new NCL CAS program april 2024?

[BirdTravels]

On 4/18/2024 at 9:41 PM, Sand and Seas said:

We just returned from a 11 day cruise.   

This week on Joy a bit better. 476 guests with 7R and 2E. 

 

[Buckeye10640]

Can anyone sailing on a land-based casino comped cruise post 4/1 advise if the 'free drinks in casino' benefit has in fact been discontinued?  We have 3 currently booked and declined FAS drinks on all as the  occasional drinks from casino bar has always been sufficient for us. Thanks

Edited May 24 by Buckeye10640

[Sand and Seas]

On 5/24/2024 at 6:23 AM, Buckeye10640 said:

Can anyone sailing on a land-based casino comped cruise post 4/1 advise if the 'free drinks in casino' benefit has in fact been discontinued?  We have 3 currently booked and declined FAS drinks on all as the  occasional drinks from casino bar has always been sufficient for us. Thanks

On our April cruise, I did not see any 'free drinks in casino' cards.  We were on a CAS comped cruise, not land-based casino comp and had the FAS beverage package paid for by the casino due to Ruby CAS status.  Heard many grumbles from those that missed the old 'free drinks' card.

 

If you want to get more answers from someone who has cruised recently on a land-based certificate, I would suggest you post this question in the NCL forum.

[hachtely]

Whether you get your drinks comped while in the casino is based on your play on previous (or current) cruises.  I don’t remember how many points you have to earn.   If you don’t (didn’t) get a card for free drinks in your room with your players card - once you reach the required points - you’ll get free drinks.  

[hachtely]

I apologize, I last sailed on NCL in March  2024.  The new benefits went into effect April 1 and it looks like comped drinks in casino may have been eliminated and OBC for Pearl may also have been dropped.   Try googling “NCL casinos on sea benefits”. 

[dbrown84]

On 5/26/2024 at 4:28 PM, Sand and Seas said:

On our April cruise, I did not see any 'free drinks in casino' cards.  We were on a CAS comped cruise, not land-based casino comp and had the FAS beverage package paid for by the casino due to Ruby CAS status.  Heard many grumbles from those that missed the old 'free drinks' card.

 

If you want to get more answers from someone who has cruised recently on a land-based certificate, I would suggest you post this question in the NCL forum.

Hopefully someone with actual experience responds, but I do believe it's gone.  I would also decline the fas drinks, but I recently booked my next cruise using a land based comp, and the rep NCL rep working the certificate pickup confirmed it was taken away.  When I actually booked, the cas rep also confirmed the same.  I went ahead and took the fas drinks.  After taking all 9 of my previous cruises on NCL, I'm now giving MSC (next month) and carnival (in November) a shot.  In addition to neither charging an admin fee, MSC also don't charge you for port fees and taxes.  If I'm impressed with either, it could be the end of NCL with me.  The one I booked isn't until January so I have plenty of time to cancel 

[JGmf]

On 5/27/2024 at 5:35 PM, dbrown84 said:

After taking all 9 of my previous cruises on NCL, I'm now giving MSC (next month) and carnival (in November) a shot.  In addition to neither charging an admin fee, MSC also don't charge you for port fees and taxes.  If I'm impressed with either, it could be the end of NCL with me

 

I'm of the same mind.  I'll be on the Joy in 4 days, but not going to chase any comps* or casino action anymore as the NCL offer ROI of spending time/money in the casino just isn't there anymore.  I've pivoted to Princess, but since I'm out of NY, I'm looking at MSC as well.

 

(Yes, we all know we should never chase comps, but after a lot of NCL cruising, there's always that little devil on your shoulder telling you to maintain or advance your level so you can score the next cruise at a big discount).

[Sunseeker810]

My biggest issue with CAS is the $20 daily "administrative fee".  I used to think that it covered my free drinks in the casino, but not anymore!

[SplashOfWater]

14 hours ago, Sunseeker810 said:

My biggest issue with CAS is the $20 daily "administrative fee".  I used to think that it covered my free drinks in the casino, but not anymore!

We moved over to Royal Caribbean, and only pay port fees and taxes on casino comp cruises.

[BirdTravels]

On 5/27/2024 at 5:35 PM, dbrown84 said:

I'm now giving MSC (next month) and carnival (in November) a shot.  In addition to neither charging an admin fee, MSC also don't charge you for port fees and taxes.  If I'm impressed with either, it could be the end of NCL with me.  

 

Didn't MSC have you pay the $400 non-refundable deposit? Yes, it turns into $400 non-refundable OBC, but it's $400 that I would not really spend. MSC also has no other perks other than getting points for your next cruise. 

