Jeepgeek Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 Good Afternoon RCB folks, I am writing at Matt's request to let you know about how my wife and I are going on a free(yes, you read that correctly, free) cruise this March 25th out of Ft. Lauderdale on the Independence of the Seas. A little background here: I have been "playing" the MyVegas games on mobile and desktops for years. My wife and I usually use the rewards to add weekends to our annual trip to Las Vegas and a free weekend to Biloxi, MS yearly. But, last year RCCL became a sponsor and added discounts for cruises that were meh. This year they added free cabins on select sailings. My wife is a teacher so her vacation time is set in stone. Well as luck would have it, the stars aligned and we secured a reward for a free trip and $250 shipboard credit. The process as stated in the purchase seems straight forward, but, I will document the process for those that come after us. Have a wonderful week Russ Stringer MAJ (Ret.), US Army CruisingKitty, RobertJaf, DeAnna K. and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 Thanks for sharing this, Russ. Do you have any kind of estimate of the hours required to play to win a cruise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerel Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 Surprised to hear that. I played for over a year and cashed them in for a vacation in Vegas last August. Haven't played since. When I first started Royal was a sponsor but then they disappeared and Norwigian appeared. I thought Royal was gone but they must be back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerel Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 Thanks for sharing this, Russ. Do you have any kind of estimate of the hours required to play to win a cruise? There is two games, blackjack and slots. Both games give points going towards your profile. In the games they reward you for getting to the next level, maybe in blackjack you would have to hit on 15 ten times to get to next level. In both games they give you gambling points daily incase you run out (I bet big and ran out often). So if you check in daily for the free points and play your cards right you should do good. Focusing on making it to next level is more important than winning points imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepgeek Posted January 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 They have both PC and Mobile versions, the reward points combine, the "Chips" do not. I am a daily player, but, I just play for a few minutes in the morning (Collecting from my strip hotels, and spinning a daily wheel) and again in the evening for a few minutes. I don't play much, but I am consistent. I spent 750,000 reward points for the cabin, and 100,000 for the $250 Shipboard Credit. I still have ~800,000 reward points. I am a level 1011. lovecruising!!! and Jerel 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHStoneman Posted January 22, 2017 Report Share Posted January 22, 2017 Good Afternoon RCB folks, I am writing at Matt's request to let you know about how my wife and I are going on a free(yes, you read that correctly, free) cruise this March 25th out of Ft. Lauderdale on the Independence of the Seas. Did you find out if a 1099 will be filed on your federal taxes? bobroo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepgeek Posted January 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2017 The only taxes I am responsible for are port taxes. (According to the email I received). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monctonguy Posted January 23, 2017 Report Share Posted January 23, 2017 Why I have I not heard of this or don't know about it?! free FB game that you can take free cruises with by simply playing and not paying?! I could sit and play slots all day online...lol Jeepgeek 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepgeek Posted January 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2017 I spoke with an RCCL rep this afternoon, the process was simple and quick, I needed to pay port tax and gratuities, I requested an upgrade to a higher class stateroom, and now I am on Deck 6 in a balcony stateroom. (The free one for this cruise was inside, they have offered balcony staterooms on other cruises). I added the reservation number to mycruises, and everything was there. Internet was offered at 30% off, Drink packages at 20% off. Bettina 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGSLC5 Posted January 23, 2017 Report Share Posted January 23, 2017 I am going on this exact cruise for Free As well.. Except I am going Through Royal Caribbean's Casino Program.. I got the email about 3-4 weeks ago offering me a free cruise on select few dates and this ship and sail date was one of them. I upgraded to a promenade inside room for literally $15 a person so I paid a total of $30 plus taxes and fees... so for a 5 night cruise I paid an exact total of $208.77.. Cant really beat that deal!! janza, DeAnna K., runderekrun and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepgeek Posted January 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2017 I am going on this exact cruise for Free As well.. Except I am going Through Royal Caribbean's Casino Program.. I got the email about 3-4 weeks ago offering me a free cruise on select few dates and this ship and sail date was one of them. I upgraded to a promenade inside room for literally $15 a person so I paid a total of $30 plus taxes and fees... so for a 5 night cruise I paid an exact total of $208.77.. Cant really beat that deal!! Very nice... Congrats! We will have to meet up. Russ AGSLC5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGSLC5 Posted January 24, 2017 Report Share Posted January 24, 2017 Yes Russ we should meet up.. I am found in the Casino Quite alot.. I play alot of blackjack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finzup Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 are the MyVegas games free? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcarney Posted January 31, 2017 Report Share Posted January 31, 2017 are the MyVegas games free? Yes, you can play for free. Look for MyVegas on Facebook. Be aware it's going to take hundreds of hours to win a cruise though. I've been playing for a little less than a week, and I've earned 3,140 points. You need at least 650,000 for a cruise. But it's a nice little time-waster, and if you visit Vegas you can cash in for other prizes as well. Bettina and Stephanie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepgeek Posted February 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2017 I have been "Playing" Daily for 4-5 years. I have never paid a dime. On weekdays, I spend 1 minute collecting from my strip in the morning and another minute in the evening. On Saturday, I start a 500 spin game before I run and shut it off when I return. The secret to my success has been consistency. That said, every year my wife and I have enjoyed free room in Las Vegas, and Biloxi, MS. I still had 1.7 Million Loyalty points before buying this cruise, I still have 922,000 points left. We will spend time in Las Vegas this year and enjoy rooms and shows for free. whitsmom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firegal2539 Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 I am also on this cruise, I received a free cruise offer from Royal. About the MyVegas, I have been playing for about a year. You have to devote a lot of time playing. It takes 50,000 chips to earn $50 OBC, 100,000 to earn $100 OBC and a lot more to earn a free cruise. Right now I have 25,000 chips and am saving them for a free cruise. There is an option where you pick 10, 25, 50, or 100 spins automatically. That way you just have to watch it spin, in case you hit a bonus, but don't have to sit and push the buttons every time. The more you play the more chips you earn. (You only earn 25 bonus chips at a time). I spoke to a woman who between her and her husband earn about a million chips a year but they play about 3 to 4 hours each every day to earn those points. She works and while sitting at her computer at work, she will mute her phone and play automatic spins for a few hours. My work would never have allowed me to do that. It does take a long time to earn the points so just remember that. You can use the points for stays in hotels in Las Vegas and other things. Just need to look it up online to see the benefits. Also remember to link your phone and FB account together or the points are earned separately and you can't join them together. Candie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lb0336 Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 I play, too! I don't have much vacation flexibility, so I've never been able to use one of the free cruises, and I haven't gotten that many points yet (it's usually only offered for a specific cruise). BUT I'm getting ready to book a cruise vacation and definitely plan to cash in some loyalty coins to get $250 OBC. I've been playing for about 1 year, mostly when I'm at home doing things I just let the wheel spin. I have never spent a dime on the game, but I have enough loyalty coins to get two $250 OBC vouchers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepgeek Posted February 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 Remember you have 2 different platforms to play. (The chips do not combine, but the Loyalty/Reward Points do) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 They have both PC and Mobile versions, the reward points combine, the "Chips" do not. I am a daily player, but, I just play for a few minutes in the morning (Collecting from my strip hotels, and spinning a daily wheel) and again in the evening for a few minutes. I don't play much, but I am consistent. I spent 750,000 reward points for the cabin, and 100,000 for the $250 Shipboard Credit. I still have ~800,000 reward points. I am a level 1011. Do you just play the blackjack or both blackjack and slots games? I've downloaded both to my phone, but it seems I earn the loyalty "chips" a lot faster in the blackjack game. Maybe because of the amount I'm betting each time? Does the bet size even make a difference? I've unlocked the strip in both games and started going through the challenges, but thus far no ability to "collect from my hotels" as you said. Is that something that only comes after completing some number of the My Strip quests? I'm making a point of getting all three levels on each quest (bronze, silver, and gold), so it's slow progress. I've managed 3,450 loyalty "chips" in about two days, and only level 12 in Blackjack / level 9 in Slots. If you have any other hints on strategy to maximize the loyalty "chip" gains each day besides the automated spins in slots, would love to hear. Given the better growth rate I see in Blackjack, I'm inclined to stick with that one more although it does take appreciably more time to play without an "automated" option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepgeek Posted February 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 So, it sounds like you