Cyndal Benullo, ContributorBeing a frequent Disney Cruise passenger has some valuable perks. Though, in true Disney fashion, they operate their loyalty program a bit differently than some other cruise lines. So, in this guide to Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club, we’re breaking down all the details and perks of this loyalty program.
Everything You Need to Know About the Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club
For those who are new to cruising or new to sailing with Disney Cruise Line, the Castaway Club is DCL’s loyalty program. Like most cruise lines, Disney Cruise Line offers incentives for repeat customers. The tiered Castaway Club offer cruisers more and more perks as they work their way up the ranks, making it beneficial to stay loyal to the brand.
How Do I Become a Member?
Disney Cruise Line could not make it any easier for guests to become a member of the Castaway Club. All you have to do is set sail with them! Guests’ loyalty program status will automatically be added to their account following their first sailing. No extra work required!
How Do I Gain Status?
Now that you’ve sailed on your first Disney cruise, you had such a great time that you are ready to book your next vacation! While some cruise lines use a point system for their loyalty programs, based on the number of nights sailed, Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club is solely based on the number of sailings a guest has completed.
The sailing is added to the guests’ account following the completion of the cruise. No difference in value is offered between a 3-night cruise versus a 7-night cruise, nor does it matter your stateroom category unlike some other cruise lines that offer double points for suites.
The ship or price point for your particular sailing does not impact your status either. So, whether you cruise on Disney Wish, the line’s newest ship, or the oldest ship in the fleet, you will still receive the same credit for the sailing.
For those sailing in a stateroom with guests of different tiers in the Castaway Club, the highest-ranked tier benefits will apply to everyone in that stateroom.
Do Castaway Club Sailings Expire?
In a recent change to Disney’s loyalty program, Castaway Club sailings will now expire. To remain active in the Castaway Club program, members must book OR sail on at least one eligible cruise within five years of the debarkation date of their last Disney Cruise sailing.
This means not only will guests lose their tier status if they don’t sail within the five year period, but they will also lose their entire membership. Guests that do not sail within a five year period will start back at zero on any future sailings taken after that five year mark.
This change has come with some push back from cruisers, but despite the uproar, Disney Cruise Line doesn’t have any plans to change this rule anytime soon.
Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club Tiers and Associated Benefits
There are four membership tiers to Disney’s Castaway Club based solely on the number of sailings a guest has completed.
- Silver Member (1-4 sailings)
- Gold Member (5-9 sailings)
- Platinum Member (10-24 sailings)
- Pearl Member (25+ sailings)
While the top tier of some other cruise line loyalty programs seems almost unattainable, the highest tier of Disney’s Castaway Club is achieved after only 25 sailings. Thus, guests could conceivably book twenty-five 3-day cruises, sailing just seventy-five days with the cruise line, and still receive all the Pearl Member benefits.
With that said, Disney Cruise Line’s perks may seem lack-luster compared to some other cruise line loyalty programs. You won’t score free cruises at a high tier on Disney, like you would with Royal Caribbean’s Crown and Anchor Society. Further, shore excursion discounts and onboard credit will be hard to come by here.
One of the main perks of being in this Castaway Club is the advanced booking windows. Disney fans can be relentless; they will be waiting at midnight to book all those onboard activities and early boarding times.
While first time Disney Cruise Line passengers’ booking windows for onboard activities and excursions open 75 days prior to sailing, loyalty members are able to book sooner. Further, while first time Disney Cruise Line passengers’ online check-in is 30 days prior to sailing, Castaway Club members can check-in sooner.
We break down the benefits for every Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club membership level below, detailing both the at-home benefits and onboard benefits.
Silver Membership Benefits
Cruisers will gain silver member status after the completion of their first sailing and remain in silver status until the completion of their fifth sailing. Silver member benefits are detailed below.
At-Home Benefits:
- Early booking of new itineraries 1 day before general public
- Ability to book activities 90 days prior to sailing
- Access to online check-in 33 days prior to sailing
- Castaway Club Member Communications
- Dedicated Castaway Club member-only phone number for assistance
Onboard Benefits:
- Exclusive cruise terminal check-in where available
- Welcome back aboard gift
Gold Membership Benefits
The next level of the Castaway Club is gold status. Cruisers gain gold status at the completion of their fifth sailing and remain in gold status until the completion of their tenth sailing. In addition to silver status benefits, gold members get a few extra perks and advance booking windows. Gold member benefits are detailed below.