 

You need to earn a lot of points on one cruise to get their drinks package

[dbrown84]

9 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

 

Didn't MSC have you pay the $400 non-refundable deposit? Yes, it turns into $400 non-refundable OBC, but it's $400 that I would not really spend. MSC also has no other perks other than getting points for your next cruise. 

 

You need to earn a lot of points on one cruise to get their drinks package

yes, I had to put a $400 deposit, which will cover my hotel fees and I'll cash out the rest if I don't use it.  As for drinks, they are included, which is what NCL just took away

[DAWW]

This is my first time commenting on any topic. My husband and I were very loyal NCL cruisers. Our first 24 cruises were with NCL. We have since been introduced to ROYAL , Celebrity and will add Princess next year. We do not foresee cruising on NCL in the next few years. Our last NCL cruise was a transatlantic April 8-16 on the Escape. We are Diamond. I don’t recall our casino status but of our 27 + cruises with NCL all but one were comped through the casino. The April cruise was the final straw. There were no free drinks, soda or anything in the casino. Instead we received 24 large boxes of water in addition to the water given to us for our Latitudes status. We were not told anything about OBC. The hostess didn’t know. Because we insisted, she did look it up, $75 each. What a joke. The cocktail party for Latitudes members was an insult. There was a future cruise presentation and nothing else. No officers attended. NCL doesn’t seem to care that their attitude towards the consumer is unacceptable. I called CAS to register our unhappiness; we also wrote it in the post cruise survey . It doesn’t matter. 
I just had to express my frustration and anger. 

[Beach Life 1]

9 hours ago, DAWW said:

This is my first time commenting on any topic. My husband and I were very loyal NCL cruisers. Our first 24 cruises were with NCL. We have since been introduced to ROYAL , Celebrity and will add Princess next year. We do not foresee cruising on NCL in the next few years. Our last NCL cruise was a transatlantic April 8-16 on the Escape. We are Diamond. I don’t recall our casino status but of our 27 + cruises with NCL all but one were comped through the casino. The April cruise was the final straw. There were no free drinks, soda or anything in the casino. Instead we received 24 large boxes of water in addition to the water given to us for our Latitudes status. We were not told anything about OBC. The hostess didn’t know. Because we insisted, she did look it up, $75 each. What a joke. The cocktail party for Latitudes members was an insult. There was a future cruise presentation and nothing else. No officers attended. NCL doesn’t seem to care that their attitude towards the consumer is unacceptable. I called CAS to register our unhappiness; we also wrote it in the post cruise survey . It doesn’t matter. 
I just had to express my frustration and anger. 

CAS certainly has gotten very stingy.  We have always received Club Balconies, at the very least,  or sometimes Suites or Haven.   Now,  I feel like I have to beg for a Cabin.  We have a cruise booked early next year,  and I think it may be our last with NCL.   I too,  have voiced my complaints with CAS. 

[DAWW]

Oops I meant our transatlantic was 16 days, April 8-24.

[Red-Sol]

2 hours ago, Beach Life 1 said:

CAS certainly has gotten very stingy.  We have always received Club Balconies, at the very least,  or sometimes Suites or Haven.   Now,  I feel like I have to beg for a Cabin.  We have a cruise booked early next year,  and I think it may be our last with NCL.   I too,  have voiced my complaints with CAS. 

Ditto for us. Difference being that the cruise we had booked in February next year on Escape (which we foolishly booked in the first place despite the insulting offer given to us by CAS) has now been cancelled. It really pained us to do that since we have been loyal NCL cruisers and Escape was our favorite ship...but NCL apparently *thinks* that the gutting of the CAS programs will be some form of cost savings for them...I believe it will end up being very costly to them actually for doing it.

We have never sailed on Carnival before (really had no desire to based on many negative things we had heard) However they have a casino program where you can upload some of your casino cards and within a short time start getting offers. After a week or two we staring getting balcony comp offers on nearly every one of their sailings. We ended up booking a 10 day cruise on Venezia out of NYC in October and the combined price for myself and my wife in a balcony (with the comp) was about $800.00 total (all taxes, DSC charges, etc included) for that amount it seems to be a no brainer to try them out. Actually the videos I have watched of the ship make it look very nice.

[itsnotjustme]

While I am only a modest casino player, I hate seeing the program downgraded.  I will take my first ever "comped" cruise this fall.  It is a 7 day, and we were comped an inside which we upgraded to a club balcony.

 

I went to book a longer Asia cruise and all they would give was 10%.  My TA's perks were more valuable than 10% off.

