Revamped NCL Casinos at Sea program benefits

[dbrown84]

1 hour ago, ometauru said:

I don't know how that would even work. Not to say it's impossible, but based on what I know about NCL, I'm pretty sure they lied to you. The way it works now, if you don't show your card, you get charged. They're trying to say they figured out a way to make some secret list that noone knows about that will automatically comp your drinks in the casino, but only if you are specifically booked under a land casino's reservation? 

Honestly, this sounded really shady to me and didn't make sense to me.  I'm just reporting what she said.  And I don't think she lied.  I just felt like she was mistaken.  But I now have an answer to compare when I go to the other casino on Sunday 

[JGmf]

5 hours ago, ometauru said:

I don't know how that would even work. Not to say it's impossible, but based on what I know about NCL, I'm pretty sure they lied to you. The way it works now, if you don't show your card, you get charged. They're trying to say they figured out a way to make some secret list that noone knows about that will automatically comp your drinks in the casino, but only if you are specifically booked under a land casino's reservation? 

 

Could land-based offers get comped casino drinks while other CAS-booked players (without a drink package) do not?

 

I suppose it's technically possible, as different bookings could get different cruise card-enabled benefits, but what a PR nightmare for casino hosts needing to explain that to players who find out.

[ometauru]

Technologically it's not impossible. It'd actually be fairly trivial assuming their system isn't from the stone age (although that's definitely not a safe assumption). But do I think the NCL of right now can implement that? I'm very doubtful. 

[goldmom]

Has anyone asked yet about what the new "water package" will be?  We mostly used the CAS drink card for water.  Hoping the new package will be generous, but doubt it.  LOL!

[Bliss1]

20 minutes ago, goldmom said:

Has anyone asked yet about what the new "water package" will be?  We mostly used the CAS drink card for water.  Hoping the new package will be generous, but doubt it.  LOL!

water pkg  6 small      

[Bliss1]

58 minutes ago, JGmf said:

 

Could land-based offers get comped casino drinks while other CAS-booked players (without a drink package) do not?

 

I suppose it's technically possible, as different bookings could get different cruise card-enabled benefits, but what a PR nightmare for casino hosts needing to explain that to players who find out.

nope   2 separate programs    

 

[goldmom]

15 minutes ago, Bliss1 said:

water pkg  6 small      

Thanks for the info. 

Well, that wouldn't get me far.

Just sent an e-mail to NCL expressing my displeasure with these changes.  Probably wouldn't do anything but I least I got to vent a bit.

[Bliss1]

5 hours ago, dbrown84 said:

Honestly, this sounded really shady to me and didn't make sense to me.  I'm just reporting what she said.  And I don't think she lied.  I just felt like she was mistaken.  But I now have an answer to compare when I go to the other casino on Sunday 

it goes into effect in the new cas year   apri; 1  thru march 31

 

[UKstages]

6 hours ago, ometauru said:

I'm pretty sure they lied to you.

 

i don't think they lied. little known fact: assuming that the land based casino giveaway event was attended by one of more NCL reps, those reps are usually... wait for it... NCL CAS PCCs. yes, that's right, the same people who answer your phone calls and dispense incorrect information on the daily. it's a "perk" of the job that every so often they get to travel to vegas or atlantic city or wherever and meet and greet those picking up certificates and answer any questions.

 

but they have the same level of knowledge and understanding as everybody else. this is a new policy, not yet in effect, and there is widespread misunderstanding among NCL's own employees of what the policy means and how it will be rolled out and whom it will affect.

 

so, they didn't lie, in my opinion, they just dispensed incorrect information, which they believed to be true... or they just made stuff up because they didn't know and were unfamiliar with the parameters of the new policy.

 

1 hour ago, ometauru said:

Technologically it's not impossible.

 

it's absolutely possible. in booking, you just enter a different promo code, like the dozens of other promo codes in the promo thread in this forum. there's a drink card in your cabin... there is no magic to that drink card; it's just for show and identification purposes. it shows that you have free drinks and which level of free drinks you are entitled to.  the bartender or server takes your actual room card and swipes that and then enters a code on the screen at the till. they could very easily enter that code for land-based casino certificate guests and not those booked directly with CAS.

 

but, again, why would they do that?

 

treat other people's customers better than their own?

 

unless there is a contract provision in their deals with land-based casinos that says they have to provide free drinks, i just don't see this happening.

 

25 minutes ago, Bliss1 said:

water pkg  6 small 

 

i don't doubt it... but is that a guess or are you just imagining that is what it would be?

 

for comparison, folks who rely upon the casino for water often get two cartons of water on their way out of the casino every night. those with ultra drink cards, get two bottles of pellegrino or aqua panna every night.

 

so, on a 7-day cruise, we're looking at 6 cartons of water versus 14 cartons of water.

 

on my last cruise on the getaway, the casino bar didn't stock pellegrino, so i asked a host to send me some. six bottles arrived in my room the next day, gratis.  i imagine hosts will be doing more and more of this, with the new rules.

