Casino - can I charge slot machines to my room without any fees?

[ShadowyTime]

Hello,

It's been a few years since my last NCL cruise, and I have a question about charging slot machine play in the Casino to my room.

 

Recently on a Carnival cruise I realized that charging the slot machines to my room did NOT incur the normal 3% fee that was imposed when you charge table games (such as Blackjack) to your room.

 

How does it currently work on NCL? I depart in just over two weeks and that's why I'm wondering.

 

Thanks to all that can help answer my question.

[cruiserbear55]

4 minutes ago, ShadowyTime said:

It's been a few years since my last NCL cruise, and I have a question about charging slot machine play in the Casino to my room.

 

Recently on a Carnival cruise I realized that charging the slot machines to my room did NOT incur the normal 3% fee that was imposed when you charge table games (such as Blackjack) to your room.

 

How does it currently work on NCL? I depart in just over two weeks and that's why I'm wondering.

 

Thanks to all that can help answer my question.

Was still 3% our last cruise in April to charge slot machine  play to your cabin.If you withdraw $1000.00, that will incur a $30.00 fee. Taking the same amount from the casino ATM, if I remember correctly, was $6.99. Your financial institution may have an additional charge, but overall the ATM will cost you less.

   The only positive about charging to your cabin ( hence your credit card) is that NCL charges everything on your credit account as purchases. So if you charge a couple    

thousand you’ll be billed at your purchase rate ( let’s say 16%) instead of your cash advance rate, which can be 30% or more on some cards.

  But then you’d still have to pay the 3% fee.

l

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, ShadowyTime said:

Hello,

It's been a few years since my last NCL cruise, and I have a question about charging slot machine play in the Casino to my room.

 

Recently on a Carnival cruise I realized that charging the slot machines to my room did NOT incur the normal 3% fee that was imposed when you charge table games (such as Blackjack) to your room.

 

How does it currently work on NCL? I depart in just over two weeks and that's why I'm wondering.

 

Thanks to all that can help answer my question.

Only if you are a Ruby or Elite member, service charge fees are waived. Otherwise, it is a 3% charge if you advance on your room account. 

[julig22]

3% fee.  But as a purchase, you get whatever points/rebate your card offers for travel purchases.  If you have the NCL card, it's at least a wash - but also a good way to collect points toward an upgrade.

[MoCruiseFan]

4 hours ago, cruiserbear55 said:

Was still 3% our last cruise in April to charge slot machine  play to your cabin.If you withdraw $1000.00, that will incur a $30.00 fee. Taking the same amount from the casino ATM, if I remember correctly, was $6.99. Your financial institution may have an additional charge, but overall the ATM will cost you less.

   The only positive about charging to your cabin ( hence your credit card) is that NCL charges everything on your credit account as purchases. So if you charge a couple    

thousand you’ll be billed at your purchase rate ( let’s say 16%) instead of your cash advance rate, which can be 30% or more on some cards.

  But then you’d still have to pay the 3% fee.

l

The ATM fee is ONLY the NCL side, your bank will most likely charge you as well.  Normally the 3% ends up being cheaper.

[phillygwm]

3 hours ago, MoCruiseFan said:

The ATM fee is ONLY the NCL side, your bank will most likely charge you as well.  Normally the 3% ends up being cheaper.

Depends.  Tough to calculate the breakeven point because your bank fees will vary, but it's likely in the $300 range.

[negn]

If you put your players card in a machine, you can charge to your room with no added charges

[EllieinNJ]

33 minutes ago, negn said:

If you put your players card in a machine, you can charge to your room with no added charges

Is this the card you use everywhere or is it a separate card you get from the casino?  Will your OBC cover any casino charges on your final statement ?

[cruiserbear55]

2 hours ago, phillygwm said:

Depends.  Tough to calculate the breakeven point because your bank fees will vary, but it's likely in the $300 range.

Huh?

[cruiserbear55]

1 hour ago, negn said:

If you put your players card in a machine, you can charge to your room with no added charges

Unless they’ve changed their policy very recently, as Bird Travels stated above, only ruby and elite tier players get the fees waived. No matter if you use your cabin card or your casino card.

[phillygwm]

1 hour ago, cruiserbear55 said:

Huh?

The cost of the ATM is roughly $7 plus your bank may charge on top of that.  Let's say $2, but it will vary.  So there's an all-in cost of $9, regardless of withdrawal amount.  

 

There's a 3% surcharge if you get a cash advance on your room (unless you're in a high status level.)  Putting aside the value of rewards you might gain on a credit card, which may offset that cost, taking a $300 cash advance will cost $9.  

 

Thus, if you're advancing <$300, you're better charging your room.  Above that, the ATM may make more sense.

[cruiserbear55]

9 minutes ago, phillygwm said:

The cost of the ATM is roughly $7 plus your bank may charge on top of that.  Let's say $2, but it will vary.  So there's an all-in cost of $9, regardless of withdrawal amount.  

 

There's a 3% surcharge if you get a cash advance on your room (unless you're in a high status level.)  Putting aside the value of rewards you might gain on a credit card, which may offset that cost, taking a $300 cash advance will cost $9.  

 

Thus, if you're advancing <$300, you're better charging your room.  Above that, the ATM may make more sense.

Thanks for clarifying. Now your original post makes sense!

 

[phillygwm]

6 hours ago, MoCruiseFan said:

The ATM fee is ONLY the NCL side, your bank will most likely charge you as well.  Normally the 3% ends up being cheaper.

