dodgestang Posted November 29, 2018 Report Share Posted November 29, 2018 So trip planner now offers new 'free play' packages for the casino with bonus for buying. Buy $1000 in free play, get x But $2000 in free play, get y I called RC Casino and they weren't able to answer a pretty straight forward question....maybe this group can. If I buy $1000 in free play.....when I go to the casino....I get $1000 in regular chips that I can bet and play with at any table game? Winnings are paid with regular chips as well? Can I Cash out, or do I need to gamble all $1000 and convert it into either regular chips or bust? AKA if I buy $1000 in free play...am I essentially agreeing "I will gamble at least $1000 in the casino" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJ1231 Posted November 29, 2018 Report Share Posted November 29, 2018 I have sent an email with your question about the chips. The way I understand it is that you need to bet all the chips. If you win, they replace the "free play" chips with real chips. If you lose, well, you lose. You must bet each chip by the end of the cruise that they were purchased for. So you last statement is true - You will gamble at least $1,000. AND it may not count towards achieving a tier level or certificate for future cruise if that's what you were hoping for. Personally, I don't see it as a viable option unless you go for the $2,000 option with $200 additional. But again, you may sacrifice the points that come along with betting $2K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgestang Posted November 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 I took a cruise in August....and played a lot....enough that the casino gave me this cruise....I can't see myself taking another cruise again in a 24 month period....so tiers don't mean much to me....but I will be playing/pushing through at least 2k over the 8-9 nights they are open Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgestang Posted November 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 It gets even more 'interesting' so I bought in for 2k....the confirmation email has all this info in it: Quote Internet: Unlimited internet package is valid for the duration of the cruise. Username and password will be delivered to your stateroom before 11:59 pm on the first day of the cruise. Age restrictions apply when purchasing an internet package, however the use of the internet on personal devices is not age restricted. Please review all restrictions on Cruise Planner and ask to speak to the Onboard Communication Specialist for any questions about internet packages. Photo: All Inclusive photo package is valid for the duration of the cruise. Please visit the Photo Gallery during gallery hours in order to activate your package. Pre cruise discounted rates are non combinable with other offers. Digital and Print photo packages are sold on a per stateroom basis only and photos are linked to staterooms based on the guests travelling in that stateroom. Photos of other guests not travelling in your stateroom will be linked to their own stateroom, unless a childrens (under21) room is linked to your booking. The following are not included in print and/or digital photo packages: Photos of others in your party not travelling in your stateroom; Group, Wedding, Quinces, Private Studio photography and other special occasion photography; Generic photos of the ship, characters, ports of call, etc.; Any special printing or retouching requests. Arcade: To redeem Prepaid Play Offer, Guest must visit Arcade on first day of cruise and present confirmation letter found in stateroom. Cancellations will be refunded as onboard credit for the full Purchase Price, and any arcade credits used prior to cancellation will be offset as a charge on guests folio. Prepaid Play Offer is not transferable, not redeemable for cash, and for arcade-use only; credit expires end of sailing. So it looks like you get a few other perks for prebuying if I reading this correctly. Things that were not listed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJ1231 Posted November 30, 2018 Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 Hmmm... It looks like it might be confirmation for all the "stuff" on that page in the Cruise Planner. Did it include the casino chip info? RCCL probably went the cheap route and created one generic form for the email instead of a customized one for each item.... Just my $0.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgestang Posted November 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2018 Yeah it included the chip order info, and I thought that maybe it was a generic/catch all template....I looked up all my other email orders and the content was all different so another head scratch-er. The joys of new program roll outs Doesn't really matter anyway....I qualify for free internet anyway and just needed to visit casino to redeem. But I'll report back how it all worked out WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgestang Posted December 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2018 Well....I got the answer on board....you have to play the chips (obviously) but they don't replace the played chips....so you are basically pledging to lose all the chips. They pay your winnings in regular chips, but I was very upset on board to find out that I bought 2k in chips and every hand I played (for instance I played hold'em and was betting between $75 - $175 depending on the round)....and if i won...I still had all my wager as free play chips that was not converted back to regular chips. It severely curtailed my play and enjoyment for obvious reasons. With the way I play I had gone through 2k in bets within 10-12 hands easily (and was technically UP for that first day) but I still had over 1k in chips that I 'had' to play which of course means that after the table luck turns and they go away fast....sigh It was upsetting enough that I may actually not return to the cruise line again in the future because of the different answers I got on the phone versus on the floor. 