Casino Money: Should I bring cash or use shipboard account?

Hello all,

I will be sailing on the Coral Princess in 3 weeks. This will be my second cruise (first time was on Royal Carribean) and I plan on spending some money in the casino. I've never played in a casino before so I'm wondering what your opinions are regarding money.

I've thought about bringing cash with me. The advantage is that I can budget ahead of time, keeping the cash in an envelope. This can help ensure I don't spend more than my bankroll. However, I am thinking about the potential security risks of this. Also, can you exchange your cash for chips at the blackjack table or do you do this at the cashier?

The other options would be shipboard account or perhaps purchasing casino credits ahead of time. I understand that a shipboard card purchase of casino money will exact a 3% fee. However, there is less security risk in this option.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

- Deron

Casino credits for us are perfect. Once purchased (your choice of the amount of each casino voucher), vouchers are left in your cabin. This way you can budget yourself accordingly and take as many vouchers as you wish each time to the casino. You don't have to carry extra cash with you, and I have found this is the best way to budget casino play without having to carry extra cash with me.

Hi Deron,

I myself have never been on Princess, but I am an Ocean Players Club Member for Carnival and from what I have discovered here on the boards is that the casinos work the same on both ships....with the exception of "Casino Credits" which is something Carnival did not offer when I have cruised on their Spirit Class Ships.

I plan on buying Casino Vouchers ahead of time ($1000) and they will be waiting for me in my cabin when I embark on the ship. I can take these to the casino and cash them anytime I wish. I then can credit my (sign and sail card.....Princess might call it something different) and then I can use it in the slots. Or cash the money and use it at the tables.

I think the Casino Vouchers is an excellent option because I can buy them before I cruise ( a sort of gambling savings account ) and I do not have to travel with large sums of money. I can also use the money to credit my shipboard account if I have any left ( Ha, Ha ) and I also do not blindly keep charging my card which DOES have a 3% charge.

A great way to go!

Hope Beginners and Lady Luck is on your side?! ;):D

Smiles,Connie

Casino credits for us are perfect. Once purchased (your choice of the amount of each casino voucher), vouchers are left in your cabin. This way you can budget yourself accordingly and take as many vouchers as you wish each time to the casino. You don't have to carry extra cash with you, and I have found this is the best way to budget casino play without having to carry extra cash with me.

Oops, I guess my post was somewhat redundant. LOL

I started it before anyone posted ;)

I thought you might want to see the Ocean Players Club website?

Here is the link.

http://oceanplayersclub.com/AboutTheClub.aspx

Last time I cruised Princess you had to go to the casino cashier to get money to gamble. But on Carnival you can do it right at the slot machine. Does anyone know if you can add money right to your card (from your ship board account) from the Slot Machines on the Star Princess? Thanks!

Security risks? What do you mean? You can put cash in the safe, key in your own 4-digit code, and nobody will get them. You can open the safe as often as you wish and take a little cash at a time.

Last time I cruised Princess you had to go to the casino cashier to get money to gamble. But on Carnival you can do it right at the slot machine. Does anyone know if you can add money right to your card (from your ship board account) from the Slot Machines on the Star Princess? Thanks!

Yes you put your cruise card in the slot machine and there is a screen that you can select to add money to your card. Works really easy in fact to easy :p

Security risks? What do you mean? You can put cash in the safe, key in your own 4-digit code, and nobody will get them. You can open the safe as often as you wish and take a little cash at a time.

I am not in anyway worried about the safety of my valuables in my cabin. Yes, I agree I have the safe etc.

I was referring to "traveling with large sums of money" meaning airport, plane, hotel pre-cruise. Buy travelers cheques and carry them all with you! Fine, but, if you lose them it is a pain in the butt to replace.

Some people just like to have the Casino Vouchers waiting for them in their cabin when they arrive and not worry about all the travels cheques option...blah, blah, blah. :D;)

Whatever floats your boat....or in this case floats your casino cash! Tee Hee!

Connie

Yes you put your cruise card in the slot machine and there is a screen that you can select to add money to your card. Works really easy in fact to easy :p

....and charges you an additional 3%! Just something to remember.

You can also take your voucher, or cash and have the casino cashier credit sail card that you use in the slot machine and then you have credits to play with that did not cost you more money.

I know it is only $30 on $1000 but, that is money spent on drinks to drown your sorrow when the $1000 is gone! :D

Connie

....and charges you an additional 3%! Just something to remember.

! :D

 

Connie

There is no 3% charge adding money to your card playing the slots.

There is no 3% charge adding money to your card playing the slots.

Oops my mistake. So what you are saying is that I put my card in the slot machine and then credit my card through my shipboard account and at the end of the cruise I will not have any 3% charges for all the money I used from my shipboard account?

And here I thought I was circumventing the system by putting money on my card BEFORE I starting using it in the slots to avoid a charge.

I am sooo confused, but I guess that is what these boards are for, to clear up miscommunication;)

Thanks Largin.

The 3% is only if you go to the casino cage and get cash, they don't charge it if you take out cash in the form of slot play in the slots. ;)

The 3% is only if you go to the casino cage and get cash, they don't charge it if you take out cash in the form of slot play in the slots. ;)

So then (being that I am Canadian) the only charge I will have is the 2.5% that my credit card charges me when I settle my shipboard account. Princess will not charge me anything to transfer money to my card when I am using the slot machine? Strange though because in a way it is like they are doing cash advances from my card?? I am still a bit confused...can you tell. LOL:o

Can I get cash from any unused casino credits? Or do they credit back any unused money back to my credit card?

Thanks to all that have answered and given your opinions.

