What I learned about “free” cruises in the Princess casino *SEE UPDATES IN COMMENTS*
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- Опубликовано: 20 июн 2024
- ** IMPORTANT UPDATES (APRIL 18,2024) ** Princess is now offering Come Back and Sail offers on every leg of a back to back cruise. There was a period in March 2024 where the selection of cruises eligible for free cruise offers was severely limited but it seems the change was temporary as the selection has returned to normal (for now).
Gambling on a cruise ship casino is not only fun, it can also be rewarding with free perks on the ship and offers for free or discounted future cruises. While some cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Norwegian have reward programs with clearly defined tiers and corresponding benefits, the rewards program for Princess Cruises is shrouded in mystery. After 6 Princess cruises over the last year where I spent more time than I’d like to admit playing in the casino, I was able to shed some light on how the program works. In this episode of the Chill Cruiser, it’s Princess Players Advantage 101 where I provide an overview of how the program works and how to avoid some of the pitfalls and surprises of earning and redeeming comps. If you’re new to the casino program on Princess or just curious about how it works, you’re not going to want to miss this. #cruisecasino #princesscruises #cruisetips
🎰 GAMBLING RESPONSIBLY
This video is not meant to encourage excessive gambling. These resources are available to help you gamble responsibly:
Canada: www.responsiblegambling.org
USA: www.ncpgambling.org
🛳️ CASINO HOURS BY PORT
For more details on casino opening hours by port, check out thechillcruiser.blog
📘 CHAPTERS
00:00 Start
01:07 Reality of "free"
01:20 Frustrating journey
01:54 Gambling responsibly
02:33 Learning as you go
03:22 Playing and earning
04:21 Casino opening hours
05:27 Onboard comps
06:22 Onboard offer
10:25 Post-cruise offers
12:31 Redeeming offers
14:02 Staying informed
** IMPORTANT UPDATES (APRIL 18,2024) ** Princess is now offering Come Back and Sail offers on every leg of a back to back cruise. There was a period in March 2024 where the selection of cruises eligible for free cruise offers was severely limited but it seems the change was temporary as the selection has returned to normal (for now).
They are now offering CBS offers on every leg of each cruise. This started mid February 2024. The Phillipines casino call center is now closed and the casino calls are now going thru agents in the United States. During this transition of closing the old call center in the Phillipines, it seems like many CBS offers are getting lost and not applied correctly to each players on board credits account. Both my CBS offers from Feb2024 and March2024 had to be manually added after I called and emailed a copy of the offer. Just a heads up, I have never earned a comped mini suite or suite stateroom and I have been invited to prestige cruises, but I do gamble consistently on each and every cruise and I have cruised over 10 times in the past year. My offers started with interior rooms plus free play and advanced to balcony and free play after a couple completed comped cruises. Thanks for the video!
Since I never win in their casinos - I play for the perks. Thank you for the information, I will no longer visit the Princess casino when I’m on-board. Which will in-turn save me several hundred dollars.
Any new updates here?
@@datavortexyes. I’ve updated the pinned comment to match my April update in the description (sorry I thought I already had done that!) . Availability of cruises for offers has returned to normal, which is good news.
@@TheChillCruiser Thank you!
Thank you so much for all this wonderful information 😊
You're very welcome! Thank you for watching - I hope it was helpful!
This is the most informative channel I've ever watched about Princess casinos! Excellent.
Thank you very much! I really appreciate the feedback and am so glad the video was helpful.
Thanks! Great info!
Glad to hear! Thank you for the feedback.
Well done video that's by far the most concise and helpful video I've come across for a newbie like me. I have joined the Princess Players Club on Facebook as you recommended and have also found this very informative. Thanks for producing the video and keep up the great work.
Thank you for the feedback! I'm glad the video was helpful!
Hi Andrew! I met you on Enchanted in the carribean in January. Didn’t know you were doing utube videos but I’ll watch them now!
Hey Marie! It was great to meet you. That was quite the cruise! Thank you for watching. I hope the video was helpful!
This is a great explanation of how the offers are earned and work. I love the fact that I no longer need to play single supplement due to my casino offers. And now that they are giving CBS offers with each leg of a B2B, it should be even better. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for watching and for the feedback!
I just received and booked a tier match for a suite. The casino department assigned me a dedicated casino contact person that I can call or email….so far so good. I am hoping it goes smoothly throughout. My first Princess cruise but very excited.