4ensic and JLMoran 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted December 23, 2018 Report Share Posted December 23, 2018 1 hour ago, dodgestang said: With the way I play I had gone through 2k in bets within 10-12 hands easily (and was technically UP for that first day) but I still had over 1k in chips that I 'had' to play which of course means that after the table luck turns and they go away fast Wait, I thought that when you did this "free play" chip thing, that it was only the extra chips given to you that were actually "free play", but whatever you bought and paid for in cash were "normal" chips with regular cash value. Are you saying that's not the case, and instead of $2,000 in regular chips plus $200 in "free play" chips, you instead got every single chip as a "free play" (with $2k in value that isn't actually free)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cez Posted December 24, 2018 Report Share Posted December 24, 2018 20 hours ago, dodgestang said: They pay your winnings in regular chips, but I was very upset on board to find out that I bought 2k in chips and every hand I played (for instance I played hold'em and was betting between $75 - $175 depending on the round)....and if i won...I still had all my wager as free play chips that was not converted back to regular chips. Interesting... I've got following answer for BJ play directly from Club Royale 1. if you play a promotional chip in and win, the dealer will take the promotional chip and issue standard chips for the full amount of your win. If you still onboard I can forward you their email Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgestang Posted December 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2018 4 hours ago, Cez said: Interesting... I've got following answer for BJ play directly from Club Royale 1. if you play a promotional chip in and win, the dealer will take the promotional chip and issue standard chips for the full amount of your win. If you still onboard I can forward you their email I am not on board anymore. This is the answer I received when I called on the phone prior to buying in. It was NOT the answer on the casino floor and I 'escalated' the issue immediately and no one on the boat would agree with that is how the program works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgestang Posted December 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2018 22 hours ago, JLMoran said: Wait, I thought that when you did this "free play" chip thing, that it was only the extra chips given to you that were actually "free play", but whatever you bought and paid for in cash were "normal" chips with regular cash value. Are you saying that's not the case, and instead of $2,000 in regular chips plus $200 in "free play" chips, you instead got every single chip as a "free play" (with $2k in value that isn't actually free)? You buy 2k in free play chips and they give you an extra 200. So you start with $2200 in free play chips. The way it was explained to work was that I had to bet through it all, and after every game if I lose, the chips go away, and if I won the winnings and the free play chips that you had bet that round all turned into regular chips. This is not how it was done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericreev Posted December 25, 2018 Report Share Posted December 25, 2018 So on the casino floor, you bet $15 and won, they gave you the $15 winnings in regular chips, and then replaced the “promo” chips you bet with real chips, or did they just take them? Eric Reeves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Horner Posted December 25, 2018 Report Share Posted December 25, 2018 Sounds like a program to avoid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted December 25, 2018 Report Share Posted December 25, 2018 That is a very bad deal if this is the case. In other words, you must loose at least 2000 $ , if you lucky you will win more on the way. As always with new programs I guess the information was not flowing correctly between the land base office and the ship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgestang Posted December 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2018 11 hours ago, ericreev said: So on the casino floor, you bet $15 and won, they gave you the $15 winnings in regular chips, and then replaced the “promo” chips you bet with real chips, or did they just take them? Eric Reeves Bet $10, hand loses....lose $10 in free play chips Bet $10, hand wins, win $10 in regular chips, still keep your $10 in free play chips (which have no value other than for betting on that cruise). So....to make it really easy. Someone thinks to themselves...I only want to get $20 and buys into $20 free chips. Plays hand one for $5 and wins. Now he has $20 in free play chips and $5 in regular chips. (But you are still down $15) Plays hand two for $5 and wins. Now he has $20 in free play chips and $10 in regular chips (But you still down $10) Plays hand three for $5 and loses Now he has $15 in free play chips and $10 in regular chips (So you are down $15) Plays hand four for $5 and loses Now he has $10 in free play chips and $10 in regular chips (So you are down $20 but you have already placed $20 in total bets and still have to place $10 more in bets) ____________________________________________________ In other programs it would work like this I only want to get $20 and buys into $20 free chips. Plays hand one