Diamond in a Day - CET Total Rewards - Page 88 - Las Vegas Lifestyle Forum - Las Vegas Entertainment and Living Information

I don't believe it was anything special. Just book a complimentary stay and get a 5000 tier credit bonus. Just looked for it again and the offer is not on my offer calendar any longer, so it's already expired. I get about two to three of these kinds of offers a year, so I assume everyone else does too, because my play isn't too out of line. I normally make two to three trips a year and earn around 5k credits a trip with no slot play ever, so the extra bump in credits helps me not worry about maintaining my tier balance as much when I only get to make two trips.

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07-17-2019 , 08:12 PM

#2177

DUCYdonk

adept

Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 764

Any know if Play To Earn Rewards can take advantage of bonus tier credits?

Eg. Earn 1500 tier credits in these 3 days and get a free cruise. Can you earn 1000 in a day and get the 500 credit and be done?

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07-17-2019 , 10:00 PM

#2178

pig4bill

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 33,766

Dunno, but if you do it, please post a trip report so we know how much is "free" and how much you eventually have to pay for.

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07-17-2019 , 10:02 PM

#2179

Lattimer

I is smart

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 15,463

Really? It's pretty standard that the cabin is free but you pay for everything else (port fees, taxes etc) and in the end it works out to be about 50% off the total cost.

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07-18-2019 , 12:27 AM

#2180

pig4bill

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 33,766

Well I wouldn't have asked if I knew.

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07-18-2019 , 03:36 AM

#2181

DUCYdonk

adept

Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 764

I haven't done one myself but I've seen it before and it depends on what you decide to pay for. The taxes and port fees alone are probably 25% of the cost but if you pay for a better room or various drink packages then you can end up spending a decent amount. I'll try to remember to update after. Gonna be a few months down the road, though.

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07-21-2019 , 01:38 AM

#2182

pig4bill

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 33,766

Don't look now but MGM has the best video poker among the megacorps. No idea how many credits you get per coin-in, so it could still be that CET is better for building comps even with their crappy paytables.

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07-22-2019 , 05:21 AM

#2183

Guy Incognito

old hand

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,888

Yeah, I may have posted this before, but I did a "free" cruise once, that ended up costing around $2K for me and ex-gf, after excursions, drinks and food upgrades (the free food on NCL sucks).

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07-22-2019 , 08:57 AM

#2184

Lattimer

I is smart

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 15,463

Did you not get the drink package or the specialty dining as your add-ons? That cost sounds excessive. When I go I've never spent more than $500/person for my balcony cabin (comes with 2 add-ons), excluding any excursions we choose to do. I've been on 4 in the past 2 years, I love these things.

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07-22-2019 , 09:50 AM

#2185

Mother Mucker

old hand

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,739

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lattimer

Even if you were paying for the cruise, drink packages and specialty dining aren't typically included in the base price (except if the cruise line is offering a promotion including it).

IMO, to say this "free" cruise is a horrible deal because you have to pay for drinks and specialty dining isn't really fair.

But yeah, drink costs do add up.

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07-22-2019 , 11:09 AM

#2186

Lattimer

I is smart

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 15,463

When you book with NCL, most cabins will come with 1-2 add-ons that you choose from. Some are completely free, some you pay a little for. Like the specialty dining, you pay the gratuity only (about $6/person/dinner), or the drink package you pay the week's gratuity (about $140/person). These were included in my $500 quote FWIW as those are usually what I choose. My typical bill (per person):

$0 - balcony cabin
$140 - drink package
$20 - 3 specialty dinners
$170 - port fees/taxes
$140 - admin fees
$100 - prepaid gratuities

Total - $570. Ok, so closer to $600, but still.

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07-22-2019 , 03:44 PM

#2187

DUCYdonk

adept

Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 764

I kinda feel like this is complaining because my friends gave me 'free' tickets to a baseball game but I still had to pay for parking, the hot dog, and the beer. I feel like they're pretty honest that it just means you get the cabin rate for free.

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07-22-2019 , 04:10 PM

#2188

NTellier85

grinder

Join Date: Feb 2017 Posts: 450

Wait, do Diamond holders get this "free" cruise or are we talking about 7 Star?

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07-22-2019 , 04:22 PM

#2189

Lattimer

I is smart

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 15,463

7 Stars are guaranteed one. I'm not 7 Star but get mine based on play.

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07-22-2019 , 09:28 PM

#2190

pig4bill

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 33,766

Quote:

Originally Posted by NTellier85

Wait, do Diamond holders get this "free" cruise or are we talking about 7 Star?

It's related to a question above. I think there's a promo where if you get 1500tc in 3 days you get this "free" cruise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lattimer

Yeow, so that's what I would probably pay (minus the drink package) to be trapped on a free cruise with a bunch of people I don't like?

(If you couldn't tell, I'm not a "cruise guy". Never wanted to go on one, just curious because of the promo, but only if it were really free.)

