CAS - didn't get the warm and fuzzies

[slotaddict]

Just got off the Sky, and received a comped balcony aft...The room was just ok, I should have researched prior to cruising, I do know better...the balcony was uncovered, so besides the elements, we had soot to deal with....well that's a story for another day.....

 

I felt very pressured on this trip it was only a 4 nighter, no sea days, so the pressure was on to rack up the points in a short period of time...I really don't think I would book it again just for that reason.

 

My card was lucky, so I was entitled to house drinks....since I am not a drinker (the card does not make or break my trip).....they would not serve me what I was used to getting, they told me I was welcome to pay for it....Kind of annoyed me, but oh well....they now swipe your card whenever you get a drink and it appears on your room bill.....I guess they need to keep track of it....I don't know......I didn't meet the the host until the last evening where I hunted her down to tell her not to cash my points.....

 

Nothing sent to the room, I don't need the candy, nor the cookies but do look forward to them coming.....but not so this time, again I am guessing short cruise.....I didn't get anything for being Gold either, just the opportunity to board the ship first.....a little disappointment all the way around.....

 

Next up is the Sun for a 10 or 11 nighter, so hopefully I can rack up enough points to set me up for next years points.....I don't like the new system, but grateful for whatever I am able to get from CAS.....I have finally found someone whom I can deal with directly, as I did Ron and she does her best to accommodate my needs.....if you haven't had the pleasure I would be happy to give you her number, she is terrific.......

[slotaddict]

In addition, the casino sucked every dime I had, I put my last $50.00 into a machine, and then the fun began.....Love winning on the last night.....LOL:D:D:D

[sjbdtz]

 

I felt very pressured on this trip it was only a 4 nighter, no sea days, so the pressure was on to rack up the points in a short period of time...I really don't think I would book it again just for that reason.

 

My card was lucky, so I was entitled to house drinks....since I am not a drinker (the card does not make or break my trip).....they would not serve me what I was used to getting, they told me I was welcome to pay for it....Kind of annoyed me, but oh well....they now swipe your card whenever you get a drink and it appears on your room bill.....I guess they need to keep track of it....I don't know......I didn't meet the the host until the last evening where I hunted her down to tell her not to cash my points.....

 

Nothing sent to the room, I don't need the candy, nor the cookies but do look forward to them coming.....but not so this time, again I am guessing short cruise.....I didn't get anything for being Gold either, just the opportunity to board the ship first.....a little disappointment all the way around.....

 

Next up is the Sun for a 10 or 11 nighter, so hopefully I can rack up enough points to set me up for next years points.....I don't like the new system, but grateful for whatever I am able to get from CAS.....I have finally found someone whom I can deal with directly, as I did Ron and she does her best to accommodate my needs.....if you haven't had the pleasure I would be happy to give you her number, she is terrific.......

 

I'm really curious about a few things...

 

 

- where did the 'pressure' come from? There's no minimum number of points you need to accumulate... now, granted, your next comp is based on your play here, but that's hours & average bet....and I was advised that the 'expectation' of play is lower, on days when the casino isn't open much.

 

- Why would you ask the host not to apply your points? There's no advantage at all, to saving them...and you might have stymied their ability to comp all of your onboard spend & shore excursions. Just wondering why you'd make that request?

 

When I was still Lucky (Day 1 of my last trip, before I hit Golden on day 2), they told me that the card wouldn't allow the drink I wanted, but just to buy it, and they'd comp it at the end of the trip. It seems to me that's what they were trying to tell you, too. But you have to let them apply your points...that's where the comps come from.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

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[slotaddict]

I'm really curious about a few things...

 

 

- where did the 'pressure' come from? There's no minimum number of points you need to accumulate... now, granted, your next comp is based on your play here, but that's hours & average bet....and I was advised that the 'expectation' of play is lower, on days when the casino isn't open much.

 

- Why would you ask the host not to apply your points? There's no advantage at all, to saving them...and you might have stymied their ability to comp all of your onboard spend & shore excursions. Just wondering why you'd make that request?