for $5 and wins. Now he has $15 in free play chips and $10 in regular chips ($5 in winnings and $5 free play turned back into real chips) Plays hand two for $5 and wins. Now he has $10 in free play chips and $20 in regular chips Plays hand three for $5 and loses Now he has $5 in free play chips and $20 in regular chips Plays hand four for $5 and loses Now he has $0 left in free play chips but $20 in regular chips...so has essentially broken even and can then decided if he wants to keep gambling This is how free play on slots works....if you bet $5 of free play on a slot and it pays out...if doesn't pay you the first $5 in free play...it pays out it all usable currency. The program is a mess for their table play. Like I said...I'm sitting here with 2 free cruises now that I was planning on trying to use this year and really feel like moving to another platform for my cruising/gambling fun times. And its a shame too, the Grandeur is easy to get to for me...and the Royal Suite was really nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJ1231 Posted December 26, 2018 Report Share Posted December 26, 2018 Glad I saw your update - I had purchased this for our cruise beginning Saturday and just canceled the order. Just made a note to stop at the bank on Friday.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko Posted December 28, 2018 Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 I just got back from a Harmony cruise that I purchased the 2000 + 200 chip promotion on. You will receive 2200 promotional chips from the cage. Only bet the promotional chips, if you lose the hand, the dealer will put it the last row of the rack in case you need change for your bigger denomination promotional chips. If you win the bet, they pay you back with regular chips. Do not bet your regular casino chips. Keep betting your promotional chips until they are gone. If you win 50% of your bets, you should end up with 2200 regular casino chips and you can cash those at the cage. They want to make sure you put all the promotional chips in play in order for you to get a free 10% bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteSoxFan Posted December 28, 2018 Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 I have seen this type of promotion before and it always worked as you described. You are basically guaranteeing that you will lose $2200 in bets placed. All winnings will be paid back in regular chips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bernstein Posted December 28, 2018 Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 you are just playing through the promotional chips just like you would any other chips. because you are keeping you "real" chips separate you are not LOSING $2200 you are just using them to play with. it all depends on how your gambling sessions play out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted December 28, 2018 Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 42 minutes ago, Randy Bernstein said: you are just playing through the promotional chips just like you would any other chips. because you are keeping you "real" chips separate you are not LOSING $2200 you are just using them to play with. it all depends on how your gambling sessions play out That's not really correct. If I step up to the table and hand the pit boss $100, I get chips worth $100 that I could in theory turn around and immediately cash out for my $100 back (say, because I got cold feet about gambling). If I played but decided the table was cold, I could cash out after losing $30 and still get back $70 of my original $100. On the other hand, if I had $100 in free play chips, I cannot cash them out at all; I have to gamble them until they're gone, and yes I am going to lose those chips (and the money paid for them) no matter what. If I get $200 in winnings, I have not won $200 -- I have won only $100 because the first $100 in winnings just recovers the money I'm forced to spend through the free play chips. It's a lousy system, and the way it's worded on the Cruise Planner is horribly deceptive. If I'm spending money for chips, I fully expect to be able to change my mind and cash out with whatever is left if the tables are just not working for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteSoxFan Posted December 28, 2018 Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 15 minutes ago, JLMoran said: That's not really correct. If I step up to the table and hand the pit boss $100, I get chips worth $100 that I could in theory turn around and immediately cash out for my $100 back (say, because I got cold feet about gambling). If I played but decided the table was cold, I could cash out after losing $30 and still get back $70 of my original $100. On the other hand, if I had $100 in free play chips, I cannot cash them out at all; I have to gamble them until they're gone, and yes I am going to lose those chips (and the money paid for them) no matter what. If I get $200 in winnings, I have not won $200 -- I have won only $100 because the first $100 in winnings just recovers the money I'm forced to spend through the free play chips. It's a lousy system, and the way it's worded on the Cruise Planner is horribly deceptive. If I'm spending money for chips, I fully expect to be able to change my mind and cash out with whatever is left if the tables are just not working for me. No casino on earth is going to basically give you an immediate 10% return. Depending on the games you like to play and the odds you still have a good chance of coming out ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted December 28, 2018 Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 Just now, WhiteSoxFan said: No casino on earth is going to basically give you an immediate 