That's great - hope you enjoy the cruise. I didn't know Princess offered tier matching. How did you do it?
@@TheChillCruiser I keep trying to post a reply but for some reason I don’t see it. Search Princess cruise casino match and it will bring you the medallion class market player offer. You fill out your contact info on page one and then upload your best offer on page 2.
Excellent explanation! You mentioned that Asian cruises were different regarding this program but you didn't elaborate, I am doing a Japan cruise and am curious what the differences are
Thank you for the feedback! The only restriction I’m aware of in Asia is that you can’t use an onboard offer to book a cruise with a Japan-based itinerary - likely because they are so popular (just guessing though).
Since I can’t usually cruise more than once a year, I usually can’t take advantage of the CBs offer. But the offers they give me online are so generous that it’s stunning. I usually bring $500 to gamble and usually take home more. I haven’t paid the cruise fare for any of my last three cruises and have one more cruise fare free booked for next year.
That's a great system! Especially if you can walk off the ship ahead! Do you play slots or tables or both?
@@TheChillCruiser I play mostly craps but some video poker and slots. For craps the whole key is play every night (of your last b2b) for at least two hours and buy in at the same amount each night. Also be sure to say hello to the host when you come into the casino and say goodnight when you leave. That definitely helps to get the goodies during the cruise like wine , dinners., spa etc. One other tip I have, Princess often runs 14 day cruises that are also sold as two seven day b2b. If you are booked on the 14 day, only the last 7 days count for your CBS. That is because the voyage number changes so the shore-side office has no idea you are on a 14 day cruise as they get reports for each voyage.
You are so right about booking online. Late 2022 I tried to book my first Come Back offer on phone with casino dept. Paid my deposit and taxes but it was still cancelled at least twice. Insult to injury were the HOURS long hold times. I laughed when you said it happened to you as well...sorry, thought I was only one. Experience was so painful. Thanks for also explaining this is a wacky system of comping...friend and I got off ship in October, had nearly the same point total and got wildly different Come Back offers (hers was MUCH better).
Thanks for a great video!!
Thank you for watching and for the feedback. I'm glad the video made you smile :)
Hi you had mentioned an interior cabin an $250 is that standard , because my offers was for only $100 free play an a interior cabin ? I always thought that was a little low regardless of being comped deal can you let me know do they have a lower tier that's why ? Thanks Joe
@@private8888888888888 I've seen $100 free play with interior as a "core" offer - is that what you're referring to? I THINK $250 is the standard for Come Back and Sail Offers but am not 100% sure. It's very possible they have several sub-tiers for each cabin category.
@@TheChillCruiser Well that's what's their offerings for my casino deals ? On the come back an sail was never much of an offer ? Ok Thanks ? That's also an problem when it's not written down like Celebrity or Royal never no what you're getting ?
@@private8888888888888 Their offers come in writing with the Come Back and Sail offer on the last day of your cruise and the core offers come as email or mail. You can check a summary of current offers in your profile (see the "staying informed" section of my video for how to check). When in doubt, I think you can contact the casino call centre to inquire about your current offers (1-888-772-6697) - a Princess Vacation Planner might also be able to check.
Thanks for the helpful info. Can spouses combine their “free” cruise offers to upgrade and sail together on one cruise? For example, a free interior stateroom + a free balcony stateroom = hopefully an upgraded cabin?
I don’t think so. Princess usually only allows you to apply one offer to a booking. But you could each use your individual offers on the same cruise (one of you in each cabin) and then add other people. Once on the cruise you can switch rooms so that you and your spouse are in the same room and friends/family in the other.
Any word on when your Enchanted Princess video is coming out?
Sorry I'm behind on my videos - plus my opinion on the ship wasn't as positive since going back on board a few weeks ago. Especially with respect to the casino (it's way too small, too smoky with a poor selection of slots considering it's a new ship). I probably won't have this video ready for another week or 2. By all means, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions in the meantime! andrew@thechillcruiser.blog. Thank you for your patience and for watching!
Been a loyal Princess cruiser since 2014. I gamble on board every time I sail and have yet to figure out how to receive casino offers. This video definitely helped demystify some of the confusion. I personally feel Royal Caribbean provides a much better explanation of how to earn free cruise offers for their guests.
