Freedom Casino Help

[10th Anniversary]

Hi everyone... I searched some on the boards for info on the casino and I believe I'm more confused now than before I searched.

 

We are traveling with some friends who are first time Royal cruisers and they like to spend time in the casino.

 

#1 -- Cash is best ... but can you charge casino spending to your on board account? If so, how?

#2 -- I see something about a fee? Is there always a fee for charging to your on board account? Is the fee per transaction?

#3 -- What if someone wanted to spend ALOT of money... they can't carry that much money in cash on board...

#4 -- Earning / Tracking Points? There is a new program starting on our sail date...

#5 -- Free drinks... for everyone in casino playing or only after spending a certain amount of money?

#6 -- So if I load $100 cash in a machine and decide to not spend it all... is it saved to my card? Or do I get a cashout ticket? What do I do with that ticket -- insert it into a new machine or take it the cash window and exchange for cash that I now have to re-feed into a machine?

 

Sorry to sound so silly... but we aren't gamblers and we don't really know how the cash, on board, sea pass card, ticket, drinks, credits, etc. works in the casino.

 

TIA

[Clarea]

You cannot directly charge your casino gaming to your stateroom. However, you can get a cash advance against your onboard account at the casino for a 5% fee.

 

You can avoid the 5% fee by either being a member of the players club or having a "cash" type (no debit or credit card on file) onboard account.

 

You can wire money to the casino if you want.

 

Free drinks for players club members.

 

Cashout tickets.

[10th Anniversary]

Thanks Bob....

 

How does one become a member of the Players Club?

[Clarea]

Thanks Bob....

 

How does one become a member of the Players Club?

You're welcome.

 

Royal's player's club is called Club Royale, and hopefully someone will chime in here and explain it. All I know is that the program has seemed to be going through a major change for quite some time now, and I have no idea if it's all settled yet or still up in the air.

[maryjaden]

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2225432

 

If you go to this thread and go to the end and work back, there are several discussions on the new program and what the rules may be. They are supposed to have this finalized by the end of March. Those of us that are members have heard this several times before, so we shall see....

 

As far as drinks, I did talk to Club Royale this morning on my upcoming Adventure Cruise and he did tell me that it takes 1000 points to have the fee waived and free drinks. Just make sure and tell your friends to always have their sea pass card in the machines when playing or if you are a table player, make sure and have them rate you.

[trrn2016]

If you have onboard credit, can you put your sea pass card in the machine and transfer the money to the machine?? I know you could on Princess. Thanks.

[JessyCruises]

If you have onboard credit, can you put your sea pass card in the machine and transfer the money to the machine?? I know you could on Princess. Thanks.

 

You cannot transfer money directly from your card into the machine. You would need to go to the Casino cage and get a withdrawal from your Seapass card. As Bob mentioned above you will be charged 5% unless you have your onboard account set up as Cash or you earned more that 1000 pts on your previous or current sailing which would get you considered a Casino VIP.

[trrn2016]

You cannot transfer money directly from your card into the machine. You would need to go to the Casino cage and get a withdrawal from your Seapass card. As Bob mentioned above you will be charged 5% unless you have your onboard account set up as Cash or you earned more that 1000 pts on your previous or current sailing which would get you considered a Casino VIP.

Thanks for your reply. Guess this is a good problem to have!! Lol

[PompeySailor]

Hopefully won't confuse you too much.

Us members have been confused for over 2 long years!

 

Your SeaPass card cannot be used as a charge card in slots.

TITO (Ticket in Ticket Out) is the RC format on all of its ships.

(Anthem experts might want to chime in)

 

 

Cash can be withdrawn at cage 5% fee as already explained

5% fee waived once you are a VIP member.

 

 

As stated you can set up an account with CR prior to your sailing, have done this before when not wanting to take more than $10K in hard cash.

 

 

The other method is just take $10K in cash, it is one bundle of $100's

 

 

As a VIP you can also set up a daily limit that you can withdrawal from the cage, we normally cap that at $3K each.

 

Player ID numbers no longer exist and an open invite to anyone gambling in the casino is tracked via their Seapass card.

 

SLOTS

With Seapass inserted into any slot anytime you play

For every $5 spent you will get 1 point

I won't bore you with the mathematics on this.

 

400 points will earn you a $100 certificate on a future cruise

 

Old System

2000 points will earn you a $500.00 certificate on a future cruise.

2400 points will earn you a $500.00 certificate or an inside cabin

3600 points will earn you a $750.00 certificate or an Oceanview cabin

4800 points will earn you a $1000.00 certificate or a Balcony cabin

We got offered a Grand Suite just last month for all of 2018 on pretty much any ship in the fleet.

So this seems to be the NEW way of rewarding loyal VIP members.

 

Let's look at the scale, you will see it is not linear, and there is where the new program sucks!

There is no insentive to play past 2000 points.

This will make perfect sense to the frequent casino users.

 

As a couple I would hit 2000 points, then ask host for a duplicate card and then stop using the account hitting 2000, and top the other up to 2000 points.

That then is a combined $1000.00 a future cruise.

This may go away with the NEW program, but we did this as recent as December.

 

I have been in the program for 18 years or so and our last certificates of $1500.00 combined we used to pay down future cruises.

 

The latest is that certificates can NOT be applied to older bookings, but depends who you know at CR.

NEW system, a little more rigid, so not as much wiggle room.

 

In summary

2000 points is a formula of (1pt per $5 active) let's call that $10k

You are not necessarily dropping $10k, as you will win a bit, use winnings, lose a bit, you get the idea.

 

If you hit 2000 points, the host will see this on their terminal and find you

Once you hit 400 points they will know who you are.

The 1000 points will now be the trigger for the host to track you down and put that nice sticker on your card.

 

For free drinks that's no secret, old CR VIP members will have a sticker on their Seapass card.

This can be on card at check in, or the host can apply.

MLife players get vouchers, and some get stickers.

NOIR would certainly be stickered

NEW, 1000pts now needed on prior sailing to get free drinks

Low rollers may be given a few drinks vouchers. Tried and tested on a few sailings, but sort of died rapidly.

 

It used to be $5 bet per spin, over a 4hr period to get an invite to CR VIP program.

NEW 1000 points to enter at lowest tier.

 

Introduce yourself to host if your bankroll looks to be in the range of what I have mentioned above.

 

TABLES

more complicated

Most ships now swipe your card on joining a table, they track your wager, but tracking then becomes more of a hit n miss scenario.

Let pit boss know you want to be tracked.

 

It used to be $50 minimum per hand for 4hrs a day on tables to possibly get a CR VIP Invite.

 

If you are in the higher league you may also be eligible for Casino rates on bookings, along with the certificate amounts.

 

Example we had 3 Royal Suites booked using casino rate, with certificates applied and they are cheaper than some JS's

And then booked another 3 Royal Suites when you could combine CASINO Rate and Certificates.

The Good Ole Days!

Happy Days!

 

Some say casino rates are equal across the board, IMO, I disagree with this

People report 40%-60% savings on published website prices.

 

Good luck in the casino

And if I can assist further, will do, the only game I have no experience with on any ship is craps

A little bird told me that there are 4 tiers, my signature might give that away

I posted this originally JUNE 2016 BTW. Edited to add changes throughout 2016, 2017 & 2018.

We were formally told that our New Tier level would be known to us by March 31st, by a very reliable source at CASINO Royale.

That was back in December 2017.

Should know by Friday what Tier we will be, Signature could be a Clue Linda��

Edited March 27, 2018 by PompeySailor

[baryton]

Hopefully won't confuse you too much.

Us members have been confused for over 2 long years!

 

Your SeaPass card cannot be used as a charge card in slots.

TITO (Ticket in Ticket Out) is the RC format on all of its ships.

(Anthem experts might want to chime in)

 

 

Cash can be withdrawn at cage 5% fee as already explained

5% fee waived once you are a VIP member.

