Casino Cash Advance My Acct-No interest?

[smvthecpa]

I'll be on the Constellation Next Saturday, July 28 with a casino question:

Can I get a casino cash advance and charge it to my stateroom? But since I pay my stateroom account with a credit card, aren't cash advances subject to credit card interest charges?

So, is this a way to get an interest free cash advance on my credit card?

[dkjretired]

the casino. There are no charges since it goes on your account and if you back your account up with a card with incentives (miles,etc.) you get the miles or whatever. The reason for this is it is all turned in at the end of the week as a purchase.

[kitty9]

The only way you're going to get a credit card interest charge for your shipboard purchases, including whatever you take out of the casino, is if you don't pay your balance in full.

[Longboysfan]

Like they said above - treated like a ship board purchase - no a credit card cash advance.

 

I use the Casino for my tip $$$$.

And any other outside expense.

[newmexicoNita]

We use the casino for tips as well. Also cash for other things, it saves us taking lots of travelers checks or cash with us. We do a little of all the above, but do depend on the casino. of course I like to be kind and leave them a few bucks via the slots on my way out. LOL

[usha]

Just a word to the wise: We were on Constellation last Feb, went to get cash at the casino (for tips), and the cashier wanted to know if it was for slots or the tables. DH, being the honest guy he is, told her we wanted the cash for tips. She started telling us about some "policy" that doesn't permit her to give us cash unless we're using it to gamble. I argued that no cashier had ever asked us what we were going to do with the cash, and she finally relented, giving us the cash. (It was only a little over $200)

Is it really Celebrity "policy", or does this casino cashier run the whole company from her little window? I don't know for sure. ;)

[RLM77]

As I understand it this is considered a 'courtesy' for players within the casino. The passage below is from the Celebrity FAQ:

 

Player Credit

Sea Pass

All guests using the seapass card with credit card backing are able to obtain up to $2,000 USD per day within the casino. For guests seeking a convenient alternative to cash we're happy to provide prearranged lines of credit.

 

"High Rollers"

To prearrange a line of credit of $10,000 or more in the casino, contact our player program administrator at 1-305-539-4506. When you call please have available the following information: name of bank and branch (This should be the account on which your personal check will be drawn) bank telephone number, bank account number and cruise information (ship, sail date and booking ID number).

[RB Bonzo]

I more or less respect their policy and still get the benefit of the free cash advance by using the money at the tables. When I'm done playing, I'll cash in the chips and stash the money in my safe. That cash will never see the casino again.

 

When I'm ready to gamble again, I'll get new cash advances. By the end of the cruise, I'll have accumulated more than enough cash for tips, and then some.

[tbelian]

Is it really Celebrity "policy", or does this casino cashier run the whole company from her little window? I don't know for sure. ;)

 

All I can offer in regard to this is that on all of the Celebrity cruises I have been on, a casino cashier has never asked me how I planned to use the money.

[Host Walt]

To answer the question in the OP, YES. This is a way to have a cash advance treated as a purchase on your credit card.

 

Cash advances can only be made directly with your card issuer or through bank ATM machines.

[cruiseco]

On every cruise ship I can think of the casino is run on a concession basis by an independent company who hires their own people, trains the dealers, sets their own rules, etc. Kind of like the Spa concessions.

 

Their accounting is kept somewhat separate from the ship's general books. So if you get some chips in the casino on your shipboard account, when you pay your bill with your credit card at the end of the cruise the portion of the merchant -- the 2% or so that's charged to the company that accepts the card -- will be separated out from the other charges and billed to the casino concessionaire. The cruise line doesn't want to pay 2% on money that will not be spent in their gift shops, etc but instead going to a third party -- the casino company.

 

The company running the casino doesn't mind paying the merchant fee for those getting money to gamble -- they'll usually get it back plus more. But they do mind paying 2% for money that's going to be used for something like tips. It's an expense to them with no real chance of getting it back at the slots or the tables. So, the general rule is they can refuse to let you charge chips on your shipboard account if they know they won't be used for gambling. But in reality, if you don't tell them you're using them for tips or for spending monry in a port of call they won't know. Don't ask and don't tell is the way to go.

[newmexicoNita]

BTW, Princess charges 3% for getting money from the Casino cashiere regardless of what you want to use it for. Or they certainly did until recently. If anyone knows anything different it would be nice to know NMNita

[kitty9]

Nita, Princess still charges that amount to take cash out of the casino cage.

[newmexicoNita]

Nita, Princess still charges that amount to take cash out of the casino cage.

Thanks Kitty; I was pretty certain they did, but didn't want to pass along false information. Now, the good news about Princess; the drinks are a lot cheaper, but I expect them to go up one of these days. NMNita