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Casino rate

KBC73

By KBC73,
in Holland America Line

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KBC73

KBC73

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Posted

For the last 4 or 5 years I have received a casino discount of about 20-30% for all of our cruises. We have sailed 6 or 7 times. I just booked a b2b for the month of June 2021 and received it on that. I have checked other cruises and the discounted rate is not showing up. I even checked the cruise I booked for next June and it didn't show up. I was wondering a couple of things. Has this happened to other people? And, is Holland America doing away with the discounts for at least the near future?

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cabinluvn

cabinluvn

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We booked at 21 day cruise for October 2021 while on a cruise last January. The cruise consultant said it was too early to see if the casino rate was applied. We have not sailed without a casino rate for the last 10 years, sailing at least once a year. When I got home and called our cruise consultant, he said it did not show. Fast forward to today and we did not get the casino rate on this cruise. I don’t know if it is because we have the “have it all” booking that includes air, gratuities, drink package and $1000 OBC. We could get the casino rate if we rebooked without those perks, which would, in the end, not be a good deal

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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

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I have the casino rate on my November sailing next year so I don’t think they have been eliminated - at least not yet.

 

There have been a couple of  times I didn’t get it.  My TA has told me that not every cruise qualifies for the casino rate.  

 

 

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NCTribeFan

NCTribeFan

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I hope they don't go away.  Since I usually sail solo, it's really the only way HAL fits my budget.  I've been sailing 3-4 times a year the past few years.  I sail in the cheapest cabin I can and sail as often as I can rather than sail less frequently and pay more for the line and cabin.  

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Sea42

Sea42

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We received a casino rate discount on our 1/2022 cruise. We did not book the have it all promotion. I do wonder if it is available with that offer. Does anyone know?

Edited by Sea42
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cabinluvn

cabinluvn

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1 hour ago, PigsCanFly said:

We booked a cruise for  Feb. 2021 back in April with casino rates.  The casino payment was applied 1 day after we paid our portion of the balance.

Are you talking casino rate or the casino promo?  I have never received a casino payment on a casino rate. It has been strictly a reduced rate. We did recently get a casino promo where the casino pays more than half of the rate. It comes with free drinks while gambling

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PigsCanFly

PigsCanFly

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13 minutes ago, cabinluvn said:

Are you talking casino rate or the casino promo?  I have never received a casino payment on a casino rate. It has been strictly a reduced rate. We did recently get a casino promo where the casino pays more than half of the rate. It comes with free drinks while gambling

You are correct.  It was a casino "come back & play" offer that included casino freeplay and a significant discount.  We 3 each had this offer and were allowed to combine them to get a nice b2b at a good price.  Now if only cruising will restart...

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KBC73

KBC73

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3 hours ago, Norseh2o said:

How do you receive or be offered a casino promo or a casino rate?  

I don't know how I have been getting a casino rate. It started in 2016. I was on a cruise and booked another one on board and was surprised when the Future Cruise Consultant told me I had a discount because I was in some group related to the casino. Every cruise I have booked since then I have gotten the discount. That has happened for the last 7 or 8 cruises.  I am interested in a cruise for 2022 and the discount is not showing up and I am wondering why.

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NCTribeFan

NCTribeFan

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I have >30 Carnival cruises, several over the past few years on casino fares (only a slight discount from their usual past-guest rates).  My first HAL, I was an add-on with a cousin and her friend (RT Zaandam to Hawaii) because the 3rd person add-on was minimal, which made the 3-way split affordable.  It was at least a couple of years after that when I received a mailed promo for a "free" casino cruise.  Of course, by the time I contacted my PCC, the free cabins were gone but I booked Zuiderdam at $199/pp for 11 nights interior, solo, which was still a fantastic fare.

 

Next HAL, again a couple of years later, was Koningsdam on the "usual" casino discount, which for me has been right around 30% off.  Then booked Zandam for this past April repo FLL to Montreal.  I've whined before about HAL pulling their ships out of the Caribbean just before I'm able to sail (I'm a CPA so have to wait until 4/16!).  Not sure what fare code I booked (confirmation doesn't show a casino discount) but my inside guarantee was only $398 + taxes/fees for a solo.  Of course, this was cancelled and I elected the FCC/OBC.

 

Applied the FCC to NA 1/9/21.  Again, about a 30% discount including the Have-it-All promo.  Then, one day I was browsing the website and saw January 2021 fares for $200!  What?  Both my cruise and the week after had this fare.  The day I booked, I checked my mail and had another mailing showing a "free" OV for select sailings.  I called my TA and she changed my original booking and also booked me for the following week (couldn't book as one 14-night sailing).  Although advertised as "free OV" the charge was $200 for each sailing.  Each comes with $250 casino free play, and Drinks on Us while in the casino.  I was not allowed to apply my FCC, so that's back in my Mariner account.  Sure, I "lost" the Have it All perks but for the difference in price, I'll happily buy my drinks outside the casino and pay for my specialty dining.

