Free Cruise-Mount Airy Casino

[sjbdtz]

Thanks for the info. I did go to the CAS section and see that there are different levels of cards (Lucky, Hot, Golden & VIP). Since this is our first time on NCL and we booked through/because of a land based casino do they start us out with the Lucky card? I ask because according to their chart you have to be at least Hot to get the free drinks and this was one of the perks they told us we would have.

 

 

To the poster who asked about boarding: CAS guests board after pre-boarding/extra assistance, and suite guests. Then they start the number-calling.

 

 

To funNsun: as an invited guest, you will have a drink card in your cabin waiting. You can qualify for Premium drinks if you attain Golden status.

 

The Lucky category is for new players who are signing up to begin with (and weren't invited).

 

 

 

.

[funNsun4me]

To the poster who asked about boarding: CAS guests board after pre-boarding/extra assistance, and suite guests. Then they start the number-calling.

 

 

To funNsun: as an invited guest, you will have a drink card in your cabin waiting. You can qualify for Premium drinks if you attain Golden status.

 

The Lucky category is for new players who are signing up to begin with (and weren't invited).

 

 

 

.

 

Thank you :)

[VideoTech]

Thanks for the info. I did go to the CAS section and see that there are different levels of cards (Lucky, Hot, Golden & VIP). Since this is our first time on NCL and we booked through/because of a land based casino do they start us out with the Lucky card? I ask because according to their chart you have to be at least Hot to get the free drinks and this was one of the perks they told us we would have.

 

Yes, if it's your first time as a CAS card holder you will start out at the lowest level (Lucky).

 

However, you should get the drink card because you are on board as a result of a casino offer, and this is a perk extended to you as a result.

 

If you had simply bought a cruise, boarded, and then signed up for CAS, you would have to make a certain number of points before the casino gave you a free drink card.

[funNsun4me]

Yes, if it's your first time as a CAS card holder you will start out at the lowest level (Lucky).

 

However, you should get the drink card because you are on board as a result of a casino offer, and this is a perk extended to you as a result.

 

If you had simply bought a cruise, boarded, and then signed up for CAS, you would have to make a certain number of points before the casino gave you a free drink card.

 

WOW, so getting the free drinks, I guess you can call that LUCKY, LOL. Thanks for the info :)

[antsnanny]

You do not get any confirmation of that. As I said before, once you pass the security screening yo will encounter the NCL ladies, you tell them you are from CAS and they will look at their roasters and verify that your name is on that list and that's it, you are in, they will direct you to the next available agent.

 

It is not really a sign there saying priority check in like at the airports, (it actually is in New York, but only for the haven suites, they will go to the 3rd floor). is just that they will skip the lines for you, they just will open the ropes and let you go before all the other "common cruisers" (LOL LOL). We have cruised with CAS 8 times and that's what we have done in New York and Seattle, we really did not use it in Miami and Barcelona because we got there almost at closing time so was nobody in line, but I am pretty sure they do it in every port.

 

Last cruise from New York they gave us boarding group #3, we got there around noon and by the time we finished with check in (took only 10 min) they were calling group #5 already, so we went straight onboard.

 

Go to the NCL website and look for the CAS seccion and see all the info.

 

 

Were platinum and get priority embarkation but our number is always much higher than 3, so it would seem CAS get priority over platinum as far as embarkation is concerned..

[antsnanny]

We had the same thing when we called the last time. They had a set up in the club that's inside the casino. Once you RSVP that you are going, when you get there they will have a brochure with a piece of paper that has your name and certificate # and a listing of the sailings. You don't make any reservations there, you take it home and call the CAS number on the sheet. When I called and asked about Thanksgiving on the BA I was kind of shocked that it wasn't a black out date and so was the women who booked for me. Since it is a Bahamas & FL cruise and leaving NY in late Nov we decided to stay with the inside, although I am nervous about the room being too small and we have never sailed inside before but with this itin. we didn't think we would get much use out of a balcony and for the price, I am willing to give it a try.

 

 

Do you mind me asking what the port charges and government taxes came to?

