Casino Spending

[Cheer Mom D]

I don't ever use the casino but I will be traveling with my brother and his wife and they would like to use the casino.  My question is, how do they spend money in the casino?  Do they use cash, sea pass card or both?

[cruisinmeme]

Cash is best. If you use your room key/ sign and sail card there is a 3% charge. I usually put in my limit of cash and you get a paper with your balance that comes out of machine when you cash out. I just move to another machine with it. 

[Russiamomm]

28 minutes ago, cruisinmeme said:

Cash is best. If you use your room key/ sign and sail card there is a 3% charge. I usually put in my limit of cash and you get a paper with your balance that comes out of machine when you cash out. I just move to another machine with it. 

Agreed.  Cash is best to avoid the service fee.  There is also an ATM in the casino.  It charges $5.99 for a withdrawal.  Your bank may tack on an additional charge.  Since my bank reimburses ATM charges, this is usually how I do it.

[UKstages]

you may wish to consider joining them for an evening or two in the casino and risking a modest amount of money. you may find, a few months after the cruise, that your modest spend has yielded big savings.… anything from 10% off to an entirely free cruise.

[phillygwm]

Depends on your bankroll.  I setup a line of credit with the casino, but that minimum is $5K.  Not that you have to bet that much, obviously, but they call your bank to make sure you have it in your account.  I always thought that was kind of dumb; I don't routinely keep that much in my checking account.  So I ask them to give me a heads up, I move money over, I get approved, and move it back.  Still, it's a PITA if you're betting a couple hundred bucks.

 

Sometimes I prefer to just use the ATM.  I don't like to bill it to my room because 3% is kind of steep.  Though you can offset that cost if you're using a card like Chase Sapphire Reserve, where you get 3x for travel.

 

 

[julig22]

30 minutes ago, phillygwm said:

 I  don't like to bill it to my room because 3% is kind of steep.  Though you can offset that cost if you're using a card like Chase Sapphire Reserve, where you get 3x for travel.

 

 

That's where my NCL credit card comes in.  The 3% fee is offset by points that I use to upgrade my room on another cruise.

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, Cheer Mom D said:

I don't ever use the casino but I will be traveling with my brother and his wife and they would like to use the casino.  My question is, how do they spend money in the casino?  Do they use cash, sea pass card or both?

It works the same as a land based casino. All play is in US Dollars. Bring cash. Use cash. Win more cash. Remember, if you carry more than $10,000 on or off the ship, you are supposed to declare it to US Customs. 

[YVRteacher]

2 hours ago, UKstages said:

you may wish to consider joining them for an evening or two in the casino and risking a modest amount of money. you may find, a few months after the cruise, that your modest spend has yielded big savings.… anything from 10% off to an entirely free cruise.

I lost $40 and didn’t even get a free straw, let alone a free drink or cruise!

[Sand and Seas]

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

That's where my NCL credit card comes in.  The 3% fee is offset by points that I use to upgrade my room on another cruise.

Yes, we have a CitiCard (from big box store) that gives you 3% back on travel.  They make it easy to download cash at a slot machine and say 'yes' to that 3% fee.  Then it shows up on your onboard bill with anything else you charged onboard.  (No 'cash advance' fee from credit card).   

 

If you cruise a couple of times a year with NCL you might reach a higher tier in their casino players club and then they will give you credit for those 3% fees.  So credit from casino for fees, then another 3% from my credit card for 'travel' expense😉

[julig22]

40 minutes ago, Sand and Seas said:

Yes, we have a CitiCard (from big box store) that gives you 3% back on travel.  They make it easy to download cash at a slot machine and say 'yes' to that 3% fee.  Then it shows up on your onboard bill with anything else you charged onboard.  (No 'cash advance' fee from credit card). 

Yes, I also have that card and sometimes use it for non-NCL related travel expenses. But my NCL points are routinely worth upwards of 10x when used toward a NCL cruise. So when I collect 30,000 in points (equal to $300 in statement credit) I can get a free cabin upgrade. Upgrades worth $2-3K.

Bringing cash to the casino doesn't give me any perks (I don't gamble enough to get any real status in the casino) but using my NCL card actually gives something back.

[laudergayle]

9 hours ago, UKstages said:

you may wish to consider joining them for an evening or two in the casino and risking a modest amount of money. you may find, a few months after the cruise, that your modest spend has yielded big savings.… anything from 10% off to an entirely free cruise.

How do you find out if you have any discounts?  We cruise several times a year and don’t spend much in the casino….maybe $100 per cruise.  Is this too little to get discounts?

[phillygwm]

4 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

How do you find out if you have any discounts?  We cruise several times a year and don’t spend much in the casino….maybe $100 per cruise.  Is this too little to get discounts?

You can call the Casinos at Sea number on the NCL website.  $100 won't get you much but doesn't hurt to ask.  You might get some discount...

[laudergayle]

14 minutes ago, phillygwm said:

You can call the Casinos at Sea number on the NCL website.  $100 won't get you much but doesn't hurt to ask.  You might get some discount...

