If you had suggested two years ago that we were going to be frequent cruisers, we would have laughed. Never having gone on a cruise because we assumed that we could never afford one (wouldn’t enjoy being stuck on a ship with all of those people, wouldn’t like the food, etc.), we had no plans to book a cruise. As luck would have it, all of that changed, when I (Jenni) saw a Cyber Monday cruise deal that made me think to myself that maybe we could do a cruise for Annabelle’s senior trip.
Amazingly, Justin agreed (it took a little urging, but he eventually decided it was too good of an offer to pass on)! I ended up booking an ocean view cabin for four on the Carnival Paradise and we broke the news to Annabelle and Samuel that they were going on a cruise to Mexico with us over spring break.
If you know me, you know that I enjoy gambling. To be honest, I could probably get in trouble by gambling too much if I wasn’t careful, but as it is, I like to go to the casino once or twice a year and drop a hundred or two (seriously that is my max). Justin helps keep me in check and when I win “big”, he walks me right out of the casino before I gamble it all away! Anyway, being on a cruise ship where I had pretty much 24/7 casino access was certainly an exciting thing for me. 😂 Fun fact: Our favorite land-based casino is Boot Hill Casino in Dodge City, Kansas.
As per usual when Justin and I go to a casino, he gets bored with it much more quickly than I do. This might have something to do with the fact that he always tends to run out of money faster than me. Well, our stay on the Paradise was no exception and I spent many hours in the casino by myself. By the end of the 4-day cruise, I had over 1500 points and had only spent $140 of my own money. Did I ever hit a jackpot? No! But I won enough here and there that it allowed me to keep playing the entire cruise.
Now, imagine my surprise when a few weeks after getting home, I received an offer from Carnival for a “FREE” interior cabin (taxes and port fees not included), $200 in onboard credit (aka free “spending/gambling” money) and free drinks in the casino for both of us. I joked a little about being a high roller, but in reality I was far from it. However, Justin and I had both really enjoyed our first cruise so we jumped on the offer and booked another cruise for November of that same year. Justin also got casino offers, but they paled in comparison to mine.
The second cruise we took was on the Carnival Freedom. Having done a little reading on the Carnival Players Club since our last cruise, I was convinced that I could “earn” us another “free” cruise by spending plenty of time in the casino. Well, apparently I was right because I amassed over 2000 points AND got all sorts of coupons and freebies (like a free Carnival photo album, spa discounts, and more). Again, I didn’t win big, but I kept winning just enough to keep me going all cruise long.
As soon as we got off this cruise, we knew we just had to go again! This time, however, we decided we would take all four of the kids with us AND invite Justin’s mom and sister. Since between us and the kids we have too many people to fit in one cabin, this meant that Justin and I each had to book a cabin. Again, I had a “free” interior cabin but I also had a whopping $500 in OBC (onboard credit) and free drinks in the casino. Justin had a decent discount off his cabin and amazingly had $500 in OBC as well! This meant that between the two of us we had $1000 in spending money that we could use toward excursions, shopping on the ship, or casino play.
Well, I spent some time in the casino as usual this cruise trying to “win” us another cruise and Justin spent through his money and was done. Unfortunately, I wasn’t having my usual luck and ended up only getting just over 500 points. I had one decent win of $90.
Not sure if my luck has run out, but I’m really hoping not. Samuel was the big winner this trip, as he won the ticket jackpot in the arcade! I sure hope he didn’t steal my luck away from me. 😂 Samuel has the same draw to gambling as I do… hopefully he can keep it reined in as he grows up! (I noticed that he was listening with great interest while a fellow cruiser talked about how he has over 30 cruises booked for next year already… and that they are all free because he earns them in the casino!)
Justin and I are already booked for our next cruise on the Carnival Firenze in March. It is for another “free” cabin and free drinks in the casino, but no OBC. I am hoping my luck turns back around on this next cruise so those amazing offers keep coming in! 🍀🎰🎲
Practice responsible gambling. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, reach out for help: https://www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/
