Three percent added to ship account for gaming??

[Toto2Kansas]

In other words, it goes to the credit card of choice, but the certificates can be taken to the casino cage and cashed with NO 3% fee charged, either on Princess side or Charge card side?

 

--Jean

 

EXACTLY!

[luvthis]

Cool beans! I just got off the phone with DH and he's grumbling about the policy of charging 3% to just sign to our shipboard account, but decided that as long as we can go to the casino cage and turn in a vouchure amount for cash, we could use that cash to buy souvenirs rather than bringing actual cash in our wallets from home to cover those expenses

 

I probably should do this today as we sail a week from this Thursday. Thanks for all the info.

 

--Jean & Bob

[luvthis]

Cool beans! I just got off the phone with DH and he's grumbling about the policy of charging 3% to just sign to our shipboard account, but decided that as long as we can go to the casino cage and turn in a vouchure amount for cash, we could use that cash to buy souvenirs rather than bringing actual cash in our wallets from home to cover those expenses

 

I probably should do this today as we sail a week from this Thursday. Thanks for all the info.

 

--Jean & Bob

 

 

Of course...that's assuming we don't lose all the money in the casino that we set aside for the 17 nights...ha! Probably still will bring some cash; just not as much.

[Tannersgramp]

EXACTLY!

How does this charge show up on charge card?

 

What if I purchase $25,000 of casino credits on credit card, cash them in at casino, bring money home, pay off credit card and have enough miles for free airline ticket

 

Any downside to this?

[luvthis]

Wow...I'd never have even thought about that...your mind is many steps ahead of mine. Of course, we don't have a charge card that offers perks. Ha! --Jean

[luvthis]

Besides...I'm just talking about maybe $200 out of the $850. ($50 per night) we might set aside for our 17 night adventure...not $25,000...we certainly can't afford that kind of "play money". Yikes! --Jean

[Toto2Kansas]

How does this charge show up on charge card?

 

What if I purchase $25,000 of casino credits on credit card, cash them in at casino, bring money home, pay off credit card and have enough miles for free airline ticket

 

Any downside to this?

 

It will show up as a purchase on your cc. I would guess Princess would question a charge this large in casino credits. One of those perks, if abused, it will disappear as others have in the past.

[spongerob]

How does this charge show up on charge card?

 

What if I purchase $25,000 of casino credits on credit card, cash them in at casino, bring money home, pay off credit card and have enough miles for free airline ticket

 

Any downside to this?

You might get upgraded to a suite, too...you might be onto something!

[bbqbrad]

If I recall correctly, you can only charge $5000 to your shipboard per voyage... maybe this is different for longer voyages...

 

 

Brad

[Tannersgramp]

If I recall correctly, you can only charge $5000 to your shipboard per voyage... maybe this is different for longer voyages...

 

 

Brad

But I would not be charging this on my S & S card, I will have put this on another card used for the sole purpose of purchasing these casino credits.

 

The credit card I would use on board would be the credit card that would have the limit of $5000 imposed by Princess.

[chasetf]

How does this charge show up on charge card?

 

What if I purchase $25,000 of casino credits on credit card, cash them in at casino, bring money home, pay off credit card and have enough miles for free airline ticket

 

Any downside to this?

You would have to......."Mark an X in the Yes box on Line 13 - Are you or any family members traveling with you bringing $10,000 or more in U.S. dollars or foreign equivalent in any form into the United States?"

 

.....on your U.S. Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form 6059B

[fti]

What if I purchase $25,000 of casino credits on credit card, cash them in at casino, bring money home, pay off credit card and have enough miles for free airline ticket

 

Any downside to this?

 

That sounds like an excellent idea :) . Just the thought of prepaying a cruise line for the privilege of having them hand you cash once you get on board sends chills up my spine. Kind of like getting a big tax refund - it just shouldn't happen, though I understand for those who are not disciplined to save, it is the only way to do it.

 

There are ways to get free travelers checks - I believe AAA gives them to you for free if you are a member and some banks will waive the fee if you are a good customer.

 

And if you do end up bringing $25,000 in cash home, it is no big deal to check the box on your customs declaration stating that you are bringing more than $10,000 in cash. You have to fill out a simple form but it is legal to bring that much cash into the US.

[tc2828]

You can call or fax over the gift sheet from the Princess website. You receive vouchers in your stateroom that need to be cashed in at the casino cage.

If for some reason you must cancel your cruise, just contact Princess and they will credit the amount back to your CC.

 

The casino credits in the gift section come in varied amounts and you can order as many as you like.

Here is the link to the PDF file to print out if you would like to fax it over.

http://www.princess.com/onboard/services/gifts/casino.html

 

I am not a big gambler but this is such a cool idea, thanks Toto2Kansas. :D :D Happy Sailing.

[sylai]

How does this charge show up on charge card?

 

What if I purchase $25,000 of casino credits on credit card, cash them in at casino, bring money home, pay off credit card and have enough miles for free airline ticket

 

Any downside to this?

