free cruise voucher from HARRAH's

[Bingobaby0]

I received a postcard from Harrah's casino that I have a free cruise certificate eligible to be picked up.   I am trying to decide if it would be worth my while to drive the 5 hours there to pick it up (and it has to be picked up on a weekday so i also have to take a day off work).    The small print on the post card was too small to read.   Does anyone have more information on these "free cruises" such as:

    -    when do i have to cruise

  -   can i pick any cruise in that time line

 -  i know have to pay port fees, taxes and admin fees (anyone know what that would cost)

 - do i have to pay fees for 2 people or just one

 

any other information you have from user experience?  

[ColeThornton]

Not trying to be a smarty pants but isn't there a number on the card that you could call to get information?  The offer that you got may be different from what others have received.

[Bingobaby0]

there was no phone number to call about it.  And sorry, i didn't realize that the free cruise certificate would be different for others.

[mking8288]

Offers, as others & I understood it (often helped our friends booked their CAS deals ... it's really, already "prepaid" for) are based on your rated play level, with your land-based casino.  

 

Offer varied on availability dates, options and type of comp'd cabins, etc.  You might get the voucher coded for an Inside for 2 while another player from Harrah got an Oceanview ... and, the premium/top players get comp'd for a Balcony or even full Suite - the extra "freebies" that come along vary with it.  Our friend's offer is from another gaming group here in the NE and they usually have a trade-in/trade-up option for other sailings not offered on the list - NCL's "exclusive" casino calling center agents has that info when you call in to speak & ask.   

 

You need to do your homework, research & calculate the costs of these offers and the net retail value vs. booking it directly, etc.   Taking a day off from work, 10+ hours of driving = a bit of gasoline & tolls ?? and if you are staying overnight to play, all that should factor in ... is it really worth it ?  

 

If 2 people are going on the discounted casino-comp'd cruise, fees & charges will be based on 2, not 1 - including daily fees & gratuities, etc.  Oh, it looked like you should include airfares to the nearest NCL ports, trip insurance & at least 1 night of hotel, as flying on disembarkation day is not recommended.  

 

This link has a little info & phone # to call - they might be able to look it up

https://www.caesars.com/total-rewards/tr-partners/norwegian-cruise-line

[Bingobaby0]

Ahhh thank you for that information and that link. I will try to contact them that way to see if it would be worth it for me to pick up the certificate and use it.

 

I appreciate the help!

 

[Bingobaby0]

In case anyone else was wondering.... you do NOT have to drive to Harrah's to pick up the actual certificate.   You can call the Norwegian casino booking number and they can pull up your offer using your Total rewards number.

 

Thank you Mking8288 for the very informative link.   And in case anyone else is wondering:

 

 There is a book by date related to your offer and a sail by date as well

You pay admin fee (mine is $20 per person per day)

Gratuities ($15 per person per day)

Port fees and taxes for each person (usually between $150 - $250 per person is what they told me)

 

That is the kind of information i was looking for, so I posted it here in case anyone else has the same questions.

[dbrown84]

I'm glad you found out that you don't actually have to show up and pick up the certificate.  I no longer make a special trip to pick mine up.  As soon as the day after the scheduled pick up date, you can call and they will send you a PDF copy of the certificate to your email.  Yes, you'll pay $20 per day admin fee, plus port fees and taxes.  You get whatever promos are in effect when you book.  My last cruise had the free airfare which made the deal even better.  You also get a drink card for the casino, so you can skip the drink package if you're fine with being limited to one bar and rail alcohol.  Since I mostly drink beer and wine, the casino card is good enough for me.  I did get the house Brandy once, and tasted pretty good.  I didn't ask what brand it was.  They've recently started adding longer cruises to pick from.  I'm taking an 11 day next January.

[Mike_DeA]

2 hours ago, Bingobaby0 said:

In case anyone else was wondering.... you do NOT have to drive to Harrah's to pick up the actual certificate.   You can call the Norwegian casino booking number and they can pull up your offer using your Total rewards number.

