Among the most famous yacht brands, Disney Cruise Line has one of the most modest loyalty programs — even after a recent upgrade brought to a whole new level.
Unlike cruise operators’ programs like Royal Caribbean And Norwegian Cruise LineDisney Cruise Line Castaway Club, as the name suggests, no provide members with outstanding perks such as a free cruise after reaching the top floor. Do not have Great discounts on shore excursions and spa treatments for members, as some lines offer.
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However, Disney Cruise Line’s loyalty program offers a number of valuable perks at higher levels, including early access to new itineraries and onboard activities.
The program also helps you to get to a high level with relative ease.
How to make money
Earning Castaway Club loyalty program status is as simple as possible. You get one credit for every cruise you take—whether it’s three nights or 10 nights. That’s it. No muss, no noise. Your status, as we’ll explain below, is entirely dependent on the number of excursions you take.
Program tiers and benefits
There are only four levels in the Castaway Club program, including a new top level just announced in February 2023:
- Silver (after a journey).
- Yellow (after five voyages).
- platinum (after 10 journeys).
- Pearl (after 25 journeys).
Once you reach the first level of the program (Silver), you will enjoy exactly seven perks. Perhaps the most notable of these is the ability to make reservations for cruise activities such as ticket-only character greetings and gourmet restaurant dinners up to 90 days before the trip. This is a big deal in Disney’s world of cruises, where some of the hottest activities on board sell out quickly.
Related: Disney Cruise Line Ultimate Guide
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Silver members can also book new Disney cruises a day before the public. That may not sound like a good start, but it can be a real advantage when trying to land the perfect cabin in a fascinating new journey. Disney fans are known to be quick to snag the best cabins – if not all – on unique new rides.
In addition, Silver members receive:
- Castaway Club’s exclusive contact information.
- Direct member-only phone line for information and support calls.
- Members-only check-in queue at the marina.
- A welcome gift back on board.
- Early access to selected port arrival times (this privilege has been temporarily suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and has not yet been restored).
Upon reaching the Gold level, members will receive all of the above privileges with two notable upgrades. For starters, they have the ability to book cruise activities up to 105 days before setting sail. That is 15 days earlier than Silver members. They can also book new Disney travel itineraries two days in advance of the public.
In addition, Gold members receive:
- Private reception on trips of eight nights or more (this privilege has also been temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
- Special discounts on trips.
Related: 26 tips for sailing aboard Disney Cruise Line
The third level of the program, the Platinum level, extends the reservation period even further. Platinum members can make reservations for cruise activities up to 120 days in advance of the trip. That is 15 days earlier than Gold members and 30 days earlier than Silver members. They can also book new Disney cruises three days before the public.
In addition, Platinum members get free dinner at Paloupscale, adults-only Italian restaurants on Disney ships — more on this in a moment.
Elite level makes the difference
It’s not really until you reach the Castaway Club’s new Pearl level that the perks start to get interesting. The big benefit at this level is that you can book new itineraries earlier than others. You also have the earliest possible access to pre-book activities on board.
Specifically, you can book seats for new itineraries that are announced to the public four days. You can also book activities up to 123 days before departure.
Related: A Beginner’s Guide to Cruise Loyalty Programs
In the Disney world, this is a huge deal. As mentioned above, Disney fans are known to snag all the good cabins for a popular ride as soon as the ride goes on sale. Ditto for on-board activities.
Additionally, Pearl status also offers a free unlimited digital photo package, which is 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, it does not 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.
Note that while the new Pearl tier and its perks were announced in February and posted on the firm’s website, the tier won’t officially become part of the program until January 1. 5. So if you row before that point you win’ not necessarily getting the benefit of the rank.
The most elite privilege
Unlike some routes, Disney doesn’t offer any truly out-of-the-box elite perks, such as free cruises Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Association top members receive. It’s also sketchy in offering big discounts on shore excursions, spa treatments and other services sold by the line to elite members – something some other carriers do. However, there are some perks that at least excite us modestly.
The hottest offer, in our opinion, is the free dinner that comes with Platinum status at Palo, as noted above.
Related: The best credit cards to book cruises
The invitation is open to the elite member and any other adult passengers staying in the same cabin. Assuming there are two of you, that’s a value of $90. Palo usually costs $45 per person.
bottom line
Disney Cruise Line offers a number of tailored perks for members of the Castaway Club loyalty program, including early access to new itineraries and onboard activities.
However, the Castaway Club loyalty program isn’t nearly as strong as the frequent cruise line programs of many other well-known brands, such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line. If you’re going to have a lot of trips with Disney, you’ll want to do it because you love the brand, not because you expect a lot of onboarding recognition for your loyalty.
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