Among the best-known cruise manufacturers, Disney Cruise Line has one of the vital modest loyalty packages — even after a current improve that introduced an all-new tier.
Unlike the packages of such cruise operators as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, the Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club, because it’s known as, doesn’t provide members over-the-top perks similar to a free cruise after reaching a prime tier. There aren’t any huge reductions on shore excursions and spa remedies for members, like some traces provide.
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Still, Disney Cruise Line’s loyalty program does deliver a couple of precious perks at its higher-level tiers, together with early entry to new itineraries and onboard actions.
The program additionally makes it comparatively straightforward to achieve a high-level tier.
Ways to earn
Earning standing within the Castaway Club loyalty program is about so simple as could be. You get a credit score for each cruise you’re taking — whether or not it’s three nights lengthy or 10 nights lengthy. That’s 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 Club program, together with a brand new prime tier simply unveiled in February 2023:
- Silver (after one cruise).
- Gold (after 5 cruises).
- Platinum (after 10 cruises).
- Pearl (after 25 cruises).
Once you attain the primary tier of this system (Silver), you can be entitled to precisely seven perks. Perhaps essentially the most notable of those is the flexibility to e-book upfront for onboard cruise actions similar to ticket-only character greetings and specialty restaurant dinners as much as 90 days earlier than sailings. This is a giant deal on the earth of Disney cruises, the place a few of the hottest actions on ships promote out shortly.
Related: The final information to Disney Cruise Line
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Silver members also can e-book new Disney cruise itineraries at some point forward of most people. That might not appear to be a lot of a head begin, however it may be an actual benefit when attempting to snag the proper cabin on a scorching new itinerary. Disney followers are identified to grab up the very best cabins — if not all of the cabins — on distinctive new sailings in a short time.
In addition, Silver members get:
- Exclusive Castaway Club communications.
- A members-only direct cellphone line to name for data and help.
- A members-only check-in line on the cruise terminal.
- A welcome-back-aboard reward.
- Early entry to pick out port arrival instances (this perk was briefly paused throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and has but to be reinstated).
Upon reaching the Gold stage, members get all of the above perks with two notable upgrades. For starters, they’ve the flexibility to e-book onboard cruise actions as much as 105 days earlier than sailings. That’s 15 days sooner than Silver members. They are additionally in a position to e-book new Disney cruise itineraries two days forward of most people.
In addition, Gold members get:
- A personal reception on sailings of eight nights or longer (this perk additionally has been briefly paused as a result of COVID-19 pandemic).
- Special reductions on voyages.
Related: 26 suggestions for crusing on a Disney Cruise Line ship
The third tier of this system, the Platinum stage, extends the pre-booking 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’s 15 days sooner than Gold members and 30 days sooner than Silver members. They are additionally in a position to e-book new Disney cruise itineraries three days forward of most people.
In addition, Platinum stage 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 isn’t actually till you hit the brand new Pearl stage of the Castaway Club that the perks begin to get attention-grabbing. The huge perk at this stage is you could e-book new itineraries sooner than everybody else. You even have the earliest doable entry to order onboard actions.
Specifically, you can also make reservations for newly introduced itineraries 4 days earlier than most people. You also can e-book actions as much as 123 days upfront of crusing.
Related: A rookies information to cruise line loyalty packages
In the world of Disney, this can be a very huge deal. As talked about above, Disney followers are identified to snag all the great cabins for a preferred crusing the second a visit goes on sale. Ditto for onboard actions.
In addition, Pearl standing additionally brings a complimentary limitless digital picture bundle, which is a notable perk.
Disney has numerous official photographers on board its ships to snap pictures of you and your youngsters with princesses and the like. However, it would not provide these pictures free of charge. Paying for even a comparatively small variety of pictures taken by these onboard photographers — even in digital kind — usually can price a whole lot of {dollars}.
Note that whereas the brand new Pearl tier and its perks had been unveiled in February and are posted on the road’s web site, the tier will not formally turn into a part of this system till May 1. So, should you’re crusing earlier than then, you will not essentially obtain the tier’s advantages.
Best elite perk
Unlike some traces, Disney doesn’t provide any really over-the-top elite perks, such because the free cruise that top-tier members of Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society get. It’s additionally skimpy on handing out huge reductions on shore excursions, spa remedies and different cruise line-sold providers to elite members — one thing another traces do. However, there are a couple of perks that get us a minimum of modestly excited.
The most attractive 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’s a $90 worth. Palo usually prices $45 per particular person.
Bottom line
Disney Cruise Line provides a handful of respectable perks to members of its Castaway Club loyalty program, together with early entry to new itineraries and onboard actions.
However, the Castaway Club loyalty program just isn’t practically as sturdy because the frequent cruiser packages of many different well-known manufacturers, similar to Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line. If you’re going to sail loads with Disney, you’ll need to do it since you love the model, not since you anticipate quite a lot of onboard recognition in your loyalty.
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