10% return. Depending on the games you like to play and the odds you still have a good chance of coming out ahead. Oh, I'm not saying that all the chips should be regular cash. But the way it was worded on Cruise Planner, it sounded (and to my mind should be) that you get $2,000 in "regular" chips that I could cash out instantly, plus $200 in "free play" that has no actual cash value and must be gambled / is treated as described above. If it has no cash value, then it's inherently not an immediate 10% return. Only way to actually make it that is to gamble it and win at least that much back. Trust me, the craps tables are not so kind that I feel like it's any kind of guarantee to hit that outcome. By making all the chips free play, and forcing me to gamble every single one of them, that's forcing me into a situation where I can't walk away with a partial loss. If I can't lose 30-50% of my stake because the table is cold and still have the other 50-70% in my pocket, I'm going to be a very unhappy man. But then again, I'm probably not at all the customer Royal is looking for here. I will gamble 1 or 2 days on a 5-night cruise, 2 or 3 on a 7-night, and if I feel like the table's cold then I have no trouble walking away; you'll never find me prepared to gamble every night and to lose each night's gambling "budget" entirely. This is probably also the reason I never get any big wins, because I'm not willing to accept a big loss either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteSoxFan Posted December 28, 2018 Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 I haven't seen the wording in the Cruise Planner, perhaps it needs to be more clear. Certainly then if you are unhappy with the rules you can choose not to participate. In your scenario I could see people taking the $200 in free play and playing the whole thing with hopes of doubling up or more then just cashing in. A no lose proposition for you and a no win proposition for the casino. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko Posted December 28, 2018 Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 I was playing BJ $100 a hand with promotional chips and was up early with $1500 real chips and $1500 promotional chips. I got impatient and ended up cashing out $1900 in real chips. So it can go both ways. In theory, BJ with 3/2 pay has a 1% house edge, if you flat bet and play with perfect strategy, you should be able to cash out $2175 in real chips if you win 49% of your hands after you have played through all the promotional chips. Regardless, you are being forced to play through $2200 worth of chips because they have no cash value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broons77 Posted December 29, 2018 Report Share Posted December 29, 2018 Another issue with this program, at least for the slot credits is that you can't split up the packages. I had bought in for 2 $500 packages. Would have liked to have gotten the $1k package for the bigger bonus but the credits are preloaded to the Seapass card for whoever bought them and it doesn't look like I can transfer some of them to my wife's card. But I sucked it up with the reasoning that some 'free money' is better than none. Anyway, as I read up more on how these work, I got more and more doubtful about it and then read through this posting and that's it, cancelled the packages this morning. I'll just continue with my traditional method of the cash stuffed envelope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cez Posted January 3, 2019 Report Share Posted January 3, 2019 On 12/28/2018 at 2:15 AM, jacko said: If you win the bet, they pay you back with regular chips. @jacko Could you clarify your statement/Harmony onboard experience: when you bet $10 and win did they a) pay your $10 winning in regular chips and gave you back your $10 promotional chip (your total $10 reg + $10 prom) b) pay your $10 winning in regular chips, took your $10 promotional chip and replaced with $ 10 regular (your total $20 reg) I'll be on Allure in three weeks and if it's a) I'll cancel my 2K purchase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 a) If you bet $10 promotional chips, they will pay you back with regular chips and leave your original bet (promotional chips) in the betting circle. If you lose the bet, they put your promotional chips in the rack in case you need change for a $25 or $100 denomination chip. b) Do not bet the regular chips they pay winning bets with, put them aside. Only play your promotional chips until you lose them all. If you play it right, by the time you lose all your promotional chips, you should have won back the same or more in regular chips. You can then cash out the regular chips. Cez 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgestang Posted January 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 9 minutes ago, jacko said: b) Do not bet the regular chips they pay winning bets with, put them aside. Only play your promotional chips until you lose them all. If you play it right, by the time you lose all your promotional chips, you should have won back the same or more in regular chips. You can then cash out the regular chips. This is obvious. But you are missing the main point of my gripe here. At the end of your run you have actually BET well in excess of $2200 (see my post earlier that detailed that out), you earned no additional compensation for those bets that were in excess of the $2200 you pledged to bet (in terms of comps that accrue) and lastly I was let to believe the EXACT opposite when discussing the program on the phone in order to help me make the decision to buy into the program. If I've bet $100 and win.....the winnings for the hand INCLUDE the original stake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 