 

Long story, I know.  Just wanted to point out that I get MUCH better casino offers from HAL than from Carnival.  Is it because I sail Carnival so much more frequently that they don't feel they need to give my any enticement to return?  If giving me a free cabin to get me to return to HAL is the objective, it works!  These days I prefer HAL over Carnival anyway.  Just wish I could convince my friends to try HAL.

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Sue from Canada

Sue from Canada

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On 10/29/2020 at 7:34 AM, kazu said:

I have the casino rate on my November sailing next year so I don’t think they have been eliminated - at least not yet.

 

There have been a couple of  times I didn’t get it.  My TA has told me that not every cruise qualifies for the casino rate.  

 

 

I also have the casino rate for my November cruise that was suppose to be on the Volendam.  I got letter from my TA today that the cruise will now be on the Zuiderdam.  I had booked a lanai cabin on the Volendam.  Wonder what I can expect to get on the Zuiderdam.

 

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cabinluvn

cabinluvn

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On 10/29/2020 at 4:06 PM, Norseh2o said:

How do you receive or be offered a casino promo or a casino rate?  

You gamble in the casino a lot. The more you spent/lose, the better the casino rate. Or better yet, you receive an offer for a free cruise. Had that a couple of times. Got an offer last month. The Caribbean cruises for March and April were free. Cruises after that were at a very reduced rate. We figured the Caribbean ones would be cancelled as islands are not allowing cruise ships to dock in the foreseeable future. We got a 15 day Panama Camal cruise for $999 veranda category sailing in April. May or may not happen. 

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Norseh2o

Norseh2o

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2 hours ago, cabinluvn said:

You gamble in the casino a lot. The more you spent/lose, the better the casino rate. Or better yet, you receive an offer for a free cruise. Had that a couple of times. Got an offer last month. The Caribbean cruises for March and April were free. Cruises after that were at a very reduced rate. We figured the Caribbean ones would be cancelled as islands are not allowing cruise ships to dock in the foreseeable future. We got a 15 day Panama Camal cruise for $999 veranda category sailing in April. May or may not happen. 

I suspected that gambling a lot might be a requirement for the casino rate!! Not a fan of cigarette smoke, and could never find a seat in the casino the times I hoped to participate. Darn! 🎲🎰💰

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Sea42

Sea42

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10 hours ago, Norseh2o said:

I suspected that gambling a lot might be a requirement for the casino rate!! Not a fan of cigarette smoke, and could never find a seat in the casino the times I hoped to participate. Darn! 🎲🎰💰

Smoking is the only reason I get a casino rate. Years ago, when I did smoke, it was the only place indoors to smoke so I would sit at a slot machine and play while I had a cigarette. I no longer smoke but the casino rate is still alive and well on my account.

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NCTribeFan

NCTribeFan

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I do not spend a lot in the casino.  I'm no high roller.  Must say that I got better offers when I just played slots.  When I started mostly playing Roulette, my offers weren't as generous (talking about Carnival).  Slots are automatically tracked but I've never been sure how they track your play at the tables.

 

So, yes, I've received FREE offers from HAL with very little casino play.  Don't know if the CCL group still has just one umbrella casino group; it seems as though they don't.  There used to be a website that showed Carnival, HAL, and Princess casino info but I can't find that now.  So maybe, because I used to get better offers from Carnival, I also got offers from HAL.

 

The casinos don't advertise how they determine their offers or how they reward players.  I'm just happy that HAL gives me the offers they do.  Hope that as long as I sail them at least every couple of years that they'll continue to do so.  Who knows?  Maybe if I start sailing them 3-4 times a year, my offers won't be as good.  Like I said, if they know I'm going to book (and gamble), why entice me to book by extending a good offer?

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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

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49 minutes ago, bluesplayer said:

If you sail on a casino rate..   are Mariner points still awarded? Wondered about that.

 

The discounted rate?  Yes Mariner points are still awarded.

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  • 1 month later...
Clarabella_Baby

Clarabella_Baby

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So I got an e-mail today saying I was eligible for a discount on select View & Verandah sailings.

 

I logged in and tried doing a dummy booking on a sailing that I was previously interested, to see what kind of a discount this presented but there didn't seem to be the discount.

 

How do you find out what sailings are eligible?

 

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DaveOKC

DaveOKC

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We got a similar email a few weeks ago for the Save Now, Cruise Later promotion.  In the past we have been able to get the casino rate combined with the current other promotions, but coulte not combine a casino OFFER with these promotions.

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