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07-23-2019 , 11:53 AM

#2191

Gzesh

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 7,643

Quote:

Originally Posted by pig4bill

It's related to a question above. I think there's a promo where if you get 1500tc in 3 days you get this "free" cruise.

Yeow, so that's what I would probably pay (minus the drink package) to be trapped on a free cruise with a bunch of people I don't like?

(If you couldn't tell, I'm not a "cruise guy". Never wanted to go on one, just curious because of the promo, but only if it were really free.)

I'm not a cruise guy either. Aside from everything else, it has always sounded less attractive than going to a resort destination directly, with multiple locations, dining options, other activities available and competing for your patronage.

When I lived on Antigua, above Dickenson Bay, cruise ships docked in St. John a few times per week. I would vastly prefer the ocean view from the beach and less-hurried activities on land than what I saw "cruisers" get during 4 hours of shore leave.

(Onshore, the rum was literally free if you bought a coke at the bar, "Lashings", right down the beach)

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07-23-2019 , 12:10 PM

#2192

Lattimer

I is smart

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 15,463

different strokes for different folks

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07-23-2019 , 11:57 PM

#2193

wonderwes

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 3,732

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mother Mucker

I'm an idiot with this stuff....after you get the Hilton card, how exactly do you get the Wyndham Diamond? Is that on-line or do you have to go stay at a Wyndham property?

Quote:

Originally Posted by NTellier85

Thanks for this. I just did it.

Opened a Hilton CC at the beginning of this week. Matched to Wyndham Diamond. And matched to Caesars Diamond and am now Diamond and wont have to pay the resort fees for a ton of hotel stays I have coming up with Caesars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DUCYdonk

There's a lot of talk about FC in here and playing VP to get to Diamond. The fastest/cheapest way to do it is to get Hilton Gold (can be done with any of a number of $95/yr cards), turn that into Wyndham Diamond (match), and turn that into TR Diamond.

If someone travels a lot, then paying the $550 to get Amex Platinum is another way to do it, but that's a pretty hefty annual fee (well worth it if you travel).

Either way, this is something that can be done for less than $100 in a single day.

Now, again, that doesn't impact your ADT and if you want to get good free rooms you're gonna have to run some money through the casino occasionally, but just getting the Caesars Diamond is fast/easy/cheap.

This thread made me find a good website, statusmatcher.com. Gives good reports of what gets accepted and denied for status match. If I am reading this correctly Hilton Gold > Wyndham Platinum > Caesar's TR Diamond. However for certain statuses to stick, you need to stay several nights to keep it. Thats what Im having trouble calculating. The rewards status that always there, or ones you have to qualify to maintain to keep.

Appears for credit card options, there is the Hilton Amex to get you gold status or the Wyndham VISA to get you Platinum status. I would prob pick the Hilton over the Wyndham card.

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07-24-2019 , 03:10 AM

#2194

pig4bill

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 33,766

I don't see anywhere where Wyndham Plat gets matched to CET Diamond. I see Plat for Plat or Diamond for Diamond.

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07-24-2019 , 03:21 AM

#2195

Guy Incognito

old hand

Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,888

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lattimer

We really didn't drink that much, and the dining stuff kind of hit us unprepared (always heard about how great cruise food was; apparently these people never took NCL), but why would you exclude excursions from your calculation? That easily cost the most. We did rafting, tubing, kayaking, parasailing, etc and that **** adds up quick.

I'm also including our flights from ATL, unless you live within driving distance of a port (I don't consider 6+ hours driving distance).

Last edited by Guy Incognito; 07-24-2019 at 03:28 AM.

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07-24-2019 , 01:23 PM

#2196

Lattimer

I is smart

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 15,463

Well sure that's going to add up, but I consider that a voluntary expense, and it's also going to be very different for each person. Sometimes I don't do any excursions at all. I was listing the "mandatory" expenses (for me, the drink package is mandatory

). But also 1 of the add-ons is excursion credits, which you could choose in lieu of the drink package or specialty dining, and that helps a little.

Last edited by Lattimer; 07-24-2019 at 01:32 PM.

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07-25-2019 , 02:01 PM

#2197

DUCYdonk

adept

Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 764

Quote:

Originally Posted by pig4bill

I don't see anywhere where Wyndham Plat gets matched to CET Diamond. I see Plat for Plat or Diamond for Diamond.

You're right, but his plan still works. You can go Hilton Gold > Wyndham Diamond > CET Diamond. Ideally you'd do this in the first half of the year and not now because it lasts till Jan 31, but the plan works and is easy to do.

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07-25-2019 , 04:01 PM

#2198

Nbuck84

banned

Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 90

Does anybody know if the diamond card gives you free access to fitness centers?

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07-25-2019 , 05:45 PM

#2199

ZenRabbit

grinder

Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 529

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nbuck84

Does anybody know if the diamond card gives you free access to fitness centers?

Yes, it does.

However, it doesn’t give access to all spas.

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07-25-2019 , 06:53 PM

#2200

Nbuck84

banned

Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 90

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenRabbit

Yes, it does.

However, it doesn’t give access to all spas.

The Rio fitness center would be all I need.

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