Glass Block Question-Last Night of Cruise

[Va4fam]

We will be eligible to earn our first glass block on our 7 day cruise in May.  With a Junior Suite booked, we will reach 140 points on the very last night of the cruise.  I have read that many people receive their glass block in their room the next morning, but others have to request it.  We plan to disembark first thing the next morning and may not have time to track down someone to find us a block.  

Looking for suggestions from experience block earners!

[twangster]

Talk to the Loyalty Ambassador early in the cruise.

Different LA's do it differently.  Not all of them send it to your cabin on the actual day.  Sometimes it will be there upon boarding.  There is not a standard applied across the fleet for block delivery so by talking to the LA you can let them know what you prefer. 

"Hi, this is our 140 cruise and I was curious if you had us on your list for a block?"   From there just see where the conservation goes.  

[WAAAYTOOO]

56 minutes ago, Va4fam said:

We will be eligible to earn our first glass block on our 7 day cruise in May.  With a Junior Suite booked, we will reach 140 points on the very last night of the cruise.  I have read that many people receive their glass block in their room the next morning, but others have to request it.  We plan to disembark first thing the next morning and may not have time to track down someone to find us a block.  

Looking for suggestions from experience block earners!

You should definitely speak with the Loyalty Ambassador at some point during the cruise (don’t wait until the last day) and let him/her know that you will be eligible for a crystal block.  The LA will give you options for receiving your block.  Congratulations !

[twangster]

For the record I always visit the LA when I am due a block.  With double points for me being solo so often and now with the double points promo there is the potential that they may not have done all the math like I have.  So a polite "... am I on your block list?"  is a great way to make sure you'll get the block you've earned for every block.

[twangster]

Also be aware some ships are out of blocks so they'll mail one to your home address when it comes in.  

[Ampurp85]

@twangster So as long as you are scheduled to reach 140 on a sailing you can get your glass block?

I reach my 140 on a Nov Odyssey and I would love a glass block from that ship. 

[twangster]

28 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

@twangster So as long as you are scheduled to reach 140 on a sailing you can get your glass block?

I reach my 140 on a Nov Odyssey and I would love a glass block from that ship. 

Yes!  The ship when you cross the threshold is the ship where you are supposed to receive a block.  If you board Odyssey at or below 139 and will have crossed 140 once your Odyssey point post, then Odyssey is your "block ship".  

Having said that they don't have Odyssey blocks yet.  I am due three now for crossing three block thresholds on Odyssey (double points promo at work).  They have me on the list to have them mailed once they come in. 

Hopefully by Nov. you'll get your block. 

[CruisingOz]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

they don't have Odyssey blocks yet

That explains why we have not received our Odyssey blocks. November sounds like a long time away?  

[twangster]

6 hours ago, CruisingOz said:

That explains why we have not received our Odyssey blocks. November sounds like a long time away?  

So did March 2022 when my first Odyssey block was earned in September 2021.   

Supply chain issues can be found in so many ways right now on land and at sea but I'm confident they'll come one day.

[MTNeedsAVacay]

We just received our first block on the Mariner last week! Same as OP, our 140 was the last day, but we received our block and certificate on the morning of Day 2.

[Ja-sun]

I don't see how you guys can cruise so much. My favorite part of cruising is the food. If I cruised as much as you guys do, I would be 500 pounds.

[Ampurp85]

1 hour ago, Ja-sun said:

I don't see how you guys can cruise so much. My favorite part of cruising is the food. If I cruised as much as you guys do, I would be 500 pounds.

Ha!

I lucked up as a solo cruiser who stayed in suites and very much took advantage of the double points. Limited vacation time and not living near a port meant I was taking 2-3 cruises within a short time period. Some people lived near a port and cruises in 2021 were cheap, so possibly lots of weekend cruises.

[Marc]

16 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

You should definitely speak with the Loyalty Ambassador at some point during the cruise (don’t wait until the last day) and let him/her know that you will be eligible for a crystal block.  The LA will give you options for receiving your block.  Congratulations !

We did just that in March and it was a good thing, too, as this was the second week of a B2B and our first week's points hadn't yet gotten added to our start-of-cruise balance. Once we pointed out our prior week's sailing, the Loyalty Ambassador took care of it. The block was in our cabin on the last day. (We were not offered the choice of having it sent to us.)

[Va4fam]

Thank you everyone for your responses.  I look forward to becoming a Royal Blockhead!

[steverk]

I'm looking forward to my first block on my next cruise. 

Started 2020 with about 30 points. Qualifying for more vacation and then retiring allowed me more time to sail. Double points helped a lot.

[Jill]

We will get our first one on Radiance next month. Since she’s just back in service, I’m hoping there are blocks. However I’d prefer they mail it. I’ve heard they’re quite heavy. 
 

I plan to visit the LA within the first day or so. It’ll be a great souvenir of our first Alaska cruise

[Pattycruise]

23 hours ago, twangster said:

Also be aware some ships are out of blocks so they'll mail one to your home address when it comes in.  

I agree with this, Anthem was out of them.

