Royal Caribbean offers complimentary cruises if you gamble enough in its casino, and one cruiser claims he has the winning strategy.

While gambling in a cruise ship casino is often a source of entertainment for many passengers, some treat it like a farm where they can harvest winnings that go beyond money.

The cruise line incentives gambling by offering "free cruises" if you earn enough points on a sailing. These casino comps are a kind of "thank you" for wagering a lot of money, as well as a token of appreciation for continued loyalty.

While I've seen plenty of Royal Caribbean casino strategies, TikTok user Joe (@joe2go_ta) claims he has found the winning formula of gambling enough to get free cruise offers that he spends 6 months a year on ships.

37 back-to-back cruises for "free" from the casino

In his most popular video that has almost a million views, Joe recaps how he can afford to live on a cruise ship for 6 months from those casino comps.

First, he says he begins by gambling enough on a single sailing to reach Prime status within the casino.  This is the second tier of Club Royale's loyalty program, and it includes one complimentary cruise and unlimited drinks in the ship's casino. 

According to Joe, the foundation of the strategy is surprisingly simple: gamble heavily once a year, hit Prime status in Club Royale, and then stop gambling.

"I gamble once a year," he explained in the video. "I spend about $2,000. I get my 2500 points to hit Prime. Once I do that, I don’t go back to the casino."

This part of his strategy is rather surprising, because a lot of cruisers that enjoy the ship's casino tend to gamble on every sailing. He claims the goal is to earn enough casino points during a single cruise to unlock a year’s worth of benefits and future offers.

But he says the real value comes afterward.

According to him, hitting Prime generates three different types of cruise offers: 

• The first is an instant certificate earned while onboard after reaching a certain number of points
• The second is an annual complimentary cruise that comes with Prime status itself
• The third is the steady stream of promotional offers emailed throughout the year

"You get promotional offers weekly or monthly throughout your email," he said.

That combination, he claims, is what allowed him to stack together months of cruises without paying normal cruise fares.

He chooses a specific kind of slot machine to maximize winnings

The most interesting part of his strategy is how he gambles.

Instead of chasing jackpots or high-risk slot machines, he says he exclusively plays "low volatility" slots. Those are machines designed to pay back smaller amounts more frequently instead of offering huge bonus rounds or massive jackpots.

"All I play is low volatility slots," he said. "Slots that pay more money back per spin but don’t have bonuses."

He specifically mentioned slot machines like Black Diamond and Hot Tamales, calling Hot Tamales his preferred game.

His theory is simple and focuses on churning points, rather than chasing highs. You earn points based on how much money you wager, not how much money you win. Therefore, a machine that slowly cycles money back can allow gamblers to continue playing longer while accumulating points.

In other words, the goal is not necessarily to win big. The goal is to stretch gambling bankroll as efficiently as possible while earning enough casino points to trigger lucrative cruise offers later.

It's worth mentioning his strategy isn't foolproof. There is always risk involved with gambling, and there's no guarantee someone will only lose a couple thousand dollars trying to reach Prime status. Some cruisers could lose far more, while others may get lucky and lose less.

He leverages Royal Caribbean's loyalty perks to combine too

"I would not have been able to afford it if I wasn’t Diamond Plus," he admitted.

His casino strategy leverages not only what the casino gives him, but also his repeat cruiser benefits from Royal Caribbean's customer loyalty program.

He says living onboard long-term would have been much harder without Diamond Plus status in Crown & Anchor Society.

Diamond Plus members receive benefits that can dramatically reduce daily onboard spending, including complimentary drinks, free laundry, discounts, and other perks that become especially valuable during back-to-back cruises.

Being kind to crew members is another important recommendation he has

The TikToker also emphasized another part of cruise life that frequent cruisers often mention: relationships with crew members.

"When you’re on the ship, treat your employees well," he said. "Tip them."

He goes as far as offering to pick up basic necessities crew members may need during their contracts. He does so for the crew members he strikes up a friendship with along the way.

According to him, those relationships made long-term cruising feel more personal and enjoyable.

"It’s good to have people that know you by name and treat you like a friend rather than a guest," he explained.

Does his strategy actually work?

After watching his video, his approach to Prime status isn't revolutionary. But his recommendation for how to gamble is a good reminder if you're chasing points.

From my own experience, I can tell you if you hit Prime status on one sailing (2,500 points), yes, you'll qualify for an instant certificate right then and there. And then you'll get another free cruise offer the following April.

However, I would caution anyone before they start to go to the casino host desk and look at the qualifying sailings available for when you reach 2,500 points.  You don't get to choose any cruise. Rather, you have to choose from a subset of sailings.  So make sure those cruises are ones that you'd actually want to sail on.

The other part of his strategy that gives me pause is the reliance on offers that come in the mail or online for additional free sailings. 

In my opinion, that's a giant x-factor, because you're at the mercy of if offers will come to you or not.  It's very much a "feast or famine" experience.

The other thing he doesn't mention about this is the offers you typically get a Prime member tend to be on older, smaller ships.  You're not getting a week on Star of the Seas or even a weekend on Utopia of the Seas. Instead, there are a lot of offers for Enchantment, Grandeur, or Rhapsody of the Seas.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, but something to keep in mind.

Every month, Royal Caribbean has a different casino offer for its high roller members, and this month's has a new fee.