are playing only the Mobile (IOS or Android) they do not have farming hotels. The PC (Flash) Version does have the hotels that you must build before you can collect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 So, it sounds like you are playing only the Mobile (IOS or Android) they do not have farming hotels. The PC (Flash) Version does have the hotels that you must build before you can collect. Yes, I only have the iOS apps at the moment. Sounds like I need to log into FB when I get home and get the Flash versions set up so I can build those hotels! I assume they're important for building up loyalty more quickly (or at least getting more chips to gamble with and get the loyalty that way ) RobertoRem 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepgeek Posted February 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 Roger that. Every time you level on the FB app, it is a bunch of Loyalty. (I am level 1023 and receive 1000 LP every level) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 Roger that. Every time you level on the FB app, it is a bunch of Loyalty. (I am level 1023 and receive 1000 LP every level) Same with the mobile apps. Plus I get loyalty for every X number of plays / spins I make, based on this little meter on the side filling up around 5 times. Currently 100 loyalty in Blackjack app, where I typically do 3 bets at 1,000 chips each per play, and I'd say it's about 30-40 plays to get the 100 loyalty. The game plays fairly at least on the single deck games, so I'm able to win more often than I lose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamabdw Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 I've definitely found that also playing blackjack really accelerates the earnings. Plus, I personally enjoy playing blackjack a bit more, although it does take a bit more effort. There are times whenever I have earned 2,000+ loyalty points for completing an area or collecting certain cards. That adds up pretty quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcarney Posted February 2, 2017 Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 So, it sounds like you are playing only the Mobile (IOS or Android) they do not have farming hotels. The PC (Flash) Version does have the hotels that you must build before you can collect. For kicks I've logged in and farmed the hotels every couple of hours yesterday and today (at Level 19). Racked up just shy of 30,000 chips which I'll completely lose at the tables tonight, LOL. Jeepgeek 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepgeek Posted February 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2017 I usually farm all week and 500 spin (in the blind) on Saturday. Some weeks I am up, some weeks I am down I am usually between 75 and 85 million chips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wsyrob Posted February 4, 2017 Report Share Posted February 4, 2017 I started playing this game Wednesday night on my phone. I am up to 5000 reward coins in 3 days. I do believe some onboard credit is in my future. Auto spin is your friend. I played for 3 hours last night at my brother in laws house in Cape Canaveral last night with the phone on my leg spinning away out by the fire pit and pool. You do not have to be engaged at all. Just tap a button every once in a while when you sense movement stop. It does use some data though. 715 Mbps last night on wifi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson Posted February 4, 2017 Report Share Posted February 4, 2017 We have 675k loyalty points and just waiting for them to update the rewards. Free cruises have been showing sold out for a long time. We were going to just cash in for the free onboard credit (obc), but were told that it was only valid on new bookings and could not be added to existing reservations. I was also told that if you used the points towards obc that you were not eligible for any current promos or C&A discounts. Our $250 in obc would cost us another $1000 in cruise fare! Anyone had a different experience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegMcNugget Posted February 4, 2017 Report Share Posted February 4, 2017 I only have 55k in loyalty rewards and I've been playing sporadically for two years. I play on my phone. I check the rewards and see RC cruises on there, but feel I will never get to that point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted February 5, 2017 Report Share Posted February 5, 2017 So for everyone who's started playing these games, I have some tips I've figured out after playing the mobile version of MyVegas Slots and MyVegas Blackjack for a few days: Unlike the Facebook version of the game, it seems like the best / fastest way to earn loyalty and level up is not just from playing games for hours on end and making huge bets each time. The "Journeys" challenges (which unlock after I think level 4 in slots and level 6 in blackjack) are a much faster and easier way to earn loyalty points, especially at the lower levels where I'm at. When unlocked, you get a "path" to go down with several challenge stops along the way. The challenge at each stop has three levels (bronze, silver, and gold), and from what I've seen they all fall into just a few categories: Find X number of some symbol on a specific slots game (just has to show up on the board, doesn't have to be part of a win) Get X number of wins of a specific type in a specific slots (e.g., get 35 3-Prince wins in Excalibur) Earn X chips in a specific slots game Earn X experience in a specific slots game Earn X loyalty in a specific