Frequent cruisers tend to be familiar with the idea of a loyalty scheme that rewards them for booking again, but the casino floor often runs a parallel programme that works to its own rules. Norwegian Cruise Line is a good example.
Alongside its general Latitudes Rewards scheme sits Casinos At Sea Rewards, a programme built around how much you play rather than how often you sail. It has one feature that sets it apart from most rivals, too, which is that your play counts across more than one cruise line. If you plan to spend time in the casino on an NCL sailing, it is worth getting to grips with how the points add up.
What Casinos At Sea Rewards Players Club Offers
Photo thanks to Norwegian Cruise Line
The thinking behind Casinos At Sea Rewards is the same as any casino loyalty scheme, which is play more, earn more and unlock a better spread of benefits as you go. Where Norwegian does something a little different is in letting you earn and use points across three sister brands, which are Norwegian Cruise Line itself, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
The rewards on offer run from onboard credit and waived fees through to internet packages, drinks and priority casino embarkation, with the more valuable perks reserved for the upper tiers. Joining costs nothing and happens automatically once you start playing, though you do need to be at least 21 to take part.
The Four Tiers
Casinos At Sea Rewards keeps its structure tidy, with four levels in total:
- Pearl
- Sapphire
- Ruby
- Elite
How You Earn Points
Getting your play recorded is simple. You use your room key at the slots and tables and the points accumulate from there. The rates are as follows:
- Reel Slots: 1 point for every $5 you wager
- Video Poker: 1 point for every $10 you wager
- Table Games: based on your average bet, your session play or hands played, and the type of game
Do note that a selection of machines and table games will not earn points at all, so it is worth checking with a host if you want every spin to count. Points you earn stay on your account for 18 months if you do not redeem them, which gives you the option of saving them for a future cruise rather than spending them on the current one.
A Closer Look at the Tiers
Photo thanks to Norwegian Cruise Line
Your tier is decided by the points you earn within an evaluation period, which runs annually from the first of April until the 31st of March. Everyone resets to zero each first of April and the points you bank across the year determine your status for the following year. You can be bumped up mid-year if your play warrants it, but the headline thresholds are these:
Pearl
Pearl is reached by earning 4,000 points during the evaluation period. It opens the door to the programme proper, letting you redeem points for play, transfer points from ship to ship and apply points against charges on your final bill, along with a stateroom discount and exclusive offers and invitations.
Sapphire
Sapphire calls for 15,000 points in the evaluation period. The benefits grow accordingly, with examples including a waived convenience fee of up to $600, $200 in non-refundable onboard credit and 120 minutes of internet, sitting on top of the perks you already hold as a Pearl member.
Ruby
Ruby is achieved at 35,000 points. This is where the package starts to earn its keep, with a convenience fee waiver of up to $1,000, $400 in onboard credit, an unlimited internet package for one device, waived cash advance fees of up to $650 and a behind-the-scenes ship tour for the member.
Elite
Elite sits at the summit, requiring 100,000 points in a single evaluation period. It carries the most generous version of nearly every benefit, including a convenience fee waiver of up to $1,500, $1,000 in onboard credit, unlimited internet across two devices, waived cash advance fees of up to $1,000 and a behind-the-scenes tour for the member plus a guest. The upper tiers also bring perks such as an unlimited drinks package, a shore excursion credit and waived service charges, with the exact line-up improving as you climb.
Things Worth Bearing in Mind
Photo thanks to Norwegian Cruise Line
A few details are worth keeping in view before you start playing in earnest. First, the points that decide your tier and the points you redeem are governed by their own rules and bonus or adjusted points do not count towards tier evaluation. Guests booked through Norwegian’s Friends and Family programme are also excluded from tier benefits, which is easy to overlook if someone else made the booking.
Redemption has its own quirks, too. Pearl members and above can redeem points for spa treatments, speciality dining, slot and table play or charges off the final bill, but redemptions are handled on the last day of the cruise within a set window, so it is not something you can leave to the last minute on disembarkation morning. The onboard credit at every tier is non-refundable, which means it has to be spent rather than cashed out, and the headline benefit amounts come with their own conditions around sailing length and the number of guests in the stateroom.
As with any casino scheme, it is worth remembering why these perks exist. The drinks, the credit and the free internet are all there to keep you at the machines and the House Edge is working against you the whole time you play. The benefits are a pleasant return on play you were happy to do regardless, not a reason in themselves to keep wagering.
Points to Paradise
Running alongside the main rewards programme is a separate initiative called Points to Paradise, which deserves a mention because it is aimed at your next holiday rather than your current one. The idea is to turn the play you do on this cruise into credit towards a future Norwegian sailing. Build up enough points and the rewards range from $250 and $500 off your next cruise all the way through to a complimentary cruise fare. You sort it out by visiting the host desk whilst onboard or by contacting Casinos At Sea directly.
The catches here are important and they are exactly the sort of thing it pays to read before you assume a cruise is free. You need to be a qualified player aged 21 or over with verifiable ratings, the reward applies to new reservations only and you have to book within 60 days and then sail within a year of receiving the offer. The complimentary cruise fare covers sailings of 3 to 14 nights and has to be booked through Casinos At Sea rather than in the usual way.
Most significantly, a complimentary cruise fare is not the same as a free cruise. You remain responsible for an administration fee of $20 per person per day, plus government taxes, port expenses and fees, none of which are trivial on a longer sailing. Add those up and a ‘free’ week at sea still carries a decent cost, so it is worth doing the sums before you decide that chasing the reward is worth the play it takes to get there.
A final note for those of you that are somewhat maths-minded: because the credit is tied to verifiable play, the value of any Points to Paradise offer reflects how much you have wagered, so the bigger rewards only come to those who have already put a great deal through the casino.