Casino: Celebrity must be really hurting for $ if they're ripping off players this badly in Video Poker

[Fly and Sail]

37 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Visual aid, for anyone interested...Guessing it's play specific:

1) Often can book multiple sailings

2) Two weeks ago they would only allow you to book sailings in 2022, this wasn't the case in the past

3) You have to pay $10/day to FCV where as if you book with BCC you avoid that fee

4) FCV stated they have a promo where elevate (upgrade to prem drinks and fast internet) is included and it did show on my booking confirmation but, I wonder if you need to pay for perks al la carte as AI generally isn't included for BCC bookings

 

 

I was allowed to make one for 2023 (April) so ymmv.

 

Yes, when booking at the FCV desk there is a base fee for the rooms but since I was always able to book into Aqua Class I never questioned or disputed that.

 

For some cruises the deal isn't THAT great considering as you mentioned that you got to pay for tips, drinks and internet separately. Best is to redeem this for expensive itineraries during peak season.

[NutsAboutGolf]

30 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

I was allowed to make one for 2023 (April) so ymmv.

 

They let me book a 2023 in late Feb 2022, I just got off the 'Nox last Friday, they said 2022 only is new policy but you have to imagine sooner than later they have to open it up to later sailings.  Who knows, maybe it's YMMV.

[Fly and Sail]

3 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

They let me book a 2023 in late Feb 2022, I just got off the 'Nox last Friday, they said 2022 only is new policy but you have to imagine sooner than later they have to open it up to later sailings.  Who knows, maybe it's YMMV.

 

Considering we're going into June soon I'm sure they can't maintain that policy for very long.

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 minute ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Considering we're going into June soon I'm sure they can't maintain that policy for very long.

 

Exactly; it'll most likely evolve into the booking must have embarkation sail of date of 180/365 days from now or hopefully they'll just get rid of it.

[Janthere]

20 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Exactly; it'll most likely evolve into the booking must have embarkation sail of date of 180/365 days from now or hopefully they'll just get rid of it.

Will they let you  book on Beyond do you know?

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 minutes ago, janbear said:

Will they let you  book on Beyond do you know?

 

Yes.  When I could book 2023 sailings this past Feb, the Ascent and the Galapagos ships were the only ones off limits.

Edited May 12, 2022 by NutsAboutGolf

[mahdnc]

2 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Won't help you. The flyer alone means nothing it's just a visual aid. Your name will be on a spreadsheet provided to the Future Cruises Desk by the Casino Host/Manager.

 

It was a joke.  I am not under any illusion that handing over that card is going to net me a free cruise.

[miched]

Full pay Jacks or Better 

 

 

Outcome	Prize	Combinations	Probability	Frequency	Variance	Return
Royal Flush	4,000	41,126,022	0.000025	40,390.55	15.805884	0.019807
Straight Flush	250	181,573,608	0.000109	9,148.37	0.262500	0.005465
Four of a Kind	125	3,924,430,647	0.002363	423.27	1.361344	0.059064
Full House	45	19,122,956,883	0.011512	86.86	0.737622	0.103610
Flush	30	18,296,232,180	0.011015	90.79	0.275865	0.066087
Straight	20	18,653,130,482	0.011229	89.05	0.101372	0.044917
Three of a Kind	15	123,666,922,527	0.074449	13.43	0.299155	0.223346
Two Pair	10	214,745,513,679	0.129279	7.74	0.130461	0.258558
Jacks or Better	5	356,447,740,914	0.214585	4.66	0.000004	0.214585
All Other	0	906,022,916,158	0.545435	1.83	0.540471	0.000000
Totals		1,661,102,543,100	1.000000	2.20	19.514676	0.995439

 

Celebrity casino

 

Outcome	Prize	Combinations	Probability	Frequency	Variance	Return
Royal Flush	4,000	37,800,361	0.000023	43,944.09	14.530811	0.018205
Straight Flush	400	206,632,374	0.000124	8,038.93	0.778099	0.009952
Four of a Kind	125	3,819,955,439	0.002300	434.85	1.334446	0.057491
Full House	50	18,599,112,531	0.011197	89.31	0.924981	0.111968
Flush	35	26,216,341,880	0.015782	63.36	0.585160	0.110477
Straight	25	25,158,224,281	0.015145	66.03	0.253238	0.075727
Three of a Kind	15	118,062,773,411	0.071075	14.07	0.310180	0.213225
Two Pair	5	204,828,430,059	0.123309	8.11	0.000978	0.123309
Jacks or Better	5	316,600,595,517	0.190597	5.25	0.001511	0.190597
All Other	0	947,572,677,247	0.570448	1.75	0.473376	0.000000
Totals		1,661,102,543,100	1.000000	2.33	19.192780	0.910951

 

Big nick. 

It was bad enough when they paid 8 on the FH and 5 on the flush.   I think it also went down to 7 on the FH and 5 on the Fl.   Those were the pay tables for the progressive  Jack Pots in Vegas casinos.  