 

Thank you Mking8288 for the very informative link.   And in case anyone else is wondering:

 

 There is a book by date related to your offer and a sail by date as well

You pay admin fee (mine is $20 per person per day)  Yes, this is the normal admin fee for all casino bookings

Gratuities ($15 per person per day)   Everyone on the ship pays these

Port fees and taxes for each person (usually between $150 - $250 per person is what they told me)

Correct, it depends on the ports visited but that's a good estimated range

That is the kind of information i was looking for, so I posted it here in case anyone else has the same questions.

Congrats!  May I ask what tier level you are at Harrah's/Caesar's? 

 

Did they confirm if you go solo if you only for one?  I had read if you wish to upgrade your cabin you pay for two even if going solo.  This was rumored to be a recent change.

 

Port fees and gratuities are always only charged per person, so never have to pay those for two if going solo.

 

And see my comments above.

[Bingobaby0]

I am gold tier at harrahs, but I will make it to platinum during my trip there in November!   I have been a Harrah's member since 2013 and have never heard about this "free cruise certificate" until I read about it earlier this year on these boards and I was complaining that I have never received one.     And VOILA!  I just got one!   LOL

 

I did not ask about going solo because i would be bringing my husband.  They said that I can upgrade but there is a charge for that and the cost depends on the sailing that I choose.

 

I am not sure if I will use it or not, but it is nice to know that I do not have to make a special trip to Harrahs (5 hours one way) just to get the certificate!

[Mike_DeA]

3 minutes ago, Bingobaby0 said:

I am gold tier at harrahs, but I will make it to platinum during my trip there in November!   I have been a Harrah's member since 2013 and have never heard about this "free cruise certificate" until I read about it earlier this year on these boards and I was complaining that I have never received one.     And VOILA!  I just got one!   LOL

 

I did not ask about going solo because i would be bringing my husband.  They said that I can upgrade but there is a charge for that and the cost depends on the sailing that I choose.

 

I am not sure if I will use it or not, but it is nice to know that I do not have to make a special trip to Harrahs (5 hours one way) just to get the certificate!

Wow, that's great.  Did you complain about never receiving a cruise voucher to the casino, or just to the universe?

 

Sorry, I thought you were considering going solo since you mentioned paying for 1 vs 2. 

[Bingobaby0]

I complained to the universe and the people on this board.  LOL   Someone heard me though!

 

I had heard that even if you were bringing someone you would only pay for 1, which is why i asked if you pay for 1 or 2.  Now i know you have to pay for 2 if you are 2.

[Mike_DeA]

5 minutes ago, Bingobaby0 said:

I am gold tier at harrahs, but I will make it to platinum during my trip there in November!   I have been a Harrah's member since 2013 and have never heard about this "free cruise certificate" until I read about it earlier this year on these boards and I was complaining that I have never received one.     And VOILA!  I just got one!   LOL

 

I did not ask about going solo because i would be bringing my husband.  They said that I can upgrade but there is a charge for that and the cost depends on the sailing that I choose.

 

I am not sure if I will use it or not, but it is nice to know that I do not have to make a special trip to Harrahs (5 hours one way) just to get the certificate!

If you do end up going, you are not expected to gamble at all but you can of course play as much or as little as you like. 

 

As opposed to if you were on a NCL Casino at Sea comped cruise (though as you can see, it's not really free with all the same fees involved), where if you don't gamble enough you are unlikely to receive another comped cruise offer (but may be eligible for 10-20% off instead).

 

 

[Bingobaby0]

i've never been on an NCL cruise.  I've done Carnival and RC only, so I am intrigued to give NCL a try.   But I will gamble, that is what I do on vacations.  I don't like the beach (yukky sand all over) and I don't like the mountains (yukky bugs and cold), so gambling it is!   I just hope that i get a couple sailing options with my offer that give me a really good deal so that I will be excited to book and not decide to pass it up!

 

[dbrown84]

you can travel solo, and only pay for one (no solo supplement).  If you bid to upgrade to a higher cabin, then you will pay double the bid price even if you're traveling solo.  If you call CAS directly and pay to upgrade, I believe that is still priced per person, unless you upgrade to a suite, in which case you'll have to pay double.  The price to upgrade has gone up significantly lately though.  A few years ago, you could upgrade from an inside to balcony for $140.  Now, they seem to start at $500.