 

When I was still Lucky (Day 1 of my last trip, before I hit Golden on day 2), they told me that the card wouldn't allow the drink I wanted, but just to buy it, and they'd comp it at the end of the trip. It seems to me that's what they were trying to tell you, too. But you have to let them apply your points...that's where the comps come from.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

 

I save points all the time....getting 15.00 off my bill is nothing....if I save it perhaps the next time added to whatever it will be of some benefit....I was told by CAS that you will not get as good as comp if you are on a short cruise...we will see as I am calling tomorrow....

 

There is a minimum point value of 750 for a drink card and 1000 points to cash in at the end....maybe I was wrong the way I said it....the points are there, I didn't want it off my bill.....

[Casino Comp Chick]

I'm really curious about a few things...

 

 

- where did the 'pressure' come from? There's no minimum number of points you need to accumulate... now, granted, your next comp is based on your play here, but that's hours & average bet....and I was advised that the 'expectation' of play is lower, on days when the casino isn't open much.

 

- Why would you ask the host not to apply your points? There's no advantage at all, to saving them...and you might have stymied their ability to comp all of your onboard spend & shore excursions. Just wondering why you'd make that request?

 

When I was still Lucky (Day 1 of my last trip, before I hit Golden on day 2), they told me that the card wouldn't allow the drink I wanted, but just to buy it, and they'd comp it at the end of the trip. It seems to me that's what they were trying to tell you, too. But you have to let them apply your points...that's where the comps come from.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

 

Hi Stephen!

I too am banking my points on the shorter cruises from this year. With our 12 nighter coming I would rather them combine all the points for the year (2) 7 nighters & (2) 1 nighters and cash them out in January. I know I will have a high bill between shore excursions, 2 nights at Ocean Blu (1 with family, 1 with the Nutz crew), Moderno, cigarettes and whatever cash I download to the slot machines. I won't bring the amount of cash I normally would because if I DL to the machine I get points from the credit card. I will just pay off the card in full when i get back. When i decide to play the tables I will just dl the cash & redeem it and buy in the chips that way.

[sjbdtz]

I save points all the time....getting 15.00 off my bill is nothing....if I save it perhaps the next time added to whatever it will be of some benefit....I was told by CAS that you will not get as good as comp if you are on a short cruise...we will see as I am calling tomorrow....

 

There is a minimum point value of 750 for a drink card and 1000 points to cash in at the end....maybe I was wrong the way I said it....the points are there, I didn't want it off my bill.....

 

 

You can't accumulate points toward a drink card. You have to start from 0 each cruise (unless you automatically get one due to your tier).

 

The points which are cashed-in only start ticking if you're over 2500 points... BUT... very frequently they comp more than that.

 

For example on my last trip, I accumulated according to my card, 3700 points or so...but got $800 off my bill, not the $37 I would have expected based on the points.

 

Not cashing them in restricts the Host's ability to do anything for you.

 

If you've earned the threshold of 2500, it's usually worth cashing them in...

 

 

.

[sjbdtz]

Hi Stephen!

I too am banking my points on the shorter cruises from this year. With our 12 nighter coming I would rather them combine all the points for the year (2) 7 nighters & (2) 1 nighters and cash them out in January. I know I will have a high bill between shore excursions, 2 nights at Ocean Blu (1 with family, 1 with the Nutz crew), Moderno, cigarettes and whatever cash I download to the slot machines. I won't bring the amount of cash I normally would because if I DL to the machine I get points from the credit card. I will just pay off the card in full when i get back. When i decide to play the tables I will just dl the cash & redeem it and buy in the chips that way.

 

 

Shhh....not everybody has figured this out yet, and when they do, I'm sure the ability will be stopped.

 

 

.