The other thing to consider, if you're spending a fair amount in the casino, is to establish a line of credit.  It's free.

 

Personally, I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, so I get 3% on travel plus a 1.5x multiplier if I purchase travel through Chase (or, currently, redeem points for previous purchases.)  So that's net 4.5%.  The more you advance, the farther ahead you are 🙂

 

[cruiserbear55]

9 minutes ago, phillygwm said:

The other thing to consider, if you're spending a fair amount in the casino, is to establish a line of credit.  It's free.

 

Personally, I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, so I get 3% on travel plus a 1.5x multiplier if I purchase travel through Chase (or, currently, redeem points for previous purchases.)  So that's net 4.5%.  The more you advance, the farther ahead you are 🙂

 

Actually, the more you advance, the further BEHIND you get. If you were getting ahead, you wouldn’t need more advances!!

[Cruiseandgamble]

3 hours ago, cruiserbear55 said:

Unless they’ve changed their policy very recently, as Bird Travels stated above, only ruby and elite tier players get the fees waived. No matter if you use your cabin card or your casino card.

I’m just a lowly Sapphire tier player and my fees were automatically waived at the end of my last 3 cruises as well so not just Ruby and Elite.

[ShadowyTime]

This is all very interesting 🙂 The reason I asked was specifically because of the credit cards rewards systems. As some of you have mentioned, depending on what types of rewards program you are on, the 3% fee added by the casino might not be a concern, but there are many, many factors in play.

 

I appreciate everyone's response, as it's helped me plan better on how I will approach this.

[BirdTravels]

12 hours ago, negn said:

If you put your players card in a machine, you can charge to your room with no added charges

Incorrect. You incur a 3% service charge to advance against your room unless you are a Ruby or above. 

[cruiserbear55]

3 hours ago, ShadowyTime said:

This is all very interesting 🙂 The reason I asked was specifically because of the credit cards rewards systems. As some of you have mentioned, depending on what types of rewards program you are on, the 3% fee added by the casino might not be a concern, but there are many, many factors in play.

 

I appreciate everyone's response, as it's helped me plan better on how I will approach this.

As the OP, thank you for returning and acknowledging everyone’s responses. Too many times on these boards someone asks a question, people take the time to research and answer their query, and the OP ( Original poster) is never heard from again. Again, thank you.

[UKstages]

14 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

You incur a 3% service charge to advance against your room unless you are a Ruby or above. 

 

as noted by @Cruiseandgamble above, it's actually sapphire and above... saphire, ruby and elite tier levels .

 

https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/casino-cruise/players-club

 

the confusion may stem from the use of the word "advance." when you charge funds to your room, that goes on your folio as a standard charge, much like merchandise or food and beverage, and a "convenience fee" is charged. sapphire, ruby and elite players get those fees waived. when you get a "cash advance," that's a financial transaction through your credit card or bank card and the fees associated with that are indeed waived only for "ruby and above."

Edited July 29, 2022 by UKstages

[Quencups]

On 7/28/2022 at 12:13 PM, Cruiseandgamble said:

I’m just a lowly Sapphire tier player and my fees were automatically waived at the end of my last 3 cruises as well so not just Ruby and Elite.

Probably based on your play. 

[Cruiseandgamble]

On 7/30/2022 at 3:44 PM, Quencups said:

Probably based on your play. 

 

Doubt it.  Of the 26 days only 3 were sea days so my play was much lower than normal.  Several of the port days had late departure times (Livorno x2, Palma, Santorini, Valetta, Kotka, Klaipeda, Warnemunde) so either spent little or no time in the casino those days - had dinner reservations or early shore excursions the next day.

 

Waived Convenience Fees are listed as perks for Sapphire, Ruby and Elite across all NCL brands:

 

[pcakes122]

Another note for those who enjoy the "net benefits" including NCL (and other) credit card rewards.  When you charge money against your cabin folio to gamble, nobody monitors or cares whether you actually gamble with it.  So there's also that. 😉

[pcakes122]

On 7/28/2022 at 7:59 PM, BirdTravels said:

Incorrect. You incur a 3% service charge to advance against your room unless you are a Ruby or above. 

As others have shared, that's not correct -  but you may be thinking about the solo upgrade fee perk? (Ruby and Elite solo cruisers do not pay double to upgrade, all others do.)

[ShadowyTime]

2 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

Another note for those who enjoy the "net benefits" including NCL (and other) credit card rewards.  When you charge money against your cabin folio to gamble, nobody monitors or cares whether you actually gamble with it.  So there's also that. 😉

Can you expand a little more on this? Are you saying that I could, for instance, charge $500 to my cabin folio at the customer service desk, they could then hand me that same $500 and it simply ends up getting charged to my credit card as part of all other onboard charges?

 

That could be the little bit of magic that I'm looking for 🙂 Plese let me know, and thanks in advance.

[julig22]

1 hour ago, ShadowyTime said:

Can you expand a little more on this? Are you saying that I could, for instance, charge $500 to my cabin folio at the customer service desk, they could then hand me that same $500 and it simply ends up getting charged to my credit card as part of all other onboard charges?

 

That could be the little bit of magic that I'm looking for 🙂 Plese let me know, and thanks in advance.

Sort of.  You go to the casino, not customer service, and charge $500 to your account from one of the slots (at least that's what I do). Then you transfer the money in your account to the slot. Cash out and take the slip to the cashier and they'll give you your $500.