Casino perks

[chuck812]

We have an offer to sail with Carnival, we’ll already get free drinks while gambling. I’m wondering about other perks, like dinners, sushi, etc. Is it common to get them? What would it take? (We’d be moderate gamblers… unless we’re winning!)

[BigAfts]

46 minutes ago, chuck812 said:

We have an offer to sail with Carnival, we’ll already get free drinks while gambling. I’m wondering about other perks, like dinners, sushi, etc. Is it common to get them? What would it take? (We’d be moderate gamblers… unless we’re winning!)

 

Premium dining (steakhouse or comparable options on other ships) is usually their go to, especially if you already have Drinks on Us or Cheers! You'll likely also get some in-cabin treats like chocolate strawberries, cookies, fruit basket, bottle of cheap wine, etc.

 

I always end up buying Cheers! every cruise anyhow because I go in saying I'm not going to spend the entire cruise in the casino, and I don't want to rely on DoU for drinks if I experience a rough night or just don't feel like playing anymore. Usually buy the second night, between my play and tipping, they tell me they are giving me DoU, only to realize I already have Cheers! and then offer me the steakhouse.

 

In my experiences on cruises, I've had better "comps" playing lower limits for longer than higher limits for shorter. Playing $5 Three Card Poker or Let It Ride with a $1 on the 3-Card bonus every hand or two for the dealers for a couple of hours and your easily on their radar. Pit bosses/managers on the cruises are much more attentive compared to land based. I could tip all day on land-based and not even get a pit-boss to fart in my direction.

Edited January 25, 2022 by BigAfts

[chuck812]

Thanks, BigA!  Sounds like what works for you is also about what we'd do.  Though I suspect I wouldn't tip as generously, even if I ought to.  

[Elaine5715]

Carnival perks are based on point play for slots ($2.50 for 1 point thru machine).  Comps aren't hard and fast.   You do get the Free Drinks on Us (DOU) card for using while playing in the casino at 1500 points.  After that, comps are based on how you rank against other players on the same sailing with the top 20-30% getting the goodies.  On some cruises, 10,000 would get you a free steakhouse dinner and on another, some cookies.  There is not a chart.  Table players are ranked differently and absolutely, tipping tips the scale.  

[chuck812]

Thanks Elaine - This helps a lot.  I see cookies in my future.  

[jiggs]

do they ever bump players from 'drinks on us while gambling' to 'anywhere' on the same sailing?  I am close to taking a deal that offers while gambling and curious if my play keeps me there for future cruises or may influence an upgrade on this cruise.  

[Elaine5715]

43 minutes ago, jiggs said:

do they ever bump players from 'drinks on us while gambling' to 'anywhere' on the same sailing?  I am close to taking a deal that offers while gambling and curious if my play keeps me there for future cruises or may influence an upgrade on this cruise.  

No.  The casino Dept would need to pay for an CHEERS package for you which is what the drinks anywhere option is so no, they don't.  Many people purchase the CHEERS program for themselves in addition to having the DOU offer already.  

[Elaine5715]

12 hours ago, chuck812 said:

Thanks Elaine - This helps a lot.  I see cookies in my future.  

The cookies are pretty good.

[chuck812]

Actually, I shouldn't joke, someone might read this months from now and not know when I'm speaking tongue in cheek.  I read one discussion that seemed to imply that small gifts like cookies are fairly easy to obtain just for doing a bit of gambling.  What would you say?  

[Elaine5715]

15 minutes ago, chuck812 said:

Actually, I shouldn't joke, someone might read this months from now and not know when I'm speaking tongue in cheek.  I read one discussion that seemed to imply that small gifts like cookies are fairly easy to obtain just for doing a bit of gambling.  What would you say?  

No, that isn't accurate.  If you happened to be on a cruise with all nongamblers, playing their $20 stake and heading out to the deck party, sure.  Understand most people who are bragging about their onboard comps are most likely fibbing about the amount they gambled. "I only spent about $100 the entire cruise and I got 2 steak dinners, a spa treatment, two bottles of wine,   a dozen cookies and a bounceback  offer for a free Grand Suite." No, you dropped close to $15,000. Slot play is all based on points.  

Now for table players, personality plus constant tips for the dealers and the Pit bosses wave their wands and viola!  

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, Elaine5715 said:

No, that isn't accurate.  If you happened to be on a cruise with all nongamblers, playing their $20 stake and heading out to the deck party, sure.  Understand most people who are bragging about their onboard comps are most likely fibbing about the amount they gambled. "I only spent about $100 the entire cruise and I got 2 steak dinners, a spa treatment, two bottles of wine,   a dozen cookies and a bounceback  offer for a free Grand Suite." No, you dropped close to $15,000. Slot play is all based on points.  

Now for table players, personality plus constant tips for the dealers and the Pit bosses wave their wands and viola!  

She speaks the truth.

[jiggs]

18 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

No.  The casino Dept would need to pay for an CHEERS package for you which is what the drinks anywhere option is so no, they don't.  Many people purchase the CHEERS program for themselves in addition to having the DOU offer already.  

 

Thanks.  I'm in the 'my spouse doesn't drink enough' to make CHEERS worth it for our family.  I'll be happy with DOU rather than having the pit manager sign for my drinks as he did the past cruise.

 

I like table games but I don't like playing alone, so I'm concerned that lower occupancy may mean less people willing to belly up to the craps table, so maybe I won't find myself in there as often anyway.

 

[britbritrawr09]

12 hours ago, kwokpot said:

She speaks the truth.

