Casino Players: What Are Your Thoughts on Carnival's Casino Perks?

For all of you Carnival casino players: sound off on what you think of Carnival's casino perks THIS YEAR.

Just to be clear and to compare apples to apples, I'm NOT referring to Carnival's special occasion promotions like their annual tournaments or their premier cruises where Carnival specifies what date/ship you must cruise. I want to hear your thoughts on the discount you receive on your cruise fare and the casino cash you are being offered for cruises of your own choice of ship and sail date. I am also not asking about VIFP offers that you just happen to look up online using your VIFP number which are completely different from casino offers.

Please sound off on what Carnival gives you when you have a cruise date and ship in mind and want to book a cruise RECENTLY. Do you feel satisfied with Carnival's recent comps? Notice any changes from the past?

A casino host told me on my Carnival New Year's cruise that comps were changing and that I would not receive any more casino offers. I've been receiving casino offers and casino cash offers for some time from Carnival so I'm confused about this "change." But sure enough, I have not received any casino offers this year except for premier cruise offers. I haven't done anything differently. I still cruise Carnival several times a year and still spend a similar amount when I do.

I regularly receive casino offers from a particular land-based major casino group. I spent one evening in one of their casinos last year on a pre-cruise visit and that was it. I never walked in the door of one of their properties otherwise. I regularly receive sweet offers from them, and for example, every quarter I get an offer for 4 free, 4 night hotel stays with free meal offers and casino cash on dates of my choice. I also get sweet offers from another cruise line that I have only cruised on once (also a Carnival brand)! I got an offer from them today for $400 casino cash for a cruise date/ship of my choice through the end of 2015.

So what's up with Carnival? I want to hear your thoughts. Have you noticed any changes in Carnival casino comps this year? I'm beginning to think that I won't get any more Carnival casino offers unless I stop cruising on Carnival.

I have not received offers this year either after receiving for an extended period of time. Disappointing.

Still receiving casino offers. Just got one last week.

I am also still receiving offers. In fact, both dh and myself got a flyer in the mail from them with up to 45% off certain sailings, and casino cash. (not a lot of cash, however- definitely not as much as a premier cruise) If you log into your CCL account, and go to VIFP and "my offers" you may see the casino offers there - I have them there also. (both premier sailings and casino discount sailings - two different animals.)

I cruise on Carnival once or twice a year. I have received and used my casino offers for several cruises in the last few years. They were not for free cruises but the rate beat anything else I qualify for including military discount. I spend a lot of time in the casino but am not really a high roller. I usually get the free drinks at some point during the cruise. I have heard of so many people getting offers but none for me. I wonder what the change is?

Dawn

We booked our cruise last week again on the fantasy through the opc promos-- and we were told what we would be getting for casino offer $50 cash for wife and $50 fun chips for me--- a very big drop from last year when i got $150 fun chips---so this tells me they are really cutting back--but heck it is still a cruise with no stress!!!!!! Happy cruising to all

I receive the casino premier offers and the 35% off plus cash offers regularly. I find on board treatment from the casino staff and hosts to be pleasant, not as generous as I would like. I am always vaguely disappointed with interactions of Players Club office folks. I get the same person who seems offput by comp inquiries.

My husband is the card player and he has routinely received offers the past few months. We have never been able to book the Premier offers due to dates and our work schedules. We did book the casino offer on our recent cruise on the Valor. He received the $150 fun chips and I received $50 cash to use on slots. Our booking rate was $170 less than the other published costs, so overall it was a good deal for us. However, once we were on board the perks were not near what we had received on previous cruises. The casino hosts on those cruises sent wine to our dinner table each night, drinks on me was up front and then the little appetizers in the room. We were really okay with this. He got the drinks on me the last day - lol. However, the pit bosses were great to offer us drinks that they signed for all week. They were super nice. The casino host on the Valor - not so much! He was all in to his on cuteness and had no time for the customers! We still felt that what we received was better than nothing and appreciated what they did offer.

We are super happy with our casino perks this year. Two years ago we sailed The Dream. We really swore off of cruising after that trip, at least cruising with Carnival.