 

You will need to take that stack of 250 certificates to the casino to cash those out :--)

[luvthis]

I have called Princess and purchased gambling vouchures for our upcoming cruise. However, it was for a reasonable amount that unfortunately, we may easily lose during our 17 nights at sea. I realize that a 3% fee to sign gambling expenses to our shipboard account may not seem like much to many of you, but it seems like an unnecessary cost when odds are that the casino is going to make money off of us anyway. Ha! I also like the fact that we can prepay this amount and it won't hit us on our shipboard account at the end of the cruise. I have even dropped payment for our gaming vouchure charge to our credit card in the mail with a note asking them to apply it to our statement now. I can now sit back and have one less thing to worry about.l

 

I certainly hope that Tannersgramp and others are just kidding about purchasing huge dollars of gambling vouchures only to cash them for cash once on board and having those gambling vouchures (now just cash) applied towards free airfare or other credit card perks. That certainly could cause the cruise lines to revolk the opportunity to gift gambling vouchures to avoid service fees. It's a courtesy for us "little people" that do want to watch our pennies, ya know? I know...I started it by saying that if we didn't lose all of our gambling vouchures we might cash in a couple of them and buy souvenirs, therefore avoiding the need to carry cash in our wallet from home. However, I'm talking "little amounts" on a "maybe" basis. That's a big difference from Tannersgramp whose mind immediately raced on to how to use the system to benefit him on his charge card perks. I do give him an "A" for creativity, though. It sounds fraudulant to me, but then again, that's why DH & I don't risk our money in the stock market, stick to CD's for our interest gains, and rarely use our charge card unless it's for a vacation and then, pay it off in full immediately. Ha! We are just simple people that enjoy travel and have many memories from those vacations.

 

--Jean & Bob

[WeBeGone]

The charge for the vouchers go on your credit card when they are purchased, not when they are used. If I buy $1000 in vouchers NOW, for my cruise in Nov, I pay my credit card NOW, not in Nov.

 

PS-I do not approve of the ad being placed on this posting.

[Tannersgramp]

I have called Princess and purchased gambling vouchures for our upcoming cruise. However, it was for a reasonable amount that unfortunately, we may easily lose during our 17 nights at sea. I realize that a 3% fee to sign gambling expenses to our shipboard account may not seem like much to many of you, but it seems like an unnecessary cost when odds are that the casino is going to make money off of us anyway. Ha! I also like the fact that we can prepay this amount and it won't hit us on our shipboard account at the end of the cruise. I have even dropped payment for our gaming vouchure charge to our credit card in the mail with a note asking them to apply it to our statement now. I can now sit back and have one less thing to worry about.l

 

I certainly hope that Tannersgramp and others are just kidding about purchasing huge dollars of gambling vouchures only to cash them for cash once on board and having those gambling vouchures (now just cash) applied towards free airfare or other credit card perks. That certainly could cause the cruise lines to revolk the opportunity to gift gambling vouchures to avoid service fees. It's a courtesy for us "little people" that do want to watch our pennies, ya know? I know...I started it by saying that if we didn't lose all of our gambling vouchures we might cash in a couple of them and buy souvenirs, therefore avoiding the need to carry cash in our wallet from home. However, I'm talking "little amounts" on a "maybe" basis. That's a big difference from Tannersgramp whose mind immediately raced on to how to use the system to benefit him on his charge card perks. I do give him an "A" for creativity, though. It sounds fraudulant to me, but then again, that's why DH & I don't risk our money in the stock market, stick to CD's for our interest gains, and rarely use our charge card unless it's for a vacation and then, pay it off in full immediately. Ha! We are just simple people that enjoy travel and have many memories from those vacations.

 

--Jean & Bob

I don't plan on cashing in on this, as I travel for business and actualy have to donate miles to charity as we have more than we can use.

 

It's just the way my devious mind works.

 

Luvthis...nothing fradulant about this though, it would be playing within all the rules

 

Another thing is I dont go near the casinos on board due to being a member of Gamblers Anonymous (15 years clean this May 5th ).

 

Plus it just seems like a big hassle just to get an airline ticket.

 

Oh and no law against having large amounts of cash on you, but you might get questions as to where it came from

[luvthis]

Hi Tannersgramp,

You are a wealth of information and I would love to run into you on a cruise. I figured it was just your "millionaire" mind working. I'm just a "$$ per hour, 40 hour per week" thinker. Ha!

 

Congrats on 15 years free from gambling addiction. That is something to be proud of! DH & I are not big gamblers but Bob likes to play blackjack and usually plays at the lowest minimum bet tables. I venture over to the "One Arm Bandits", with quarters being my bet of choice. We have allowed a small amount for each night, aware that the odds are we won't be in there every night. Hence...the thought that we may have a bit extra that we can use for souvenirs when we get to Acapulco or Cabo. Time will tell, I guess. We always go into the casino with only the amount of money we are willing to leave behind. If we have extra, it will be great or saving on our budget for souvenirs for kids and grandkids, ya know?

 

I always chuckle when we fill out those forms asking if we have over $10,000 of cash with us. Then, I chuckle again when we declare what we purchased and are taking back home...although I must say that the memories we take home are invaluable and do not have a price tag on them!

