Among the many best-known cruise manufacturers, Disney Cruise Line has one of the vital modest loyalty packages — even after an improve that introduced an all-new tier.
In contrast to the packages of such cruise operators as Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, the Disney Cruise Line Castaway Membership, because it’s referred to as, does not supply members over-the-top perks resembling a free cruise after reaching a high tier. There aren’t any massive reductions on shore excursions and spa therapies for members, like traces resembling Windstar Cruises supply.
Nonetheless, Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Membership loyalty program does convey just a few invaluable perks at its greater tiers, together with early entry to new itineraries and onboard actions.
The Disney loyalty program additionally makes it comparatively simple to achieve a excessive tier.
Methods to earn standing
Incomes standing within the Castaway Membership loyalty program is about so simple as might be. You get a credit score for each cruise you’re taking — whether or not it is three nights lengthy or 10 nights lengthy. That is it. No muss, no fuss. Your standing, as we’ll clarify under, relies upon solely on what number of cruises you’re taking.
Program tiers and advantages
There are simply 4 tiers within the Castaway Membership program, together with a brand new high tier unveiled in 2023:
- Silver (after one cruise)
- Gold (after 5 cruises)
- Platinum (after 10 cruises)
- Pearl (after 25 cruises)
When you attain the primary tier of this system (Silver), you may be entitled to precisely six perks. Maybe essentially the most notable of those is the power to guide upfront for onboard cruise actions resembling ticket-only character greetings and specialty restaurant dinners as much as 90 days earlier than sailings. This can be a massive deal on the earth of Disney cruises, the place a few of the hottest actions on ships promote out rapidly.
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Silver members may guide new Disney cruise itineraries someday forward of most people. That will not look like a lot of a head begin, however it may be an actual benefit when attempting to snag the right cabin on a sizzling new itinerary. Disney followers are recognized to grab up the perfect cabins — if not all of the cabins — on distinctive new sailings in a short time.
As well as, Silver members get:
- Choose port arrival time and full on-line check-in 33 days upfront of departure
- Unique cruise terminal check-in the place obtainable
- A members-only direct cellphone line to name for info and help
- A welcome-back-aboard present
Upon reaching the Gold stage, members get all of the above perks with three notable upgrades. For starters, they’ll guide onboard cruise actions as much as 105 days earlier than sailings. That is 15 days sooner than Silver members. They’re additionally in a position to guide new Disney cruise itineraries two days forward of most people.
Plus, they’ll full check-in 35 days upfront.
As well as, Gold members get:
- A non-public reception for members
- Particular reductions on voyages
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The third tier of this system, the Platinum stage, extends the prebooking home windows even additional. Platinum members are in a position to make advance bookings for onboard cruise actions as much as 120 days earlier than sailings. That is 15 days sooner than Gold members and 30 days sooner than Silver members. They’re additionally in a position to guide new Disney cruise itineraries three days forward of most people.
For Platinum members, check-in opens 38 days upfront of exits.
As well as, Platinum members are entitled to a free dinner at Palo, the upscale, adults-only Italian eatery on Disney ships — extra on this in a second.
The elite stage that makes a distinction
It is not actually till you hit the brand new Pearl stage of the Castaway Membership that the perks begin to get fascinating. The massive perk at this stage is that you would be able to guide new itineraries sooner than everybody else. You even have the earliest potential entry to order onboard actions.
Particularly, you can also make reservations for newly introduced itineraries 4 days earlier than most people. You too can guide actions as much as 123 days upfront of crusing.
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On the earth of Disney, this can be a very massive deal. As talked about above, Disney followers are recognized to snag all the nice cabins for a preferred crusing the second a visit goes on sale. Ditto for onboard actions.
As well as, Pearl standing additionally helps you to test in in your cruise 40 days upfront of crusing.
Yet another perk added for Pearl members of Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Membership is a complimentary limitless digital picture bundle, which is a notable perk.
Disney has a lot of official photographers on board its ships to snap photographs of you and your children with princesses and the like. Nevertheless, it does not supply these photographs free of charge. Paying for even a comparatively small variety of photographs taken by these onboard photographers — even in digital kind — usually can price tons of of {dollars}.
Finest elite perk
In contrast to some traces, Disney does not supply any actually over-the-top elite perks, such because the free cruise that top-tier members of Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society get. It is also skimpy on handing out massive reductions on shore excursions, spa therapies and different cruise line-sold companies to elite members — one thing another traces do. Nonetheless, there are just a few perks that get us at the least modestly excited.
Probably the most engaging providing, in our view, is the free dinner that comes with Platinum standing at Palo, as famous above.
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The invitation extends to the elite member and another grownup passenger staying in the identical cabin. Assuming there are two of you, that is a $100 worth. Palo usually prices $50 per individual.
The perk can be utilized at both the Palo eateries discovered on Disney’s 4 older ships or the Palo Steakhouse eatery on the road’s new Disney Want and the soon-to-debut Disney Treasure.
Does my Disney Castaway Membership standing final endlessly?
In a serious change that took impact in early 2024, Disney Castaway Membership members will not get “endlessly standing” upon reaching the assorted tiers of this system — a notable attract of this system since its inception.
As of this yr, Castaway Membership members lose their Castaway Membership standing — and, certainly, their complete membership in this system, even on the entry stage — if they do not guide or full an eligible Disney cruise at the least as soon as each 5 years.
In consequence, if you have not taken a Disney Cruise Line voyage in just a few years and you’ve got high-level standing within the Castaway Membership that you just need to protect for the long run, it’d pay to guide a quickie Disney voyage this yr to keep up your loyalty stage. Or, possibly now’s the time to modify your loyalty to a different family-friendly cruise model, resembling Royal Caribbean.
Backside line
Disney Cruise Line presents a handful of respectable perks to members of its Castaway Membership loyalty program, together with early entry to new itineraries and onboard actions.
Nevertheless, the Castaway Membership loyalty program is just not almost as sturdy because the frequent cruiser packages of many different well-known manufacturers, resembling Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line. If you are going to sail loads with Disney, you will need to do it since you love the model, not since you anticipate loads of onboard recognition in your loyalty.
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