 

Edited March 23 by UKstages

[dbrown84]

3 minutes ago, Bliss1 said:

it goes into effect in the new cas year   apri; 1  thru march 31

 

Right ....  Was this in reference to something?

[dbrown84]

16 minutes ago, UKstages said:

treat other people's customers better than their own

Why you keep saying they are not NCL customers?  They are sitting in an NCL casino losing money, so I'd say they are CAS customers.  And it's not like they haven't always treated them differently.  Drink card came with certificate bookings where jade CAS "customers" didn't.  After nine cruises, I'm pretty sure CAS considers me a customer 

[UKstages]

yes, you're right. of course, you're absolutely a CAS customer. but your point of entry when using a certificate is your land-based casino. on your booking confirmation, it likely lists your casino company as the travel agent of record. i came to CAS that way, but i no longer use land-based casino certificates and always book directly through CAS using CAS offers or custom play-based offers from CAS.

 

it makes no sense to create a division among casino players based on how you walked in the door. frankly, CAS would prefer you book directly through them... it's more cost efficient for them. so it would be odd for them to offer a strong incentive (e.g. free drinks) only to those using certificates.

 

by the way, based on my prior conversations with NCL, and my personal experience, there is no need to pick up those cruise certificates in person. reserve the offer with the land-based casino and your name and account number and the virtual certificate will automatically be transmitted to NCL after the event... whether you show up to pick up the physical piece of paper or not.

[larryt1976]

I am on prima now and did get a drink card with my booking through cas Cesars diamond discount 

[UKstages]

 

2 minutes ago, larryt1976 said:

I am on prima now and did get a drink card with my booking through cas Cesars diamond discount 

 

as well you should have; today's date is 3/23/24, so i don't think anybody is the slightest bit surprised by this.

 

we are talking about changes that go into effect 4/1/24

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, UKstages said:

it makes no sense to create a division among casino players based on how you walked in the door. frankly, CAS would prefer you book directly through them... it's more cost efficient for them. so it would be odd for them to offer a strong incentive (e.g. free drinks) only to those using certificates.

CAS actually don’t want you to book through them. That is the “new CAS” as of about a year ago. CAS actually want to use certs (paid for by someone else) versus paying for cruises themselves. 
 

Lots of land based casinos offer certs. And some casino travel agents. Some, including Caesar’s, will “do you a favor” by tossing a cert on your NCL account, even without a customer attending an event. CAS agents have been told to “get someone else to pay for the cruise” before awarding a comp based on play and theoreticals. 

 

This policy is a joke. 

[dbrown84]

2 hours ago, UKstages said:

the way, based on my prior conversations with NCL, and my personal experience, there is no need to pick up those cruise certificates in person. reserve the offer with the land-based casino and your name and account number and the virtual certificate will automatically be transmitted to NCL after the event... whether you show up to pick up the physical piece of paper or not.

Yes, it's been like that forever.  It's that well known?

[icft]

On 3/20/2024 at 11:45 PM, BirdTravels said:

You can carry any amount with proper reporting. 
 

 

CBP: It is legal to transport any amount of currency or other monetary instruments into or out of the United States. However, if you transport, attempt to transport, or cause to be transported (including by mail or other means) currency or other monetary instruments in a combined amount exceeding $10,000 (or its foreign equivalent) at one time from the United States to any foreign country or into the United States from any foreign country, you must file a FinCEN Form 105 (“Report of International Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments”) with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. You may file in paper form or file electronically at FinCEN Form 105 CMIR, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (dhs.gov). International travelers entering the United States must declare if they are carrying currency or monetary instruments in a combined amount over $10,000 on their Customs Declaration Form (CBP Form 6059B) and then file a FinCEN Form 105.

 

On 3/21/2024 at 12:31 AM, UKstages said:

 

not sure where you got this curious notion, but the bird is correct. it's 10K in any monetary instrument, into or out of the country. your million dollar check is not exempt.

 

                   *                                *                                *t

 

The experts might want to refer to this CPB site:

https://cbpcomplaints.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-332?language=en_US

 

I can carry a million dollar check made out to a person or entity and not endorsed and the CBP doesn't care.

 

In particular the part that says:

 

31 CFR § 1010.100 (dd) defines “monetary instrument” as:

• Currency
• Traveler’s checks in any form
• All negotiable instruments (including personal checks, business checks, official bank checks, cashier’s checks, third-party checks, promissory notes, and money orders) that are either, in bearer form, endorsed without restriction, made out to a fictitious payee, or otherwise in such form that title passes upon delivery
• Incomplete instruments (including personal checks, business checks, official bank checks, cashiers’ checks, third-party checks, promissory notes, and money orders) signed but with the payee’s name omitted
• securities or stock in bearer form or otherwise, in such form that title passes thereto upon delivery.