I just gamble whatever and hope for the good casino rate deals. I don’t have thousands of dollars for comps lol

[dallasdan]

My last cruise on the dream, I was comped the steak house for 2 people and given a bottle of wine at dinner in the MDR.  Granted this was the most I ever gambled and lost on a cruise.  

[chuck812]

We’ll be cruising with our kids, so I’m just having a hard time imagining spending much time in the casino. Maybe an hour or two on first nights, if kids are interested in the club for kids and my wife trusts it. I would like to play enough that they don’t feel their match was wasted and maybe enough to get another offer. But I don’t see it happening, unless I’m on a hot streak and end up putting down a lot during those couple hours. Oh well.

[Can'tWait2SetSail]

Last cruise I earned the drinks in casino but had cheers so I asked for something else and did not got squat. There was some heavy gambling on that cruise though. I think it was a 4 day. Other cruises I usually earned the free drinks in casino, but I always have cheers so it is meaningless. I do get decent casino rates so I am fine with this. The next cruise we are going on we booked a casino rate with free drinks in casino, but again we will have Cheers. I am planning on spending my kids future inheritance in the casino since I have not been on a vacation since 2019 and we have 4 sea days so maybe I will get some chocolate covered strawberries.

[DallasGuy75219]

4 minutes ago, Can'tWait2SetSail said:

so maybe I will get some chocolate covered strawberries.

Remember to scrape the mold off before you eat them.

[VASOXFANN]

Received several 'Good to Go" offers recently (free inside cabin for 2 with DOU) and have maybe spent $20 total in CCL casinos (slots).  Unfortunately, I can't coordinate our schedules to take advantage.

Edited January 31, 2022 by VASOXFANN

[Joe817]

3 hours ago, VASOXFANN said:

Received several 'Good to Go" offers recently (free inside cabin for 2 with DOU) and have maybe spent $20 total in CCL casinos (slots).  Unfortunately, I can't coordinate our schedules to take advantage.

Aw darn. That's a shame. BTW, I love your avatar. What's the handsome gentleman's rank? 

[VASOXFANN]

18 minutes ago, Joe817 said:

Aw darn. That's a shame. BTW, I love your avatar. What's the handsome gentleman's rank? 

I'm not complaining - just would like to use one eventually!

 

Mark used to be a Colonel in the Maryland Defense Force.  He's now retired.  We were married on the Pride back in 2014 ❤️

Edited January 31, 2022 by VASOXFANN

[NutsAboutGolf]

When booking a CCL cruise, the casino offers can come with following perks, free-low cost fares, free play, drinks, shore excursions and specialty dinners.  Then depending on the offer, they may also give out the VIFP platinum status for the sailing which gives you more perks.

 

Once onboard, to get comps its as simple as tier points.  Depends on duration but on a 7 or more night cruise, 1500 tier points gets you drinks while playing and 4500 tier points for a specialty dinner.

[chuck812]

Thanks, everyone!  What I take away from all this is that it's rarely sensible to take comps into account while in a cruise ship casino. 

One more question.  We've got $100 in FunPlay for our July cruise, I wonder if they subtract that from the points you earn, or how they do so.  Depending on what you're playing, by the percentages (even BJ 6:5), $100 in funplay could translate into quite a bit of actual play.  But the "theo" seems like zero if you're playing with Carnival's money.  I wonder if it would help to cash out after a bit (assuming anything left), and then re-contribute...

[d12j28]

2 minutes ago, chuck812 said:

Thanks, everyone!  What I take away from all this is that it's rarely sensible to take comps into account while in a cruise ship casino. 

One more question.  We've got $100 in FunPlay for our July cruise, I wonder if they subtract that from the points you earn, or how they do so.  Depending on what you're playing, by the percentages (even BJ 6:5), $100 in funplay could translate into quite a bit of actual play.  But the "theo" seems like zero if you're playing with Carnival's money.  I wonder if it would help to cash out after a bit (assuming anything left), and then re-contribute...

You don't earn points with FunPlay and you can't cash it out. However, you will earn points or you can cash out anything that you actually won while using the FunPlay.

[chuck812]

28 minutes ago, d12j28 said:

You don't earn points with FunPlay and you can't cash it out. However, you will earn points or you can cash out anything that you actually won while using the FunPlay.

Right - so let's say I gamble $100 in Funplay, and manage to break even, so now I have $100 in regular chips.  Do I need to cash out and buy back in, to earn points?  

[d12j28]

1 hour ago, chuck812 said:

Right - so let's say I gamble $100 in Funplay, and manage to break even, so now I have $100 in regular chips.  Do I need to cash out and buy back in, to earn points?  

Couple things:

 1 - Any winnings you get from playing FunPlay are yours and are real money.

 

2 - You don't earn points on the FunPlay, just on real money played through. So no points on the $100 FunPlay but if you then in turn played the $100 you won you would earn points on that. $2.50 played = 1 point on slot machines (except video poker, that's $5 to = 1 point).

 

3 - Any money you have in the machine you would cash out to your players bank (you can put real money in the machine but when cashing out it goes into a players bank on your sail n sign card). So if you had $100 in real money in your players bank and wanted the cash you would then go to the cahiers cage and request it.

 

4 - If you are playing table games they give you funny looking chips (FunPlay chips). You bet those, but if you win you get real chips back and would use those just like normal. Play them or go to the cage and cash them in. Table games are a different monster when earning points.

Edited January 31, 2022 by d12j28