[Mike_DeA]

13 minutes ago, Bingobaby0 said:

i've never been on an NCL cruise.  I've done Carnival and RC only, so I am intrigued to give NCL a try.   But I will gamble, that is what I do on vacations.  I don't like the beach (yukky sand all over) and I don't like the mountains (yukky bugs and cold), so gambling it is!   I just hope that i get a couple sailing options with my offer that give me a really good deal so that I will be excited to book and not decide to pass it up!

 

You will likely have a lot of good options to choose from. Good luck!

[brendajv33]

I've taken advantage of this offer twice and it is a GREAT deal.  I especially liked being able to go solo without paying for a second person.  The first time, my husband went with me; the second time by myself, which was the ultimate in relaxation!  Don't pass it up if you can make it work because it is the cheapest cruise you will ever do.  NCL is fine; certainly better than Carnival in my book.  We are Diamond on Royal and that is my favorite line, but it is expensive compared to NCL, especially with the Harrah's offer.  Do it and have fun!

[Mike D.]

I'll chime in with experience.  I had been Diamond at Harrah's (Caesars) for a number of years when I first noticed a cruise offer in late 2013 at the Harrah's Tahoe facility.  I don't know if I had missed one before.  I had never cruised.  So I asked my buddy if he wanted to try it.  So my first CAS cruise was on the Jewel from New Orleans in 2014.  There have been 17 more since then, all CAS or booked though the CAS phone number with my Harrah's/Caesars discount.

 

I learned fairly early on that I did not have to drive to Lake Tahoe to get the certificate out of the machine for the NCL offers there.   I have other reasons to go there but I don't really need the certificate for Tahoe.  Just my Total Rewards # (which NCL seems always to refer to as the Marquee number) and the CAS phone number.  877-742-9521.  HOWEVER, I suspect that strategy may not  work for CAS offers at the various Las Vegas Casinos that Caesar's owns.  In July this year, at Caesar's Paris, the employees and the instructions they handed out at hotel check-in  (which I didn't save unfortunately) made it clear that if the certificate (which does have a unique number unlike that scrap of paper that comes from the machine in Tahoe) didn't get picked up by the Sunday morning deadline  it wouldn't be valid.  I don't have a way to verify that since I already picked up the certificate.  But the employees at Total Rewards were clearly tracking what certificates were picked up. 

 

I don't know what happens at other Harrah's/Caesars casinos.  I suspect the OP's offer might be from Harrah's NOLA...I like the place but I haven't gotten an offer from them. It is also about 2,500 miles away so I don't hang out there much.

 

Best to all,

 

MD

[Stlcardsfan79]

So glad to see this thread, I have always been under the impression you have to pick up the voucher in person. We have used 2 vouchers in the past. We have recently received emails about picking up new ones in Laughlin and Las Vegas but since we are about 1400 miles away we won’t make the trip to pick one up. Was hoping they would have another distribution this fall in Council Bluffs which is only about 80 miles. But now I’ll call the number listed above to see if we can book our cruise sooner. 

[Socalev]

16 hours ago, Bingobaby0 said:

I received a postcard from Harrah's casino that I have a free cruise certificate eligible to be picked up.   I am trying to decide if it would be worth my while to drive the 5 hours there to pick it up (and it has to be picked up on a weekday so i also have to take a day off work).    The small print on the post card was too small to read.   Does anyone have more information on these "free cruises" such as:

    -    when do i have to cruise

  -   can i pick any cruise in that time line

 -  i know have to pay port fees, taxes and admin fees (anyone know what that would cost)

 - do i have to pay fees for 2 people or just one

 

any other information you have from user experience?  

Haha!  That is the smallest print ever!  I always use my printer to make a copy of the card and increase the output to (at least) 150%!  

[Sand and Seas]

I've heard from a friend that the cruise certificates from Las Vegas had to be picked up in person.   He tried to call the CAS number and it wasn't available that way.  This was about a year ago so perhaps it has changed since then.    Hope that someone on here will update us if they are able to use a Las Vegas offer without going to LV.

