If you follow my blog, you know the experiment Reva and I conducted to earn two free casino cruises back in the fall of 2021. Well, we continued the experiment for the remainder of 2021 and all of 2022, this is how it worked for us.
First, let me give you a quick recap (more details are available in the blog entitled “But I don’t play slot machines on cruise ships…..Did you say free cruises and drinks?”), The casino’s on the Royal Caribbean cruise ships, like several other lines, are operated in partnership with MGM Resorts International. In the RCL casino you earn points for the total amount of money you gamble. The fastest way to earn points is by playing the slot machines which award you one point for every $5 run through the machine. Video poker gives you one point for every $10 dollars and playing the tables earn you 10 points for every hour played when betting $10. Our experiment focused on slot machines and some video poker; no table games at all.
Initially, we targeted getting 2,500 points on one cruise which would trigger “Prime” status and earn us a free seven day cruise at the beginning of the casino year (1 April) along with a free cruise immediately. When we did the original experiment, 2,400 points on one cruise was required for the free cruise. When I say free cruise, I am referring to an inside cabin for two guests. Also, Prime status also gives you free drinks anytime the casino is open…..a very nice perk, along with 30% off internet packages. The next level “Signature” requires 25,000 points and is unrealistic for a casual gambler (invester).
To put it in simpler terms; you must run $12,500 dollars through the slot machines or $25,000 through the video poker machines to obtain prime status. Your points accumulate through the year, so if you take several cruises, it is easier. Also, the casino recently lowered the requirements for free cruises to as low as 800 points on a single cruise. But this changes monthly. A list of current offers can always be found posted in the casino either at the host desk or near the cashier.
We had hoped to get a 90% return on our slot play and expected to lose $1,250. We got closer to a 85% return and ended up losing around $1,750 on that cruise.
Since that cruise, we have taken another 22 cruises on RCL and have an additional 17 booked…yes we know that is crazy! We have continued to play in the casino and both Reva and I have qualified for Prime for the 2021, 2022, and 2023 casino years or until 31 March 2024.
The casino allows you to request what your win and losses were annually for tax filing purposes. The form is available on-line. We did this for the 2021 and 2022 tax years and we have an actual picture of what we lost while playing in the casino.
In 2021, I lost a total of $1,667.75, Reva lost a total of $232.97
In 2022, I lost a total of $1,716.48, Reva lost a total of $2,609.74
Together we lost a grand total of $6,226.94.
For that, we have been provided 11 free cruises for 2 total including 2 that we have yet to schedule. Free cruises still require you to pay taxes, fees, tips, and for room upgrades. You get minimal on board credit and only if you book while on board. On the positive side, since you only pay for taxes and fees, and these are always refundable; if you chose not to go, you get your cash back but lose the cruise offer. Additionally, the free drinks at the Casino are a very nice perk as well as the 30% discount on the internet.
Another way to look at this is; the $6,226.94 got us 71 nights on board the ships (not all the cruises were for 7 days) or $87 per night per room for two…plus taxes, fees and tips.
In addition to this; we were given $450 off other RCL cruises and Reva was gifted a 10 night Cruise for two in a balcony room on a Celebrity ship. I have been offered a free MSC cruise along with 30% off any MSC cruise, and any number of two day party cruises. Overall, a solid investment ….for us …..for now.
Some things we have learned through this activity:
- Going beyond the 2,500 points (Prime) to get the Signature level seems very costly and I wouldn’t recommend it …. unless you want to basically live on the ships. To obtain this level, you must run $125,000 through the slot machines. For Master, the highest level, you must run $500,000 through the machines. Of course, your offers improve significantly; including better rooms and additional perks. We believe you are better off paying for those upgrades, unless you just love gambling.
- There is a website, www.URComped.com where you can submit a copy of any land or sea casino offer and they will find you matching offers at other land or sea based casinos. This doesn’t impact the offer you obtained…just gets you more offers. This is where my MSC offers came from.
- The MyVegas phone and Facebook apps are free to play and provide you the opportunity to earn free cruises and tons of other perks. We have obtained cruise discounts, along with $500 of cruise credit through these apps….and they are fun to play.
- You can meet many very interesting people in the Casinos…..(I love Crazy Carla!) and they can teach you interesting casino tips. One recent one we are exploring, is the Cowboy Slots YouTube video channel. This gets into the science of how the slot machine gaming operations function……something we will explore in detail later in 2023 on the ships.
In summary; when I started this activity, I went in as an investor to learn if this could add value to our cruise lifestyle. Now, after a couple of years; I am convinced that it does. However, I am still an investor, as such, I need defined limits. The absolute most you could lose and get “prime” status is $12,500 (assuming you never won a single penny). For that, you are guaranteed 2 to 4 cruises with free drinks and a lot of fun. If you are OK with that, have at it! However, beyond that level, you become a gambler,,,,,be cautious. For me; I will remain an investor! A cruising and gambling investor!
