There are several ways that Royal Caribbean passengers can earn free cruises for spending time in the casino. For one thing, they can get an annual free cruise certificate that is based on their earned status level each year.
They can also receive targeted offers in the mail and via email for select sailings, based on their play level, using criteria only the cruise line knows. In full disclosure, this is how I book the majority of my Royal Caribbean cruises.
In addition, cruisers who reach a certain number of gaming points on a single cruise can earn an Instant Certificate that is redeemable for a wide range of sailings. These are especially popular among cruisers for a few reasons.
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First, the lists are made available in advance by Royal Caribbean and can be viewed via QR code as soon as you walk into the casino. So, you can aim for a specific cruise instead of hoping you get what you want in the mail later.
Second, if you make a NextCruise booking before you leave the ship (you don’t need to choose your specific sailing for 30 days), you get additional perks like free play. For example, guests who reach the 4,000-point level get $500 in free play on the cruise they book with the Instant Certificate.
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Royal makes a big change
Previously, Royal Caribbean provided discounts at lower point tiers (such as $100 off any cruise) and a list of free cruises to choose from at higher point tiers. The higher the tier, the better the selection and cabins. For example, the 2,000-point tier might include mostly oceanview cabins, but the 4,000-point tier might include a longer list of cruises, mostly with balcony cabins.
And all of the free cruises were for two people in a cabin – the player and the guest. The only costs that needed to be paid were port fees and taxes. The player who earned the certificate could choose to cruise solo, and simply pay the taxes and fees for themselves.
Now, some of the lower point tiers have two “free cruise” lists. There’s one that includes a selection of free cruises for two, just like has always been available. Then there’s another list that offers a free cruise for one person in a two-person cabin.
To be clear, these offers are essentially BOGO (buy-one-get-one) offers. You’ll pay taxes and port fees for two people but will only pay a cruise fare for one passenger. Unlike with the other list, you can’t simply book the room for one person and get it for free.
As an example, the 1,200-point list for December on 6+ night cruises includes a list of complementary cruises for two that is just over two pages long. Then, there is a list of BOGO cruises that is more than 12 pages in length. All of the offers are for interior or oceanview rooms, depending on the sailing, and as you might expect, the complementary cruise list is mainly off-peak dates and shorter sailings, while the BOGO list has far more variety.
Why did Royal Caribbean makes this change?
Cruisers are angry because the sheet in the casino that offers the QR codes to see the list for each level Instant makes it seem like every tier below 3,000 points is a BOGO offer. That's not the case, as the cruises being offered at the 1,500 and 2,000 points levels are essentially the same as last month's list with better ships and sailings on the BOGO list.
It’s worth noting that the structure of the Instant Certificate lists at the 3,000-point level and higher is unchanged. Those lists are exclusively composed of free cruise offers for two people. The BOGO lists now only appear on the 2,000-point and lower lists. But it’s important to clarify that they are in addition to a complimentary cruise list, not in place of one.
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It’s also worth noting that this change is a positive one for lower-tier gamblers. For example, the 400-point level on shorter cruises formerly got a $100 discount on a future cruise. Now, it has a selection of BOGO cruises available at this relatively achievable point level.
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It’s not clear why Royal decided to make this change. It could be to incentivize loyal gamblers to reach higher point tiers or to encourage gamblers who achieve lower point levels to bring friends who will also potentially gamble or at least pay for their half of the room, just to name a few examples.
What's clear, however, is the way this was presented panicked the cruise line's loyal casino gamblers, who thought they were losing free cruises below the 3,000-point level. (It's also worth noting that there are different lists for sailings under 6 days and those over 6 days).
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