 

[emcelh]

21 hours ago, Mike D. said:

I'll chime in with experience.  I had been Diamond at Harrah's (Caesars) for a number of years when I first noticed a cruise offer in late 2013 at the Harrah's Tahoe facility.  I don't know if I had missed one before.  I had never cruised.  So I asked my buddy if he wanted to try it.  So my first CAS cruise was on the Jewel from New Orleans in 2014.  There have been 17 more since then, all CAS or booked though the CAS phone number with my Harrah's/Caesars discount.

 

I learned fairly early on that I did not have to drive to Lake Tahoe to get the certificate out of the machine for the NCL offers there.   I have other reasons to go there but I don't really need the certificate for Tahoe.  Just my Total Rewards # (which NCL seems always to refer to as the Marquee number) and the CAS phone number.  877-742-9521.  HOWEVER, I suspect that strategy may not  work for CAS offers at the various Las Vegas Casinos that Caesar's owns.  In July this year, at Caesar's Paris, the employees and the instructions they handed out at hotel check-in  (which I didn't save unfortunately) made it clear that if the certificate (which does have a unique number unlike that scrap of paper that comes from the machine in Tahoe) didn't get picked up by the Sunday morning deadline  it wouldn't be valid.  I don't have a way to verify that since I already picked up the certificate.  But the employees at Total Rewards were clearly tracking what certificates were picked up. 

 

I don't know what happens at other Harrah's/Caesars casinos.  I suspect the OP's offer might be from Harrah's NOLA...I like the place but I haven't gotten an offer from them. It is also about 2,500 miles away so I don't hang out there much.

 

Best to all,

 

MD

I'm guessing the offer was from Harrah's Cherokee in North Carolina and I've been going there frequently for the last 15 years.  I've never received an offer for a cruise at any tier level and I've been either Diamond or Platinum most of that time.  Maybe if I complain to the universe I'll get one.  LOL

[mking8288]

Great !!  Glad to be of a little help - our friends booked a 7 nights out of NY this Fall on the "newer" Bliss over Thanksgiving, initially got a midship Oceanview - GTY only as they didn't have a specific cabin for them to choose, plus choice of 2 "Free at Sea" promo ... Applied a 2nd. CruiseNext deposit as part of the full payment ($500 in face value but just $250 net cost) with only a small balance due of what they still owed, including NCL trip insurance (better than "self-insured")  With more than 4 months to go, called me earlier this month - super.excited about their (confirmed upgraded) stateroom assignment, to a mid-ship Family Oceanview on Deck 5 ... with something like 230+ sq. ft. that sleep up to 5 or 6 (much bigger than a typical balcony.)  That's one deck below the gaming action - although, they don't have to play at all, as noted.  They aren't even going to bid for a balcony or even mini suite.  

 

Anyway, typically - you have up to 2 months to book your cruise (based on the issued date of the certificate) - check to see the best deals.  You might want to see what NCL's August promotions are, as they are often combinable; and, odds are better, you can book in September for early Fall deals - if your vacation plans are flexible.  Florida ports are within a day's worth of driving from SC. 

 

[awinte2]

4 hours ago, emcelh said:

I'm guessing the offer was from Harrah's Cherokee in North Carolina and I've been going there frequently for the last 15 years.  I've never received an offer for a cruise at any tier level and I've been either Diamond or Platinum most of that time.  Maybe if I complain to the universe I'll get one.  LOL

i am from Canada and we have to pick up the certificate in person.  I am quite sure if you called CAS and give them your players card number and you are Diamond or Platinum then they will give you a significant discount on a 7 day cruise,

Just a note that Princess gives 35% off select cruises for people that gamble enough on their ships.

[emcelh]

13 minutes ago, awinte2 said:

i am from Canada and we have to pick up the certificate in person.  I am quite sure if you called CAS and give them your players card number and you are Diamond or Platinum then they will give you a significant discount on a 7 day cruise,

Just a note that Princess gives 35% off select cruises for people that gamble enough on their ships.

You're correct.  Diamond gets a 20% discount and Platinum I believe is 10%.  However, once you have a history with CAS you'll  likely be offered better discounts if not comped cruises.

[Daancindeb]

was there an update regarding Harrahs and free cruise offers?  I called NCL and they do not have my offer on file so I guess I have to go in person to get it?  Thanks all