[CantSwim63]

Do you mind me asking what the port charges and government taxes came to?

 

I know the query was for someone else, but I finally looked at the breakdown of my reservation and thought it will provide a comparison with others' costs.

 

Cheers!

 

For the 7-day Western Caribbean from Houston on the Jewel sailing April 11 - 18, 2015:

 

- Total (Las Vegas) event pricing

- Promo codes added/used DASHSALE, EASYFARE and META

- 4 guests

Category of Stateroom = OA (ended up on deck 8)

Guest Fare = $185 x 2 = $370

Gov Tax/Port Exp/Fees = $90.64 x 4 = $362.56

Insurance (optional) = $29 x 4 = $116

 

Payment schedule

Deposit due on booking = $250

Final payment due on January 26, 2015 = $598.56

 

Onboard Credit per stateroom = ($30)

Service Charges = $12/person/day

[antsnanny]

I know the query was for someone else, but I finally looked at the breakdown of my reservation and thought it will provide a comparison with others' costs.

 

Cheers!

 

For the 7-day Western Caribbean from Houston on the Jewel sailing April 11 - 18, 2015:

 

- Total (Las Vegas) event pricing

- Promo codes added/used DASHSALE, EASYFARE and META

- 4 guests

Category of Stateroom = OA (ended up on deck 8)

Guest Fare = $185 x 2 = $370

Gov Tax/Port Exp/Fees = $90.64 x 4 = $362.56

Insurance (optional) = $29 x 4 = $116

 

Payment schedule

Deposit due on booking = $250

Final payment due on January 26, 2015 = $598.56

 

Onboard Credit per stateroom = ($30)

Service Charges = $12/person/day

Thanks so much for answering, it really helped..

Looks like you did really well…..Sounds like the original offer was for an inside and you upgraded to ocean view?

Where do you get the promo codes from?

[funNsun4me]

Do you mind me asking what the port charges and government taxes came to?

 

I know someone else answered but I will answer to for comparison:

 

Category: IA (inside)

Port fees & Taxes: 319.67/pp (Port fees: 185 + Tax: 134.67)

Insurance: (secondary not primary) $29/pp

Grats: 12/pp per day

 

Complete total: for 2 for 7 days on the Breakaway = $865.24

 

Booked under a promo that is giving us 1 bottle of wine and chocolate covered strawberries.

 

Was told upgrade to Oceanview would be $60-150/pp depending on room and Balcony would be $300/pp

[pokerpro5]

I just took two cruises with vouchers obtained through a land-based casino (Caesar's), so I can explain all of this.

 

There are a lot of false assumptions and misinformation in this thread, so hopefully this clears things up.

 

I will do it in FAQ format.

 

Q: Did I really receive a free cruise from my land-based casino?

 

A: Sort of. NCL has a marketing partnership with various casinos. They give the casino a certain number of vouchers for "free" cruises, to be handed out to customers at the land-based casino's discretion. Your land based casino typically does not pay for these, and instead receives them from NCL in order to get gamblers aboard. Furthermore, these will almost always cost you at least $150 per person, and as much as $440 per person (depending upon itinerary), so they are not completely free.

 

 

 

Q: What am I expected to pay?

 

A: You will be responsible for the port charges (taxes) and "non-commissioned fees" (also known as NCF). NCF is indeed a fare you are paying to NCL. It's just a portion of the fare of which they do not pay commission to travel agents, and that portion is also charged to customers who receive these "free" cruises. The NCF is often confused as "port fees", but in reality the port fees are the tax portion. So you're paying more than just taxes/port charges, and you are NOT actually getting a free cruise. You are getting a discounted cruise. Furthermore, you are expected to pay the Discretionary Service Charge (DSC) of $12 per person per day ($168 total for a 7-day cruise), as those are your automatically-charged tips.

 

 

Q: What kind of cabin do I get?

 

A: Typically you get an inside cabin, approximately category IB. You can pick the cabin when you call to book. Sometimes you will be given better (an oceanview or a balcony), but rarely better than a balcony. The vast majority of these vouchers are for inside cabins.

 

 

 

Q: Are there blackout dates?

 

A: Sometimes. Christmas, New Years, and Thanksgiving are sometimes blacked out. Most of the others are available. It depends upon the itinerary. NCL decides on the fly what to black out, and it can change from day to day.

Some of the more restrictive vouchers only allow you to travel on one of a few less-popular dates, and on less-popular/less-expensive itineraries. Those are worth very little.

 

 

 

Q: I don't even play in the casino that much! How am I entitled to such a great benefit?

 

A: The benefit isn't nearly as good as you think. It is important to understand how much money you are actually saving. In some cases, you may only be saving $50 per person, versus simply buying the same stateroom on your own! This widely varies upon itinerary and date. Therefore, don't knock yourself out to make yourself available for this, nor should you spend a whole lot of money on airfare in order to take advantage of this "deal".

 

 

 

Q: So who is actually paying for this?

 

A: NCL is paying for this. But they're not paying much. Most ships don't fill up at "normal" prices, and NCL ends up dumping these rooms shortly before sailing (usually 14-50 days) at a steep discount, until all rooms are filled. For example, I just took an Alaska cruise on NCL where I obtained a second stateroom (inside cabin) for just $100 above taxes+NCF. Therefore, if you are occupying a stateroom (for taxes+NCF) that would have been otherwise been sold to the general public for $100+taxes+NCF, then NCL is only eating $100 to have you onboard.

 

 

 

Q: Why is NCL giving these certificates away to casinos?

 

A: They are giving them to casinos because good land-based casino customers are also likely to gamble onboard. So, in the typical case, NCL will make money from these people through the casino, and it's worth letting them onboard at a discount in an otherwise cheap (or empty) room. That is, having a gambler at taxes+NCF is better for NCL than having a non-gambler at $100+taxes+NCF.

 

 

Q: So why is my land-based casino distributing these instead of NCL?

 

A: That's the way the marketing partnership works. NCL gives these to the land-based casino for free, and then the land-based casino can act like they are giving something away, which then draws some of their better gamblers to the property (to hopefully gamble while there). At the same time, NCL gets a gambler on board, occupying a stateroom that wouldn't have sold for much money anyway. It's a win-win.

 

 

Q: What if I want to bring more than one other person?

 

A: Then you have to pay normal rates to add them to your cabin. You might want to wait for a "Kids Sail Free" promotion to book, as you can add them to your cabin for just the port taxes (and they don't have to be kids).

 

 

Q: Does my land-based casino pick and choose who gets these?

 

A: Sort of. They don't choose you individually or by hand, but rather this is chosen by a computer. The computer determines the players they'd most like to see back at the casino (based upon a variety of factors), and then dangles this carrot (the "free" cruise) to get you down there.

 

 

Q: Does my land-based casino host arrange the trip?

 

A: No. You have to call NCL's Casinos at Sea department, who will see that your voucher is already in the system (they are informed by your land based casino when you pick it up), and then will book your room for you. Your land-based host does not get involved.

 

 

Q: Is the voucher transferable?

 

A: No. It is only for you and a guest of your choice.

 

 

Q: Can I combine vouchers, such as get two rooms on one cruise if I have two vouchers?

 

A: No. You can use one per cruise. If you have two, you will have to take a second cruise to use it. NCL is very hard-line about this policy, and will not make exceptions.

 

 

Q: I received a voucher, as did my wife. Can we get two rooms that way?

 

A: Yes and no. NCL does not allow married couples to use two vouchers at once, but they will allow you to "combine" them into an upgraded room. If you want to do this, call Teresita at NCL at (305) 436-4410 between 6am and 2:30pm PDT. However, if the spouses are registered with the land-based casinos at different addresses (which is good to do for land-based offers, as well), you can typically use both vouchers at once, provided you don't link the two reservations.

 

 

Q: I know that when I use comps from my land-based casino and don't play anything, my host gets frustrated and my offers decrease. Am I expected to play in the casino onboard if I redeem this?

