NCL/CAS rating question (blackjack)

[RegBarclay]

Hi guys,

 

On my first ncl cruise last May (ncl gem rt nyc) I played for about 2 hours each night on the blackjack tables (on average two spots per hand with usd 50 bet). The casino host was kind enough to offer spa services and dinner valued at around usd 600 as I had lost close to 6k during the cruise. He also took down my email and phone number promising that I would qualify for higher reward level and additional benefits in future.

 

I never got any calls or email offers and actually forgot about the whole episode until this week when I booked my next ncl cruise. I wrote an email to casinoinquiries at ncl dot com asking about my reward status and first got a generic reply stating I have lucky level... I asked them to clarify and got a rather rude second reply stating I only have a little over 1.500 points and am at the lowest rewards level.

 

Is this standard? I remember cruising with Princess a couple of years ago and they offered usd 800 free play and additional benefits for my second cruise with similar play/losses on the first cruise!

 

Is there a different email or phone number I should try?

 

Anyway, thanks for reading and I appreciate all suggestions.

 

Regards,

 

RegBarclay

[VideoTech]

You'll find many threads here concerning the CAS system and rewards points. As longtime CAS cruisers, I would offer the following:

 

First, CAS cruise offers seem to vary greatly, even when you are a consistently cruising gambler. I feel a lot has to do with how popular the ship and itinerary are. It's easier for NCL to sell a popular ship and/or inventory without resorting to CAS comps, even though they may appreciate the extra income a good gambler will generator for them.

 

Second, as regards your points: Unfortunately, in the past year CAS has revised their player card system and I believe they have made the levels much harder to achieve. On our past cruises, we quickly advanced through the levels to top tier. While we're not "high rollers" by any means, we are higher than average gamblers, and CAS appeared to appreciate that.

 

While they do not disclose how they rate table players, the formula for slots players is $5 = 1 reward credit. If you apply that formula to your stated losses on your last cruise, you would have earned 1200 points. This tallies with what the casino rep told you. If you look here at their CAS information online, you'll see that you would have needed to earn 5001 points on your last cruise to be moved to a new level for this coming cruise.

 

I feel it's much harder to get a good rating on table games, since you are relying on the pit boss to rate your play. That person may be in a good or bad mood, observant or not, and that can affect your rating. None the less, the casino manager was apparently aware of your good play, and took notice of it.

 

Even though you are not in the United States, if I were you, I would try calling CAS at 1-877-752-9625. You might achieve more with a conversation on the phone than you were able to achieve through impersonal email.

 

We'll have our first cruise under the new CAS system this coming week, and we'll be interested to find out if the new program is as valuable as the old one was. My feeling is that it is not.

 

Best of luck to you!

[RegBarclay]

Thanks VideoTech,

 

Afaik they do not give the points for losses, but for money wagered...

 

If they give 1 point for $5 on slots, it seems like 1 point for $75 on Blackjack by my calculation - that is a very bad ratio...

 

Thanks for the phone number, I will call them tomorrow.

 

I know the casino manager appreciated my play and did take care of some of my online account as described. It's just that he specifically asked for my contact details and promised a higher rating for the next cruise...

 

Good luck on your cruise!

 

Regards,

 

RegBarclay

[VideoTech]

Thanks VideoTech,

 

Afaik they do not give the points for losses, but for money wagered...

 

 

Correct, points are awarded for money "put at risk."

 

My reply concerning losses had to do with the OP's statement about the amount he lost, and the points he received for the cruise...I used his loss # as the amount he put at risk, but of course he would also have put some of his winnings at risk, which should have increased his points earned. However, without the information about any additional wagers beyond his losses, I could only use that figure for points calculations.