Thank you for the feedback and I hope you get offers on your next cruise. I agree - most other cruise lines are more transparent about how their program works.
Not all mini suite CBS offers are including Princess Plus anymore. Good video explaining everything else and the details.
Thank you for the feedback! That's interesting that PP isn't automatically included with mini-suites anymore. They have been very busy making changes over the past few months and I'm sure more are coming!
@TheChillCruiser-ot1ex it also seems to be changing every couple months or so, so who knows what will stay or go!
I just booked a casino comp mini suite on the 1/26/25 Caribbean Princess sailing and I got the Princess Plus along with $1500 free play. Maybe it is because I have not cruised since the pandemic and they want me back, but have received multiple comp offers nearly weekly since my last sailing.
I heard that if you are on b2b now they will count every cruise individual. So you will get an offer for every cruise. This starts in end of February.
Thank you for sharing - where did you hear this from?
I heard the same and people recently cursing reported the same. Mark with crusinwithmark mentioned this as well
Holland America makes it easy to redeem your comps
Got 2 separate offers for b2b, not 1. Each cruise had its own points
Excellent video. I'm a little confused as to the "math" required to accumulate points...$2.50 in a slot machine to gather 1 point. Can you better describe the mathematics because this seems like you need to spend your mortgage to collect sufficient points for comps. An Ottawa cruiser. Thanks.
It does take a lot of play, no question. Unfortunately it is as simple as every $2.50 wagered on slots you get 1 point. In my experience, the only way to really accumulate is if you hit some wins and then keep playing by wagering with some or all of those winnings in combination with your gambling budget for that day/cruise.
I've been getting $150 free play by averaging 100 points a day. The bigger value for me is being able to access the play and sail fares which has fares as low as $49pp
Great to know - thank you for sharing!
Are Princess points earned/comp’d at about the same value as other cruise lines… Carnival, Royal, Celebrity, etc… or is there 1 that stands out as less coin in per point?
I would say they are all very different based on my limited recent experience. Princess seems to be a lot more generous these days than the other lines. I've put far less coin in on Princess cruises than other lines but I started getting more tangible benefits right away (e.g. cruise discounts, free specialty dinners) versus absolutely nothing on Celebrity and Norwegian, which seem to cater to much higher rollers. Norwegian cruise comps also require hundreds more in fees (e.g. Free at Sea is included but you still have to pay gratuities, service charge on drink package etc. vs just port fees when the Plus package is included with Princess offers).
is the bank a virtual bank or is it the credit card you used to book the cruise? and is the free cruise for 1 or for 2 ppl?
It’s a virtual bank that starts when you cash out of a machine. Credit card is only used if you charge your room. Free cruise is for 2 people (free play goes only to the player on the offer).
thanks, one more question, can the onboard credit thats reverted back from deposit can it be used to pay gratuities or casino use or can it only be used for stores spa and excursions @@TheChillCruiser
3 days ago online and while on the phone with a princess agents an offer popped up for free Cruise offer from the casino department. I did not book at the time and a day later when the agent called me back the book the offer was not on my screen anymore. Do you know if there's any chance of the offer coming back??... the agent is looking into it over the weekend but I have not heard back.
What do you mean when you say the offer is not on your screen anymore?
Our last cruise was aboard the Sky Princess from 10-17 February 2024. We enjoy gambling and, as such, we again received a voucher under our Statement Room door with an opportunity to take other future cruises i.e. free Balcony Room and free casino credits. Based on the cruise dates, we decided against accepting any of the cruises offered. When we're home in Ottawa, Canada, we receive a host of email and mail offers for future cruises. All provide us with a free Interior room plus casino credits. However, all indicate that I receive the most casino credits while my wife gets one-sixth the amount i.e.. $300 for me, and $50 for her. Why is it that I always get the majority casino credit offers from all emails or mail instead of my wife even though I gamble much less than her? I would certainly like an answer to this question. Thoughts?
It could be for a lot of different reasons. One that comes to mind is if your wife is playing tables, which has different earn rates than slots. Another could be that she is not tapping into the machines or tables to track her play and earn points. I would call Princess' Arizona-based casino reservations team and perhaps they could review your accounts and shed some light? They've offered great service to me in the past. Their number is 661-517-3002. I would also ask a host next time you're onboard. I hope you get some answers!