 

A: No. Your land-based casino will not be informed of your play on NCL, nor will you earn any comps or status at your land-based casino based upon your NCL play. Do not feel obligated to play at all in the NCL casino, which in fact has worse odds than your land-based one.

 

 

Q: If I choose to ignore the casino while on NCL, is it possible they will rescind my offer and make me pay for my room? Or might they disallow me from cruising on future vouchers?

 

A: No. Your offer cannot be rescinded once onboard, and you can use these vouchers repeatedly without ever setting foot in the NCL casino.

 

 

 

Q: Do I really receive free drinks onboard as part of the offer?

 

A: Sort of. You get a drink card, but you can only get free drinks at the casino bar, and you are limited to well and house drinks. Everywhere else on board, you are required to pay.

 

 

Q: Can I combine these vouchers with other NCL offers or promotions?

 

A: In most cases, YES. And in fact, you should wait for a good one ("free upgrade", "kids sail free", etc) before booking. This is where the real value lies in these vouchers, as these promotions typically coincide with higher stateroom costs, but in your case that won't matter since you are only paying taxes+NCF.

 

 

Q: My voucher is for an inside stateroom, and I want to upgrade to a balcony. How do I do that?

 

A: It will cost you money, and it's often not worth it. Sometimes the upgrade charge will be almost as much as buying that cabin directly without the voucher. Sometimes it will be reasonable, but these really aren't meant to be upgraded. When you pay to upgrade, you will often lose what little value you're getting in the first place.

 

 

Q: Is anything else included?

 

A: Usually no. You get the cabin for two, are required to pay NCF+taxes, and you get that free casino drink card. You are responsible for all other costs, including transportation.

 

 

 

Q: So is it worth using?

 

A: Depends upon how much money you'll be saving and whether you like the itineraries and rooms made available to you. If you've always wanted to take a Caribbean cruise and live in New Orleans, then your costs are minimal and it's definitely worth doing. If you will be incurring expensive flight and hotel costs, or taking valuable work vacation days, just to do a "free" cruise that doesn't sound too appealing, then it's definitely NOT worth it. If you are not happy with the cabin they are offering (usually inside), and the upgrade charge is about equivalent to what you could buy when the fares drop, again it is NOT worth it. However, if you combine it with a good promotion and get a free upgrade (or extra people) for just taxes+NCF, then it probably IS worth it. This is a personal decision on your part, but you should be informed as to how much money you really are and aren't saving.

 

 

Feel free to ask me anything else.

Edited August 18, 2014 by pokerpro5

[antsnanny]

I just took two cruises with vouchers obtained through a land-based casino (Caesar's), so I can explain all of this.

 

There are a lot of false assumptions and misinformation in this thread, so hopefully this clears things up.

 

I will do it in FAQ format.

 

Q: Did I really receive a free cruise from my land-based casino?

 

A: Sort of. NCL has a marketing partnership with various casinos. They give the casino a certain number of vouchers for "free" cruises, to be handed out to customers at the land-based casino's discretion. Your land based casino typically does not pay for these, and instead receives them from NCL in order to get gamblers aboard. Furthermore, these will almost always cost you at least $150 per person, and as much as $440 per person (depending upon itinerary), so they are not completely free.

 

 

 

Q: What am I expected to pay?

 

A: You will be responsible for the port charges (taxes) and "non-commissioned fees" (also known as NCF). NCF is indeed a fare you are paying to NCL. It's just a portion of the fare of which they do not pay commission to travel agents, and that portion is also charged to customers who receive these "free" cruises. The NCF is often confused as "port fees", but in reality the port fees are the tax portion. So you're paying more than just taxes/port charges, and you are NOT actually getting a free cruise. You are getting a discounted cruise. Furthermore, you are expected to pay the Discretionary Service Charge (DSC) of $12 per person per day ($168 total for a 7-day cruise), as those are your automatically-charged tips.

 

 

Q: What kind of cabin do I get?

 

A: Typically you get an inside cabin, approximately category IB. You can pick the cabin when you call to book. Sometimes you will be given better (an oceanview or a balcony), but rarely better than a balcony. The vast majority of these vouchers are for inside cabins.

