I don't gamble, but I used a casino status match to get a cheap cruise
As I sat on my balcony looking at the Rock of Gibraltar in the distance, I couldn't believe I'd paid just $72 per night for me and my husband to take a 14-night transatlantic cruise.
Like many other passengers I talked to during the crossing, I'd booked my cheap cruise through a Carnival Players Club offer. My specific offer gave me a "free" balcony room, $50 of casino credit and complimentary drinks while playing in the casino.
But unlike many passengers who booked Carnival Players Club offers, I hadn't gambled my way to a cruise. Instead, I'd used a chain of status matches to get casino status and sign up for a Carnival Fun Match. Then, I obsessively checked the Fun Match cruise offers until I found one I couldn't resist.
Read on to learn how I did it and how you can, too.
How I got casino status without gambling
To get a Carnival Fun Match, I needed to submit proof of status in another casino's players club or loyalty program.
I have Caesars Rewards Diamond status, but I don't believe I've ever gambled at a Caesars casino — although I have earned reward credits on hotel stays, shopping and dining in Las Vegas. The truth is my activity with Caesars is far too limited to have earned Diamond status with the program. Instead, I have Caesars Diamond status via a match from Wyndham Rewards Diamond status.
You can earn Wyndham Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year if you stay with Wyndham for at least 40 qualifying nights in a calendar year. However, the Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card offers automatic Wyndham Diamond status for as long as you have the card.
I initially held Wyndham Diamond status through a series of status matches that are no longer available, but after using my Wyndham status for the Carnival Fun Match, my status expired. Now, I hold Diamond status as a Wyndham Business cardholder.
The information for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Caesars now requires you to "have earned Tier Status with your current loyalty program in order for your status to be matched." But Diamond status from holding the Wyndham Business card counts as an earned status to match to Caesars Rewards.
To summarize, I got Wyndham Diamond status via a no-longer-available status match — but you can still get it by holding the Wyndham Business card. Then, I matched this status to Caesars Rewards online. In previous years, it has taken a few weeks for my match to go through, but this year, it took about a month.
Leveraging status matches
With Caesars Diamond status in hand, it was time to request a Carnival Fun Match in the hopes of scoring a free or cheap cruise.
You can register for the Carnival Players Club Fun Match program if you are 21 or older and a legal resident of one of the 50 U.S. states or Washington, D.C. Once you do so, you won't get elite status, but you might get discounted cruise offers. Even if you already are a member of Carnival Cruise Line's VIFP Club loyalty program, you can still register for a Fun Match.
To register, you'll need to input your VIFP Club number and email; if you don't have a VIFP account, you can create one. Either way, check the box for "I would like to receive emails for special offers and/or information from Carnival" to get offers in your inbox.
I submitted proof of my Caesars Rewards Diamond status by taking photos of both sides of my physical Caesars Diamond card I'd picked up in Las Vegas. If I had more casino statuses, I could have uploaded more than just one and might have gotten better offers. You'll likely get better offers if you go that route and submit proof of status with other casino loyalty programs.
Related: How to earn free cruises and perks with casino loyalty programs on land and at sea
Carnival Fun Match offers
Once you register for a Carnival Players Club Fun Match, you might see offers via email within a week. However, some travelers have reported registering for Fun Match and only receiving discounted cruise offers. You might go through all the effort of status matching and still not get any offers for a "free" cruise.
When I wrote this story, the Carnival Fun Match website said travelers who register will get "drinks included + upgrades + $50 to spend in the casino." You should get at least whichever offer is currently on the Fun Match registration page.
Otherwise, there are no rules or official guidance regarding the types of Fun Match offers you might receive or how long you might receive offers. Each offer you let expire could be the last offer you see. Once you book a Fun Match offer, the flow of offers into your email inbox will likely end ... at least, until you've gone on your cruise and Carnival has assessed your level of play in its onboard casino.
I started getting Fun Match emails in my inbox within a week of registering in January 2022. Until I booked a Fun Match offer in March 2023, I got one to four emails with Fun Match offers per week.
Some Fun Match offers were for cruises starting at $55 per person, per day (plus taxes, fees and gratuities), based on double occupancy. With these offers, I could have gotten complimentary drinks in the casino and bonus cash from Carnival based on how many points I accrued in the casino during my cruise. For reference, you'll earn 1 point for every $2.50 you wager through slot machines.
Other offers included a "free" cruise with complimentary drinks in the casino and a $50 FunPlay credit. Some offers even included balcony rooms, although these were more limited than ocean-view rooms, which in turn were more limited than windowless inside rooms.
A "free" cruise, mind you, isn't really free. You'll still need to pay a deposit (which you'll get back in onboard credits), plus taxes, fees and gratuities.
After a while, I forgot about the Fun Match offers, as they got hidden in the Promotions tab of my inbox. But once I rediscovered them in late 2022, I checked my cruise offers daily.
You might find hundreds of offers when you click through to see the eligible cruises for a specific offer. Most are usually for cruises to the Caribbean, the Bahamas or Mexico in inside cabins. You can filter by cruise destination, departure port, length of cruise and sail date.
You can select an ocean-view room, balcony or suite if they're available for the sailing, but you will often need to pay more to upgrade to these room types.
Carnival is not in the business of giving away free cruises if it believes it could sell them for more. The best Fun Match deals will likely be on shoulder-season sailings, last-minute cruises and other itineraries that are unlikely to sell out. Don't expect to find a "free" offer on a popular Christmas cruise or a summer cruise on the line's newest ship.
With this understanding, my husband and I decided that if we were going to accept a Fun Match offer, we wanted a "free" balcony cabin on a transatlantic, transpacific or Panama Canal full transit cruise. We had high hopes and were willing to risk not booking an offer for the chance to book one of these extended cruises with a balcony.
After a few months of daily checks, we saw a Fun Match "free" cruise offer for an April 2024 transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Port Canaveral (near Orlando) in a balcony cabin. This offer perfectly fit our criteria — a balcony cabin on a transatlantic cruise — so we booked it with a $200 deposit before it disappeared. After all, months of searching had taught me that offers can go away quickly.
As you can see, our "free" cruise wasn't free. But even after the $391 in taxes and fees and $406 in prepaid gratuities, we got a great deal on our transatlantic voyage. It cost just $36 per person, per night — and that included meals in the ship's multiple complimentary restaurants, onboard entertainment and transportation across the Atlantic.
Plus, about six months before our cruise, a Chase Offer appeared for Carnival that let us get some cash back while paying for the remainder of our cruise cost.
Related: I earned a 'free' cruise in a ship casino — here's what it cost, plus tips for getting comped
Was it worth it?
The Carnival Fun Match was worth it for me. I enjoyed our extended cruise on Carnival Glory and would certainly book another casino offer. It takes patience and stubbornness to wait for the perfect offer that might never come, but I was happy we waited to use my Fun Match offer for a balcony cabin on a 14-night transatlantic cruise.
Once on board, I felt no pressure to gamble despite cruising on a casino offer. You could theoretically never visit the cruise ship casino while sailing on a Fun Match cruise. But since my husband and I had complimentary drinks when playing in the casino as part of our Fun Match offer, we did spend some time at Carnival Glory's Camel Club Casino. I stuck to 1-cent slots, ended up about even and enjoyed a few hard seltzers most evenings.
My limited casino play was enough. I've now started getting new "free" inside cabin cruise offers from Carnival Players Club and am considering booking another cruise if I find the right offer. Panama Canal, here we come!
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
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Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.