We kept getting offers for premier cruises and finally they upped the ante to the point where we took a cruise. Needless to say we are hooked again. We received a free cruise during the premier cruise. Then on the free cruise we received another free cruise.

We will keep sailing Carnival until the offers dry up. I will say when the offers get too weak or just go away I will no longer sail Carnival. The casino is 90% of the reason we sail. We don't do shows and we have our own pool and plenty of other water activities basically in our own back yard living in the Tampa area. My wife is a gourmet cook so the food really isn't a big draw. We cruise for a quick getaway and the casino.

If the offers dry up we will do something else and gamble at The Hard Rock. Sometimes you just scratch your head at how the comp game works. We normally budget 4k for gambling whether it is Biloxi, Vegas or a cruise. It is amazing that I am willing to basically hand over 4k and I have to buy drinks, at least now I get the drink card right away.

If there is one main weak point it is miscommunication when dealing with the players club. They need to be careful because I know of one player who is a $500.00 player and they ran him off with the lack of comps and the attitude of the players club. IMHO they need to break off from the Ocean Players Club and just handle everything through Carnivals Players Club.

I have had a couple years worth of the Premier offers that I have been unable to take. The dates and locations of the Premier offers never seem to match up with my time off from work.

I do however get the twofer free interior rooms with very reasonable upgrade prices and I take advantage of every one offered to me.

I also use the "Bounce Back" offers I get on the last night of the cruise.

I am hoping that I haven't worn out my welcome with the Premier offers as I am awaiting the next round and plan on booking one this time no matter what.

I have had a couple years worth of the Premier offers that I have been unable to take. The dates and locations of the Premier offers never seem to match up with my time off from work.

 

I have to say being able to travel at the drop of a hat is a major perk of being retired.

I have to say being able to travel at the drop of a hat is a major perk of being retired.

I have 781 days to go before I join the club, but who's counting?

I have 781 days to go before I join the club, but who's counting?

That will fly by. My wife and I made a pact to really live it up as long as we can afford to because you never know how long your health will hold up. We retired 2.5 years ago and have never looked back.

i have a casino offer booked on the fantasy in september (same dates as dave&micki) i honestly think carnival has givin me a great deal.. when i booked the offer a couple of months ago i paid around the $650 range for a inside on the empress deck for me and wife. today the price for the room next to mine is almost $1000 (after taxes and fees).. i also get $75 cash from the cage when i get on the boat.. (last trip i got $50, so i got a increase this time..i also got a t-shirt, chocolate covered strawberrys and 2 free drink vouchers over the cruise) i also got the drinks on us card on like day 3 of 7 but that was due shuckin $$ into the slots..

i play alot of texas holdem and if there is a game going with more than 3 ppl im on the table..but they dont count that for comp play sooo.. i play all the slot tournaments and usually one if not all of the black jack tournaments (the casino host runs all of these and its a good way to meet them)... i also play slots on max bet if im not on the poker table.. im a young guy (28) and i guess its kinda odd to them seeing me in there so much playing the tournys and such when there is alot of older people with alot more money than me to spend... i just enjoy the casino and i penny pinch the whole time the cruise is booked so i can enjoy myself in there when i go, and belive me i spend alot of time in there..

so all in all i guess im happy with what carnival gives me... besides, anything is always better than nothing at all....

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts. After reading the comments, it does seem that there is a group of us that must fall into some category where we are not receiving the regular casino offers anymore.

I also have a family member who has not cruised Carnival in several years and thus has not spent anything in the casino, and this person just got an offer for casino cash and a casino cabin discount. So there's no doubt in my mind that Carnival isn't using this as a tool to get customers who haven't cruised recently back on board. So apparently casino comps aren't always comps but are incentives to those who haven't spent any money on Carnival lately. I guess I just don't understand Carnival's strategy of rewarding less loyal customers at the expense of loyal customers.

We are booked on our third Bounce-Back cruise, but have gotten nothing in between in terms of additional offers or comps.