 

 

 

Q: Are there blackout dates?

 

A: Sometimes. Christmas, New Years, and Thanksgiving are sometimes blacked out. Most of the others are available. It depends upon the itinerary. NCL decides on the fly what to black out, and it can change from day to day.

Some of the more restrictive vouchers only allow you to travel on one of a few less-popular dates, and on less-popular/less-expensive itineraries. Those are worth very little.

 

 

 

Q: I don't even play in the casino that much! How am I entitled to such a great benefit?

 

A: The benefit isn't nearly as good as you think. It is important to understand how much money you are actually saving. In some cases, you may only be saving $50 per person, versus simply buying the same stateroom on your own! This widely varies upon itinerary and date. Therefore, don't knock yourself out to make yourself available for this, nor should you spend a whole lot of money on airfare in order to take advantage of this "deal".

 

 

 

Q: So who is actually paying for this?

 

A: NCL is paying for this. But they're not paying much. Most ships don't fill up at "normal" prices, and NCL ends up dumping these rooms shortly before sailing (usually 14-50 days) at a steep discount, until all rooms are filled. For example, I just took an Alaska cruise on NCL where I obtained a second stateroom (inside cabin) for just $100 above taxes+NCF. Therefore, if you are occupying a stateroom (for taxes+NCF) that would have been otherwise been sold to the general public for $100+taxes+NCF, then NCL is only eating $100 to have you onboard.

 

 

 

Q: Why is NCL giving these certificates away to casinos?

 

A: They are giving them to casinos because good land-based casino customers are also likely to gamble onboard. So, in the typical case, NCL will make money from these people through the casino, and it's worth letting them onboard at a discount in an otherwise cheap (or empty) room. That is, having a gambler at taxes+NCF is better for NCL than having a non-gambler at $100+taxes+NCF.

 

 

Q: So why is my land-based casino distributing these instead of NCL?

 

A: That's the way the marketing partnership works. NCL gives these to the land-based casino for free, and then the land-based casino can act like they are giving something away, which then draws some of their better gamblers to the property (to hopefully gamble while there). At the same time, NCL gets a gambler on board, occupying a stateroom that wouldn't have sold for much money anyway. It's a win-win.

 

 

Q: What if I want to bring more than one other person?

 

A: Then you have to pay normal rates to add them to your cabin. You might want to wait for a "Kids Sail Free" promotion to book, as you can add them to your cabin for just the port taxes (and they don't have to be kids).

 

 

Q: Does my land-based casino pick and choose who gets these?

 

A: Sort of. They don't choose you individually or by hand, but rather this is chosen by a computer. The computer determines the players they'd most like to see back at the casino (based upon a variety of factors), and then dangles this carrot (the "free" cruise) to get you down there.

 

 

Q: Does my land-based casino host arrange the trip?

 

A: No. You have to call NCL's Casinos at Sea department, who will see that your voucher is already in the system (they are informed by your land based casino when you pick it up), and then will book your room for you. Your land-based host does not get involved.

 

 

Q: Is the voucher transferable?

 

A: No. It is only for you and a guest of your choice.

 

 

Q: Can I combine vouchers, such as get two rooms on one cruise if I have two vouchers?

 

A: No. You can use one per cruise. If you have two, you will have to take a second cruise to use it. NCL is very hard-line about this policy, and will not make exceptions.

 

 

Q: I received a voucher, as did my wife. Can we get two rooms that way?

 

A: Yes and no. NCL does not allow married couples to use two vouchers at once, but they will allow you to "combine" them into an upgraded room. If you want to do this, call Teresita at NCL at (305) 436-4410 between 6am and 2:30pm PDT. However, if the spouses are registered with the land-based casinos at different addresses (which is good to do for land-based offers, as well), you can typically use both vouchers at once, provided you don't link the two reservations.

 

 

Q: I know that when I use comps from my land-based casino and don't play anything, my host gets frustrated and my offers decrease. Am I expected to play in the casino onboard if I redeem this?

