Does the Casino charge?

[thomasale]

I know this has been discussed ad nauseum but I just noted on the thread "volendam review questions" that someone reported there is a 3% charge if you get cash in the casino. Can anyone here confirm or deny this? Or explain why this member stated so surely?

I am sure that I have read previously this is not the case.

[Bases5]

I have not cruised Hal (yet) but I have read many post that they due in fact charge 3% in the casino

[Krazy Kruizers]

There was a notice beside that cashier's window on the Statendam (June 2006) stating that there is a 3% service charge.

[hammerinfrank]

3% service charge in the casino? if this is indeed true, where onboard can you get cash without a service charge?

[gizmo]

I believe the 3% is only if you put it on you ship board account.

You can cash travelers checks free of charge at the front desk.

I believe there is no charge for travelers checks in the casino either. If this has changed I am sure someone will correct me.

[cruisinbulldog]

I had asked this question before on another thread, maybe I can get a answer here.. If you board the ship with say $2000.00 in cash and don't want to put it in your room safe,can you put it in your SA and draw on it when needed through out the cruise? Without a service charge?

[kakalina]

There is a 3% charge to get cash in the casino on your ship board account. If you attempt to take cash from your ship board account, even if you overpay it, there will still be a 3% charge. The charge is a service fee, not interest or a borrowing fee. If it goes through the ship there is a charge.

[happy cruzer]

Hi,

I don't remember how this worked in the past but I thought you could go to the casino cage and get cash charged to your seaboard account with no fees and then take it to the table to gamble with or not as you desired.

But maybe it was that you could get chips charged to your seaboard account with no fees. Off course you could then go back and cash in the chips with no fees.

I am fairly certain we did get cash without a fee on the Zuiderdam about 1 year ago. DH did it and I reviewed the sea board statement and we both remember no fees.

[cruisinbulldog]

Kakalina, thank you for the responce.. Been a few years since I have been on HA, do they have ATMs onboard?

[elmorejj]

Sorry, no ATMs yet

[happy cruzer]

thanks kakalina. we posted at the same time. I am sure you are correct. I found the recept for a celebrity cruise that had no fee for casino cash. Can't find my HAL one.

[newmexicoNita]

Man, is this a surprise to me. I thought Princess was the only line that charged the 3%. RCI, Celebrity, Carnival and NCL do not. Talk about a double whammy; you go to the casino cage, you take $100 to play their tables or slots, you pay 3% and you probably are going to lose, especially on HAL as I have heard the slots are very tight. So they will get your money in two ways. I love to play slots on sea days, but may find a different form of entertainment this time. NMNIta

[RevNeal]

NMNIta,

As has been suggested, one might want to consider bringing either cash or Cashier's Checks. When I want to have cash aboard -- or, for example, for tipping on shore excursions -- I bring travelers checks and cash them at the front desk. There is no charge for doing that.

[RuthC]

I had asked this question before on another thread, maybe I can get a answer here.. If you board the ship with say $2000.00 in cash and don't want to put it in your room safe,can you put it in your SA and draw on it when needed through out the cruise? Without a service charge?
If your concern is the safety of lots of cash in your room safe there is another option. There are (or at least there always were) safe deposit boxes at the Front Desk.
As far as I'm concerned I would just bring Traveler's Cheques and keep them in the room safe, as Greg said.

[thomasale]

Well I'll be. I, too, am confusing it with Celebrity. I don't like to bring that much cash so I'll have to make a trip to the bank for Travelers checks. I know I don't want to count on ATM's as their fees are just as ridiculous. I do not understand HAL logic on this one. It seems to be in their interest to NOT charge. How would all you shoppers like it if they tacked another 3% onto your purchase just to use your sea charge? Stinks doesn't it?