[Beach Life 1]

6 minutes ago, Red-Sol said:

Ditto for us. Difference being that the cruise we had booked in February next year on Escape (which we foolishly booked in the first place despite the insulting offer given to us by CAS) has now been cancelled. It really pained us to do that since we have been loyal NCL cruisers and Escape was our favorite ship...but NCL apparently *thinks* that the gutting of the CAS programs will be some form of cost savings for them...I believe it will end up being very costly to them actually for doing it.

We have never sailed on Carnival before (really had no desire to based on many negative things we had heard) However they have a casino program where you can upload some of your casino cards and within a short time start getting offers. After a week or two we staring getting balcony comp offers on nearly every one of their sailings. We ended up booking a 10 day cruise on Venezia out of NYC in October and the combined price for myself and my wife in a balcony (with the comp) was about $800.00 total (all taxes, DSC charges, etc included) for that amount it seems to be a no brainer to try them out. Actually the videos I have watched of the ship make it look very nice.

We have friends that always sailed NCL, and have switched to Carnival,  and they love it.   The comps they get from Carnival are great.  They keep telling us to try Carnival, one time,  and we will receive so many comps from them.  We may do that if NCL CAS doesn't step up their game.

[Sunseeker810]

I have been loyal for far too long also.  I have been cruising with Holland America lately.  The offers are amazing!

[itsnotjustme]

52 minutes ago, Sunseeker810 said:

I have been loyal for far too long also. 

It is hard to give up the loyalty benefits.  They are not huge but we value:

 

- Two specialty meals for two (Say $100)

- 15% excursion discount ($100 - 200 range)

- Two (one each) free bag of laundry (~$60, but more the convenience)

- Priority boarding, tendering, reservations, etc. 

 

We are not old old, but getting up there.  Hard to build status at a new line.

[hachtely]

I agree.  We also have previously sailed almost exclusively with NCL but have made the switch to Carnival, Princess & HAL.  
 

We’re going to Antarctica on HAL in January on a 21 day cruise. Have the highest level balcony, $350 free play, $100 OBC each, free drinks in casino all for $1600 for the 2 of us!  That works out to $38/day/pp.  And it’s a fabulous itinerary.  The published price for the same cabin (with no free play or drinks) is over $13,000!!!!   Now THAT’s a deal.  And I’m only a 2 Star Mariner.  
 

My friend had not previously sailed on HAL but based on her play on other lines - she’s now getting HAL comps too.  

[Red-Sol]

21 hours ago, itsnotjustme said:

It is hard to give up the loyalty benefits.  They are not huge but we value:

 

- Two specialty meals for two (Say $100)

- 15% excursion discount ($100 - 200 range)

- Two (one each) free bag of laundry (~$60, but more the convenience)

- Priority boarding, tendering, reservations, etc. 

 

We are not old old, but getting up there.  Hard to build status at a new line.

 

I understand and agree completely with you about it being difficult to give up some of the loyalty benefits on NCL. We both just reached Sapphire on our last cruise.

For us now though those benefits no longer mean a lot when benefits from other cruise lines are often better in some format. For us the overall costs of a cruise are significantly less than what NCL would give us. (Including what they would offer us from CAS) I really wish this wasn't the case...but to coin a phrase "It is what it is"

[BirdTravels]

On 6/30/2024 at 10:09 AM, Beach Life 1 said:

We have friends that always sailed NCL, and have switched to Carnival,  and they love it.   The comps they get from Carnival are great.  They keep telling us to try Carnival, one time,  and we will receive so many comps from them.  We may do that if NCL CAS doesn't step up their game.

Sorry, I would not do a carnival cruise, no mater what the comps are.

[Beach Life 1]

28 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Sorry, I would not do a carnival cruise, no mater what the comps are.

That's how I  always felt, but our friends told us as long as you go on a seven days or more cruise, they're fine.   My husband refuses to on Carnival.  So this may be a moot point, anyway.  lol

[luvcruzing]

9 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Sorry, I would not do a carnival cruise, no mater what the comps are.

Have you ever taken one? I had thirteen cruises with NCL.  Then NCL cancelled one of my cruises two days before sailing (unavoidable), so I booked a Carnival cruise with the same date and embarkation port because of my flight.  Carnival offers started arriving shortly after. Haven’t looked back.

[Beach Life 1]

9 hours ago, luvcruzing said:

Have you ever taken one? I had thirteen cruises with NCL.  Then NCL cancelled one of my cruises two days before sailing (unavoidable), so I booked a Carnival cruise with the same date and embarkation port because of my flight.  Carnival offers started arriving shortly after. Haven’t looked back.

That's interesting,  because that's exactly what our friends said too.  They said they probably will not  sail NCL again,  they will stick with Carnival.  Their comps are unbelievable compared to NCL.