Can I get cash from any unused casino credits? Or do they credit back any unused money back to my credit card?

 

You turn in your cards for pre-purchased credits at the casino cashier and get cash for them. They are not put back on your credit card if not used.

If you loaded cash onto your cruise card at a slot machine from your onboarde account (or have winnings on the cruise card), you must cash the money out at the casino cashier by the last evening it is open. Uncashed out amounts are not put back onto your onboard account.

Can I get cash from any unused casino credits? Or do they credit back any unused money back to my credit card?

 

Thanks to all that have answered and given your opinions.

You just have to make sure that you have cashed in all of your casino credit vouchers by the last night of your voyage. Yes, they will give you cash for them at the casino cage if you have any left. As stated, they will not credit them back to your credit card if they are unused.

When you take one or all of them down to the casino cage to cash in, you will be given cash in return. BUT, they are not charged as a 'cash advance' to your credit card, but a purchase. So, it's the best way to send yourself casino cash to use onboard instead of carrying lots of cash with you on the trip to the ship. ;)

Can you use the prepaid credit vouchers at the tables or nust you exchange them at the cage? This will be the first time I'm buying the credits in advance rather than bringing cash.

Shalom from Tel Aviv. Andy

Can you use the prepaid credit vouchers at the tables or nust you exchange them at the cage? This will be the first time I'm buying the credits in advance rather than bringing cash.

 

Shalom from Tel Aviv. Andy

Andy, you will need to cash them in at the casino cage before heading for the tables. Enjoy!

I've never done this. Never cruised Princess before. Only RCCL. Is this something I do BEFORE the cruise? or once we are on it? Thanks

I've never done this. Never cruised Princess before. Only RCCL. Is this something I do BEFORE the cruise? or once we are on it? Thanks

You can not do it once onboard, you have to gift yourself casino credits before the cruise. Look at the Princess gift section for this type of credit here: http://www.princess.com/learn/onboard/gifts_services/onboard_credit/Index.jsp

And you pay for them when you order them.

Andy, you will need to cash them in at the casino cage before heading for the tables. Enjoy!

You can not do it once onboard, you have to gift yourself casino credits before the cruise. Look at the Princess gift section for this type of credit here: http://www.princess.com/learn/onboard/gifts_services/onboard_credit/Index.jsp

And you pay for them when you order them.

Thankyou for the link Toto, so if I understand this.. I call Princess, order casino credits. Then it's charged to my credit card but not considered a cash advance? Then, when I board the credits will be in my room, then I go to the casino cashier and get the $$? Is there a limit how much you can get? If it's unlimited that can be kind of disasterous for me as I LOVE to gamble and we spend EVERY evening on a cruise in the casino. I feel if I only bring so much cash, I have a limit. Thanks for all of your help! We cruise next month and since I've never been on Princess before you and Pam really help me out!

Thankyou for the link Toto, so if I understand this.. I call Princess, order casino credits. Then it's charged to my credit card but not considered a cash advance? Then, when I board the credits will be in my room, then I go to the casino cashier and get the $$? Is there a limit how much you can get? If it's unlimited that can be kind of disasterous for me as I LOVE to gamble and we spend EVERY evening on a cruise in the casino. I feel if I only bring so much cash, I have a limit. Thanks for all of your help! We cruise next month and since I've never been on Princess before you and Pam really help me out!

You are understanding it perfectly. What I do is to send myself the amount of credits I am willing to actually loose. When the credits are gone, then I am done in the casino. If I win, it just means I get to go more often and maybe win more, but if I loose, it is my way to budget my casino play. And I only take so many down each day/evening and spread them over the length of the cruise.

But you have it all correct above, it will not be charged as a cash advance, and you pay for it on your credit card when you order them just as any purchase, they will be in your stateroom in the form of vouchers you take to the casino whenever you wish, and cash them in at the casino cage. Good Luck!

You are understanding it perfectly. What I do is to send myself the amount of credits I am willing to actually loose. When the credits are gone, then I am done in the casino. If I win, it just means I get to go more often and maybe win more, but if I loose, it is my way to budget my casino play. And I only take so many down each day/evening and spread them over the length of the cruise.

But you have it all correct above, it will not be charged as a cash advance, and you pay for it on your credit card when you order them just as any purchase, they will be in your stateroom in the form of vouchers you take to the casino whenever you wish, and cash them in at the casino cage. Good Luck!

Thankyou for your help!

You just have to make sure that you have cashed in all of your casino credit vouchers by the last night of your voyage. Yes, they will give you cash for them at the casino cage if you have any left. As stated, they will not credit them back to your credit card if they are unused.

When you take one or all of them down to the casino cage to cash in, you will be given cash in return. BUT, they are not charged as a 'cash advance' to your credit card, but a purchase. So, it's the best way to send yourself casino cash to use onboard instead of carrying lots of cash with you on the trip to the ship. ;)

Is there a limit on how much you can download (and how often you can download) to your slot machine/card and then go to the casino cage to get cash? There will be four of us on an upcoming Caribbean cruise, and we need over $2000 cash to pay for the private tours at various ports. I really don't want to carry that much cash, so I was thinking of bringing my ATM card and get cash at St. Juan and St. Thomas ports. With your suggestion, I can save time and hassle of looking for ATM machines on shore. The night before each port, I can just go to the casino and download money to the slot card, then go to the cage and get cash.

This method sounds like a good replacement for ATM withdraws. I just want to make sure I understood it correctly. You said the cash I take out will appear as a "purchase" and not "cash advance"? If that it correct, I will not be charged 1% fee for cash advance. Better yet, I will get 2% credit card rebate as purchase.:D