I usually cruise Celebrity and gamble a fair bit but have never received an offer but we are booked on the new Sun Princess and are extremely excited to cruise with Princess….without trying to pry, may i ask approximately how much you play to receive these offers….i understand its on a point basis but some idea of American dollars i will need would be helpful
If this helps any, I bring $500 for a week, so that’s the max I loose. It’s not enough to get a CBS offer, but once you get home and look up a cruise to book, you will find many many $0 inside cabins available. Now if inside is not your thing, then this will not work for you. Oh also I play craps and sometimes video poker and slots. But I recommend you stick mostly with a table game.
@@cruisingforone gosh…i am looking forward to cruising with Princess….I just returned from an 11 day Panama Canal cruise where i gambled a few hundred on slots and about 2K on Roulette and all i got was crickets lol…although i just checked and I wasn’t signed up in their Blue Chip program…my bad i guess….do i need to sign up in some casino program with princess
@@cruisingforone
What was the minimum bet on the crap table
@@willygriffith838 $5 minimum bet
@@cruisingforonewow I’ve gambled a lot more than that on my last couple of cruises and still usually only get interior CBS and core offers. This is good to know.
Good stuff. I haven’t paid for a Princess cruise (just taxes and fees) in years. I view comps as a discount program. I set my gambling budget at what I would have paid for the cruise. Other thoughts? 1)YES, on back to back cruises, only the LAST cruise will “count” towards your CBS offer though the points will still be recorded and factored into other kinds of offers and 2)there are no discounts for the WC (sad for me!), 3)shrouded in mystery is an apt phrase-my play is pretty similar from cruise to cruise and I have received everything from $1500, mini-suite and Princess Plus to an interior and $400. Yes, it MAY depend on the other gamblers onboard, e.g. it’s a bell curve with a limited number of various level of CBS offers offered based on play. 4)the casino hosts have SOME discretion and will often offer free drinks 5)check your account/future cruise credits every once in a while-I’ve found offers I never knew I had!
Thank you for sharing your experiences and great tips! What's "WC"?
@@TheChillCruiser World Cruise. . . We leave on Coral Princess for 110 days on April 26. It’s 4 segments so I plan to save my gambling budget for the last segment (assuming I have the discipline to stay out of the casino!
@@slowmads Good luck with that! Staying out of the casino while on a ship for several months would be a huge challenge for me - especially since it's so hard to avoid when you're walking around the ship. World cruise sounds very exciting - hope you have a blast!
@@TheChillCruiser I’ve been experimenting with various techniques to manage a total of 212 days on cruise ships this year! I ran some mathematical models through Chat GPT using various win and loss limits that will make my bankroll last. This last cruise when I was ahead by $7K, I didn’t go in the casino at all for the 5 port days-at night I read. It worked pretty well. And I don’t go in the casino during the day on sea days. Headed out on Royal Princess today for 13 days and plan to do a test run of my win and loss limit formula. My challenge is NOT not going at all-I can do that. It’s leaving once I’m in there!
@@TheChillCruiser World Cruise?
After you are done gambling...how do you get your winnings?
Hi there - you can cash out at the cashier.
Hi there - you can cash out at the cashier.
Does anyone have any idea what the play-to-points conversion rate is for table games?
The dealer will rate you based on your average bet and time at the table. So for craps, you can be “Black Line” meaning your average bet is over $100 and then they do some hocus-pocus to figure in your time at the table and your average bet. It’s easier if you stick to one game, especially craps, as you will get to know the pit boss and they you, so they tend to rate you more generously.
@@cruisingforone Right. But what's the conversion rate. If it's $2.50 at slots, any idea what it is for table games? Put differently, if I bet $25/hand at blackjack and play an average of 60 hand/hr, that would be $1,500 of play per hour. I"m trying to figure out how that translates to points.
@@patrickallen4678 there are no points for table games. Just your rating
Csn uk guests get these offers
I believe so yes!
So a $100 comp would be like $25,000 coin in at $2.50 for 1 point. That’s a lot of play
It's a huge amount of play !
Agreed but the onboard comps are only a small part of the overal "package". Depending on the length of the cruise, those 10,000 points could also get you a free 15 day cruise in an interior or balcony cabin worth several thousand dollars.
The bottom line...Nothing is Free....The casino will get back all of your profits and then some in the long term....
Your comments are now out of date!
Nothing is "Free". You have to risk money. Just another trap to fuel your compulsion.