 

A: No. Your land-based casino will not be informed of your play on NCL, nor will you earn any comps or status at your land-based casino based upon your NCL play. Do not feel obligated to play at all in the NCL casino, which in fact has worse odds than your land-based one.

 

 

Q: If I choose to ignore the casino while on NCL, is it possible they will rescind my offer and make me pay for my room? Or might they disallow me from cruising on future vouchers?

 

A: No. Your offer cannot be rescinded once onboard, and you can use these vouchers repeatedly without ever setting foot in the NCL casino.

 

 

 

Q: Do I really receive free drinks onboard as part of the offer?

 

A: Sort of. You get a drink card, but you can only get free drinks at the casino bar, and you are limited to well and house drinks. Everywhere else on board, you are required to pay.

 

 

Q: Can I combine these vouchers with other NCL offers or promotions?

 

A: In most cases, YES. And in fact, you should wait for a good one ("free upgrade", "kids sail free", etc) before booking. This is where the real value lies in these vouchers, as these promotions typically coincide with higher stateroom costs, but in your case that won't matter since you are only paying taxes+NCF.

 

 

Q: My voucher is for an inside stateroom, and I want to upgrade to a balcony. How do I do that?

 

A: It will cost you money, and it's often not worth it. Sometimes the upgrade charge will be almost as much as buying that cabin directly without the voucher. Sometimes it will be reasonable, but these really aren't meant to be upgraded. When you pay to upgrade, you will often lose what little value you're getting in the first place.

 

 

Q: Is anything else included?

 

A: Usually no. You get the cabin for two, are required to pay NCF+taxes, and you get that free casino drink card. You are responsible for all other costs, including transportation.

 

 

 

Q: So is it worth using?

 

A: Depends upon how much money you'll be saving and whether you like the itineraries and rooms made available to you. If you've always wanted to take a Caribbean cruise and live in New Orleans, then your costs are minimal and it's definitely worth doing. If you will be incurring expensive flight and hotel costs, or taking valuable work vacation days, just to do a "free" cruise that doesn't sound too appealing, then it's definitely NOT worth it. If you are not happy with the cabin they are offering (usually inside), and the upgrade charge is about equivalent to what you could buy when the fares drop, again it is NOT worth it. However, if you combine it with a good promotion and get a free upgrade (or extra people) for just taxes+NCF, then it probably IS worth it. This is a personal decision on your part, but you should be informed as to how much money you really are and aren't saving.

 

 

Feel free to ask me anything else.

 

Typically, how long do they give you to use the voucher? I think I might take your advice and wait until NCL is offering free upgrades because DH is claustrophobic and won't stay in a inside or ocean view cabin. Assuming my voucher is for an inside cabin, I could likely find a deal where there upgrading at least from a inside to ocean view and then only pay the upgrade from ocean view to balcony. Am I understanding this correctly…

Also.. My voucher is coming from a Mt Airy Casino and CAS is offering me a 20% for our play.. Do you think CAS they will apply the 20 % to my Mt. Airy voucher?

Thanks so much

[pokerpro5]

Typically, how long do they give you to use the voucher? I think I might take your advice and wait until NCL is offering free upgrades because DH is claustrophobic and won't stay in a inside or ocean view cabin. Assuming my voucher is for an inside cabin, I could likely find a deal where there upgrading at least from a inside to ocean view and then only pay the upgrade from ocean view to balcony. Am I understanding this correctly…

Also.. My voucher is coming from a Mt Airy Casino and CAS is offering me a 20% for our play.. Do you think CAS they will apply the 20 % to my Mt. Airy voucher?

Thanks so much

 

Your voucher will have an expiration date on it, but it has to do with the date you sail, not the date you book.

 

However, I have some bad news for you. You can't pay to upgrade from a free upgrade. If you upgrade from inside to oceanview through a promotion, any paid upgrade will be considered from an inside, not from your existing ocean.

 

Furthermore, CAS will NOT apply the 20% to your Mt. Airy voucher. It's one or the other. Honestly, the 20% discount won't get you that much, unless you are going to buy an expensive stateroom (like a suite). As someone here already stated, the 20% is based upon your average play per day on the ship, and the Mt Airy is a separate promotion from your land based casino. They are unrelated and can't be combined.

