dswallow Posted July 14, 2021 Report Share Posted July 14, 2021 I'm told it was announced today that Royal Caribbean will phase out distributing Crystal Blocks to Crown & Anchor members at 70-point milestones and will allow the current inventory to deplete. They claim 60% of them were being left behind in the cabin. Well, I say that would be a cost saving measure to be able to give people a benefit then recycle them for others. Anyway, they're apparently also trying to figure out what to replace it with, like a mention at the top tier event or perhaps a printed certificate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbeyg Posted July 14, 2021 Report Share Posted July 14, 2021 That makes me sad. We would have gotten one on Odyssey. I would never leave a crystal block in the cabin. Neesa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barjpoe Posted July 14, 2021 Report Share Posted July 14, 2021 We were working to get one on Odyssey in April, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 14, 2021 Report Share Posted July 14, 2021 It's true: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2021/07/14/royal-caribbeans-customer-loyalty-program-changes-whats-temporary-and-whats-here-stay Neesa and JRT 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSBrockman Posted July 14, 2021 Report Share Posted July 14, 2021 What frustrates me is hearing that 60% of the people who receive the block leave them behind on the ship. That number completely baffles me. I can say on the June back to back, I tried to get my block from the Loyalty and Ambassador but he told me I didn’t qualify for one until my next sailing after I cross the milestone points (which is completely wrong). I think there were some lazy Loyalty Ambassadors not distributing the blocks and letting corporate “think” people weren’t taking them. Just my opinion. This is one of the perks that “made Royal feel Royal,” and now it’s gone. Very sad today… columbus_cruiser, Lovetocruise2002 and WAAAYTOOO 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda R Posted July 14, 2021 Report Share Posted July 14, 2021 I have 3 blocks. All were delivered to our cabin. I probably qualified for more but didn't realize it at the time. I would never leave one on the ship. Wish I could get more, but that's ok. Am curious what they will replace it with? How about an onboard credit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 14, 2021 Report Share Posted July 14, 2021 1 hour ago, GSBrockman said: I tried to get my block from the Loyalty and Ambassador but he told me I didn’t qualify for one until my next sailing after I cross the milestone points (which is completely wrong). I was under the impression that you get it in your cabin the night you hit the number of points required? Not that it matters at this point. I am really sad too today.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinghawg Posted July 14, 2021 Report Share Posted July 14, 2021 Figures just when we were to get out first one in Dec. Oh well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 3 hours ago, GSBrockman said: What frustrates me is hearing that 60% of the people who receive the block leave them behind on the ship. That number completely baffles me. The number is high, but I totally believe it. It's heavy, and for anyone flying it can be an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 As silly as it sounds the crystal block was an active component of my cruise planning. My spreadsheet has a block column that has conditional highlighting rules that automatically indicate if a block was going to be earned on that sailing. It doesn't take much to get me to book a cruise and I may have booked cruises in between others or I might have upgraded to a suite to influence where my blocks landed. With the blocks out of the picture it frees me from the crystal block game. That includes making the playing field more level for other cruise lines. Reduced capacity for 2021 makes it a great time to play the field. cruisellama, VoidoftheSeas, J_Keeble and 1 other 1 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 31 minutes ago, Matt said: The number is high, but I totally believe it. It's heavy, and for anyone flying it can be an issue. I once flew home from England with an entire tea set in my carry on. Guarded it with my life lol. I would gladly do the same for glass blocks! WAAAYTOOO and Neesa 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 Well well. starbrat, dswallow, Lovetocruise2002 and 5 others 1 1 1 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dswallow Posted July 15, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 10 minutes ago, twangster said: As silly as it sounds the crystal block was an active component of my cruise planning. My spreadsheet has a block column that has conditional highlighting rules that automatically indicate if a block was going to be earned on that sailing. It doesn't take much to get me to book a cruise and I may have booked cruises in between others or I might have upgraded to a suite to influence where my blocks landed. With the blocks out of the picture it frees me from the crystal block game. That includes making the playing field more level for other cruise lines. Reduced capacity for 2021 makes it a great time to play the field. You are not alone doing that. On the other hand with double points it gets a little silly. cruisellama, SebagoSue, twangster and 1 other 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbeyg Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 12 minutes ago, twangster said: Well well. I don’t typically quote pics, but WOOHOO!!!!!!!! WAAAYTOOO and twangster 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 Flashbacks of the $18 DX debacle! Thank goodness Royal came back around on this one! WAAAYTOOO, twangster, barbeyg and 1 other 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbeyg Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 It is funny how the smallest of things can lift the spirits. Thanks, @twangsterfor sharing. Made my day! KristiZ and twangster 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 I assume they got a bit more negative feedback on that move than they expected Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 I'm betting some within the executives offices received exactly the feedback they expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbeyg Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 Maybe they had no idea how much some of their cruisers are attached to those crystal blocks. And I’m thankful they were willing to reconsider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising With JT Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 Yay!!! I want my crystal block!!! Haven't yet got one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising With JT Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 Do they start at Diamond and above? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 52 minutes ago, dswallow said: You are not alone doing that. On the other hand with double points it gets a little silly. My spreadsheet uses a formula to write the word Block into a cell and then conditional formatting rules makes it appear or disappear. My points column looks at cruise duration and depending on cabin type and date relative to the dates of the double points promo it automatically calculates the bonus multiplier. When they extended the date of the double points promo i just corrected one cell and all my new blocks updated. It also colors my points background to match the CAS color at each level. If I insert or remove a cruise it recalculates the block projection automatically. I also note the deposit type and if I applied an FCC so I know to be careful with that booking. It also calculates the price per night and price per C&A point then applies a color background based on fixed price ranges. The greener it is the better the deal it is. I may have a problem. cdixon22, starbrat, AshleyDillo and 8 others 1 2 1 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 13 minutes ago, Cruising With JT said: Do they start at Diamond and above? Starting at 140 and every 70 thereafter. CruisingOz and Neesa 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dswallow Posted July 15, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 9 minutes ago, twangster said: I may have a problem. Yeah. My spreadsheet does that as well, but I wanted it to also show the point level just to make it a little easier in my head to look at what may shift if I add something in the middle. I do just manually enter the expected points for each sailing in my spreadsheet, though. #firstworldproblems twangster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PG Cruiser Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 Pardon me, but what’s on the block? Is it the ship you’re on or is it a generic ship? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 15 minutes ago, twangster said: I may have a problem. Not really. This is typical bot behavior. You’re good Ampurp85, Lovetocruise2002, twangster and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dswallow Posted July 15, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 8 minutes ago, PG Cruiser said: Pardon me, but what’s on the block? Is it the ship you’re on or is it a generic ship? It's a drawing of the ship class you're on plus the name of the ship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisK2793 Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 21 minutes ago, twangster said: Starting at 140 and every 70 thereafter. So if after our Symphony cruise in October we have 125 points ……. And after our Odyssey cruise over Thanksgiving we’d have 157 points ……. Does that mean we get a block on Odyssey? Or would we have to wait and get a block on Mariner in December? I’m hoping the answer is that we get an Odyssey block LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PG Cruiser Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 9 minutes ago, dswallow said: It's a drawing of the ship class you're on plus the name of the ship. So you get it on whatever ship you’re on when you get the required points? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 11 minutes ago, PG Cruiser said: Pardon me, but what’s on the block? Is it the ship you’re on or is it a generic ship? Each block has a hologram of that ship class and the name of the ship. barbeyg, KristiZ, Neesa and 5 others 2 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 8 minutes ago, ChrisK2793 said: So it after our symphony cruise in October we have 125 points ……. And after our Odyssey cruise over Thanksgiving we’d have 157 points ……. Does that mean we get a block on Odyssey? Or would we have to wait and get a block on Mariner in December? I’m hoping the answer is that we get an Odyssey block LOL You SHOULD get your block on the cruise during which you attain 140 points, so that would be OY. You may have to go and beg for it but that’s when you should get it. twangster, ChrisK2793 and Neesa 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koepper Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 Now we can only hope they continue to listen to the people and bring back the tuxedo rental perk too!!! Jill, Poolside, Sharla and 5 others 1 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseGus Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 28 minutes ago, Cruising With JT said: Yay!!! I want my crystal block!!! Haven't yet got one. maybe one at Diamond+ but the its a long way to pinnicle Cruising With JT 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 Unlike leveling up to the next level which only occurs once the cruise ends and the points post to your account, blocks are awarded on the ship where you will cross a threshold. In the past they didn't always factor in bonus multipliers for solo or suites so I always stopped by the Loyalty Ambassador's desk to inquire and make sure they know I'm due a block. ChrisK2793, WAAAYTOOO, cruisellama and 1 other 2 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PG Cruiser Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 11 minutes ago, twangster said: Unlike leveling up to the next level which only occurs once the cruise ends and the points post to your account, blocks are awarded on the ship where you will cross a threshold. I’ve twisted the arm of C&A Ambassadors to give me my pin on the sailing where I got to a new level. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 Sometimes, because of how slow points post to your account, if you did B2B or S2S near a threshold you might "accidentally" get a block twice or blocks from two ships. The first ship shows you are due for a block so you get one. The next ship thinks you are due for one because the points from the last cruise haven't posted yet when you sail them close together near a threshold. Both ships think you crossed the threshold on that ship. WAAAYTOOO and Pattycruise 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisellama Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 21 minutes ago, Koepper said: Now we can only hope they continue to listen to the people and bring back the tuxedo rental perk too!!! Wonderland hosts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 @twangsterYour block collection is beautiful, make me really want one. I brought a block with the Colosseum in it when I was in Rome and one of the Titanic museum when I visited Belfast. Was using them as a paperweights at work, we had a visiting lawyer who thought it might be a good idea to juggle them. Thankfully only the Colosseum one has a chipped edge. twangster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising With JT Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 3 hours ago, dswallow said: You are not alone doing that. On the other hand with double points it gets a little silly. Wow Doug...that is an impressive journey to hit Pinnacle... Anthem of the Seas in Jan 2022 correct? Almost 1000 by end of 2022...wow! I don't know how many points Super Mario has...but this is impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising With JT Posted July 15, 2021 Report Share Posted July 15, 2021 2 hours ago, twangster said: Each block has a hologram of that ship class and the name of the ship. Wow @twangsterwhat a beautiful collection. Silly question, but I am guessing you are Pinnacle? cruisellama 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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