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Avoiding the 3% Casino Fee for the Hyper-frugal Cruiser (it takes work)

jobey

By jobey,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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jobey

jobey

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I know, if you’re *really* frugal you would avoid the casino, but anyway...

 

Getting cash for the casino by charging it to your onboard account results in a 3 % fee, right? But getting $5 in tokens from the coin pusher is fee-free!

 

So, get your $5/$10/$15/$20 in tokens and then take them to the cashier’s cage and exchange them for cash! No fee! I would keep a few tokens out of the bucket each time so it’s not an even amount and not do it too often or they might catch on and start watching you.

 

 

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jobey

jobey

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Sorry, but I don't know what you mean by getting tokens from the "coin pusher." Please clarify that for me.

 

A coin pusher is a gambling machine that is filled with coins (generally quarters) with a constantly moving mechanism at the back. The game is played by inserting a coin into the slot so that it lands on the open surface in front of the pusher. The pusher then pushes the coin towards the front where it makes contact with other coins. Those coins are then (hopefully) pushed forward and off the edge where they fall into a bin where the player can collect them.

 

NCL uses tokens instead of quarters, but they can be exchanged for 25 cents per token at the cashier. They also put other prizes on top of the tokens, like $1/$5/$10/$20 bills.

 

On the NCL version there is usually a card reader on the machine for you to use your ship's card. Each swipe of the card will dispense 20 tokens into the bin and charge $5 to your onboard account.

Edited by jobey
20 tokens, not 40. Where did my math skills go?
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jobey

jobey

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Couldn't you also just bring cash?

 

You could, and I do, but some people don't carry cash for whatever reason.

 

Some cruisers might think it's worth the effort to cart buckets of tokens to the cashier to save that 3% fee. If you don't, then this post is not for you.

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jobey

jobey

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If you stick your room key in a slot machine and pull money/charge your room for it, there is a 3% fee. Like sticking you atm card in the change machine will incur a $5.99 fee to pull money.

 

Um, yeah. No argument there. :rolleyes:

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hawkeyetlse

hawkeyetlse

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I don't think there's any way they would let anyone cash out 100s of dollars in OBC in this way. There are not that many of those coin pusher games, so they are easy to monitor. And as you said, they are gambling machines designed to take your money, so no one is amassing hundreds of dollars in tokens "legitimately" (i.e. by winning them). All they have to do is look up your shipboard account and they can see that you got all of your tokens right out of the money changer.

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jobey

jobey

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I don't think there's any way they would let anyone cash out 100s of dollars in OBC in this way. There are not that many of those coin pusher games, so they are easy to monitor. And as you said, they are gambling machines designed to take your money, so no one is amassing hundreds of dollars in tokens "legitimately" (i.e. by winning them). All they have to do is look up your shipboard account and they can see that you got all of your tokens right out of the money changer.

 

I'm not sure if you could use OBC this way, but you could use a credit card and get whatever perks your card issuer offers. If you cash in $hundreds, yes, you will probably get noticed. But doing $50 or even $100 would probably work.

 

And who checks your ID when you cash out the tokens? That's right, *nobody*.

 

This is just a way to avoid a few $ in fees. Maybe you don't gamble and want $50 in cash to spend in the port. Buy some tokens and cash them in. Save the ATM fees.

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pcakes122

pcakes122

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This is just a way to avoid a few $ in fees. Maybe you don't gamble and want $50 in cash to spend in the port. Buy some tokens and cash them in. Save the ATM fees.

So you are suggesting that people go through these multiple transactions and turning in buckets of tokens to save $1.50 in fees?

 

At the risk of sounding "judge-y", if folks are concerned about $1.50 or even $3.00 then I don't think the casino is the right/best entertainment for them.

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jobey

jobey

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So you are suggesting that people go through these multiple transactions and turning in buckets of tokens to save $1.50 in fees?

 

 

 

At the risk of sounding "judge-y", if folks are concerned about $1.50 or even $3.00 then I don't think the casino is the right/best entertainment for them.

 

 

First of all, $50 is only 200 tokens, which would not fill one of their plastic bucket, much less multiples.

 

Secondly, using tokens to get cash from your onboard account without fees can be used for anything. Tips, food and drink in the ports, souvenirs, whatever. It doesn’t have to be spent in the casino.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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fastpitchdad

fastpitchdad

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I don't think there's any way they would let anyone cash out 100s of dollars in OBC in this way. There are not that many of those coin pusher games, so they are easy to monitor. And as you said, they are gambling machines designed to take your money, so no one is amassing hundreds of dollars in tokens "legitimately" (i.e. by winning them). All they have to do is look up your shipboard account and they can see that you got all of your tokens right out of the money changer.

 

I disagree...what are they going to do? Not give you money for the tokens? No rules were broken. Worst case is they change the machines to charge the 3% but until then I applaud people who take advantage of this. The 3% fee and the highway robbery ATM fees are ridiculous.

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NCLfamily

NCLfamily

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Maybe it's just me, but going to the casino, swiping my card ten times and taking 200 tokens to a cashier to save $1.50 seems crazy. You're on a cruise ship. Enjoy it. But if lots of you start doing it the queues at the bar will be shorter [emoji3]

 

 

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biker@sea

biker@sea

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First of all, $50 is only 200 tokens, which would not fill one of their plastic bucket, much less multiples.

 

Secondly, using tokens to get cash from your onboard account without fees can be used for anything. Tips, food and drink in the ports, souvenirs, whatever. It doesn’t have to be spent in the casino.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk[/quote

 

 

 

Tip = When on vacation, Leave " Cheap " @ home.:evilsmile:

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Moby0215

Moby0215

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First of all, $50 is only 200 tokens, which would not fill one of their plastic bucket, much less multiples.

 

Secondly, using tokens to get cash from your onboard account without fees can be used for anything. Tips, food and drink in the ports, souvenirs, whatever. It doesn’t have to be spent in the casino.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

 

 

Have you actually cashed out $50 in tokens? Let alone $100? That’s 200 or 400 tokens. No one is ever Going to win that much on the coin pusher so I am sure they would know exactly what you are doing.

 

 

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