The free cruise used to be one of the easiest perks to earn for savvy travelers and casino enthusiasts. For a while, the Wyndham Business Earner credit card was a magic key that unlocked a seemingly endless parade of complimentary sailings.
But let’s be honest: those days are behind us. The landscape for scoring your first free cruise has shifted. Gone are the easy wins from simple credit card status matching.
However, all is not lost. It’s all about understanding the new rules of engagement, spending smart time in the onboard casinos, and knowing which cruise lines are eager to welcome casino players.
While the initial hurdle might be higher, it’s absolutely surmountable. And here’s the silver lining: once you land that first free cruise, maintaining a steady flow of complimentary offers becomes remarkably easier.
So, how do you get your foot in the door in this evolving world of cruise casino comps? Here are three strategies to secure your first free cruise:
Leverage Existing Land-Based Casino Status
If you’re already a player at land-based casinos, you might be closer to a free cruise than you think. Major casino loyalty programs have direct partnerships and offer cruise benefits at their higher tiers. This is should be your first avenue to explore.
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Check Your Status with Major Casino Brands:
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MGM Rewards: Recently added a free cruise benefit for members with Gold status.
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Bally Rewards: Once you hit Superstar at Bally’s you get a free cruise with Carnival.
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Penn Entertainment: Free sailings with NCL start at their Preferred tier.
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QUICK TIP: Look out for seasonal promotions during slow periods: Beyond fixed tier benefits, many smaller or more local land-based casinos periodically run special promotions or qualifying periods that award free cruises.
For example, the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City recently ran a promotion where players could earn a free cruise if they earned a reasonable amount of tier credits in a month.
These offers take a bit of legwork to keep track of, and casinos aren’t exactly known for their up-to-date websites. Keep an eye on marketing emails, social media, or inquire with a casino host during your visits.
Ask for a Margaritaville at Sea Offer
If your land-based casino status isn’t quite at the “free cruise” status level yet, don’t worry – you still have a pathway to your first complimentary sailing. Margaritaville at Sea is currently your best option for matching almost any mid-tier status or comp room offer.
As a relatively newer entrant to the cruise market, Margaritaville at Sea is aggressively expanding its casino program and actively working to attract casino players. They are known for being very receptive to matching status and offers from other casinos.
How to Approach Margaritaville at Sea:
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Gather Your Proof: Compile evidence of your current casino status (even if it’s not top-tier) or any comp room offers you’ve received from any land-based casino. Screenshots of your online account showing your tier or photos of mailed comp offers also work.
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Send the Email: Draft an email to their casino department. Clearly state your interest in their casino program and attach your proof of status/offers. Inquire what kind of offers they might be able to extend to you.
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Be Patient and Follow Up: It might take a few days for a response, but their team is generally responsive and eager to onboard new players.
Margaritaville at Sea offers are often for shorter cruises out of Florida, which are perfect for a first-timer to experience a casino cruise and build rapport with an onboard host. Here is one example of an offer you might receive:
The Strategic Last-Minute Discount Cruise
If your land-based casino status isn’t quite there, and Margaritaville at Sea doesn’t come through with an offer, there’s still a viable path to getting your first free cruise: strategically booking a heavily discounted last-minute sailing.
With record-high cruise bookings across the industry, finding these deep discounts now requires more patience and than it used to. However, they are far from extinct.
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When to Look: Keep an eye out for deals during off-peak seasons or times of unpredictable weather. For example, during hurricane season, you can often find plenty of last-minute deals sailing from Florida ports.
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Where to Look: Websites like Cruises.com and Vacations To Go are excellent resources for spotting these types of last-minute offers. Set up alerts or check daily for flash sales.
You Booked Your First Cruise: Now What?
Regardless of which way you get your first free or heavily discounted cruise – the most critical element to securing future comp sailings is your onboard casino play.
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Invest Some Time: More often then not, your initial cruise won’t be your dream vacation setup. Therefore, you can dedicate some hours to gambling in the ship’s casino. This doesn’t mean you have to lose money. It means consistent, measured time at the slots or tables that allows the casino to track your play.
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Unlock Instant Offers: Your play on this first cruise is what will signal to the cruise line’s casino department that you are a valuable player. This can lead to instant offers for future discounted or complimentary cruises even before you disembark.
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Get on the Mailing List: Consistent play will also ensure you get added to the casino’s direct marketing list for future promotions. These are the emails and mailers that you receive weeks or months later for free sailings.
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The Cycle Begins: Once you have offers from one cruise line based on your actual onboard play, you can then use them to match to other cruise lines to expand your pool of potential free cruises.
By playing smart and leveraging these offers the correctly, you’ll soon find yourself with more complimentary cruise opportunities than you know what to do with.