If you’re the kind of cruise passenger who loves finding generous discounts, you might want to take a moment before reading this next sentence.
You’ve almost certainly sailed alongside passengers who have been invited to sail for free, lured onboard simply because they tend to visit casinos.
Cruise lines are notoriously tight-lipped about precisely what might prompt them to extend passengers an offer for a free cruise (port fees and taxes still must be paid), but it’s happening.
How to get a free cruise by gambling
“It’s 100 percent about the spend. These free trips are offered to people the cruise lines see spending money in the casino,” says cruise expert Gary Bembridge, who founded the Tips for Travellers blog and has more than 443,000 subscribers for his YouTube channel.
Bembridge regularly comes across passengers who’ve received this type of invitation. “On my last Holland America cruise, there was a group of 180 players who’d been invited on the sailing by the cruise line,” he says.
Almost every cruise line with onboard casinos already runs a loyalty program that could translate into future invitations. For example, in Royal Caribbean’s Club Royale scheme, passengers earn one point for every $5 spent on slot machines and every $10 spent on video poker machines, and the line offers perks, including complimentary future cruises, for gamblers who reach 100,000 points.
That would obviously require large sums of spending to qualify, but even if you’re not expecting to hit targets like that to earn free cruises through loyalty scheme channels, cruise lines might still invite you to sail anyway because of your general spending habits. Joining loyalty programs is still considered essential because it brings routine gamers to the cruise lines’ attention.
“The free cabin is definitely what gets us onboard,” says Texas-based Heather Renea, who takes about 5 cruises a year and is regularly offered complimentary cruises outside of loyalty points plans.
Renea isn’t exactly your average cruise ship gambler—she regularly spends $100,000 in onboard casinos during a single cruise—but many of the casino-loving cruise passengers we spoke to, including those who regularly receive invitations for free cabins, say invitations for free cruises aren’t necessarily reserved for the biggest of spenders.
Simply being a regular cruiser on a given cruise line may be enough to put you on the radar for freebies.
“You're not going to get an invite from a cruise line unless you've sailed with them before,” says Tampa-based casino fan Jim Daley, who takes 5 cruises annually (mostly with Princess and Holland America) and who says he is often contacted by cruise lines with offers of free sailings.
Another tip? Never underestimate how closely your gambling behavior is being watched.
“You're only as good as your last cruise, so if you don't play, or you play a lot less, offers for free cruises will stop,” says Daley.
Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson Stephanie Cardelle would not reveal specifics about what it takes to earn an invitation with her line, but several passengers we spoke to say they have received invites for complimentary cruises on NCL even though they didn’t hit the formal spending targets of its Casinos at Sea program.
“We deploy a wide range of offers to guests at all levels of the playing spectrum,” Cardelle said.
Cardelle advises regular gamblers to make sure they introduce themselves to the right people at the cruise line: “Guests are able to call the reservations department and speak to casino specialists who can outline any available offers.”
Land-based gambling may help earn free cruises
TipsforTravellers’s Bembridge believes that spending in land-based casinos can be a factor, too.
“Cruise lines will entice players with free cruises if they also have certain statuses with gambling loyalty programs in places such as Las Vegas,” says Bembridge. “Some lines are certainly more active in this regard—examples include Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess, and Holland America.
NCL’s Cardelle confirmed that the her line weighs gamblers’ habits outside of cruising. “Norwegian Cruise Line partners with hundreds of independent casinos around the world—ones such as Caesars, PENN, and many more—to provide cruise invitations.”
Just how much money would a person have to wager at the tables in order to make it back in the form of a “free” cruise?
“It’s generally a dark art when it comes to free cruises for gamblers,” says John Scott, founder of the Cruises with Friends blog. “It all seems to be a bit random. I have a friend who hasn’t sailed with Royal Caribbean for 14 months but is getting regular offers for free cruises.”
Scott says Carnival seems to be more active with its invitations than other lines. “I’ve got another friend who has only sailed with Carnival Cruise Lines three times but who typically spends around $1,000 a day in the casino, and [they receive] weekly offers for free cruises.”
Getting noticed by the cruise lines for free cruises
Tampa-based casino fan Jim Daley believes a tactical approach is important.
“Your ADT (average daily theoretical) is key,” says Daley. This refers to the mathematical formula cruise lines use to predict how much money passengers will offload each day, irrespective of whether Lady Luck shows up. “Basically, the time spent playing is important,” says Jim. “So is the game. If you pick low volatility slots, or machines which offer lower payouts but which pay out more frequently, you can get great perks after spending just a few hundred dollars.”
Some high rollers who are eager to be invited will even go so far as to present cruise lines with a summary of their past casino spending. Organisations such as Casino Players Club (CPL), which makes its money by earning commissions paid out by cruise lines and casinos when CPL sends big spenders their way, are even willing to carry out the negotiations for free.
“Numerous cruise lines allow guests to present their gaming history and will determine if they’re willing to offer perks,” says Dr. Lee Heller, CEO of CPL. “But approaching all the cruise lines is a lot of work. One option is to use an independent agent—such as Casino Players Club—for the legwork.”
Still, the freebies-for-gamblers trend may be waning.
“Post-Covid, cruise lines were desperate to get people back onboard, and casinos were making tremendous offers, including to those who wouldn't normally qualify,” Heller says. “But cruise lines are starting to reduce these offers because cruise sales are so strong.”
But for now, even though it's not the most economical way to cruise for less, regular gamers are still being invited.
Are you feeling lucky?