Lol…I didn’t think that would get me much.  You would be surprised how long I can make $25 last on the slots.  If I do have some discount do I have to book through them and if so, my PCC doesn’t get credit?

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, laudergayle said:

Lol…I didn’t think that would get me much.  You would be surprised how long I can make $25 last on the slots.  If I do have some discount do I have to book through them and if so, my PCC doesn’t get credit?

Yes, if you get a discounted or comp'ed cruise, you need to book through the casino. If your cruise is free who cares about your PCC. 

 

Pre-pandemic, upwards of 25% or more of the adult passengers on some cruises were guests of the casino. Think about that, every 4th room as you walk down the hall is sailing on a discounted or free cruise either directly from NCL or a certificate from a land-based casino. On our May cruise, it was more like 12%. Never hurts to check. 

Edited August 19, 2023 by BirdTravels

[dbrown84]

4 hours ago, laudergayle said:

How do you find out if you have any discounts?  We cruise several times a year and don’t spend much in the casino….maybe $100 per cruise.  Is this too little to get discounts?

definitely call and ask.  You may have lost $100, but you could have $1000 in bets and 20 hours of play.  This is an extreme example, but my point is that your play could be a lot more valuable than you realize

[Cheer Mom D]

Thank you everyone!  

[Mr_Steve_&_Me]

On 8/18/2023 at 11:31 PM, phillygwm said:

Depends on your bankroll.  I setup a line of credit with the casino, but that minimum is $5K.  Not that you have to bet that much, obviously, but they call your bank to make sure you have it in your account.  I always thought that was kind of dumb; I don't routinely keep that much in my checking account.  So I ask them to give me a heads up, I move money over, I get approved, and move it back.  Still, it's a PITA if you're betting a couple hundred bucks.

 

Sometimes I prefer to just use the ATM.  I don't like to bill it to my room because 3% is kind of steep.  Though you can offset that cost if you're using a card like Chase Sapphire Reserve, where you get 3x for travel.

 

 

With the line of credit, do they give you cash or chips? I play slots, hubby plays craps. Can we take cash out if we need it for excursions. Never used a line of credit before but don’t want to carry a lot of cash around Rome before we get on the ship.

[julig22]

2 minutes ago, Mr_Steve_&_Me said:

With the line of credit, do they give you cash or chips? I play slots, hubby plays craps. Can we take cash out if we need it for excursions. Never used a line of credit before but don’t want to carry a lot of cash around Rome before we get on the ship.

If you do get a line of credit, I would think that you could put money onto a slot machine, then just cash in the voucher.

[phillygwm]

38 minutes ago, Mr_Steve_&_Me said:

With the line of credit, do they give you cash or chips? I play slots, hubby plays craps. Can we take cash out if we need it for excursions. Never used a line of credit before but don’t want to carry a lot of cash around Rome before we get on the ship.

I've never advanced my line at a slot machine.  I'm sure there's a way to do it; I just haven't.  I get chips at a table.  If I win, when I go to cash in, I tell them I have a marker (there aren't that many people with lines, so they recognize you anyway) and they retire that.

 

One interesting point about having a line is, if you DO win, they'll give you a limited amount of cash and put the rest on your account.  Next time, instead of drawing your line of credit, you'd just draw on your balance.  On the last night of the cruise, when you settle up your line, they'll give you cash or (if it's a over a few thousand) give you a check.  It's only happened to me once or twice but I actually prefer this because I don't want to be carrying a lot of cash around.  Plus, while I've never been this fortunate, you wouldn't have to declare >$10K in cash to Customs.

Edited August 20, 2023 by phillygwm

[dbrown84]

46 minutes ago, phillygwm said:

I've never advanced my line at a slot machine.  I'm sure there's a way to do it; I just haven't.  I get chips at a table.  If I win, when I go to cash in, I tell them I have a marker (there aren't that many people with lines, so they recognize you anyway) and they retire that.

 

One interesting point about having a line is, if you DO win, they'll give you a limited amount of cash and put the rest on your account.  Next time, instead of drawing your line of credit, you'd just draw on your balance.  On the last night of the cruise, when you settle up your line, they'll give you cash or (if it's a over a few thousand) give you a check.  It's only happened to me once or twice but I actually prefer this because I don't want to be carrying a lot of cash around.  Plus, while I've never been this fortunate, you wouldn't have to declare >$10K in cash to Customs.

even if you have a check over $10K, or a combination of cash and check, you have to declare with customs.  The only way to not have to declare with customers is to get the casino to wire the money to your account since there is a paper trail for that transaction 

[phillygwm]

2 hours ago, dbrown84 said:

even if you have a check over $10K, or a combination of cash and check, you have to declare with customs.  The only way to not have to declare with customers is to get the casino to wire the money to your account since there is a paper trail for that transaction 

I stand corrected.  I was thinking of the rules for Currency Transaction Reports where checks don't count.