 

However, since you do have some existing play in the CAS system, I would call them, ask for a supervisor, and ask if they can do anything about upgrading your inside stateroom to a balcony for cheaper (or free). They might say yes, and they might say no, but it's worth a shot. Make sure you call the Miami CAS office and not the Arizona one, as the Arizona one is not empowered to make ANY exceptions.

[antsnanny]

Your voucher will have an expiration date on it, but it has to do with the date you sail, not the date you book.

 

However, I have some bad news for you. You can't pay to upgrade from a free upgrade. If you upgrade from inside to oceanview through a promotion, any paid upgrade will be considered from an inside, not from your existing ocean.

 

Furthermore, CAS will NOT apply the 20% to your Mt. Airy voucher. It's one or the other. Honestly, the 20% discount won't get you that much, unless you are going to buy an expensive stateroom (like a suite). As someone here already stated, the 20% is based upon your average play per day on the ship, and the Mt Airy is a separate promotion from your land based casino. They are unrelated and can't be combined.

 

However, since you do have some existing play in the CAS system, I would call them, ask for a supervisor, and ask if they can do anything about upgrading your inside stateroom to a balcony for cheaper (or free). They might say yes, and they might say no, but it's worth a shot. Make sure you call the Miami CAS office and not the Arizona one, as the Arizona one is not empowered to make ANY exceptions.

 

Good advice! I have never seen an upgrade offered from an inside to a balcony, have you? Thats what I need….; )

[Daghis]

Your voucher will have an expiration date on it, but it has to do with the date you sail, not the date you book.

My voucher had both expiration dates. I had to book the cruise within two months of receiving the certificate from my local casino, and I had to sail within a year.

[pokerpro5]

My voucher had both expiration dates. I had to book the cruise within two months of receiving the certificate from my local casino, and I had to sail within a year.

 

Never seen that before, but I believe you. These vouchers come in all kinds of different variations, so it's sometimes hard for me to make a blanket statement about things like this and always be correct.

 

Obviously whatever it says on the voucher is what you should follow.

[CantSwim63]

Hi OP (I think) - the fare/promo codes I posted are right from the confirmation sheet and guessing are for casino/voucher fare, 3+4 free and OBC -- there would have been another code for a cabin upgrade but I decided to go with a 4th person free (more later); and I didn't have to wait for the promotions that I was allowed to use, so I hope you have the same luck as I did or as other posters have mentioned and you figured out that if you don't need to book right away (want a specific cabin or ship or itinerary or deadline, etc.) then to hold out until NCL has promotions going on.

 

Still OP - short answer is your voucher may have an itinerary(ies) which start you off at oceanview; long answer follows...my voucher had over a dozen itineraries and all but one were for inside cabins; the outlier was the Jewel out of Houston which started as an oceanview, which I went for right away because I thought I could take my "savings" (whatever they were going to be) and spend that on an upgrade to a balcony, well with the promos going on I was already upgraded to a balcony (and tried the "can I upgrade from that" and the pricing just went through the roof so nada for me) but for the sailing I needed if I wanted I could only get a 3rd person free because there were no more balconies that could sleep 4, so for me I chose to bring a 4th rather than the balcony; don't know if an OA cabin is a good one but I figure for under $850 how could I go wrong and now I find out all of us have casino drink cards plus some kind of fancy dancy priority embarkation (which I admit I am still skeptical about but hey if they let us on after the preboards I will take it lol).

 

Another poster with recent fare info - so from our sample size of two (lol) it looks like 7 day NCL cruises have a NCF of $185 for the first two guests and 3/4 guests only have to pay port fees and taxes; I wonder (guessing negative here lol) what travel agents think of these non-commissionable fares.

 

Another poster recent voucher info - looks like we had similar/same experience; my cruise voucher had about a two month booking window (might have been less even) and cruise travel had to be completed by September 30, 2015 so OP make sure you check the deadlines while waiting for promos since it might be luck of the draw in getting to book while there is a promotion(s) going on.

