Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club Membership Levels
Table Of Content
Gold and Platinum members sailing on cruises longer than 8 nights are also invited to an onboard reception. They offer complimentary adult beverages, and we received Rice Krispy Mickey treats and a preview of an upcoming show. Once you reach the first tier of the program (Silver), you will be entitled to exactly six perks. Perhaps the most notable of these is the ability to book in advance for onboard cruise activities such as ticket-only character greetings and specialty restaurant dinners up to 90 days before sailings. This is a big deal in the world of Disney cruises, where some of the hottest activities on ships sell out quickly. Those shorter cruises are also when there are fewer opportunities to fit in the adults-only restaurants, spa treatments, drink tastings and onshore activities, making the booking window advantage more important.
What sailings aren't eligible?
Instead, you’ll either pay per drink or purchase bundled quantities onboard. It’s also possible to purchase a specialty beer mug at the pub onboard, which can then be refilled across the ship. Much like Disney’s popcorn buckets, your beer mugs entitle you to cheaper refills on all your beer. You don’t, for example, need to pay extra for soft drinks on a Disney cruise like you would on Norwegian Cruise Line. You’re also entitled to complimentary room service 24/7, unlike on Virgin Voyages, where you'll be charged a $5 fee for each delivery.
Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club Benefits and Levels Explained
Gold can book two days before, Platinum three days before, and Pearl four days before. Another way to save on a Disney cruise is to look at a one-way repositioning sailing, as those often price lower than other similar cruises. For example, the cruise line may need to end a cruise in a particular port to reposition the ship to do some sailings from there. You'll have to get yourself back home from that port, but you may save on the cruise in the process. For a family of four, the cheapest Disney cruise currently available (not counting the two-night cruises in Australia and New Zealand) is about $2,500.
Silver Castaway: 1 to 4 Completed Sailings
If so, the idea of earning benefits like free specialty meals and exclusive stateroom gifts is probably appealing. On a Disney cruise, the snacks and pastries you'll see in the coffee shop or kiosk are all included, but the specialty coffee will cost extra. Drink prices are roughly similar to Starbucks, if not a notch lower.
In addition to the included soft-serve ice cream and Mickey bars available via room service, your ship may have some shops with extra-fee ice cream. On Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish, you'll find an ice cream shop stuffed with candies, gelato and ice cream — all for an extra charge. Room service, the buffet and the on-deck food counter dining options don't cost extra and are available to you in addition to or instead of your rotational dining. Disney concierge service gets you access to the Disney Concierge Lounge, which has food offerings multiple times per day and a fully stocked fridge with sodas, juices and bottles of water.
What to Know About Castaway Club, Disney Cruise Line's Loyalty Program - Travel + Leisure
What to Know About Castaway Club, Disney Cruise Line's Loyalty Program.
Posted: Thu, 01 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
After decades of success making families smile and laugh at its theme parks, Disney dipped its toes into the world of cruising in 1998. Disney didn't just copy another cruise line's model for success or slap its name on the side of an existing ship. The perk can be used at either the Palo eateries found on Disney's four older ships or the Palo Steakhouse eatery on the line's new Disney Wish.
The type of gift may vary based on your membership tier, the ship you’re sailing on, and the specific itinerary you booked. Gifts change periodically, so it’s unlikely you’ll get the same exact gift twice unless you’re cruising in rapid succession. However, you may receive different versions of a similar gift—like sling bag in various colors. These gifts usually include the “Castaway Club” emblem, ship name, or specialty sailing logo. Unlike other popular cruise line loyalty programs, Castaway Club levels are based on the total number of cruises that you've been on, rather than the number of nights.
Major Castaway Club Benefits
I'd 100% book Disney concierge level again and would say it can be worth it — mostly on the shorter cruises where every minute matters more than it would on a seven- to 10-day cruise. Additionally, on those shorter cruises, you are more likely to have the stamina to not miss the evening lounge happy hours and to drop in a few times to try some of the snacks. On Disney Wish, we qualified for concierge access by sailing in a 608-square-foot one-bedroom suite that was just a few doors down from the concierge lounge.
Brightline Announces Launch Date for Service Between Orlando and South Florida
Don't worry if you don't drink or you want something for your kids, mocktails and alcohol-free "daiquiris" were available upon request. Except on debarkation day and for a private Disney character meet-and-greet when we sailed on Disney Wonder in early 2020, the lounge was rarely crowded during our visits. On Disney Wonder, the lounge is located midship on Deck 10, which is almost as high as you can go on the ship. On Disney Wish, the concierge lounge is on decks 12 and 13, which was also one of the topmost decks on that ship. The physical concierge lounge is a tangible hallmark of Disney Cruise Line's concierge-level service.
You can always add an additional gratuity for any of your services or servers. As with the waterslides, we recommend enjoying these first thing when you board if you want to try them without crowds. Otherwise, you won't find so many people in the pools on port days, early in the morning and right before dinner. There are thousands of people on the ship and only a few small pools, so plan accordingly. If you like getting away to relax, look at purchasing access to the Rainforest Room for heated stone loungers, aromatherapy showers and even hot tubs on the larger ships.
It had a master bedroom with a king-sized bed, gorgeous bathroom with a Tangled-inspired mosaic over the bathtub, living room with a couch that converted to a bed and a dining area with a table for four. The divider between the living and dining spaces contained a Murphy bed that pulled down into an additional single bed. The suite more than comfortably slept my two kids, my mom and me. On Disney Cruise Line, first-time cruisers can make those bookings starting 75 days before sailing.
Don’t forget that while you are on board a Disney Cruise that you can get special savings on future cruises. Make sure that you stop by the future cruise desk to check on the details and offers. If you booked your current cruise through a Travel Agent, make sure that their information is listed if you would like for them to continue to serve as your agent. About Eligible Sailings Sailings purchased at select fare types (such as media, vendors and Cast Members travelling on business) are not considered eligible cruises for calculating Castaway Club Membership levels.
Boarding first also meant we had the pools and slides to ourselves for a long time. When you sail on a Disney cruise, everyone gets access to included food, good service and great entertainment. But there's a class of cabins and guests that get a little bit of extra pixie dust — Disney Cruise Line concierge guests.
A three-night and 10-night cruise both count as one sailing for these purposes. Disney Cruise Line offers a handful of decent perks to members of its Castaway Club loyalty program, including early access to new itineraries and onboard activities. Still, Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Club loyalty program does bring a few valuable perks at its higher-level tiers, including early access to new itineraries and onboard activities. Port Canaveral, the departure port for several Disney cruise ships, offers an entire lounge with a stocked fridge where concierge guests can wait before boarding starts for that group. Stateroom types within that concierge class of rooms start at the verandah-level room (i.e., a cabin with a private balcony) and go up in price and size to include a variety of suites.
A Disney cruise costs more than a similar cruise on a line like Royal Caribbean, so it's easiest to justify the expense when your kids love Disney the most. The largest ships in Disney's fleet are Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, at 1,115 feet long and 14 decks high, and Disney Wish, at 1,119 feet and 15 decks high. Disney's attention to detail transfers to its voyages on the sea. But unlike at the Disney theme parks, which can be a bit complicated to navigate, long lines and complex strategies are rarely a part of the Disney cruise experience. Disney went so far into charting its own path as to get special approval from the U.S.
Some travel agents will offer onboard credit based on the amount you spend on your Disney cruise. This is credit you can use toward drinks, spa treatments, excursions or anything else you can charge to your room. A seven-night cruise in the Caribbean will likely start around $5,000 for a family of four.
Comments
Post a Comment