The phone rep told us that while on a comped cruise, we're not eligible to earn additional gifts (i.e. casino cash, fun chips, drink card)... but we've found that to be wrong. We have gotten all the above, plus robes, strawberries, wine/vinegar and t-shirts.

All that said -- we generally play minimum bet at 3-card, maybe a little more. Play every night, and TIP THE DEALERS. The supervisors are in the tip pool, and will comp drinks until the card comes, etc.

Maybe it helps that we're friendly, polite, don't smoke, don't get stupid/rude/sloppy drunk, and cheer for all winning hands (which attracts more players to the table).

Also, agree with all other posters who recommend getting anything promised over the phone in writing. More than once, the casino cash promised was not available, a different amount, or given in fun chips instead... or the spouse who was told he would NOT get anything... did.

Hubby and I are fairly decent gamblers, mainly slot machines, hubby usually gets Drinks on Us card. Liberty Cruise in 2012 we received a variety of cabin goodies from the casino, spent waaay too much $$ in the casino and received several offers last year for Casino Rates and Casino Cash, then we booked our cruise for 2014 and have been told we aren't eligible for anything. No consistency whatsoever.

I get wanting to entice newbies to cruise and play in the casino, but you shouldn't bite the hands that feeds you either....

Its the inconsistency that gets me. Some cruises I'm eligible for the fruit basket, some times not. I miss the snacks waiting in my cabin:( Other than that, I don't gamble for the perks. I do it for the fun.

I received via mail a casino offer with cash deal last week with carnival. What I thought was odd after our one and only carnival cruise was there was no credit offered on the last night of the cruise. On NCL you can go to the host where they check your play and give you money off your onboard account. I was told at the carnival casino that they do not do that. I've never heard of this practice.

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On may last cruise in June I received a letter on the last day that I am eligible for a 3-8 cruise for two inside cabin-which we are taken advantage of. Also, I read on here that I should check to see if I am eligible for "drinks on us" while in the casino. I emailed Casino Services and I do qualify for the drinks as well. I will be printing out that email and bringing.

What email did you use to email the casino? I have emailed twice, no response. Thanks

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Try this- mbayona@carnival.com

He responded very quick. Good luck.

I went on a cruise last week with a casino offer. The room was dirt cheap and also got casino cash.

Going on another in August with casino offer with casino cash.

I also cruised the Premier in January.

Offers are good for me.

I am the opposite of the OP. I have never received a casino cruise offer until this year. Yes I have called before cruises and have received various comps from casino cash to gift baskets etc, but always wondered why they have never offered me the discount or free cruises I kept hearing about. I certainly dropped a lot of money in the casino and it irritated me when I would read how someone who only spends a couple hundred at most was getting casino cruise offers and I was not. Certainly it was not random as I have 21 Carnival Cruises and never got an offer.

Well that changed on our last cruise in June. The casino staff offered lots of free drinks and even a Drinks on Us card half way through the cruise (I play mostly craps and only had about 400 points on my account from playing video poker) so I was surprised at the generosity as it was vastly different than in the past. I ended up at the end with 2 free 3 to 8 day cruise offers (assuming these are what earlier posters were calling "bounce back" offers since they had a very short fuse on them).. So yes, I have seen a BIG difference in comps this year. but not in the expected negative way (except for the comp levels when I have called in before a cruise)

I am taking my bounce back offers BTW... I don't want to discourage them from giving me more in the future by not using them :-)

Offers are generally based on ATD. That is your 'average daily theoretical' loss!

Every offer is generated based on how much they are going to get from you. Whether it is your actual money or the money you 'won' and then pumped right back into the machine. And they will send you offers each month based on an algorithm set up by the home office. There may not be any rhyme or reason that is discernible but they have their criteria each month. After you become a regular customer there is little incentive to send you offers unless your level of play begins to drop. If you are classified as a 'decliner or defector' the offers will increase until you begin to increase your play. And yes, a phone call may very well get you something based on your past play if you are looking to come again. If you do, you get the goodie and spend more money. If you decide to not come nothing is lost. Believe me you are paying for every 'free' offer.