[redfantum]

I had a comped inside on the same cruise. I also missed the treats as I had received them under the same deal on the Sky 2 years ago. I didn't feel pressured to earn points though, as I already had a drink card and don't expect to be able to cruise again within the year. They would only swipe my card for the first drink of the day - no swiping after that and with a buck tip per drink the service was exceptional. On the short cruise 1000 is the threshold. I reached that, DH didn't, but they combined our points to a total of 2400 and took $40 off our bill. Not high rollers by any means, but I'll take what I can get. I don't expect another comp in the future, but, hey, when I called my credit card company to tell them I was traveling, they upgraded me to a travel rewards card, so maybe I'll get some freebies that way.

[slotaddict]

You can't accumulate points toward a drink card. You have to start from 0 each cruise (unless you automatically get one due to your tier).

 

The points which are cashed-in only start ticking if you're over 2500 points... BUT... very frequently they comp more than that.

 

For example on my last trip, I accumulated according to my card, 3700 points or so...but got $800 off my bill, not the $37 I would have expected based on the points.

 

Not cashing them in restricts the Host's ability to do anything for you.

 

If you've earned the threshold of 2500, it's usually worth cashing them in...

 

 

.

 

It was a short cruise...couldn't accumulate 2500 points, no sea days, had only night time to gamble and of course eating got in the way.....

[slotaddict]

I had a comped inside on the same cruise. I also missed the treats as I had received them under the same deal on the Sky 2 years ago. I didn't feel pressured to earn points though, as I already had a drink card and don't expect to be able to cruise again within the year. They would only swipe my card for the first drink of the day - no swiping after that and with a buck tip per drink the service was exceptional. On the short cruise 1000 is the threshold. I reached that, DH didn't, but they combined our points to a total of 2400 and took $40 off our bill. Not high rollers by any means, but I'll take what I can get. I don't expect another comp in the future, but, hey, when I called my credit card company to tell them I was traveling, they upgraded me to a travel rewards card, so maybe I'll get some freebies that way.

 

I only felt pressured because of what the booking agent said, she said I won't get as good as comp on the shorter cruises...

[slotaddict]

You can't accumulate points toward a drink card. You have to start from 0 each cruise (unless you automatically get one due to your tier).

 

The points which are cashed-in only start ticking if you're over 2500 points... BUT... very frequently they comp more than that.

 

For example on my last trip, I accumulated according to my card, 3700 points or so...but got $800 off my bill, not the $37 I would have expected based on the points.

 

Not cashing them in restricts the Host's ability to do anything for you.

 

If you've earned the threshold of 2500, it's usually worth cashing them in...

 

 

.

 

I usually have a drink card, I don't need to bank points to get one...I am aware that you start from the beginning....but if you bank them they can be combined with whatever the host wants to do for you....

 

The past couple of cruises, I have not interacted with any of the hosts....do you interact with the host? I am just wondering who does and who doesn't....

[cruise4kicks]

The past couple of cruises, I have not interacted with any of the hosts....do you interact with the host? I am just wondering who does and who doesn't....

I do. Don't know that it does anything for me. But I like interacting with the crew in general. :)

[slotaddict]

I had a comped inside on the same cruise. I also missed the treats as I had received them under the same deal on the Sky 2 years ago. I didn't feel pressured to earn points though, as I already had a drink card and don't expect to be able to cruise again within the year. They would only swipe my card for the first drink of the day - no swiping after that and with a buck tip per drink the service was exceptional. On the short cruise 1000 is the threshold. I reached that, DH didn't, but they combined our points to a total of 2400 and took $40 off our bill. Not high rollers by any means, but I'll take what I can get. I don't expect another comp in the future, but, hey, when I called my credit card company to tell them I was traveling, they upgraded me to a travel rewards card, so maybe I'll get some freebies that way.

 

 

How did the casino treat you?

[slotaddict]

I do. Don't know that it does anything for me. But I like interacting with the crew in general. :)

 

I interacted with a couple of hosts over the years and they seemed to treat me better....especially on the Jewel....lately them seem to busy to be bothered....maybe its just me....I really can't put my finger on it.....

[WaldosPepper]

...

The points which are cashed-in only start ticking if you're over 2500 points... BUT... very frequently they comp more than that.

 

For example on my last trip, I accumulated according to my card, 3700 points or so...but got $800 off my bill, not the $37 I would have expected based on the points.

