We've all heard stories of cruisers lucky enough to earn free drinks and cruises just by gambling in the casino, but have you ever wondered what it took to walk off the ship with a complimentary cruise?
Chris Wong, a crew member who has worked with Royal Caribbean for over five years, recently broke down how the cruise line's Casino Royale rewards program works.
In a video shared on Wong's popular YouTube channel, he gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at his daily responsibilities as a Casino Host on Allure of the Seas.
He also shared what players need to know about the Casino Royale program, from how to earn points to what promotions are available during the casino's operating hours and what kinds of perks serious gamblers can expect.
The Casino Royale program rewards players based on how much they gamble
Royal Caribbean's casino rewards program, which is entirely separate from the Crown & Anchor Society, is comprised of four tiers: Choice, Prime, Signature, and Masters.
Cruisers' Crown & Anchor Society status is determined by how many nights guests have spent on Royal Caribbean ships. However, Casino Royale status is based solely on how much a guest gambles in the casino within a calendar year, which runs from April 1 to March 31. In other words, status isn't lifetime and must be earned annually.
According to Wong, there aren't any worthwhile benefits for entry-level members in the Choice tier.
As such, most players strive to reach Prime (2,500 points). The main perks are free drinks in the casino while playing, as well as a waived 5% convenience fee for table game buy-ins with SeaPass cards. Prime cruisers also get one complimentary cruise per year in an interior stateroom.
The next tier, Signature, requires 25,000 points. Wong says that one of the best benefits of this status level is that cruisers get one free VOOM Wi-Fi package per sailing, regardless of length.
Additionally, the annual complimentary cruise cabin category is upgraded to a balcony.
Finally, Masters is the highest tier within the Casino Royale program, reserved for players who earn 100,000 points or more.
This level unlocks the most exclusive perks, including a complimentary cruise in a Grand Suite, priority access to the terminal on embarkation day, two VOOM Wi-Fi packages, dinner in the Coastal Kitchen suite restaurant, and more.
Earning points on slot machines is more straightforward than on table games. Every $5 on a slot machine earns one casino point. However, the points earned from table games are based on a combination of your average monetary spend and the time spent at the table.
You can start earning casino points on embarkation day. It's smart because you can take advantage of the complimentary FreePlay loaded onto your SeaPass account.
"For the first two days of the cruise, everyone who is 18 years and older has mystery FreePlay to use [at] the casino," Wong says.
The amount varies from $2 to $100, and it's completely random. All you have to do is go into the casino on Day 1 or 2 and visit a slot machine.
To load the FreePlay onto the slot machine, follow these instructions:
- Tap or insert your SeaPass card at the slot machine. You'll know it's successfully linked when the blue light turns green.
- Select "Account" then "Personal Banker."
- Enter the default PIN (month and day of your birthday, MMDD).
- Reset your PIN and press "Enter" to validate.
- Press "Transfer," then "Transfer to Game."
- Select "Transfer Points to FreePlay" (to play your Rewards Points) or "FreePlay" (to play your promotional FreePlay).
- Press "Yes" to continue and complete your transaction.
- Don't forget to collect your SeaPass and log out of your Casino Royale account before leaving the machine.
Lucky players will receive Instant Rewards Certificates (IRCs) on the last day of the cruise
Whereas your status within the Casino Royale program is based on the points accumulated throughout the calendar year, IRCs are awarded based on the number of points earned during one specific sailing.
Wong explains, "The Instant Rewards Certificate is based on solely what you earn for the specific cruise that you are on."
The first IRC award is available upon earning 400 points. You won't earn a free cruise, but you will get $100 off a future sailing.
From there, the rewards only get better the more points you earn. Wong says that as players continue to accumulate points during the cruise, better IRC levels unlock, which offer greater discounts, fully comped cruises, and even casino FreePlay.
For example, if you earn 4,000 points during a single voyage, you'll receive a free cruise in a balcony cabin (or ocean-view on select sailings) and $500 in casino FreePlay — if you book your next cruise while onboard.
"For the last few years, Casino Royale and NextCruise have started a cross-promotion where they work together," Wong says.
As such, the bonus rewards in the third column are only available to those who place a deposit for their next sailing before disembarking.
There's another catch: there's a select list of voyages that are available for these offers — you can't just book any cruise that catches your eye.
"You come onboard for your cruise; you play in the casino; [and] you earn points as you play. However many points you have by the end of the cruise, you will receive an instant reward certificate in your room for either a discount off a future cruise or a complimentary cruise. And the third and final option is to pay your $200 deposit with the NextCruise [department], and this will give you a bonus award," he summarizes.
IRCs are printed by the Casino Host (in this case, Wong) on the second-to-last day of the cruise.
Using a program called "Super-PlayMate," he can access everyone's unique folio IDs and cabin numbers to help properly address the letters.
Then, he has to print the IRCs for eligible cruisers to deliver them to the housekeeping team, who ensures they are placed in the correct cabin on the last day.
The offer letter is pretty self-explanatory. First, it lists your name and Crown & Anchor loyalty number. Below that is your offer code, which is just the month and year it was issued, as well as what cabin category it's valid for.
However, the award is better explained under the offer code. In Wong's example, the IRC is for an oceanview or balcony stateroom on select voyages.
It's important to take note of the expiration date. Although you don't have to sail by that date, you must have another cruise booked before then.
"[In] my professional opinion, the company isn't very forgiving if you forget about your reward and it expires," Wong warns.
If you can't find a sailing that works for you, you can trade in your IRC for a discount on a cruise of your choice.
Again, in Wong's example, rather than booking a complimentary cruise (minus the taxes, port fees, and gratuities), he could get $750 off any voyage of his choosing.
Read more: I earned a "free" cruise on Royal Caribbean's newest ship, and it saved me almost $9,000
Onboard casino promotions
It's important to check the Cruise Compass to see what daily promotions the casino is offering on your sailing.
Wong explains a few of the common ones, including the nightly Snowball Raffle Draw, Hot Seat Promotion, and Bags of Cash.
The Snowball Raffle Draw is offered every night on most Royal Caribbean cruises (Wong issues a disclaimer that actual promotions may vary based on the ship and sailing).
He says, "We give away $100 of FreePlay every night at 10:00pm. To qualify, everybody needs at least 100 casino points. We will use a random name generator to pick out everyone in the casino who has 100 points, and then it's going to spit out a name at random."
The Hot Seat Promotion runs from 11:00pm to midnight. Eligible active players in the casino (those with 100 points or more) are automatically entered to win anywhere from $50 to $150 in FreePlay.
The drawings are every 15 minutes, with the prize money increasing $15 each round.
Finally, the Bags of Cash promotion calls on three random players (again, with a minimum of 100 casino points) to select a mystery box containing a surprise amount of FreePlay. On the night Wong recorded the promo, the three cruisers won $50, $150, and $250.