[newmexicoNita]

Well I'll be. I, too, am confusing it with Celebrity. I don't like to bring that much cash so I'll have to make a trip to the bank for Travelers checks. I know I don't want to count on ATM's as their fees are just as ridiculous. I do not understand HAL logic on this one. It seems to be in their interest to NOT charge. How would all you shoppers like it if they tacked another 3% onto your purchase just to use your sea charge? Stinks doesn't it?Sure does and Princess does the same thing. NMNita

[Starr Mtn]

Our experience has been there is a 3% charge IF you are requesting a cash advance against your onboard account. We had that experience at the end of one cruise when we thought we would need a little extra cash after disembarking. This was less expensive than actually getting a cash advance on a credit card . It just showed up as a charge on your ship board account - and the credit card was not involved any other way.

[dakrewser]

Well I'll be. I, too, am confusing it with Celebrity. I don't like to bring that much cash so I'll have to make a trip to the bank for Travelers checks. I know I don't want to count on ATM's as their fees are just as ridiculous. I do not understand HAL logic on this one. It seems to be in their interest to NOT charge. How would all you shoppers like it if they tacked another 3% onto your purchase just to use your sea charge? Stinks doesn't it?

Not really. I'm sure they've found that most of the cash taken from the cage isn't used on the tables but is used ashore, for tips, etc. It is a whole lot cheaper than what you'd pay in fees to use an onshore ATM...

[scott in maine]

This is disappointing since we much prefer to simply take out cash AS NEEDED from the ship casinos and add it to our master bill. We've always done this on other lines and there has been no surcharge ever.

I certainly understand that HAL (and the other lines) must pay the credit card companies the standard 1-2% processing cost........

Oh well, at least we know this BEFORE we all board in 6 weeks with just $20 in our collective pockets! Thanks for the advance warning..... I may actually get travellers checks for the first time in 20 years!

[AlohaPride]

Does the 3% only apply to those who have established on board accounts with a credit card/debit card? What about those of us who wish to pay with cash/traveler's checks? Do we still need to pay the 3% for cash they are simply HOLDING for us?

Leave it to the blonde to be way confused.

[RuthC]

Mary, give the Front Office less $$$. Hold some back for the casino, so there's no possibility of an extra charge. Now there's less of a bill at the Front Office (a bill that you plan to pay in cash) by the same amount.
It's a variation of "cut out the middle man".

As long as you don't plan to gamble more than you have available it should work. ;)
If you do plan to gamble more than you have available, the 3% is the least of your problems! :eek:

It's ok, Mary. We've all been blond at one time or another.

[AlohaPride]

It's ok, Mary. We've all been blond at one time or another.

Unfortunately, I've been blonde my whole life. :rolleyes:

[thomasale]

This is disappointing since we much prefer to simply take out cash AS NEEDED from the ship casinos and add it to our master bill. We've always done this on other lines and there has been no surcharge ever.

I certainly understand that HAL (and the other lines) must pay the credit card companies the standard 1-2% processing cost........

Oh well, at least we know this BEFORE we all board in 6 weeks with just $20 in our collective pockets! Thanks for the advance warning..... I may actually get travellers checks for the first time in 20 years!

As I said, I am with Scott in Maine. Coincidentally we are on the same cruise. I too thank this board for the info...

And to Aloha Pride I don't see how they could charge you to take your own money out...

[newmexicoNita]

Our experience has been there is a 3% charge IF you are requesting a cash advance against your onboard account. We had that experience at the end of one cruise when we thought we would need a little extra cash after disembarking. This was less expensive than actually getting a cash advance on a credit card . It just showed up as a charge on your ship board account - and the credit card was not involved any other way.
3% really isn't all that much I realize and probably less than an ATM, but we too have used it for gambling as well as the last night, extra just to be certain we had the cash after desembarkation, it still is the principle of the thing. Oh well, guess we will just live with it. NMNita

[dakrewser]

And to Aloha Pride I don't see how they could charge you to take your own money out...

Why not? Your bank does...

And, remember, whether you give the front desk a credit card, debit card, traveler's check or cash - it's all the same, a deposit against your bill. So why should the casino treat cash any differently? In fact, how would the casino know how you paid your bill??