slots game There are probably categories I haven't uncovered yet, but you get the idea. Now here's the trick with these: For the "find X symbols" or "win X times with this specific win type" challenges, always bet the minimum. There's no advantage to betting higher, as the symbols / win types come out just as (in)frequently with a minimum bet as a max bet. So especially at lower levels, where chips are scarce, going with minimum bets lets you complete the challenges more quickly because you can get that many more spins. For the other category types, bet as much as you can manage while still doing 25 or 50 auto-spin runs. Here, you want to get the goal as fast as possible with the fewest spins, and that means better bigger for larger payouts and better multiples. Where it can really pay off is in the bonus games each slot game offers (like Sir Froggy's Spin in Excalibur), as those have bigger chip values when you bet bigger, and hitting a lucky multiplier can give you a huge chip boost. I haven't done enough yet on the blackjack side to see how much it parallels slots, but I imagine it's pretty similar as I've gotten challenges like "hit on an opening 13 X times" or "get X blackjacks", or "win X chips/loyalty in <specific game>". Hope this helps everyone to get to that free cruise just a little bit faster! Wilson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wsyrob Posted February 17, 2017 Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 So for everyone who's started playing these games, I have some tips I've figured out after playing the mobile version of MyVegas Slots and MyVegas Blackjack for a few days: Unlike the Facebook version of the game, it seems like the best / fastest way to earn loyalty and level up is not just from playing games for hours on end and making huge bets each time. The "Journeys" challenges (which unlock after I think level 4 in slots and level 6 in blackjack) are a much faster and easier way to earn loyalty points, especially at the lower levels where I'm at. When unlocked, you get a "path" to go down with several challenge stops along the way. The challenge at each stop has three levels (bronze, silver, and gold), and from what I've seen they all fall into just a few categories: Find X number of some symbol on a specific slots game (just has to show up on the board, doesn't have to be part of a win) Get X number of wins of a specific type in a specific slots (e.g., get 35 3-Prince wins in Excalibur) Earn X chips in a specific slots game Earn X experience in a specific slots game Earn X loyalty in a specific slots game There are probably categories I haven't uncovered yet, but you get the idea. Now here's the trick with these: For the "find X symbols" or "win X times with this specific win type" challenges, always bet the minimum. There's no advantage to betting higher, as the symbols / win types come out just as (in)frequently with a minimum bet as a max bet. So especially at lower levels, where chips are scarce, going with minimum bets lets you complete the challenges more quickly because you can get that many more spins. For the other category types, bet as much as you can manage while still doing 25 or 50 auto-spin runs. Here, you want to get the goal as fast as possible with the fewest spins, and that means better bigger for larger payouts and better multiples. Where it can really pay off is in the bonus games each slot game offers (like Sir Froggy's Spin in Excalibur), as those have bigger chip values when you bet bigger, and hitting a lucky multiplier can give you a huge chip boost. I haven't done enough yet on the blackjack side to see how much it parallels slots, but I imagine it's pretty similar as I've gotten challenges like "hit on an opening 13 X times" or "get X blackjacks", or "win X chips/loyalty in <specific game>". Hope this helps everyone to get to that free cruise just a little bit faster! That's good advice. I have been playing since Feb 1 and have amassed 21,000 points in 3 weeks. I drive a chemical tanker and often find myself at shippers and receivers sitting in a break room for a couple of hours while they load or unload my truck. This game is perfect for killing time there and in truck stops, I am a bit concerned about redeeming them for on-board credit though. If RCI doesn't honor the current sale promotion when I book a new cruise it very well could be a wash. It might be best used for one of the short 3-4 day cruises where $250 in OBC is a higher percentage of the cost. What do you have to do to redeem points for OBC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monctonguy Posted February 17, 2017 Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 Quick question...when you mention playing this game on your mobile, I am assuming that its still through your Facebook account log in? Defn interested in taking a look at this....even if not a free cruise, some free OBC is a great bonus as well. And I would have the option of playing throughout the day so maybe able to quickly add up those points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzard05 Posted February 17, 2017 Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 Quick question...when you mention playing this game on your mobile, I am assuming that its still through your Facebook account log in? Defn interested in taking a look at this....even if not a free cruise, some free OBC is a great bonus as well. And I would have the option of playing throughout the day so maybe able to quickly add up those points. Yes, it logs you in using your Facebook account. You can play