They will never replace your promo chips. Only way to get rid of them is to lose them or throw them overboard. If you're on a heater, you can theoretically bet into the hundreds of thousands and still have promo chips. The original stake = your promo chips. This promotion only benefits people who know they will go through a lot of bets/chips. If you win 50% of your bets at $100 a pop, you will have to play 44 hands to get rid of all the promo chips, that is $4,400 in action/wagers. I also want to add that table games are the worst for comps. I was averaging $100/hand and only getting like 50 points an hr. Best way to get casino points is to play slots $5/pt or Video Poker $10/pt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgestang Posted January 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 11 minutes ago, jacko said: They will never replace your promo chips. Only way to get rid of them is to lose them or throw them overboard. If you're on a heater, you can theoretically bet into the hundreds of thousands and still have promo chips. The original stake = your promo chips. This promotion only benefits people who know they will go through a lot of bets/chips. If you win 50% of your bets at $100 a pop, you will have to play 44 hands to get rid of all the promo chips, that is $4,400 in action/wagers. I also want to add that table games are the worst for comps. I was averaging $100/hand and only getting like 50 points an hr. Best way to get casino points is to play slots $5/pt or Video Poker $10/pt. Perhaps on the comps....but two cruises with the line....and both times I ended up being asked back via a free cruise offer (which is common I know) but I'm not sure the Suite is normally included in those offers ;). I ended up on the winning end this time and easily bet through my buy in the first night and walked away a winner for the cruise....but having a program explained one way prior to the cruise and then executed differently on board is a real negative and one of the reasons we are not taking up the freebie offer. I have no experience with other programs from other casinos because I've never done anything like this before so I had no context in terms of what to expect other than RCCL conversation and discussion here. Now I know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 13 hours ago, dodgestang said: but I'm not sure the Suite is normally included in those offers ;). Unless you are playing through a brazillion dollars, you won't be offered any suites as a free comp (I think they will sometimes offer you a Jr. Suite but we have never qualified for one !). BUT the free comp rooms - even the interior ones - are a GREAT jumping off point for a hugely discounted suite. We do this all the time - in fact, we have only 1 cruise booked (and we will be upgrading that one when it gets close enough) in the next 2 years that did not originally begin with a casino comp cruise of some kind - and we have 8 booked at the moment, 4 of which are Star Class suites. IN GENERAL (don't take this as gospel) you will end up paying ABOUT 40% of the going, discounted rate with a comped cruise as a starting point. I just booked the Grand Panoramic Suite (Star Class) on Oasis for 1-8 December 2019. Like an idiot, I forgot to snip a pic of the original booking price and now that we've booked it, it's gone, so I cannot go back and find out what the retail on that suite is, but we paid $6518.72 total including taxes. That is waaay less than half price on this suite (and Oasis will be going through a revamp by then ! YIPPEE !!). So, if you are a suite snob to start with, even if you start from an interior comp room, you can score a great price on a suite. The dollars off certs are absolutely useless. They just take a very small crumb off of the retail price which is basically nothing. Of course, you must pick from the list of cruises that they are offering but if you are flexible and can pick from their list, you are golden. Also, I recommend that you call the Prime phone number and NOT the phone number that they list on the back of the certificate. The Prime number is 866-213-3116. The ones who answer the phones on the other line were amateurs. Good luck ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cez Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 15 hours ago, dodgestang said: you earned no additional compensation for those bets that were in excess of the $2200 you pledged to bet I've got your point but I was on Mariner in November and casino host told me that our compensation points are combination of an average bet amount and time you spend at the table. According to her it has nothing to do with how much money you are sinking in the hole. If that's the case (is it ?) it wouldn't matter if we are sitting at the table with promo or real chips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko Posted January 6, 2019 Report Share Posted January 6, 2019 You will be comp'd a free cruise starting at 2,400 pts($500 trade in value) . That'll get you an inside cabin. A cruise in an oceanview cabin will be given at 3,600 ($750 trade in), a balcony cabin is 4,800 ($1,000 trade in) and a jr. suite at 6000 ($1250 trade in) . These are for points accrued per sailing. The best thing to do is accrue 2400 pts each per couple and combine those for a jr. suite on a listed sailing. You can then upgrade to a higher suite at casino rate. If you don't like the cruise dates (they all suck) you can apply the trade in value to a different cruise. My wife and I combined our certs to a jr suite on the Independence 25th sailing and then upgraded to a 2BR GS for an additional $700. Cez 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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