At Home Benefits:
- Early booking of new itineraries 2 days before general public
- Ability to book activities 105 days prior to sailing
- Access to online check-in 35 days prior to sailing
- Castaway Club Member Communications
- Dedicated Castaway Club member-only phone number for assistance
Onboard Benefits:
- Exclusive cruise terminal check-in where available
- Welcome back aboard gift
- Private onboard reception on sailings 8-nights or longer
- Special discounts on select sailings
Platinum Membership Benefits
Following the completion of their tenth sailing, Disney Cruise Line passengers will become platinum members. These cruisers remain in platinum status through the completion of their 25th sailing.
Following suit, platinum status offers cruisers additional perks on top of the silver and gold status offerings. Platinum member benefits are detailed below.
At Home Benefits:
- Early booking of new itineraries 3 days before general public
- Ability to book activities 120 days prior to sailing
- Access to online check-in 38 days prior to sailing
- Castaway Club Member Communications
- Dedicated Castaway Club member-only phone number for assistance
Onboard Benefits:
- Exclusive cruise terminal check-in where available
- Welcome back aboard gift
- Private onboard reception on sailings 8-nights or longer
- Special discounts on select sailings
- Complimentary dinner at Palo or Palo Steakhouse (applies to the entire stateroom)
Pearl Membership Benefits
The newly created Pearl status is the elite level of Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club. Guests who have completed their 25th sailing advance into Pearl status indefinitely. That is, until a new category comes along or they do not sail within five years of their last sailing. Pearl member benefits are detailed below.
At Home Benefits:
- Early booking of new itineraries 4 days before general public
- Ability to book activities 123 days prior to sailing
- Access to online check-in 40 days prior to sailing
- Castaway Club Member Communications
- Dedicated Castaway Club member-only phone number for assistance
Onboard Benefits:
- Exclusive cruise terminal check-in where available
- Welcome back aboard gift
- Private onboard reception on sailings 8-nights or longer
- Special discounts on select sailings
- Complimentary dinner at Palo or Palo Steakhouse (applies to the entire stateroom)
- Complimentary unlimited digital photo package
Further, those guests who have sailed over 50 sailings with Disney Cruise Line will receive a commemorative plaque on Disney’s Castaway Cay private island while supplies last.
Additional benefits are available online for all Castaway Club members, such as downloadable wallpapers for iPhone, Android, Apple Watches, and desktops, Disney magnet designs, and access to cruise photos for up to 45 days after your sailings (versus 30 days for first time cruisers).
Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club Overview
Though Disney Cruise Line’s loyalty program isn’t going to offer as many benefits as some other cruise lines’ loyalty programs, the value of Disney’s Castaway Club is fairly subjective based on what perks are important to you.
No, guests aren’t going to get free cruises, onboard credit, free spa treatments, or stateroom upgrades, but those loyal to Disney definitely find value in the offered perks.
Highly sought after bookings such as Castaway Cay cabanas, reserved character meet and greets such as the Royal Gathering, and specialty dining at restaurants like Palo or Remy sell out fast, sometimes too fast. Booking these activities can sometimes make or break a DCL vacation, so having early access to these bookings can be crucial to some cruisers.
Further, early online check-in means getting an earlier port arrival time. The earlier your port arrival time, the more fun to be had on the ship! Plus, a complimentary dinner at Palo for Gold, Platinum, and Pearl members is valued at $50 per person, and the complimentary dinner applies to every adult in that stateroom. Additionally, the complimentary digital photo package for Pearl members can be valued at over $200 depending on the length of your sailing.
So, with the price of Disney cruises out-pacing most other cruise lines, any little bit of savings helps. If you love Disney and cruises, it’s probably a natural fit to book a sailing on Disney Cruise Line–so why not reap the benefits for being a loyal customer.
Comments
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