Getting A Free Cruise
It is fun to dress up and spend an evening on a cruise ship playing poker or blackjack. Frequent play can earn points and get something in return. Many casinos reward players who spend a lot of time and money, whether they prefer slots or table games.
How much do you have to gamble to get a free cruise? It is all about points, and some slot clubs find it difficult to understand. In general, you put an X sum of money into the machine and receive Y points. But to get a free cruise, a player must have a minimum of 2,500 points to qualify.
This offer may sound good, but critics say otherwise. Several things are going on that you do not know about free cruises from casinos. In this article, I will discuss why you should not get all excited about this.
How To Get A Free Cruise
Frequent cruise ship casino patrons who are faithful to a cruise line may be eligible for complimentary or discounted cruises. It may happen in different ways.
When playing, your cruise card wins points. After inserting the card, you need to set up a pin and then either insert cash or charge a specific amount to your bed—the money left on the machine posts to your cruise card when you remove your card.
The free cruise does not apply to the cost of your bed! You have two options here:
- You can take your cruise card to the cashier to get your money.
- Go to another machine and download cash from your wallet on the card to the new machine. You do not get tickets from the machines.
To be eligible for the drawing on the last day for a free cruise, you usually need about 2,500 points. If you usually visit the casino, you will be treated to a meal at a specialty restaurant. You can even have free drinks while you are playing.
Free Cruises: Is A Good Or Bad Deal?
Several Expenses Are Not Covered
Most cruises have extra costs not included in the price, such as required tips, fees, and taxes. Airfare is not included, which is usually a large outlay.
Water, tea made from a powdered blend, and diluted juices are free in cruises at no additional cost. If you want something else, such as beer or soda, you will have to pay extra for a drink kit.
You can either bring your water or soda or purchase an updated drink kit. The complementary or the complimentary beverages usually taste bad.
Additional Cabin Upgrade Fees
The free cabins are usually either ocean view or interior cabins. But they mostly give out rooms that are not open to the sea.
Surely, you think that you deserve the best on a free cruise since you spent $$$$$ to earn points. However, both the cruise and casinos would pretty much love it if you spend more during the cruise. Hence, no free upgrades, drinks, and meals.
According to those who went on a free cruise from casinos, the cabin crews refused to offer complimentary drinks. Any requests for free updates were routed through the host. The host was either unable or unwilling to do so.
You may think that upgrades will not cost as much as the regular rates, but they do. It may double the cost of the regular fare.
Terrible Cruise Casino Games
The Regulatory Oversight on the Ship Casino is Null and Void. The International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL), a toothless regulatory body that reports to the cruise lines, oversees the cruise ship casinos.
The ICCL is in charge of auditing the casinos. For this report, players looked for data on return percentages or evidence of audits but could not find anything.
Atrocious Blackjack
6-5 blackjack is a well-known game. We all know it isn’t good, and there is some evidence that people are beginning to notice. But what if I told you that cruise ships are beginning to implement a 7-6 blackjack strategy?
What is 7-6 blackjack, exactly? Isn’t 7 more than 6? That seems to be a better deal than the standard 6-5 blackjack.
7-6 blackjack is a game where the player places a $6 bet and receives a $7 payout for their blackjack. It is a lot worse than a game of 6-5 blackjack.
The table sign indicates that the game is 6-5 blackjack, but the table minimum is $6. Since most cruise passengers are low rollers, they would wager $6.
Consider the following scenario to see why it is worse. $5 of the $6 bet is paid out at $6, and the remaining $1 is paid out at even money. It is a lot worse than a 6-5 blackjack game.
Almost every other blackjack game is a 6-5 game. On a Royal Caribbean ship, they only saw one 3-2 game for $25 minimum.
Terrible Odds
There are limited slots available. If you think the slots at McCarran International Airport are small, wait before you try them on a cruise ship.
The ICCL recommends that ship casinos keep their slot machines to a bare minimum. They should meet the regulatory requirements of the Nevada Gaming Control Board or other approved authority for payback and internal software.
Take note of the phrase other approved jurisdiction, which may refer to something.
According to some people who took the offer, they spent an hour looking at the general slot floor. The slots seemed to be taking money in but paying out very little. Of course, an hour or so of observation is not conclusive or conclusive enough to prove much.
They thought having data on slot payback percentages would be helpful, but they could not find any. These figures are not expected to be reported by cruise lines.
Terrible Game Of Craps, But Still Probably The Best Deal In The Casino
Craps is a single-odds game on Royal Caribbean. The casino will make 2x odds if the player wagers $25.If a player wagers $50, the casino will give 3x, 4x, and 5x chances. Only on a cruise ship does three, four, or five times craps seem to be a good deal.
That is among the reasons why I recommend that all gamblers learn to play craps. Even if the craps game is terrible, it is just bad compared to craps games played in real casinos. Even with single odds, craps is still preferable to any 6-5 blackjack version.
The Comp Rating Is Horrible And Intimidating
After two nights of playing, you cannot even have a free drink. It takes about 4 hours, with half of it spent on craps and the other half on blackjack.
If you are playing for a lot of money and a game with a high house edge, forget about having dinner. Even forget about some other form of comp. In a cruise ship casino, smart gamblers are not compensated.
Possibility Of The Comp Rating Harming Your Overall Standing With The Host Casino Or Agency
To get players on board, cruise lines are forming alliances with various land-based casinos and independent hosts.
When you contact an independent hosting company, they will almost always tell you that comps are based on your skill level. The pitch I have heard is that they are tight on the first cruise. However, it could ease up on subsequent cruises and are easier to deal with.
They say that they want you to gamble, but they do not want you to win big time. Hence, these casinos will give you the comps you are used to having at your land-based casino on the second cruise.
Of course, it is different if they discover that you are an excellent gambler who doesn’t lose a lot of money. They will never invite you on another cruise.
Cruise casinos are so strict with their ADT. It may harm your ADT with the parent company that sent you on the casino cruise. If you attempt to confirm with the cruise ship host, most of them will be unwilling or unable to respond.
When To Take The Offer
When the percentage is closer to 50%, you should only consider the deal if you plan to take a cruise anyway. Do not let the promotional cruise persuade you to take a cruise you wouldn’t have taken otherwise.
Contrast the cost of your scheduled cruise and the cost of the promotional cruise. Take advantage of the promotional cruise if the savings are significant.
The onboard casino is terrible and not worth playing unless you want to fight a significant uphill battle. It is also not bad if you don’t mind paying for some casino fun while on the high seas.
When occasional gamblers go on a cruise, most play crap for about an hour a day. That is usually the extent of their gambling. Spend the rest of your time on the bridge, eating, and drinking. You can also go on excursions and participate in other ship activities.
I strongly advise you to do it at least once in your life. If the promotional deal is the cheapest way to cruise, then take advantage of it. One last piece of advice if you plan to accept the casino’s offer. Once onboard, don’t feel obligated to gamble to appease your host.
Conclusion
Casinos will offer you freebies if you are a regular player, even if you are not a high roller. To be eligible for a free cruise, you must pay about $15,000 on average to earn sufficient points.
However, this does not imply that all are free. To get the best service, you need to pay for a few more items during the cruise.