 

 

As stated you can set up an account with CR prior to your sailing, have done this before when not wanting to take more than $10K in hard cash.

 

 

The other method is just take $10K in cash, it is one bundle of $100's

 

 

As a VIP you can also set up a daily limit that you can withdrawal from the cage, we normally cap that at $3K each.

 

Player ID numbers no longer exist and an open invite to anyone gambling in the casino is tracked via their Seapass card.

 

SLOTS

With Seapass inserted into any slot anytime you play

For every $5 spent you will get 1 point

I won't bore you with the mathematics on this.

 

400 points will earn you a $100 certificate on a future cruise

 

Old System

2000 points will earn you a $500.00 certificate on a future cruise.

2400 points will earn you a $500.00 certificate or an inside cabin

3600 points will earn you a $750.00 certificate or an Oceanview cabin

4800 points will earn you a $1000.00 certificate or a Balcony cabin

We got offered a Grand Suite just last month for all of 2018 on pretty much any ship in the fleet.

So this seems to be the NEW way of rewarding loyal VIP members.

 

Let's look at the scale, you will see it is not linear, and there is where the new program sucks!

There is no insentive to play past 2000 points.

This will make perfect sense to the frequent casino users.

 

As a couple I would hit 2000 points, then ask host for a duplicate card and then stop using the account hitting 2000, and top the other up to 2000 points.

That then is a combined $1000.00 a future cruise.

This may go away with the NEW program, but we did this as recent as December.

 

I have been in the program for 18 years or so and our last certificates of $1500.00 combined we used to pay down future cruises.

 

The latest is that certificates can NOT be applied to older bookings, but depends who you know at CR.

NEW system, a little more rigid, so not as much wiggle room.

 

In summary

2000 points is a formula of (1pt per $5 active) let's call that $10k

You are not necessarily dropping $10k, as you will win a bit, use winnings, lose a bit, you get the idea.

 

If you hit 2000 points, the host will see this on their terminal and find you

Once you hit 400 points they will know who you are.

The 1000 points will now be the trigger for the host to track you down and put that nice sticker on your card.

 

For free drinks that's no secret, old CR VIP members will have a sticker on their Seapass card.

This can be on card at check in, or the host can apply.

MLife players get vouchers, and some get stickers.

NOIR would certainly be stickered

NEW, 1000pts now needed on prior sailing to get free drinks

Low rollers may be given a few drinks vouchers. Tried and tested on a few sailings, but sort of died rapidly.

 

It used to be $5 bet per spin, over a 4hr period to get an invite to CR VIP program.

NEW 1000 points to enter at lowest tier.

 

Introduce yourself to host if your bankroll looks to be in the range of what I have mentioned above.

 

TABLES

more complicated

Most ships now swipe your card on joining a table, they track your wager, but tracking then becomes more of a hit n miss scenario.

Let pit boss know you want to be tracked.

 

It used to be $50 minimum per hand for 4hrs a day on tables to possibly get a CR VIP Invite.

 

If you are in the higher league you may also be eligible for Casino rates on bookings, along with the certificate amounts.

 

Example we had 3 Royal Suites booked using casino rate, with certificates applied and they are cheaper than some JS's

And then booked another 3 Royal Suites when you could combine CASINO Rate and Certificates.

The Good Ole Days!

Happy Days!

 

Some say casino rates are equal across the board, IMO, I disagree with this

People report 40%-60% savings on published website prices.

 

Good luck in the casino

And if I can assist further, will do, the only game I have no experience with on any ship is craps

A little bird told me that there are 4 tiers, my signature might give that away

I posted this originally JUNE 2016 BTW. Edited to add changes throughout 2016, 2017 & 2018.

We were formally told that our New Tier level would be known to us by March 31st, by a very reliable source at CASINO Royale.

That was back in December 2017.

Should know by Friday what Tier we will be, Signature could be a Clue Linda��

 

Great information. Thanks for taking the time to post.

 

Rusty