both on your computer and mobile device, and while your loyalty points are the same on both platforms (the ones that are used for rewards, and the ones you really care about)....the chips you bet with and your game level are different (meaning, I am level 21 on my phone with 60K in chips, but only level 14 on my computer with 30K in chips). I'm guessing they do this so you will purchase more chips (with real money) on both platforms. I have also started playing this game since I read this thread, and based on my calculations...I will have a free cruise in about 13 years. RestingBird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted February 17, 2017 Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 I am a bit concerned about redeeming them for on-board credit though. If RCI doesn't honor the current sale promotion when I book a new cruise it very well could be a wash. It might be best used for one of the short 3-4 day cruises where $250 in OBC is a higher percentage of the cost. What do you have to do to redeem points for OBC? I seem to recall reading that if you redeem the OBC, you cannot use that in combination with ANY other promotion from Royal Caribbean. I would assume that extends to rebookings down the road if some other promotion comes along that would make rebooking financially worthwhile. So my own take is that I'm just going to build up loyalty points until I have the 750k needed for an actual cruise, and just go from there. As to how to redeem the points, I believe that you first use the Rewards option within the game to get a voucher, and then you redeem that voucher with Royal Caribbean. Not sure if that last part is when you book the cruise or any point in time, but I do know that the voucher has to be redeemed within 30 days of getting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted February 17, 2017 Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 Quick question...when you mention playing this game on your mobile, I am assuming that its still through your Facebook account log in? Defn interested in taking a look at this....even if not a free cruise, some free OBC is a great bonus as well. And I would have the option of playing throughout the day so maybe able to quickly add up those points. Just to add on to Buzzard's reply, it's important to log in via Facebook when you first start using the mobile app. Otherwise, I believe any loyalty you build up in the app before then will get thrown away and NOT merged into your Facebook account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilson Posted February 17, 2017 Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 I seem to recall reading that if you redeem the OBC, you cannot use that in combination with ANY other promotion from Royal Caribbean. Correct. I called Royal and asked about redeeming points for obc. They said we had to book new cruise without any promos or discounts. They said in every case they tried it was better to book current promo. He said the obc rewards were basically worthless unless we liked wasting money. The free cruises do not cover taxes and port fees. We have 716k rewards and just waiting for free cruise offers to return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monctonguy Posted February 17, 2017 Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 I am old school...using a Blackberry and there is no app available for me. So only way to play on phone will be logged into my facebook account.....wont be an issue I am sure? if anything, maybe easier to keep track and add up the points quicker?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted February 17, 2017 Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 I am old school...using a Blackberry and there is no app available for me. So only way to play on phone will be logged into my facebook account.....wont be an issue I am sure? if anything, maybe easier to keep track and add up the points quicker?! Actually, unless your Blackberry supports Flash in its web browser (my recollection is that none of those old models do, but I could well be wrong), you won't be able to play the game on it even through the Facebook site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firegal2539 Posted February 17, 2017 Report Share Posted February 17, 2017 I use the MYVegas app to log in. When I first started playing over a year ago, I played only on my phone, then I tried it on FaceBook. I liked them both but MyVegas wouldn't merge my two accounts, so I lost the FaceBook points. Has anyone had a problem merging them together? Another questions, because I am stupid is how do you merge them? If I wanted to start playing on FB how do I put them together? Thanks for any help. Candie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wsyrob Posted February 18, 2017 Report Share Posted February 18, 2017 Correct. I called Royal and asked about redeeming points for obc. They said we had to book new cruise without any promos or discounts. They said in every case they tried it was better to book current promo. He said the obc rewards were basically worthless unless we liked wasting money. The free cruises do not cover taxes and port fees. We have 716k rewards and just waiting for free cruise offers to return. That is disappointing but also pretty typical. No such thing as a free lunch. I was aiming for that 200,000 point redemption. Maybe they will work for a hotel room in Gulfport or Biloxi before a cruise out of New Orleans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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