 

Cheers!

Edited August 19, 2014 by CantSwim63

[funNsun4me]

Typically, how long do they give you to use the voucher? I think I might take your advice and wait until NCL is offering free upgrades because DH is claustrophobic and won't stay in a inside or ocean view cabin. Assuming my voucher is for an inside cabin, I could likely find a deal where there upgrading at least from a inside to ocean view and then only pay the upgrade from ocean view to balcony. Am I understanding this correctly…

Also.. My voucher is coming from a Mt Airy Casino and CAS is offering me a 20% for our play.. Do you think CAS they will apply the 20 % to my Mt. Airy voucher?

Thanks so much

 

We received our voucher in 3/14, had to book by 5/8/14 and sail by 3/8/14, so in essence the same deal as Daghis, 2 months to book, 1 year to sail so the new voucher will probably have to be booked by 10/31/14 and sail by 8/31/15.

[antsnanny]

Hi OP (I think) - the fare/promo codes I posted are right from the confirmation sheet and guessing are for casino/voucher fare, 3+4 free and OBC -- there would have been another code for a cabin upgrade but I decided to go with a 4th person free (more later); and I didn't have to wait for the promotions that I was allowed to use, so I hope you have the same luck as I did or as other posters have mentioned and you figured out that if you don't need to book right away (want a specific cabin or ship or itinerary or deadline, etc.) then to hold out until NCL has promotions going on.

 

Still OP - short answer is your voucher may have an itinerary(ies) which start you off at oceanview; long answer follows...my voucher had over a dozen itineraries and all but one were for inside cabins; the outlier was the Jewel out of Houston which started as an oceanview, which I went for right away because I thought I could take my "savings" (whatever they were going to be) and spend that on an upgrade to a balcony, well with the promos going on I was already upgraded to a balcony (and tried the "can I upgrade from that" and the pricing just went through the roof so nada for me) but for the sailing I needed if I wanted I could only get a 3rd person free because there were no more balconies that could sleep 4, so for me I chose to bring a 4th rather than the balcony; don't know if an OA cabin is a good one but I figure for under $850 how could I go wrong and now I find out all of us have casino drink cards plus some kind of fancy dancy priority embarkation (which I admit I am still skeptical about but hey if they let us on after the preboards I will take it lol).

 

Another poster with recent fare info - so from our sample size of two (lol) it looks like 7 day NCL cruises have a NCF of $185 for the first two guests and 3/4 guests only have to pay port fees and taxes; I wonder (guessing negative here lol) what travel agents think of these non-commissionable fares.

 

Another poster recent voucher info - looks like we had similar/same experience; my cruise voucher had about a two month booking window (might have been less even) and cruise travel had to be completed by September 30, 2015 so OP make sure you check the deadlines while waiting for promos since it might be luck of the draw in getting to book while there is a promotion(s) going on.

 

Cheers!

 

Thanks, I love all the good hints Im getting.. We want the Breakaway as we live in NJ and don't fly.. The rates usually drop on that ship, I think since its so big, it must be a lot of work to fill…. Ill defiantly keep you all posted.

[antsnanny]

We received our voucher in 3/14, had to book by 5/8/14 and sail by 3/8/14, so in essence the same deal as Daghis, 2 months to book, 1 year to sail so the new voucher will probably have to be booked by 10/31/14 and sail by 8/31/15.

 

Thanks, I will have no problem booking the cruise by 10-31-14, after all thats my favorite thing to do is book cruises!

[Paphillyguy]

I assume that you do not earn any latitude points on these cruises even if you pay for the upgrade. Is that correct?

[garycarla]

I assume that you do not earn any latitude points on these cruises even if you pay for the upgrade. Is that correct?

 

Yes and no.

 

Latitude points do not count for cruises paid by someone else, or highly discount like Travel Agents. But, in practice, it seems that folks do get points.

[rochelle_s]

I assume that you do not earn any latitude points on these cruises even if you pay for the upgrade. Is that correct?

 

No that is not correct. You do indeed earn Latitudes points on CAS cruises.

 

 

Rochelle