Casino Offers - Any Pattern to Frequency?

[League3056]

Hi all! For those of you who get casino offers (whether for free staterooms or for heavily-discounted sailings), does there seem to be any pattern as to when new lists of offers are released? I am new to HAL and just last month sailed our first cruise with them. I ended up with enough casino points to get a handful of cruises (none of which I can take... booey) where I could get a free interior room, but then a *much* bigger list that had heavily-discounted sailing on it. Is there any rhyme or reason to when I might be able to expect a new set of offers (like, is it once a month, every couple weeks, or just absolutely no pattern to it at all?)

 

Thanks!

[YourWorldWithBill]

7 minutes ago, League3056 said:

Hi all! For those of you who get casino offers (whether for free staterooms or for heavily-discounted sailings), does there seem to be any pattern as to when new lists of offers are released? I am new to HAL and just last month sailed our first cruise with them. I ended up with enough casino points to get a handful of cruises (none of which I can take... booey) where I could get a free interior room, but then a *much* bigger list that had heavily-discounted sailing on it. Is there any rhyme or reason to when I might be able to expect a new set of offers (like, is it once a month, every couple weeks, or just absolutely no pattern to it at all?)

 

Thanks!

I'm also fairly new to casino offers (since May); they seem to be a bit random, and when I've asked HAL people about it, no one has any idea when or how they'll come. I got some offers during the summer and wondered if I'd get more, since I couldn't use the ones I got in the summer, but I got a new one yesterday.

[Dobby36]

Mark my experience down as another for “random”. I got a nice list about a month ago, none of which I could take. Before that one it had been the better part of a year.  But in 2021 I think a few appeared much quicker succession. 
 

(I’m talking about the ones “offers” that arrive with a link to a PDF for specific sailings that are either free or almost free. The generic emails with reminders that on their main site I can see casino “fares” occur regularly every few months)

[Laminator]

2 hours ago, League3056 said:

Hi all! For those of you who get casino offers (whether for free staterooms or for heavily-discounted sailings), does there seem to be any pattern as to when new lists of offers are released? I am new to HAL and just last month sailed our first cruise with them. I ended up with enough casino points to get a handful of cruises (none of which I can take... booey) where I could get a free interior room, but then a *much* bigger list that had heavily-discounted sailing on it. Is there any rhyme or reason to when I might be able to expect a new set of offers (like, is it once a month, every couple weeks, or just absolutely no pattern to it at all?)

 

Thanks!

Some pax get a few a year. Some get 1 sometimes 2 a month. 

[Djptcp]

I receive the casino offer emails about once a month, just received one a few days ago. We are only interested in the Caribbean and partial transit Panama Canal cruises, so many of the offers are not relevant. My best casino offers are the ones I receive on the last night of a cruise - have much more Free Play and at least Verandah cabins, sometimes suites. The offers that are emailed are for much less Free Play and only Ocean View cabins. We will be sailing on the Rotterdam on a 12-day cruise next month, so will wait to see the offer on the last night.....hope it's a good one!

[Gunther1]

We recently got a free upgrade from an interior to veranda stateroom...it was quite the nice surprise.

 

I was told it was because of my casino play...and I'm not exactly a big-time gambler ( my personal philosophy is that gambling is a tax for those who  don't understand math).

 

However, I didn't question their reasoning 😉.

[Mosaic]

No known reason or understanding on how this works.  We have not received the tax request in months...

[BackNow]

Do you have to play the casino a lot to get the casino deals?  How big a discount do you get?

 

Someone in our group got a casino deal.  They got a balcony cabin with obstructions.  Supposedly they got the Have In All drinks package for free.  At around the time they booked, I checked the price of a balcony cabin with no obstruction and add the HIA package and it's only slightly more than what they paid.  They don't drink much and barely use it.  They even order the free orange juice and regular coffee instead of using the package.  Did they got suck in? 

 

[oakridger]

2 minutes ago, BackNow said:

 Did they got suck in? 

 

 

What exactly is your question?  

[BackNow]

Basically, I have 2 questions?

 

1.  Do you have to play the casino a lot to get casino deals?  

2.  What kind of deals do you get?

 

Someone in are group booked [and already went] a balcony cabin with obstructions with a casino offer.  She claimed to have receive the HIA package for free.  I checked the price of a balcony cabin with no obstructions and pay 50% a day for HIA and it's only a little bit more than she did.

 

[Laminator]

51 minutes ago, BackNow said:

Basically, I have 2 questions?

 

1.  Do you have to play the casino a lot to get casino deals?  

2.  What kind of deals do you get?

 

Someone in are group booked [and already went] a balcony cabin with obstructions with a casino offer.  She claimed to have receive the HIA package for free.  I checked the price of a balcony cabin with no obstructions and pay 50% a day for HIA and it's only a little bit more than she did.

 

It appears every now and then some pax receive casino offers that do not play in the casino. It is one of the great mysteries. There are many different offers from just free play to a free Pinnacle Suite (very rare) that may include several thousand dollars in free play and drinks anywhere on the ship. It is all determined by how many points you accumulate in the casino. 

[YourWorldWithBill]

1 hour ago, BackNow said:

Basically, I have 2 questions?

 

1.  Do you have to play the casino a lot to get casino deals?  

2.  What kind of deals do you get?

 

Someone in are group booked [and already went] a balcony cabin with obstructions with a casino offer.  She claimed to have receive the HIA package for free.  I checked the price of a balcony cabin with no obstructions and pay 50% a day for HIA and it's only a little bit more than she did.