 

Happy cruising 🌊🇺🇸🚢🌅

 

Edited May 13, 2022 by miched

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 hours ago, mahdnc said:

Boy, I could use a copy of that card.....

 

3 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Won't help you. The flyer alone means nothing it's just a visual aid. Your name will be on a spreadsheet provided to the Future Cruises Desk by the Casino Host/Manager.

 

No joke, I still have the card, I'll sell the card, only $500!  I'll even throw in a free X face mask still in the package😂

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

4 minutes ago, miched said:

Full pay Jacks or Better 

 

 

Outcome	Prize	Combinations	Probability	Frequency	Variance	Return
Royal Flush	4,000	41,126,022	0.000025	40,390.55	15.805884	0.019807
Straight Flush	250	181,573,608	0.000109	9,148.37	0.262500	0.005465
Four of a Kind	125	3,924,430,647	0.002363	423.27	1.361344	0.059064
Full House	45	19,122,956,883	0.011512	86.86	0.737622	0.103610
Flush	30	18,296,232,180	0.011015	90.79	0.275865	0.066087
Straight	20	18,653,130,482	0.011229	89.05	0.101372	0.044917
Three of a Kind	15	123,666,922,527	0.074449	13.43	0.299155	0.223346
Two Pair	10	214,745,513,679	0.129279	7.74	0.130461	0.258558
Jacks or Better	5	356,447,740,914	0.214585	4.66	0.000004	0.214585
All Other	0	906,022,916,158	0.545435	1.83	0.540471	0.000000
Totals		1,661,102,543,100	1.000000	2.20	19.514676	0.995439

 

Celebrity casino

 

Outcome	Prize	Combinations	Probability	Frequency	Variance	Return
Royal Flush	4,000	37,800,361	0.000023	43,944.09	14.530811	0.018205
Straight Flush	400	206,632,374	0.000124	8,038.93	0.778099	0.009952
Four of a Kind	125	3,819,955,439	0.002300	434.85	1.334446	0.057491
Full House	50	18,599,112,531	0.011197	89.31	0.924981	0.111968
Flush	35	26,216,341,880	0.015782	63.36	0.585160	0.110477
Straight	25	25,158,224,281	0.015145	66.03	0.253238	0.075727
Three of a Kind	15	118,062,773,411	0.071075	14.07	0.310180	0.213225
Two Pair	5	204,828,430,059	0.123309	8.11	0.000978	0.123309
Jacks or Better	5	316,600,595,517	0.190597	5.25	0.001511	0.190597
All Other	0	947,572,677,247	0.570448	1.75	0.473376	0.000000
Totals		1,661,102,543,100	1.000000	2.33	19.192780	0.910951

 

Big nick. 

It was bad enough when they paid 8 on the FH and 5 on the flush.   I think it also went down to 7 on the FH and 5 on the Fl.   Those were the pay tables for the progressive  Jack Pots in Vegas casinos.  

 

Happy cruising 🌊🇺🇸🚢🌅

 

What would the return be if you factored out the royal flush from both? 

[miched]

57 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

What would the return be if you factored out the royal flush from both? 

can’t get the full payoff chart to load.   Just noticed it in the other post also 

 

Sorry about the confusion 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited May 13, 2022 by miched

[miched]

1 hour ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

What would the return be if you factored out the royal flush from both? Here is a link that gives all of the strategies and odds according to the payoffs. 

Here is a link to calculate any payoff on any game according tho the payoffs.   It also gives the best playing strategy.   Just enter the numbers.  
 

You can find any game by using the tabs with the drop down menu

 

 

 

 

 

https://wizardofodds.com/games/video-poker/hand-analyzer/The Royal doesn’t add much the return.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited May 13, 2022 by miched

[Fly and Sail]

7 hours ago, janbear said:

Will they let you  book on Beyond do you know?

 

Probably so. I booked on Edge and Apex.

 

Can't see why Beyond would be excluded but Celebrity has weird rules about everything. Today when I disembarked in Victoria they wanted to keep my Seapass card until the Guest Relations Director authorized them to give it to me. Just one of my stupid souvenir habits and I rarely collect anything these days. Something you could have told them "I lost it" several times during the cruise and gotten a replacement, suddenly it's a big deal? BS.

[Fly and Sail]

6 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

It was a joke.  I am not under any illusion that handing over that card is going to net me a free cruise.

 

I didn't think you were serious (not that I haven't tried it myself since it didn't mention any specific cruise/ship/cabin/offer code). All I got back was a question where I received this because my name wasn't on "the list" which I then got a glimpse of. 😛

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

42 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Probably so. I booked on Edge and Apex.

 

Can't see why Beyond would be excluded but Celebrity has weird rules about everything. Today when I disembarked in Victoria they wanted to keep my Seapass card until the Guest Relations Director authorized them to give it to me. Just one of my stupid souvenir habits and I rarely collect anything these days. Something you could have told them "I lost it" several times during the cruise and gotten a replacement, suddenly it's a big deal? BS.

 

That's strange indeed!