I will say this, the points are not always accurate in their system or possibly it is the tracker entering data. I was on a B2B and I received my block on my first leg of a sailing, as I was supposed to, then the following week I received a note that I was due a block and I had to fill out a form to indicate if I wanted one or an alternative gift.  Failure to fill out the form would mean I did not want one.  I don't care for these "opt out if no response" things.  My cabin attendant that cruise was awful, no papers in my cabin, or they were late.  Moved my things (I was a solo, I know where I leave things) and that particular paper disappeared before I dealt with it.  Fine by me, because like I said, I had received my block the previous week. But a paper that defaults to an opt out can lead to issues down the line, and I understand the alternative of having to get the non-responders who do get the paper to answer can be challenging too.
 

I now know to check in with the Loyalty Ambassador when I am due things.  Last sailing I was told of the shortage of blocks and I was given the form when I inquired, so that it could be mailed to me (wow, that will cost a fortune-those things are heavy!).  He also said that there are starting to be shortages on the gifts (I am Diamond Plus) so to be aware that there may be substitutions -or perhaps nothing....This is all due to supply chain issues.

[KevinJ]

Cool, if my math is correct I'll be eligible for a block on my Jan 2023 Odyssey cruise. I also like the thought of a block for that ship. If I hadn't just booked an October cruise I'd have gotten the block on Wonder March 2023, oh well.

[Done]

On 4/26/2022 at 9:05 PM, twangster said:

Also be aware some ships are out of blocks so they'll mail one to your home address when it comes in.  

We never did get one when we hit 140 (second to last day of the sailing).  We were on Explorer a few weeks before the shut down.  Maybe we got lost in the ensuing chaos.

[twangster]

1 hour ago, Toby said:

We never did get one when we hit 140 (second to last day of the sailing).  We were on Explorer a few weeks before the shut down.  Maybe we got lost in the ensuing chaos.

Call C&A.  ‭(800) 526-9723‬

They should offer to send one to you at no cost.

 

[smokeybandit]

I'll qualify for my first block in June on Serenade. We'll see how they approach it.

[Galveston Steve]

On 4/27/2022 at 8:12 PM, Pattycruise said:

I now know to check in with the Loyalty Ambassador when I am due things. 

Also, if you do a back-to-back cruise remember that Royal doesn't update your points in their system until about a week after the cruise ends.  So on the 2nd cruise of a back-to-back the Loyalty Ambassador will almost surely not have your points updated.  Stop by the Loyalty Ambassador on the first cruise and check in with them, explain you are on a back-to-back and are concerned that your points won't be updated in time to get your new benefits or your block on the next cruise. Most of them are familiar with the problem but you have to help them. As @twangster mentions above, asking "am I on your block list" or "I move up to the next tier for next week's cruise" will get the conversation started.  Check in again on the first day of the next cruise just to confirm/remind that everything is in order.

[Pattycruise]

3 hours ago, Galveston Steve said:

Also, if you do a back-to-back cruise remember that Royal doesn't update your points in their system until about a week after the cruise ends.  So on the 2nd cruise of a back-to-back the Loyalty Ambassador will almost surely not have your points updated.  Stop by the Loyalty Ambassador on the first cruise and check in with them, explain you are on a back-to-back and are concerned that your points won't be updated in time to get your new benefits or your block on the next cruise. Most of them are familiar with the problem but you have to help them. As @twangster mentions above, asking "am I on your block list" or "I move up to the next tier for next week's cruise" will get the conversation started.  Check in again on the first day of the next cruise just to confirm/remind that everything is in order.

Thank you!  Ironically I had received my block on the first half of my B2B (as I should have) and on the second half I received the letter telling me to pick the block or an ittem (no list given).  But definitely keep track of items due and ask, ask, ask...

 

[Wilson]

Wasn't feeling well on last week's Liberty cruise and the crystal block was the last thing on my mind. Realized today that we hit 281 on that sailing and should have received a block. We have a sailing in July on Independence and wondering if we can wait and request one on that ship instead?

[Pattycruise]

4 hours ago, Wilson said:

Wasn't feeling well on last week's Liberty cruise and the crystal block was the last thing on my mind. Realized today that we hit 281 on that sailing and should have received a block. We have a sailing in July on Independence and wondering if we can wait and request one on that ship instead?

There are supply shortages.  You might be better off contacting Crown and Anchor society and requesting the missed block because you might get onboard Independence and there is a possibility they won't have blocks.  At least now you can get one from Liberty if available, or be placed on a wait list.

[YOLO]

Both Ceil and I surpassed 210 points on our recent Adventure cruise and no glass blocks appeared.  I knew at the time, but thought like C&A category changes, it would occur on our next cruise.  But based on this thread, that should not be the case.  What should I do?  Do Ceil and I (we have been on every cruise together) both get glass blocks?  Thanks...

[twangster]

1 hour ago, YOLO said:

Both Ceil and I surpassed 210 points on our recent Adventure cruise and no glass blocks appeared.  I knew at the time, but thought like C&A category changes, it would occur on our next cruise.  But based on this thread, that should not be the case.  What should I do?  Do Ceil and I (we have been on every cruise together) both get glass blocks?  Thanks...

If you both are in the same cabin there is normally one block.  Talk to the Loyalty Ambassador about a missing block.

[Wilson]

They are apparently still on back order. We have not received ours yet from April 7th sailing. 

[YOLO]

3 hours ago, Wilson said:

They are apparently still on back order. We have not received ours yet from April 7th sailing. 

Yes, I called C&A yesterday and was told they would mail me my Adventure of the Seas block, in about 4 months!!!  I will check on it again in September...