The following do not fall within the definition of “monetary instrument”:

• Warehouse receipts and bills of lading
• Monetary instruments that are made payable to a named person, but are not endorsed or which bear restrictive endorsements
• Credit cards and prepaid cards
• Virtual currencies including (a coin CC won't allow to be mentioned)

[Sand and Seas]

10 hours ago, goldmom said:

Thanks for the info. 

Well, that wouldn't get me far.

Just sent an e-mail to NCL expressing my displeasure with these changes.  Probably wouldn't do anything but I least I got to vent a bit.

Which email address did you use?

 

I tried sending a message to an email address that I had used before for CAS inquiries (Casinoi@ncl.com).   This used to be a good way to get a written reply regarding a Casino question.     I received an automatic reply that they  no longer monitor that mailbox😒

 

[UKstages]

9 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

CAS actually don’t want you to book through them.

 

that depends entirely on how much you play.

 

they would prefer that a land-based casino subsidizes the play of ploppies... then they are guaranteed to have earned a minimum amount of money and will have covered their operating expenses. but if you have significant play, if you're a strong enough player to have earned comps with CAS, they would prefer to have you book through them and they would like to "own" that relationship.

 

9 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

CAS agents have been told to “get someone else to pay for the cruise” before awarding a comp based on play and theoreticals. 

 

no... just no.

 

CAS agents will often look to see if there is a certificate there when a customer is not worthy of a BOP (based on play) offer, or to see if the land-based casino certificate (which is almost always for a free cabin) is better than the CAS offer, but they are not told to "get somebody else to pay for the cruise." 

 

just... no.

 

a thousand times no.

 

8 hours ago, dbrown84 said:

It's that well known?

 

no i don't think it's very well known at all.

[dbrown84]

11 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

that depends entirely on how much you play.

 

they would prefer that a land-based casino subsidizes the play of ploppies... then they are guaranteed to have earned a minimum amount of money and will have covered their operating expenses. but if you have significant play, if you're a strong enough player to have earned comps with CAS, they would prefer to have you book through them and they would like to "own" that relationship.

 

 

no... just no.

 

CAS agents will often look to see if there is a certificate there when a customer is not worthy of a BOP (based on play) offer, or to see if the land-based casino certificate (which is almost always for a free cabin) is better than the CAS offer, but they are not told to "get somebody else to pay for the cruise." 

 

just... no.

 

a thousand times no.

 

 

no i don't think it's very well known at all.

Ok.  Well, I do.  Besides it had nothing to do with my post anyway 

[IAcruising]

32 minutes ago, UKstages said:

just... no.

 

a thousand times no.

 

And yet, we'll have to do it a thousand times more.

 

[goldmom]

11 hours ago, Sand and Seas said:

Which email address did you use?

 

I tried sending a message to an email address that I had used before for CAS inquiries (Casinoi@ncl.com).   This used to be a good way to get a written reply regarding a Casino question.     I received an automatic reply that they  no longer monitor that mailbox😒

 

I sent the e-mail to vicepresidentguestservices@ncl.com.  It was or still is Katy Byrd.  I just asked them to forward it to the proper person or to advise me of who I can contact with my concerns.

I haven't heard anything yet, but it was sent on a Saturday.

I may or may not hear from them, but at least I tried.

[BirdTravels]

15 hours ago, UKstages said:

CAS agents will often look to see if there is a certificate there when a customer is not worthy of a BOP (based on play) offer, or to see if the land-based casino certificate (which is almost always for a free cabin) is better than the CAS offer, but they are not told to "get somebody else to pay for the cruise." l.

No. Just no in the "new CAS". If they can get someone else to pay for the cruise, they do. 
 

Sorry you don’t understand the new CAS. 

Edited March 24 by BirdTravels

[dbrown84]

As is common with NCL, ask two people, get two different answers.  Called CAS today to price an upgrade for a sailing I'm looking at.  She asks if I want the drink package, and I said "funny you asked....". I asked about drinks in the casino, and she said the only way to get drinks is to have the drink package.  I do believe her answer more than the lady who told me you'll still get drinks, but no physical card.  I'm on my way to another casino to watch some bball, and they are doing a certificate giveaway.  If they have reps there, I'll ask them too.  Although it wouldn't surprise me if it's the same crew I just saw.  It would make sense to have them hit up both casinos before they fly back home since they are fairly close 

[Bliss1]

21 minutes ago, dbrown84 said:

As is common with NCL, ask two people, get two different answers.  Called CAS today to price an upgrade for a sailing I'm looking at.  She asks if I want the drink package, and I said "funny you asked....". I asked about drinks in the casino, and she said the only way to get drinks is to have the drink package.  I do believe her answer more than the lady who told me you'll still get drinks, but no physical card.  I'm on my way to another casino to watch some bball, and they are doing a certificate giveaway.  If they have reps there, I'll ask them too.  Although it wouldn't surprise me if it's the same crew I just saw.  It would make sense to have them hit up both casinos before they fly back home since they are fairly close 

It starts April 1 which is why they are saying yes for today