[fstuff1]

11 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

They have gotten extremely stingy. There were only 9 people on the comp list during this cruise, even the people in the booking office were surprised. I'm not a big player, roughly ~7k coin in at this point (all slots). I wouldn't expect much to be offered to table or VP players as they have a lower house edge on those games. Slot players lose the most money so it makes sense to bring them back.

 

wow.. only 7k coin-in and you got a free cruise already based on current play.

i'm on Apex and have 20k coin-in. nada. zip. ziltch. 😞

 

[Fly and Sail]

3 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

 

wow.. only 7k coin-in and you got a free cruise already based on current play.

i'm on Apex and have 20k coin-in. nada. zip. ziltch. 😞

 

 

Next time do a zero play cruise and then pick up again on the next. That was my strategy and it worked. Also there were almost no heavy hitters on this cruise, the host/manager were around me and another Amethyst all the time. Usually nobody should care about us little guppys. 😄

 

Are you Sapphire?

Edited May 13, 2022 by Fly and Sail

[fstuff1]

10 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

3) You have to pay $10/day to FCV where as if you book with BCC you avoid that fee

4) FCV stated they have a promo where elevate (upgrade to prem drinks and fast internet) is included and it did show on my booking confirmation but, I wonder if you need to pay for perks al la carte as AI generally isn't included for BCC bookings

 

 

When i was on Edge last year, i got a piece of paper on next to last day saying i have a free cruise and visit FCV.

it wasnt as fancy as yours. it was just typed on Celebrity letterhead.

 

And the cruise i  wanted were out of Verandas so couldnt book.

 

maybe the $10/day were the tips for your upgraded drink package?

[fstuff1]

3 minutes ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Next time do a zero play cruise and then pick up again on the next. That was my strategy and it worked,.

 

I'm Sapphire and i've been on about a dozen Celebrity cruises (all free).

My last cruise (Edge last year) was the 1st time i ever received a letter in my cabin about visiting FCV for a free cruise.

 

All others i call BCC when i got home.

So unfortunately, i can't risk doing your strategy.

 

[Fly and Sail]

2 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

 

When i was on Edge last year, i got a piece of paper on next to last day saying i have a free cruise and visit FCV.

it wasnt as fancy as yours. it was just typed on Celebrity letterhead.

 

And the cruise i  wanted were out of Verandas so couldnt book.

 

maybe the $10/day were the tips for your upgraded drink package?

 

Nah the Casino deals never have any drink package to begin with. For some reason the onboard bookings indeed always show some base fare for me.

 

I feel it depends on the talent of the person at the booking office. I found one lady who is excellent and automatically prices me Aqua Class. It's usually $140 base per week no matter which cruise she picks. It's a tab called "Casino Offer". Maybe you should actively request them to price an AQ Casino Offer and see what comes out of it.

[Fly and Sail]

Just now, fstuff1 said:

 

I'm Sapphire and i've been on about a dozen Celebrity cruises (all free).

My last cruise (Edge last year) was the 1st time i ever received a letter in my cabin about visiting FCV for a free cruise.

 

All others i call BCC when i got home.

So unfortunately, i can't risk doing your strategy.

 

 

Sounds like your results are very good either way. No need to game it then. Although currently with Covid you could say you didn't feel well and weren't able to visit the Casino due to isolation. 😷 But yeah, your results show you don't need such nonsense. As Sapphire they bombard you with free cruises. Any chance of reaching a higher tier? Even though Ruby is nuts. A cool million in coin in on cruise ship slots is suicide.

[NutsAboutGolf]

5 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Nah the Casino deals never have any drink package to begin with. For some reason the onboard bookings indeed always show some base fare for me.

 

I feel it depends on the talent of the person at the booking office. I found one lady who is excellent and automatically prices me Aqua Class. It's usually $140 base per week no matter which cruise she picks. It's a tab called "Casino Offer". Maybe you should actively request them to price an AQ Casino Offer and see what comes out of it.

 

They "charge" $10/per person per day so $140 would be the price per couple for a seven night sailing

[canderson]

On 5/10/2022 at 7:20 PM, janbear said:

Agreed the VP paytables are horrible as is the choice of games.  I am not sure if it has always been this way on Celebrity? 

I don't recall them ever being better than 7/5, even many years ago.

[NutsAboutGolf]

8 hours ago, Fly and Sail said:

 

Nah the Casino deals never have any drink package to begin with. For some reason the onboard bookings indeed always show some base fare for me.

 

I feel it depends on the talent of the person at the booking office. I found one lady who is excellent and automatically prices me Aqua Class. It's usually $140 base per week no matter which cruise she picks. It's a tab called "Casino Offer". Maybe you should actively request them to price an AQ Casino Offer and see what comes out of it.

 

Question, do you find that FCV is able to book you on sailings/room types BCC cannot?

[Fly and Sail]

2 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Question, do you find that FCV is able to book you on sailings/room types BCC cannot?

 

Definitely. BCC never offered me anything so far (first time as Amethyst now, we shall see) despite my annual MGM NOIR cruise.