 

...

 

This has been our experience as well. It pays to cash them in.

[negn]

Confused by this thread. Always book with CAS and am always comped balcony or mini. Made hot my last cruise and will be same on next one. Never technically turned in points but always had significant taken off final bill. does not seem that giving me credit effected my staus which was based on points

[sjbdtz]

 

The past couple of cruises, I have not interacted with any of the hosts....do you interact with the host? I am just wondering who does and who doesn't....

 

 

Absolutely. Some of them have become friends.

[samiam0403]

The past couple of cruises, I have not interacted with any of the hosts....do you interact with the host? I am just wondering who does and who doesn't....

 

I always do. But I'm always chatty with the casino staff in general, including drink servers. For some reason, it's the only place I enjoy chit chatting. :) The casino hosts on CCL were friendly enough, but my first NCL cruise this year truly impressed me. Melissa on the Sun was outstanding. She was always out and about chatting with players and would always stop by when I was playing slots. Once she found out my birthday was that week, she comped my DH and me dinner at Teppanyaki with wine included, even though I didn't have a high enough level of play (yet) for that comp, and sent us a few bottles of wine throughout the cruise. I'm hoping that the host on my upcoming (comped) Dawn cruise are just as wonderful, but if not, I'll still enjoy talking to them I'm sure. :)

[slotaddict]

Ok, just for the hell of it....I just spoke to my agent and she is able to comp me a room on my next cruise....so I am relived about that....

 

I suppose I gambled enough....so Im sure I will achieve hot status before the end of their calculations.

 

Thanks for all you're comments, I will make sure I interact with the host the next time.....:D

[lordchaos]

just curious, what does one have to spend, on average, to accumulate about 1500 points on your card? I just came off a 7 nighter on the Gem and I think you had to have at least 1500 points to get free drinks. I think it might be cheaper to just pay for a drink when you want one as opposed to spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars in a machine just to get a drink, lol.

[jaja]

Ok, just for the hell of it....I just spoke to my agent and she is able to comp me a room on my next cruise....so I am relived about that....

 

I suppose I gambled enough....so Im sure I will achieve hot status before the end of their calculations.

 

Thanks for all you're comments, I will make sure I interact with the host the next time.....:D

 

 

good for you....:D

[redfantum]

How did the casino treat you?

If you mean winning - I'm a slot player and was up and down the whole trip, took a turn for the worse at the end and walked away before I threw all my money away. Casino staff was very pleasant. Maybe I need to be more chatty too, since I don't have that big a bankroll.

[cruise4kicks]

just curious, what does one have to spend, on average, to accumulate about 1500 points on your card? I just came off a 7 nighter on the Gem and I think you had to have at least 1500 points to get free drinks. I think it might be cheaper to just pay for a drink when you want one as opposed to spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars in a machine just to get a drink, lol.

$5 in = 1 point. You have to take into consideration your through-put. ;) Not just what $$$ you put in, but how much you win that goes back through.

[lordchaos]

$5 in = 1 point. You have to take into consideration your through-put. ;) Not just what $$$ you put in, but how much you win that goes back through.

 

oh, ok. thanks for the info. didn't know winnings were included, thought just what you spend. good to know.

[slotaddict]

Very small wins all week so naturally they were put back through.....Did well the last night, up and down, but left the casino up, so all and all a very good trip......and a comp for the next trip, so life is very good.

 

 

Just as a point of information I have booked Carnival on their casino promos, the last time I went they gave me 175.00 dollars cash....part of the perk....the servers were giving me drinks towards the middle of the cruise....so I figured they had a good program.....HOWEVER.....I tried to take advantage of another offer where they were giving me $300.00 cash and 50% off the room....when I called to book the PCP told me the room was $3000.00 so my share would be 1500.00.....really.....I don't think so.....I thanked him nicely and said nevermind NCL gives me my rooms.....I guess Carnival is a good idea if you can book at the last minute on a reduced rate....but for now change or no change....I will stick with my CAS.....