Cruisers have noticed that along with its May offer of a complimentary cruise, there's now a booking fee that goes with.

Periodically (and seemingly randomly), Royal Caribbean's Casino Royale program will send to its members offers to sail for free or at a reduced rate.  These are targeted offers for people that gamble a lot on Royal Caribbean ships.

What's different this month is there's now a fee to go along with the "free" cruise offer.

Here's what the booking fee looks like, and why it's generating a lot of chatter among those that like to cruise and gamble.

There's a new $100 casino comp fee

As soon as the new casino offers started rolling into cruisers' accounts, many saw the same thing: a new fee.

The $100 casino comp fee means you'll need to pay $100 for a complimentary cruise, along with the port fees and taxes.

It's a nominal fee for what is otherwise representative of thousands of dollars off a cruise fare, but it's not what cruisers have typically found.

In the example provided by Royal Caribbean Blog reader madkidd00000007, the offer is for a complimentary Balcony or Oceanview cabin for two.  It has a $100 booking fee per stateroom.

The offer is valid to be booked by May 31st for sailings the depart between May 4 and December 31, 2026.

To be fair, this isn't the first time we've seen this fee. A similar fee happened once a few months ago on an offer for two rooms, but it's back again today. 

According to Ampurp85, they were told the fee is to supplement the fact it's a better-than-usual offer.

"The rep says there will now be some offers that have a booking fee. Either because they will offer better rooms or longer cruise dates."

The representative added that in the event of a cancellation, everything but the booking fee is refundable. Moreover, this booking fee will not be on all offers, just certain ones. 

How to get complimentary casino offers

Booking fee or not, you may be curious how to qualify for a "free" cruise.

Truthfully, there isn't a rhyme or reason that can be determined how to consistently receive offers other than playing often in the casino on every sailing you take.

Certainly, reaching higher casino loyalty tiers helps.

While not a hard and fast rule, it seems more offers go out to casino players in the Signature and Masters tier than Prime.  But that doesn't mean those in Choice or Prime don't receive offers as well.

Moreover, if you do get an offer, it's important to play in the casino and spend enough onboard.  It's been a common observation from casino players that any complimentary cruise you take, there's an unwritten expectation that you'll gamble enough on that sailing too. Otherwise, the quantity of future offers may decrease.

How much do you need to gamble? Most cruisers believe you need to earn at least 200 points on a comped cruise.

Casino offers have been changing this year

One theme so far with Casino Royale has been they're not doing the same old predictable things.

Since the new casino calendar year began in April, there have been some big changes to Royal Caribbean's casino program.

The biggest has been for the annual complimentary cruise that is included with the Prime tier and higher.

Instead of having an an exclusion list of which sailings aren't eligible for the annual complimentary sailing, there's now a list of included sailings. All other cruises are not available.

In addition, Casino Royale introduced a variety of program changes related to earning points and tracking points.

The Royal Caribbean app now shows your casino points and status, further integrating casino loyalty with cruise loyalty.

Another key change is Signature level players now receive onboard credit based on the length of their sailing. Previously, Signature players didn’t receive any onboard credit at all.

Royal Caribbean also increased the earning requirement for video poker to $15 per point. That means you now have to wager more money to earn the same number of points.

Lastly, the onboard instant offers seem to have been cut back.  While nothing has been announced by the line, cruisers have noticed the cabin categories offered were lower than before, and the amount of free play was reduced.

Royal Caribbean’s annual casino loyalty perks are starting to hit accounts, and longtime players are noticing something feels different right away.

Every year in April, those that gambled enough on Royal Caribbean ships to reach a higher tier are eligible to receive a complimentary cruise.

The complimentary cruise certificates that once followed a predictable set of rules have been replaced with a new system that, for some members, offers more flexibility than ever before, while others don't see as much return value.

For some, the update opens the door to longer sailings and even higher-tier cabins.

Here's what has changed.

Royal Caribbean gives you a free cruise every year, if you play enough in their casinos

Royal Caribbean offers perks for gambling in its casinos through the Casino Royale program.

This is a separate loyalty program from Crown & Anchor Society, and it resets every year.  Based on how many points you earn in a calendar year, you can reach higher tiers.

Prime is the level that offers perks, and it includes complimentary drinks in the casino while playing, no fee for cash advances, and a complimentary cruise each year.

The annual complimentary cruise offerings are different from last year

On April 21st, members who obtained the highest tier started to see their annual certificates appear in their account. 

In years past, you could choose any cruise that wasn't listed on an exclusion list. The excluded sailings were typically holiday sailings or event cruises. It was also limited to any sailing for 7 nights or less.  

The framework was simple: if a sailing wasn’t on the excluded list and was seven nights or less, it was fair game.

Craig Hart reached the highest casino status at Masters, and he said the Master’s list has changed from a list of excluded cruises to a list of included sailings up to 25 night and ranged from balcony to Grand Suite. 

On paper, that sounds like a major upgrade. Longer cruises and higher-end accommodations were rarely part of the annual certificate conversation before.

He thinks some people may see this as a great change, but others may not as much value in it.

Within the email sent out by Casino Royale, there were also talks of "new limited-time bonus offers and special perks throughout the year, so you have the chance to upgrade your annual cruise benefit." 

What this means, no one knows yet, but it may create more value for the casino players.

Win or lose? Casino players debate if they like the change

For some casino guests, the expanded list represents a clear win. Access to longer voyages opens up options that simply didn’t exist under the old rules, particularly for travelers who prefer repositioning cruises or extended itineraries.

The inclusion of higher-category cabins also suggests Royal Caribbean is willing to offer a more premium experience to certain players, at least on select sailings.

At the same time, the move from an "exclusion list" to an "inclusion list" changes how flexible the benefit feels. Instead of browsing the full range of sailings and ruling out a handful, players are now limited to a curated selection chosen by the cruise line. Even if that list is extensive, it can still feel restrictive compared to the previous system.

That perception matters, especially for a loyalty program built around repeat play and predictable rewards.

Craig is curious to see how these changes impact how cruisers look at the value in the program, "While more people obtain status in the casino because of the value in years past, Royal Caribbean ships are sailing at or over capacity.  As this new casino year progresses, new ships start sailing and ships continue to sell out, it will be interesting to see other changes that will be made this year."

Depending on your cruising preferences, the available ships and sailings are either useful or not.  Newer ships, such as the Icon Class are not very prevalent. On Reddit, there were plenty of opinions.

• "Prime used to be any 7 day in an interior with a list of exceptions (usually just new ships and holidays). Now its a 500 cruise list. Huge downgrade. Boo!"
• "Mostly older ships and shorter sailings."
• "Highly disappointing. Most of these are older ships that I get an offer for in the mail 3 times a week."
• "No Icon for prime. Mostly older ships ships and short trips."

The sentiment shared by some is they gambled last year with a certain expectation, but feel the new change wasn't expected.

One person on Reddit posted, "I purposely gambled far more than I normally do to achieve Prime in anticipation for an interior on any 7 day cruise, 2+ year old boat, minus holidays."

"Not getting that is being bait and switched."

Royal Caribbean just kicked off a new casino year, and with it came a handful of changes to Club Royale that are already getting a lot of attention from frequent cruisers.

April 1st is the start of the casino calendar year, when players can start accruing points to requalify for their status within the casino program.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Craig Hart is a Masters level player, which is the highest tier in the program. Suffice to say, he pays close attention to any change made by Casino Royale.

He believes some of the changes will be welcomed by players, and others perhaps not. It all depends on how gamble.

Players started noticing differences on April 1 when the 2026–2027 casino year officially began and comparing notes almost immediately.

Here’s what actually changed, what it means, and where the biggest impact is for cruise passengers who rely on casino perks.

Helpful change: casino status now shows in the app

One change anyone might notice is in the Royal Caribbean app.

Royal Caribbean has started integrating Club Royale into its mobile app, allowing guests to see their casino tier and (eventually) their offers in one place.

That might not sound like a big deal, but it’s something casino players have wanted for years. Historically, Club Royale has felt like a separate ecosystem, with offers sent via email or buried on the website.

Having status, offers, and notifications within the app brings it closer to how airlines and hotels manage loyalty programs.

However, it's not quite fully operational yet.

Craig reports some users are reporting errors when trying to view offers through the app, even though those same offers are still accessible on Royal Caribbean's website.

Regardless of the soft rollout, Royal Caribbean is trying to unify its casino program with the broader cruise experience. And if they get this right, it could make tracking offers and planning trips a lot easier.

Signature guests get onboard credit

There's been another change for the mid-tier members within the casino loyalty program in terms of onboard perks.

Signature-level members will now receive onboard credit based on the length of their sailing.

Here’s how it breaks down:

• $25 for 3–4 night cruises
• $50 for 5–6 night cruises
• $75 for 7+ night cruises

Previously, Signature players didn’t receive any onboard credit at all.

According to Craig, this change doesn’t completely close the gap with higher tiers like Masters, who still receive more generous perks, but it's a meaningful addition. 

And it aligns with a broader trend we’ve seen from Royal Caribbean of adding smaller, incremental perks rather than making sweeping changes.

He believes this onboard credit won't used towards anything but casino spending. Casino players at the Signature level are the type of player that typically use their OBC to fuel more play.

He thinks it's a nice perk, but it’s not really changing behavior. It just makes the experience feel a little more rewarding.

A big change for video poker players

If there’s one change that's getting the most pushback, it's related to video poker.

Royal Caribbean increased the earning requirement for video poker to $15 per point. That's a significant jump, and it directly affects how quickly players can earn status or qualify for rewards.

What this means is you now have to wager more money to earn the same number of points.

Those that play a lot of video poker don't seem happy with the change because it requires more money to be wagered in order to attain tier progression.

Online complaints have said it reduces efficiency for earning offers, and makes it harder to justify extended play if you're trying to maximize value.

Craig thinks it's a change to bring the game in line with the better odds it has. Video poker typically has a lower house edge than slot machines, meaning players can stretch their bankroll longer. By increasing the points threshold, the company is effectively rebalancing the system.

If you're someone who primarily plays slots, this probably won't affect you much. But if you leaned into video poker as a strategic way to earn status, this is a meaningful change.

Cutback in instant offers?

The biggest change casino players claim to be seeing is related to cruise offers earned onboard a ship.

Frequent casino players have started noticing a reduction in the value of "instant certificates", which are the rewards you earn during a sailing based on how many points you rack up.

These certificates typically offer free or discounted cruise fares, free play, and upgraded cabins at the higher levels.

It appears something has changed compared to expectations from the past experiences.

Starting around March, many reported:

• The cabin categories offered were lower than before
• The amount of free play was reduced
• Overall value per point felt diminished

This kind of adjustment is subtle, but it matters a lot for repeat cruisers who plan their gambling strategy around hitting certain thresholds.

Craig recommends viewing the reward certificates at the start of the cruise at the casino host desk and plan your play accordingly.

Gambling is risky — however, sometimes trying your luck in the cruise casino is rewarding and can save you thousands on future vacations. 

One such cruiser, Redditor Apprehensive-Gap1339, recently took to Reddit to share how they turned one lucky run in the casino into nearly $50,000 worth of Royal Caribbean sailings, equating to over 100 nights at sea. 

The original idea began on a 14-night transatlantic cruise from Miami to Southampton, in which they began to wonder if they could "hack" the Casino Royale program and walk away with two free cruises each year. 

"...[I]f we're paying for 2 cruises on average per year...why not try to hit the 2,500 points or in this case it was 3k on that sailing to get 2 free guaranteed cruises (one for hitting prime and one for 3k on one cruise). I had never gambled on a cruise ship before this," they explain. 

Read more: Royal Caribbean crew member shares how to earn free cruises in the casino

Continuing on, "Statistically if you play the slots you'll lose about 85% of what you put in so it would have been about a projected $2500 loss if odds played out. I actually ended up about $500 at the 3k points mark (I got lucky!) Little did I know that genuinely good cruise offers started rolling in as soon as I got back to shore."

Offers included 7 to 8-night voyages on Oasis Class ships in balcony cabins. Because Apprehensive-Gap1339 works remotely, they were able to book multiple cruises throughout the year without worrying about the sail date or PTO. 

However, as they began to sail more and gamble less, their offers gradually became less generous. They went from getting offers in balcony cabins on newer ships to windowless, interior staterooms on older vessels. 

(Credit: Apprehensive-Gap1339/Reddit)

Since their very first casino offer cruise on Oasis of the Seas in November 2024, every sailing they've embarked on has been booked through the Casino Royale program, totaling 105 nights at sea and 144 loyalty points. 

"I am not saying this is a magic free-cruise hack but my net gambling losses over the whole experiment was $1,195.16. I did not gamble in all of 2025-2026," they add. 

Across their 15 casino-offer cruises, they've taken one one-way and fourteen round-trip sailings from ports like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Boston, Los Angeles (San Pedro), and Port Canaveral. 

Read more: I gamble a lot on Royal Caribbean ships to earn free cruises. Here are my 10 hacks to maximize the cruise casino perks

During their adventures, they visited nearly 50 ports of call across the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, Bermuda, Canada, and Europe, with the most visited stops being Perfect Day at CocoCay (10x); Nassau (4x); Philipsburg, St. Maarten (4x); Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas (4x); Labadee, Haiti; (3x); and Falmouth, Jamaica (3x). That said, their favorite destinations were Bermuda, Lisbon, Halifax, and Aruba. 

Apprehensive-Gap1339 primarily sailed on Oasis Class ships, calling vessels like Symphony, Oasis, and Utopia of the Seas home on over 55 different cruises. However, he also sailed on Independence of the Seas (21x), Navigator of the Seas (7x), Brilliance of the Seas (7x), Grandeur of the Seas (7x), and Enchantment of the Seas (5x). These experiences gave them a deeper understanding of the Royal Caribbean fleet, learning what different classes offer. 

"I understand that I am extremely lucky to be in a position to do this. It's a little surreal to be only 1 night away from diamond plus. This resulted in memories that I will remember forever and for that I am very very grateful. I am only sharing this in an effort to provide some real financial transparency into the real costs and into what is possible/real with those that are curious about casino offers."

Here's a breakdown of how Apprehensive-Gap1339 turned a little casino play into major cruising rewards that, out-of-pocket, would have cost around $50,000. 

How much did they gamble to begin receiving Royal Caribbean casino offers? 

Casual gamblers who put $50 or $100 on a slot machine and then walk away aren't likely to see any worthwhile rewards pop into their email inbox. 

According to Apprehensive-Gap1339, they initially aimed for 2,500 points in the casino to earn Prime status. However, they ended up with some beginner's luck and made it to 3,000 points, only losing $1,195:

"The first big run happened because I got to 3,000 points on a transatlantic and then the offers started pouring in after that. My original math...was that I had about $17,500 of slot coin-in to end up down about $1,195, which was lucky."

(Credit: Apprehensive-Gap1339/Reddit)

"Typical casino slot [odds] should have put me closer to a loss of closer to $2500-3000. That outcome should not be treated as normal but for the sheer amount of offers I was able to take advantage of it was incredible."

For them, slots were the easiest way to track their casino points evenly. As such, they avoided the table games and only focused on the slot machines, where you gain one point per $5 bet.

Casino points are tracked via SeaPass cards, so when gambling, remember to sign into the machine with your cruise card. Otherwise, the points won't go toward your Royal Caribbean casino loyalty program progress. 

Casino offers aren't "free"

Although the cruise fare is "free" guests booking a casino offer are required to pay taxes, port fees, and other expenses. In their Reddit post, Apprehensive-Gap1339 included a cost breakdown to help give a better understanding of how much he saved versus what their out-of-pocket spend would have been. 

According to their post, they spent $1,942.20 on gratuities, $2,028.64 on WiFi, $2,591.65 on port fees and taxes, and $3,600.84 on flights. 

Excluding the initial casino spend, their out-of-pocket cost was a little over $10,000, breaking down to $96.11 per night. That is a great value considering everything that's included in a cruise — ranging from accommodations to food, select beverages, entertainment, and transportation. 

Had they booked each sailing through Royal Caribbean's website, the cost would have come out to around $49,848 for the 15 cruises. 

Apprehensive-Gap1339 would not hesitate to do something like this again, but they would do a few things differently. For starters, they would take advantage of more back-to-back cruises to cut down on the cost of airfare, which was more expensive than over 100 days of gratuities and Wi-Fi. 

Additionally, they wouldn't cruise at the same pace they previously did. 

"I would not do [this] again at this same pace. That pace was just a little too much to be [fully] enjoyable," they explain, "There were stretches where I was cruising an absurd percentage of my days, and while it was amazing, it also gets tiring always being in transit, half-packed, managing flights, dealing with laundry, and just not being home."

Read more: I got a free cruise in the ship casino. Here's what it really cost me

Royal Caribbean casino Prime benefits

Apprehensive-Gap1339's initial goal was 2,500 casino points because that's the threshold for Prime status, which unlocks the first real, worthwhile benefits, including:

• 10% Vitality Spa discount
• Waived fee for cash advances in the casino
• Complimentary drinks in the casino
• Discount on VOOM Wi-Fi
• Annual cruise in an inside cabin (up to 7 nights)

Club Royale is more akin to airline and hotel loyalty programs than the cruise line's Crown & Anchor Society. In other words, points must be accumulated annually to reach certain status levels. So, if you reach Prime status this year, you aren't grandfathered into the tier for life.

(Credit: Apprehensive-Gap1339/Reddit)

The Club Royale qualification period runs from April 1 through March 31 of the following calendar year (i.e., April 1, 2025 — March 31, 2026, then April 1, 2026 — March 31, 2027). 

Read more: I spent $500,000 in a cruise ship casino this year. Getting Royal Caribbean's top casino status gets a lot of perks, but is it worth it?

Reaching Royal Caribbean's highest casino loyalty tier requires a level of play most cruisers will never experience, and it raises an obvious question: is it actually worth it?

Craig Hart is an avid cruiser and also enjoys playing in the ship's casino.  Up until this year, he had gambled enough to make it to the first two tiers of the casino loyalty program. However, he pushed to make it to Masters level to see what it was all about.

Many cruisers have leveraged the casino on a Royal Caribbean cruise not just for entertainment, but as a strategy to take advantage of its loyalty perks. You can earn free cruises, drinks, and even get money back. All of it comes at great financial risk, as you'll need to wager enough money to earn the points.

While we've heard from casino players who have made it to Prime or Signature, Masters is an entirely different level that requires a lot of play to reach. 

Gambling is is risky and addictive, and there's a good chance you'll lose a lot of money. Please gamble responsibly.

I asked Craig to share his insight on making it to Masters, what the perks are like, and if he thinks it was worth it.

$500,000 through the casino, is it worth it?

First off, gambling can be highly addictive and you can exclude yourself from Royal Caribbean’s Club Royale, with that being said, if you play your cards right, you can earn big rewards. But is it worth $500,000 through the casino for me?

Everyone who has a Crown and Anchor account that is 18 and over, which is created on their first sailing on Royal Caribbean, also has a reward account with the casino. It uses the same account number. 

There are four levels of Club Royale: 

• Choice
• Prime
• Signature
• Master

Each comes with perks that progressively get better as you level up. As a brand-new Master Level player for Club Royale, do I find the perks worth the play?

Choice is everyone who has accumulated at least 1 point, which is equivalent to $5 through a slot machine or $10 average bet on table games over the course of an hour. Prime is 2500 points, Signature is 25,000 points and Master is 100,000. Each level has their perks and they only get progressively better.

The most valuable perk on the ship that I use is the free internet. Starting at Signature, you get one device at Master you get two. This is great for working from the ship if you need a phone and computer or if you and a partner go on a sailing as you can share the internet. Since travel routers are banned on Royal Caribbean, this adds a value above Signature benefits. 

From the time I turned Master, on December 14, 2025 until the end of the current casino year benefits April 1, 2027, I currently have 70 nights booked. At an average of $20/day/device that is a savings of $2800 on internet! I will book many more sailing with all the instant certificates as well as random offers that appear in my account that only add to this savings!

The next major benefit that I use is the free drinks in the casino! Anyone Prime or higher gets free drinks in the casino, when it is open. Since I am also Diamond Plus, I get 5 free drinks onboard the ship or at their private islands. From this benefit, I do not purchase the drink package unless I am travelling with a group of friends like I do on the Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruises!

A mixed use benefit is Coastal Kitchen access on Oasis, Quantum and Icon Class Ships! I have used this benefit several times on my sailing. This perk is also available if you book a full suite, if you are a Pinnacle Club member of Crown and Anchor Society or for dinner if you book a Junior Suite. 

If I am with a group of people who do not have access like this past guys trip, I tend to skip Coastal Kitchen and eat with the group. 

I did, however, use the 20% off credit in the spa to get a haircut on that sailing. When I went to book my appointment, they did not provide the discount, in fact they were not sure of the discount amount. When I checked out after the haircut, they also did not apply the discount, so they had to refund and reissued the transaction with the proper discount. This benefit is only for full retail price services. 

If you like to prebook, you may save more using the cruise planner. Often, they may even have specials onboard, so this perk really is only beneficial for last-minute services.

The one perk I use 100% of the time (and mostly in the casino) is the onboard credit. Typically, several hours after the casino is open a non-cashable credit is applied to your account. $50 on 3-4 night sailings, $75 on 5-6 night sailings, and $100 on 7+ night sailings. Although this credit does not have to be used in the casino, if you do, it is eligible to earn points unlike the free play that is offered on some certificates. 

Since I often get comped junior suites, I already have priority access to the terminal as a suite perk, but it can be a nice perk when you are not sailing in a suite. Although at Port Canaveral, which I would consider my home port based on how often I sail out of there, they are so efficient, it often does not make a difference on what line I am in.

The next several benefits are the same if not very similar as The Key:

• Priority Entertainment Access and Dining Reservations
• Carry-on bag onboard drop off with priority delivery to stateroom
• Welcome lunch in Main Dining Room featuring Chops Grille menu
• Flexible departure with à la carte breakfast

The two times I had The Key, I only used the carry-on bag drop once and skipped the rest of the benefits. Since I am on Utopia of the Seas so often, I prefer the Windjammer seafood buffet on embarkation day! If I am not there, I would rather go to Coastal Kitchen, which is open for lunch on embarkation day, so these benefits to me have no value.

One benefit I am going to try this year is the Hard Rock Partnership. I am going on Wonder of the Seas in February and what better way to take advantage of free nights and $600 of resort credit during the stay. This is saving me at least $200 on a hotel for the night as long as I don’t spend it in the casino!

One of the best perks, and this comes regardless of your status, you can receive random casino offers, which will show up in your online account, email and physical mail flyers. These can offer inside staterooms or even Junior Suites, slot tournaments, special events or even include perks! 

Casino Royal does not publish how they determine offers, but it is believed based upon your last several sailing play. Short sailings with lots of play each night may result in better offers, longer sailings with the same amount of play may lower the offers. We truly do not know.

The single biggest perk I use are the comped sailing offers. When you play on each sailing, there is a list of comped sailing at the host desk that is based on the number of points you accumulate during that sailing. 

The big benefit is you can also earn free play in the casino. Although free play does not earn points in the casino, you can use it on tables or slots to earn cash. If you want to have fun and use all your free play on my lucky number 13 in roulette, you are not out of any of your own cash! 

I will often book a refundable deposit on sailing I know I want to go on and as I get closer will cross reference the offers to see if the sailing is on the list. 

For instance, a new year’s 7-night sailing was on an instance certificate I earned on my January sailing of Utopia of the Seas. I was able to pick up the points needed for a balcony, which I was already booked. 

The cash price of the sailing was $2742 whereas I lost $1200 on Utopia and was able to get my room comped in addition to $750 in free play. Since I was already going on that sailing and I lost less than the cost of the sailing, it is a win, win for me!

Is Masters a level I will strive for every year? No, but while I am here, I will take advantage of the benefits I have and continue to enjoy the casino to prepay for my cruises and have additional fun on the ship!

Happy sailing and good luck!

If you're lucky, Royal Caribbean could send you a free cruise offer in the mail as an incentive to come back onboard and gamble some more.

After you cruise with Royal Caribbean and spend money in the casino, there's a chance you'll be mailed an offer to come back and sail for free or at a discounted rate.

These targeted offers are sent as a post card in the mail, and it's one of the best values right now in cruising.

How it all works can be a bit confusing, so here's a breakdown of how these casino mailers work and what to do if you if you get one.

A card could be mailed to you

Essentially, Royal Caribbean's casino program will send offers to certain members with free or discounted cruises and they are indeed legit.

Unlike scams sent in the mail to get you to attend a timeshare sale presentation, these come directly from Royal Caribbean. They're colorful, and have a special code for redeeming.

Each card has a limited selection of specific sailings. Usually, there are a dozen or so options.

There's no flexibility with the ships or sail dates. You can either pick one or none.  There's certainly no obligation.

Depending on your status within Casino Royale and how much you've gambled recently, the cabin selection can vary. You might get offers for an inside or oceanview cabin, or a balcony.

You'll still have to pay the port fees and taxes, which vary depending on which sailing you pick.

The offers could be for any type of cabin category, but most people get an inside or oceanview.

The other factor is if the free cruise covers one or two people.

Sometimes it's just free cruise fare for one person, and you'll have to pay a discounted rate for the second person in the same room. But it could be for two people too. You just have to read the fine print.

Some important information about these casino offers in the mail:

• You still have to pay taxes and all fees, which can be hundreds of dollars
• You earn Crown and Anchor Points from free casino offers
• You can only book 1 sailing with any particular offer code

How do you qualify for free cruise offers from the casino?

No one knows exactly the logic or "casino math" to qualify for random offers, but my experience has taught me consistent play is the key.

The point of these mailers is to entice people that have demonstrated they're willing to gamble in the casino to come back and cruise again so they can gamble more.

Suffice to say, you first need to be go on a Royal Caribbean cruise and play in the casino and wager enough money to "make it" onto the casino's algorithm.

How much you need to wager is anyone's guess, but my best recommendation would be enough to get you 200 - 300 points in the casino on a single sailing.  

In my experience, low or no play onboard (especially if you're on a casino comp sailing) can cause your offers to stop or slow down.

Always use your Seapass card to log into the machine before you start playing.

One point is equal to $5 wagered at a slot machine, so to get 300 points, you'd need to wager $1,500. Remember, that's wager and it doesn't matter if you win or lose.

Realistically, you're not going to lose every single bet.  But you could certainly have a bad streak of loses and money could go quickly.

The other thing I would recommend doing is ensuring your casino account isn't tied to your kids accounts.

Another unconfirmed theory is if the casino's algorithm notices a minor, it won't send them an offer. So if your account has the same email address as your kids, that could be enough to prevent offers from coming in.

I experienced this problem earlier this year when I was getting no offers at all. At the recommendation of another casino player, I asked the casino host to change my casino account email to different one.  That would leave me kids on my old email with Royal Caribbean, but separate me out from them.

Sure enough, a couple of cruises later (with a couple hundred points per sailing in the casino), and my mailbox has been flooded with offers.

To be clear, all of this is a working theory and I can't promise it will work for you. It just seems to represent the best conventional wisdom we have at the moment.

How to book a free cruise with the casino

The card you'll receive will have a list of free cruises. You can choose just one of them, per offer code.

To redeem it, you can do one of three things:

• Call Casino Royale directly and book
• Use Royal Caribbean's new Casino Royale website to redeem it
• Ask your travel agent to do it for you

Not all travel agents will redeem a free casino cruise because Royal Caribbean pays them barely any commission for a free cruise fare.

Calling in is what most people have traditionally done, but the hold times can be lengthy.

The new website appears to be a promising alternative, but it's brand new and a bit of a work in progress. Also, the website has shown offers that don't correlate to what the mailers have and that's been a source of frustration. I'm certain it will get ironed out, but in the meantime, the website may not be totally foolproof.

Don't abuse the offers

A word of warning: only redeem a free cruise offer you will actually go on.

Royal Caribbean changed their policy to penalize people that take advantage of free cruises, but then subsequently miss the cruise.

In past years, casino players would book free casino offers but then no-show to them. It wasn't intentional, but they viewed them as like "maybes" and since the cruise was free, there was no real penalty for missing it.

The cruise line has cracked down on this, and warns you'll lose your $200.00 deposit on the room.

Furthermore, you could be banned from getting free offers in the future if you do it.

Any Recipient who fails to check in at the pier may be suspended from future offers, will forfeit any offer(s) redeemed, and the remaining guests sailing, if any, will be subject to pay the prevailing rates at the time of embarkation.

Basically, if you book the free cruise, make sure you go on it.

One of the best deals in cruising right now is arguably Royal Caribbean's casino loyalty benefits, and it's getting even better.

Cruisers willing to gamble enough on their cruise to earn enough points to reach higher loyalty tiers have a new benefit that extends discounts to some of the cruise line's most popular add-ons.

An email newsletter sent to casino players mentions a new discount on pre-cruise purchases, with at least half off savings.

Here's what discounts you can expect, and how to get in on these deals.

Pre-cruise discounts

Royal Caribbean says between now and March 31, 2026, any cruiser with an elevated status is eligible for at least half off drink packages, beach clubs, and other popular add-ons.

You must be at least Prime status in Casino Royale in order to qualify, which means you've collected at least 2,500 points during the course of the casino year.

Here's how it breaks down:

In my experience, I've seen this discount applied previously, but it seemed more hit or miss.  With the announcement, it appears the discount is now codified and will be more consistently applied.

Royal Caribbean also runs similar sales and promotions that apply to top tier members within Crown and Anchor Society. 

As a Pinnacle Club member, I'll sometimes see my casino discount shown and other times a Diamond and above discount.

How much this could save you

You might be curious how lucrative this discount can actually be, so I decided to run a couple of tests.

As a Prime member, I found a couple of cruises where I had the discount applied to my account for an upcoming sailing.  I then compared the price to the logged out price for what a new cruiser without casino status could expect (using this hack).

Oasis of the Seas 7-night October 5, 2025 sailing

• Deluxe Beverage Package
  • Regular discount: 40% off - $68.99 per person, per day
  • Casino discount: 50% off - $56.99 per person, per day

Star of the Seas 7-night November 23, 2025

• Deluxe Beverage Package
  • Regular discount: Regular sale - $77.99 per person, per day
  • Casino discount: 50% off - $59.99 per person, per day

No casino discounts applied to Hideaway Beach, Coco Beach Club, or Thrill Waterpark admission

Utopia of the Seas 4-night January 9, 2026

• Deluxe Beverage Package
  • Regular discount: Regular sale - $83.99 per person, per day
  • Casino discount: 50% off - $59.99 per person, per day

No casino discounts applied to Hideaway Beach, Coco Beach Club, or Thrill Waterpark admission

I saw the same price and "Pre Cruise Savings" sale for the beach clubs and water park admission while logged in and logged out. It's possible the day pass discounts haven't been activated yet, or the current promotion is better than the casino offer.

Regardless, the drink package savings are real for the Deluxe Beverage Package with significant savings one each sailing I checked compared to someone without casino status looking to buy the same drink package.

How to get casino points

If getting loyalty status within the Royal Caribbean casino sounds like the perfect plan for you, here's what you need to know to reach Prime status.

Gambling is addictive, and you could end up losing a lot of money in the process of trying to earn a "free cruise". 

When you play in the casino, you earn points when you insert or tap your SeaPass card at a slot machine or hand it to a pit boss at a table game.

You can expect to earn roughly 1 point for every $5 wagered on a slot machine. Table games give much less points, so don't play table games if earning status is your goal. Video poker players earn 1 point for every $10 played. 

Earning Prime status means you'll need to accumulate at least 2,500 points throughout the Royal Caribbean casino year, which runs April 1 through March 31). 

Your points are combined between sailings during the casino calendar year.  So if you earned 500 points on an October cruise, and then another 500 points in December, you'd have a total of 1,000 points for the year. 

As soon as you reach 2,500 points before March 31, you earn that status for the rest of this cruise year and the full following year. 

Getting to Prime gets you more than just pre-cruise discounts

While the pre-cruise discounts are a nice benefit, the true value of Prime status comes in many other forms.

Prime members can enjoy unlimited drinks in the ship's casino bar. 

Prime members also are awarded a free 7-day cruise in an interior room. 

Whether you make Prime or not, you can also expect offers in the mail if your average play reaches a certain level. It's not known exactly what that level is, but random free cruise offers can sporadically be sent in your email and mailbox. 

It's now easier to track and manage your Royal Caribbean casino rewards, thanks to a website overhaul.

The new Casino Royale website is available to guests, which features a better integrated login, sleeker design, and makes managing offers easier.

The casino loyalty program is more popular than ever, but its website had been an old design that wasn't mobile device optimized and required guests to enter their Crown and Anchor Society number instead of their usual Royal Caribbean login credentials.

The new site has an easier to follow navigation, and works well on all devices.

It's also a step forward in the prominence of the cruise line's casino offerings.

Better design

About two weeks ago, emails went out to alert guests a new casino site was coming, and now it's here.

The new site promises to make it easier to track your offers and view your personalized dashboard of tier credit earnings conveniently in one location.

After logging in with the same credentials you would use to access the main Royal Caribbean site, you can link your casino account to other partner casino programs.

Royal Caribbean has loyalty matching with a few other casino programs, including Hard Rock Casino and MGM Casino.

The new site makes it easier to quickly see how many points you've accumulated, your status, and offers you may have waiting.

The offers, in particular, are the most useful feature since they are a way to redeem free cruises.

Players that gamble enough on a Royal Caribbean ship can earn complimentary future cruises to go on, based on either how much they wagered on a sailing or simply an instant offer.

You can now easily pick an offer to use, and then actually book the cruise through the website instead of having to call in to redeem it.

There is a list of sailings to choose from, and then a way to pick an individual booking.

The site takes users through the options of redeeming or applying the offer, and selecting which complimentary sailing they'd like to sail on.

The new site replaces not only an old site, but PDF documents that used to be the only way to track the options players had available.

How to earn a free cruise from the casino

If you want to earn complimentary casino cruise offers, here's what you need to know.

A reminder that gambling is very addictive and is not for everyone. Know your limits, and you could easily spend much more in gambling losses than what you could get on a cruise. There is definitely a bigger picture to consider.

The concept is simple: you can earn one point for every few dollars you wager (not wins or losses, just how much you play).  By far, you'll want to play slots (instead of table games) to earn points faster.

At the casino host desk, there is a sheet that lists how many points during that sailing you need to reach certain reward thresholds.

Depending on your sailing, the lowest milestone could be a few hundred points or closer to 1,000. The lowest tiers offer an inside stateroom for free and just pay taxes and port fees.

If you get more points, you can qualify for better cabins and/or more free play to go with it.

Casino Royale may add instant offers to your account, which are incentives to come back to cruise (and hopefully gamble). There's no rhyme or reason I've determined as to how these are offered.

In addition, if you can reach the Prime status within Casino Royale, then you can qualify for free annual cruise too.

A deepening casino integration

The new Casino Royale website coincides with Royal Caribbean's push into attracting more casino players.

A trend over the last few years has been to pursue and cater to more of its gamblers onboard.

Royal Caribbean has steadily been expanding its casinos on select ships, which has involved replacing public venues with new casino space.

On some Oasis Class ships, the Crown Lounge and Attic areas were replaced in order to make expand the casino.

On Freedom of the Seas, the wine bar was replaced with a non-smoking casino.

Not only are there more gambling areas on these ships, but they're non-smoking venues.

Royal Caribbean hasn't officially announced a change in policy to cater more to non-smoking gamblers, but it's my guess it has to do with maximizing onboard revenue as it does addressing a need passengers have been asking for.

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. 

Read more: I got a free cruise from Royal Caribbean's casino. It was the perfect price, but I wish I had a window

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:

1. Tap or insert your SeaPass card at the slot machine. You'll know it's successfully linked when the blue light turns green.
2. Select "Account" then "Personal Banker."
3. Enter the default PIN (month and day of your birthday, MMDD).
4. Reset your PIN and press "Enter" to validate.
5. Press "Transfer," then "Transfer to Game."
6. Select "Transfer Points to FreePlay" (to play your Rewards Points) or "FreePlay" (to play your promotional FreePlay).
7. Press "Yes" to continue and complete your transaction.
8. 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.