Noob PRIME advice?

[Hi my name is Andy]

I know Casino Royale gets a lot of airtime on here, but I've got a couple of questions I hope someone can help answer.

 

I was recently on Symphony for the 7 day cruise from Barcelona, and during this I achieved PRIME status. 

I got a lovely letter through my cabin door to give me a comp cruise or $500 credit.

 

Why are there so few comp cruises in my list from the UK or Europe?  There's 8 pages of offers, and yet only 1 sailing from the UK, and the next nearest port is Israel!  

 

How do I claim the $500 credit? Do I redeem it on the website? 

I called the CR US number and was told I should book my cruise first and then try to apply the credit.   But I've also read elsewhere on this site that you should NOT do it this way around!?

 

I only have 2 weeks left to redeem this apparently.  

 

[Hi my name is Andy]

Update, I now have a JACKPOT OFFER cruise, which are a choice of 4 cruises in the US, which again is largely useless to me! 

[firefly333]

I would claim the $500 credit then. Call the casino number and they can apply the credit. 

[Hi my name is Andy]

4 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I would claim the $500 credit then. Call the casino number and they can apply the credit. 

So, book a cruise and THEN call casino number to redeem/claim/apply the credit? 

[RFerrington]

I definitely would NOT recommend booking first and then trying to apply the discount, later.  Back in "the day" it was much easier to do that than it is today.  First of all, if you do that your booking would almost certainly be repriced at the current rate which would very likely be higher than when you originally booked the cruise.  The $500 discount may actually be entirely erased by the increase in fare.  Not assured, but very likely.

 

Ideally, you would have purchased an open booking at Next Cruise on the same cruise where you were awarded the certificate, but obviously, that opportunity has passed.

 

I recommend that you find a cruise you want to take and book it, using the value of the certificate, at the same time.

 

 

[GTO-Girl]

1 hour ago, Hi my name is Andy said:

So, book a cruise and THEN call casino number to redeem/claim/apply the credit? 

You call the casino number and let THEM book your cruise and apply your credit….

[Hi my name is Andy]

20 minutes ago, GTO-Girl said:

You call the casino number and let THEM book your cruise and apply your credit….

That's not what the casino guy said earlier. 

[nelblu]

2 hours ago, Hi my name is Andy said:

How do I claim the $500 credit? Do I redeem it on the website? 

Can you call the Casino desk and book and apply the $500.  I do this and never had a problem.

 

I had recently a different experience.  Had booked an 11 niter Explorer on board and later transferred to my TA.  At the end of my Oasis cruise, received a credit certificate of $200 from the Casino.   The Monday after I got home, called my TA and asked them if I can apply the credit to the Explorer sail.  My contact was hospitable and said that she needed to contact Royal for approval.  A few days later got an e-mail telling me that the transaction was approved and processed.  I had to give back $50 in TAs OBC.  However, I was positive $150.

[PhillyFan33579]

18 minutes ago, Hi my name is Andy said:

That's not what the casino guy said earlier. 

Then call back and talk to someone else. I have used casino credit to book cruises several times when I wanted to book a specific cruise that was not on the list of the offer I received. I have always booked these cruises thru the Casino Royale number. 

[sandebeach]

Yesterday I called Club Royale and booked a cruise using a dollars-off certificate I earned on my Liberty cruise. As others have said, not a problem doing this. 

[TJA27]

4 hours ago, Hi my name is Andy said:

So, book a cruise and THEN call casino number to redeem/claim/apply the credit? 

Could you post back what you ended up doing?  We are in a similar situation as you are except we aleady have a cruise booked for next June (that I booked a long time ago) and I'm assuming I can't put this casino credit towards that....  But, anyway, we are also already home and have about 2 weeks left before this expires.

[GTO-Girl]

2 hours ago, Hi my name is Andy said:

That's not what the casino guy said earlier. 

I have booked ALL my casino cruises through the Club Royale number no matter what type of offer it was….

 

Sorry you were given incorrect information or maybe they were unclear what you were asking…

[GTO-Girl]

Just now, TJA27 said:

Could you post back what you ended up doing?  We are in a similar situation as you are except we aleady have a cruise booked for next June (that I booked a long time ago) and I'm assuming I can't put this casino credit towards that....  But, anyway, we are also already home and have about 2 weeks left before this expires.

You cannot apply a casino credit to a cruise that is already booked….unless your June cruise was a casino offer cruise and it has the same offer code as the new credit offer you have now