 

Dummy me, wouldn't know what is or is not fraudulant. DH & I only travel once or twice a year, and we aren't frequent flyer members for any airline. We just book the cheapest fare and are tickled to be able to go. You are very kind to share your accrued miles to charity.

 

--Jean & Bob

[DanJ]

There's nothing wrong with using the system for personal gain, which I also referred to in post 4. I had no idea they had these casino vouchers, but next time I go on a cruise, I will look into it. Just have to do it close enough to the cruise to miss the billing cycle and not pay a month's interest. I won't do 25 grand, since I don't want to carry that much cash, but I'll do a few thousand.

 

I'm also an hourly paid blue collar worker who uses my credit card for as much as possible to run up the points.

[luvthis]

Ha...I know that many credit card companies offer a variety of perks. My DH has often asked me if we want to jump ship to one of those credit cards instead of the standard one we have had for the last 30 years. I'm such a darn creature of habit and feel comfortable with the one we've used, I just shrug my shoulders and convince him to leave things be. Besides, we only charge when forced to. I'd rather pay cash for groceries, gas, gifts, etc.

 

DanJ if you have a card that builds up points and Princess allows you to purchase thousands in gambling credits the way that Tannersgramp has dreamed up, that's certainly your option. I just hope that down the road Princess doesn't see a pattern of passengers doing that. They might decide to take away the option of buying gaming vouchures in advance of sailing to close that loophole. It would be unfortunate for those of us that only want a nominal amount of money for gaming pleasure and are just trying to avoid the 3% service charge inposed by using our onboard cabin account card.

 

I know I am probably the minority when it comes to carrying a credit card that offers zero perks in today's world where so many credit cards offer a variety of perks. Oh well...different strokes for different folks, right?

 

--Jean

[Tannersgramp]

Ha...I know that many credit card companies offer a variety of perks. My DH has often asked me if we want to jump ship to one of those credit cards instead of the standard one we have had for the last 30 years. I'm such a darn creature of habit and feel comfortable with the one we've used, I just shrug my shoulders and convince him to leave things be. Besides, we only charge when forced to. I'd rather pay cash for groceries, gas, gifts, etc.

 

DanJ if you have a card that builds up points and Princess allows you to purchase thousands in gambling credits the way that Tannersgramp has dreamed up, that's certainly your option. I just hope that down the road Princess doesn't see a pattern of passengers doing that. They might decide to take away the option of buying gaming vouchures in advance of sailing to close that loophole. It would be unfortunate for those of us that only want a nominal amount of money for gaming pleasure and are just trying to avoid the 3% service charge inposed by using our onboard cabin account card.

 

I know I am probably the minority when it comes to carrying a credit card that offers zero perks in today's world where so many credit cards offer a variety of perks. Oh well...different strokes for different folks, right?

 

--Jean

Oh sure, If they take it away......Now its my fault!:eek: :D

[luvthis]

Okay, Tannersgramp...now you made me belly laugh. I dig your sense of humor! Your response made me think of how I often react when something negative happens. Of course, I'm pretty insecure. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being very self-confident and one being gosh awful insecure, I'd probably be on the negative side of one!! Ha! Heck...if a racoon ran in front of my car on a desolate road at night, I'd probably think I should have been in the other lane. Ughh! You were pretty quick to think of a way to utilize the gambling vouchures. Your mind is darn sharp!!! Ha!

 

All things happen for a reason. Changes in the cruise industry continue to evolve. Some for the better and others for the worse. Even though there is no more free capacino after dinner and no more complimentary lemonade on Princess, there will be other enhancements that arise. I am pleased that there was an option to avoid the darn 3% fee. Little things give me pleasure, ya know?

 

Happy cruising everyone. I really appreciate Cruise Critic and all the people that post their experiences, tips, opinions, and ideas. Great stuff. We all share a love for cruising so even when we disagree about a given topic and boards get closed by a host member, we start over sharing our thoughts and hints on another thread.

 

Thanks to all of you!

--Jean

[chasetf]

.....And if you do end up bringing $25,000 in cash home, it is no big deal to check the box on your customs declaration stating that you are bringing more than $10,000 in cash. You have to fill out a simple form but it is legal to bring that much cash into the US.

In my comments here, I would not dispute whether it is legal or not....

 

A similiar experience was a pain for me... I made the "mistake" of depositing more than $10K in cash in a local bank in one transaction, and I would say it was not just a simple form that had to be filled out.

 

Plus, I think one could raise a potential red flag with customs.... which to me would not be worth going through a potential grilling.

 

Maybe things are different in customs vs a bank, but given you are saying it isn't, I might assume you have experienced bringing that much cash back into the country.

[AliceS]

This is a great way to have a little spending $$ on a cruise, not to get a free ticket on the airline. If we go overboard on this, IT WILL GO AWAY! Right behind the unlimited free internet. Abuse == done for!!

[Tannersgramp]

This is a great way to have a little spending $$ on a cruise, not to get a free ticket on the airline. If we go overboard on this, IT WILL GO AWAY! Right behind the unlimited free internet. Abuse == done for!!

It's all abuse, you just want to abuse it for less than others:rolleyes: