How to Get Invited to Cruise for Free
Casino loyalty programs offer a variety of benefits to enhance your experience both on and off the gaming floor. You don’t have to be on solid ground to earn rewards when you gamble. Much like cruise line loyalty programs that reward you for sailing, cruise casinos offer additional perks for your onboard gaming activity.
Each of the three largest cruise lines has its own casino rewards programs: Royal Caribbean has Club Royale, Norwegian Cruise Line has Casinos at Sea, and Carnival Cruise Line has Players Club. You’ll need a players card with each program to earn status and rewards, which is either your cruise card or a separate card you get once you sign up.
If you’d like to enjoy perks such as free drinks and free cruises from your casino play, you’ll want to sign up for these cruise line casino rewards programs the next time you sail. For even greater benefits, discover how to leverage onboard benefits from your elite status elsewhere and follow these tips to maximize your gaming experience at sea.
Basics of Cruise Casino Loyalty Programs
Cruise-based casino programs operate similarly to their land-based counterparts but with a few key differences. You can earn rewards and status for your gaming activity on board a cruise ship, and the more you wager, the more you’ll accrue both. Like most loyalty programs, you’ll only earn rewards if your qualifying activity is tracked, so remember to use your players card whenever you gamble.
Earning rates vary and aren’t always disclosed, but the industry standard is for players to earn one redeemable point and tier credit for every $5 wagered on reel slots and every $10 wagered on video poker machines. These rates are explicit on both Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line cruises.
Earning rates for table games depend on what you’re playing, how much you bet, and how long you play. Since the house edge is lower for table games, you can expect to earn fewer points per dollar wagered compared to slots. Note that some games (like Texas Hold ’em and coin pushers) aren’t eligible to earn rewards.
One significant difference from many land-based casinos is that cruise ship casino programs reward you exclusively for gameplay; you won’t earn points or benefits from dining, shopping, or other onboard activities. Cruise lines instead offer separate loyalty programs that reward guests for sailing activity, though some benefits overlap between the two programs.
You can typically redeem earned points for free play or credits to your onboard bill; specifics and minimum redemptions vary by loyalty program. The cruise lines are not transparent about the points-to-dollars conversion rate for credit.
Royal Caribbean Club Royale
Club Royale membership is open to guests 18 years or older on most sailings; you must be 21 or older to play on Alaska voyages. You can enroll by using your SeaPass card at an eligible slot machine or presenting it to casino management at a gaming table. You can also enroll before sailing by calling a casino representative or through the Crown & Anchor Society if you have sailed previously with Royal Caribbean.
Club Royale offers four status tiers based on gaming activity during the program year, which starts April 1 and ends March 31 of the following calendar year:
- Choice (1 tier credit)
- Prime (2,500 tier credits)
- Signature (25,000 tier credits)
- Masters (100,000 tier credits)
Choice status lets you redeem points as free play or as credits to your onboard expense account (with a minimum redemption of 5,000 points). You’ll also begin earning Instant Cruise Rewards Certificates, ranging from a $100 discount to a complimentary cruise (minus port taxes and fees).
Prime status waives convenience fees up to 5% and provides complimentary drinks in the casino. At this level, you’ll also get an annual complimentary cruise in an interior cabin on select sailings (again minus taxes and fees). Signature status grants complimentary Wi-Fi for one device and upgrades the annual complimentary cruise to a balcony cabin.
The top-tier Masters status adds a range of perks like priority entertainment access and dining reservations, onboard credit up to $100, luggage delivery, access to exclusive events, and an upgrade to a grand suite on your annual complimentary cruise.
Royal Caribbean does not carry over redeemable points from one cruise to the next. Unredeemed points expire at the end of each voyage, so don’t miss the deadline to cash out, typically the night before debarkation.
Norwegian Cruise Line Casinos at Sea
Casinos at Sea is separate from Norwegian’s Latitude Rewards program and is open to guests 18 years or older. You can enroll at the casino host desk. Casinos at Sea offers five status tiers based on gaming activity during the program year, from April 1 to March 31 of the following year:
- Jade (0 points)
- Pearl (5,000 points)
- Sapphire (15,000 points)
- Ruby (35,000 points)
- Elite (100,000 points)
Jade status allows you to redeem points as free play or toward onboard expenses like spa treatments, specialty dinners, and credits to your final bill. The minimum redemption is 1,000 points on sailings of four days or fewer, and 2,500 points on sailings of five days or more.
