. Sorry! I never pay attention to the things on the side.. like the percentages off :D

[lild428]

So they have texas hold 'em on board with a human dealer?

 

Yep, human dealer. They use the automatic card shuffling thing. Although sometimes it breaks and then they shuffle by hand...

[jaja]

I'll start simple. There is absolutely no way to get a better price than "only port fees and taxes". You always pay port fees and taxes. If you didn't, these are REAL fees that the cruise lines would have to pay themselves, so they always make sure you pay them. Therefore, if you are getting a free cruise where you just pay port fees and taxes, stop looking elsewhere for a better deal, as you will not find one.

Why?

 

.

 

Last time I got and took a "free" cruise..if I recall it was not "only port fees and taxes"...I believe there was more added..

someone explained it as " you are not paying for taxes and port fees (as shown on the web site), you are paying taxes and NCF (non-commission fare). "

[Sheils65]

When I made our most recent bookings, it was explained to me by my CAS PCC like this: If you booked through CAS on a full comp, you will receive the drink cards. If you book through CAS and only receive a discount on the sailing, then you will not receive the drink cards. This is regardless of the number of points you have.

 

Bear in mind that although that is the current situation, that could very well change once the new program is a year old. I assume it is currently set up this way to reward those who have a long history with CAS, but who may not have earned their points within the qualifying window when the new program rolled out.

 

I hope that makes sense.

 

I called CAS today and I do get a free drink card for our cruise this coming March!! However, I have almost 1,200 points and I THOUGHT that I could use these points from previous cruise and add to upcoming cruise in Oct. 2014 and get a drink card for that cruise. They told me no, that I have to earn 1,500 points on that ship to get the card, cannot combine with points I already have!! Is this correct??? The only way that I could do that is to become a HOT member, which is 5,001 points or more.

 

Does anyone have experience with any of this?

 

 

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