 

As @Laminatorsaid, it is a mystery how the casino perks are doled out. And for small gamblers (no one knows what qualifies as small, medium, large, or well-done) the amount offered is often equal to the least expensive inside cabin. It would be pretty unusual for them to include the HIA, but that can depend on the amount of play and how booked the cruise is. How long a person plays is usually an important factor.

[BackNow]

I don't know any details of that person's booking.  She said she could have an inside cabin for free under the casino offer.  I suspect that she wanted a balcony cabin instead and paid full price.  The cheapest one is with obstructions.  When I made my booking, it implies that HIA package is included.  When I step through the process, I discovered that I have to pay US$50 a day for each adult.  I think the other person was not looking and check off to pay for the package.  Then thinks she got it for free.

 

A couple of weeks before my sailing, I checked to see what the last minute deals are.  They include HIA but the price is US$50 a day more.  Basically, they are forced to buy the package.

 

In looking at the daily programs for an older ship in 2022 for the same itinerary, there were 6 out of 7 days with 50% off happy hours.  For the same ship and itinerary as mine in May 2023, there were 2 out of 7 days with 50% off happy hours.  On my sailing on Sept 2, there were no happy hours.  Looks to me, they have sucked in a lot of people to pay for HIA and happy hours are not necessary.

 

[Dobby36]

On my cruise earlier this month, I got an unexpected delivery to our room of chocolates and truffles, with a note of thanks for my casino play. I’ve gotten lots of casino offers in the past, but never chocolates and stuff. 
 

i happened to see the host and said a quick thanks, and something about “what did I do to get that?!” (I’m not usually a schmoozer or try to befriend the casino staff) and he said any champagne or chocolates etc are based on a top tier of percentage by folks, tabulated by day. The casino seemed fairly full but perhaps there were just few high rollers on the New England voyage? We got a “come back and play” offer slipped under the door, but just for $250 free play plus free drinks in casino, not even a free room.  Which is again, less than I’ve gotten before. 
 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[BackNow]

Thanks.  Like Vegas, I know only high rollers get the best deals.

 

I don't care.  I don't play the casino.  

 

I have a client who is the exact opposite.  She'll go anywhere there is a casino.  When she is not in the casino, she'll day trading online and lose $20k or more each yr.  She has already lost all her own money and is now working on her husband's.

 

[Laminator]

2 hours ago, BackNow said:

I don't know any details of that person's booking.  She said she could have an inside cabin for free under the casino offer.  I suspect that she wanted a balcony cabin instead and paid full price.  The cheapest one is with obstructions.  When I made my booking, it implies that HIA package is included.  When I step through the process, I discovered that I have to pay US$50 a day for each adult.  I think the other person was not looking and check off to pay for the package.  Then thinks she got it for free.

 

A couple of weeks before my sailing, I checked to see what the last minute deals are.  They include HIA but the price is US$50 a day more.  Basically, they are forced to buy the package.

 

In looking at the daily programs for an older ship in 2022 for the same itinerary, there were 6 out of 7 days with 50% off happy hours.  For the same ship and itinerary as mine in May 2023, there were 2 out of 7 days with 50% off happy hours.  On my sailing on Sept 2, there were no happy hours.  Looks to me, they have sucked in a lot of people to pay for HIA and happy hours are not necessary.

 

I hope she didn't pay full price. She could have called the number on the offer and simply upgraded from the inside cabin. She would have saved quite a bit of money. 

[BackNow]

Don't know her whole situation.  I don't know what deals she got.  She knew she got the HIA package.  I suspect she actually paid for it and didn't know.  She didn't go to specialty restaurant, almost didn't go on an excursion, ordered the free orange juice and regular coffee and didn't order much liquor.   I heard she lost $100 on the slot machine on the first night.  Didn't hear anything further.  

[DaveOKC]

8 hours ago, Laminator said:

I hope she didn't pay full price. She could have called the number on the offer and simply upgraded from the inside cabin. She would have saved quite a bit of money. 

Very true.  With the new website options you can upgrade the free cabin offers to a specific cabin fairly easily and at a reasonable price.  I just did this last week ($199 fare for Inside went to $399 for Verandah and then to $529 for an aft facing one).  Very fair deal IMO.  From there you can add the HIA standard package for $50 pp per day.

Edited September 14, 2023 by DaveOKC

[valancy1]

On 9/13/2023 at 9:40 PM, YourWorldWithBill said:

As @Laminatorsaid, it is a mystery how the casino perks are doled out. And for small gamblers (no one knows what qualifies as small, medium, large, or well-done) the amount offered is often equal to the least expensive inside cabin. It would be pretty unusual for them to include the HIA, but that can depend on the amount of play and how booked the cruise is. How long a person plays is usually an important factor.

My experience: I was on a sailing in Alaska. I spent a little in the casino.  I just got an offer with a select sailing list with a comp interior room (cruise fare reimbursed as obc...still have to pay tfpe's) and a little bit of casino cash.  I'm pretty happy that I spent money there.  We are going to Hawaii for a steal.  

[AV8rix]

I got a bizarre offer on the first of this month:  "Book your Cruise for 2024 and save with Casino Insider Rates" (red bold underlined text mine).

 

I don't have anything planned yet for next year so was eager to explore this offer.  WRONG!  The overwhelming majority of the cruises offered are for fall/winter this year.  There were barely a handful of cruises for 2024 included in this offer.

[valancy1]

Casino offers are a mystery.