At the Pearl level, you get a $100 onboard credit, complimentary house drinks in the casino, free play during your birth month, and stateroom amenities like complimentary candies or desserts delivered to your cabin. At this level, you’ll also start earning discounts on staterooms.
Mid-tier Sapphire status provides waived convenience fees, priority disembarkation, complimentary premium drinks, a $200 onboard credit, and better stateroom discounts. Ruby status offers larger stateroom discounts, complimentary Ultra drinks, waived cash advance fees, and a complimentary internet package of 400 minutes or 1,250MB.
Elite status further enhances these benefits and adds a complimentary shore excursion (up to $300 per person for two guests), private transfers, and waived service charges.
One notable feature of Casinos at Sea is the option to carry points over from one cruise to the next. Points expire 18 months after they’re earned rather than at the end of your trip, allowing regular cruisers to build up a sizable balance over time. However, if you want to redeem points for credit to your onboard bill, you must do so between 6 and 9 p.m. on the last day of your cruise.
Carnival Cruise Line Players Club
The Players Club is available to guests 18 years or older. You can enroll by using your Sail & Sign card in the casino, either by inserting it into a slot machine or presenting it to a dealer at a table game.
Unlike Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, Carnival does not publish details of how casino perks are earned or redeemed. However, Carnival advertises four tiers of invitation-only cruise packages with rewards similar to other cruise casino programs, providing a sense of the available benefits.
Getaway cruise packages offer extras like complimentary drinks in the casino, premier boarding, and special treats or gifts delivered to your room. Mid-tier Premier and Ultra packages come with added perks such as invitations to special events and priority debarkation. Top-tier Elite packages add luxury benefits like a complimentary airport transfer and shore excursion, as well as VIFP Club Platinum status for the duration of your cruise.
How to Leverage Casino Status for Cruise Benefits
Your existing status with land-based casino and hotel programs may qualify you for perks on your next cruise.
The MGM Rewards program offers members a variety of benefits on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, ranging from discount offers and welcome amenities for Sapphire and Pearl members to onboard credits of up to $300 and annual complimentary cruises for Platinum and Noir members. You need to validate your MGM Rewards status and request these benefits at the time of cruise booking (at least 10 days before departure).
This creates an opportunity to parlay your World of Hyatt elite status into benefits with both MGM and these two cruise lines through its status match offer. However, note that the MGM Platinum and Noir cruise benefits are exclusive to members who earned their tier based on gameplay and other eligible spending; status earned by matching from another program won’t qualify.
Caesars Rewards doesn’t offer onboard benefits to its elite members but does offer stateroom discounts of up to 30% on Norwegian, Oceania, and Regent Seven Seas cruises. Like with MGM and Hyatt, you can match your Wyndham Rewards status to Caesars to access these savings.
Carnival offers a chance to earn complimentary cruises and benefits when you show proof of loyalty status with other casinos via the Players Club Fun Match program. Carnival considers status from any casino, not just the big names, so status you’ve earned at smaller, local venues is worth entering.
Tips to Maximize Your Casino Experience
- Make Friends with the Casino Host: Introduce yourself to the casino host early on. While comps and tier benefits are generally based on your gameplay, the host has some discretion to offer additional perks.
- Look for Enrollment and Promotional Bonuses: Cruise casinos frequently offer incentives like free bets or matched play. Inquire at the host desk if you don’t see them advertised elsewhere.
- Play with Credit (for a Fee): If you prefer not to travel with a lot of cash, you can charge your gaming expenses to your onboard account, which is settled at the end of your trip. This allows you to earn credit card rewards for your casino play.
- Understand the Odds: Cruise ship casinos often have game variants that favor the house more than land-based casinos. Expect to see rules like blackjack paying 6 to 5 (instead of 3 to 2), roulette with triple zeros, and reduced payouts on slots and video poker machines.
Bottom Line
While earning perks is enjoyable, casino play is not an efficient path to elite status. If you earn one tier credit per $5 wagered on reel slots, you would need to bet $12,500 or $25,000 to reach the first-tier status with Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, respectively, and $500,000 to reach top-tier status in either program. These figures refer to the amount wagered, not the amount won or lost, meaning you can expect to lose a significant amount to reach the top tier.
Ultimately, playing in the casino solely to earn elite benefits is not advisable. Instead, view these programs as a way to get extra rewards from the gaming you already enjoy.
