It is official: Disney Cruise LineThe Castaway Club loyalty program has a new top tier.
The flying arm of the travel giant Disney made a dream come true for its most loyal fans on Thursday when it posted details of what it calls the Pearl status. This new level of loyalty brings valuable new perks to Disney’s super cruisers.
Long-awaited by Disney cruise ship lovers, the new status level — the program’s fourth level — will be given to customers for a lifetime after they complete 25 massive cruises with the brand. .
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By far, the highest level of Castaway Club loyalty program is the Platinum level, which customers achieve after completing just 10 excursions.
The new Pearl tier brings only three new perks beyond what the Disney cruisers at the Platinum tier already get, but they’re all solid value:
- The ability to book new itineraries four days before the public.
- Early access to operational plan 123 days before sailing.
- A free unlimited digital photo package.
Early booking privileges are especially valuable to Disney fans who are determined to snag specific cabins and suites on new Disney itineraries. Select cabins on new Disney cruises often sell out faster than Tinker Bell can sprinkle some fairy dust.
Early booking access is what comes with all three other Castaway Club tiers — Silver, Gold, and Platinum. However, Castaway Club members at those levels only have early booking access one, two or three days in advance, respectively.
Related: Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club Loyalty Program: Everything You Need to Know
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Even a single extra day in early booking access can make all the difference in getting the exact cabin you want on a Disney cruise.
The new early activity planning privilege is something that Castaway Club members at Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels have received. However, in the case of those tiers, early access is not quite early at 90, 105 and 120 days respectively.
Just like early access to cruise bookings, early access to activity bookings can make all the difference in how a Disney fan can craft the perfect vacation. .
The free photo plan is also a notable perk. Disney has plenty of official photographers on board to take pictures of you and your kids with princesses and the like. However, they don’t offer those photos for free. Paying for a relatively small number of photos taken by these onboard photographers — even in digital form — can often cost hundreds of dollars.
Related: 11 ways to save money on Disney cruises
In addition to the above perks, the new Pearl status tier will also bring back all the perks given to members in the lower three tiers. That includes access to a dedicated terminal area for check-in (available from Silver tier) and a complimentary dinner at the premium Palo restaurant on board Disney ships (available from Platinum tier).
One note: While Disney has revealed details of the new show on its website, the new status level won’t officially be awarded to customers who’ve taken 25 excursions through May 1. .
The new level of status comes as Disney Cruise Line is significantly expanding both its fleet and cruise line. This leads to an increase in the number of new customers and, in turn, more members for its loyalty program.
Related: Explanation of the 3 types of Disney ships
After a decade without adding a new ship, Disney is in the process of launching three more in a row.
First of the new ships, Disney’s Wish, which began sailing last summer. The two sister ships will enter service in 2024 and 2025 respectively. The new vessels, collectively known as the Triton class, are nearly twice the size of the line when measured by passenger capacity.
Until last summer, Disney had only four ships.
Added ships will allow Disney extended trips from the west coast of North America and in other fields.
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