As with darn near everyone else, Disney Cruise Line (or in Disney-speak, DCL) has its rewards and recognition program for its voyages: enter the Castaway Club. You are automatically enrolled when you book your first cruise, and the levels are fairly straight-forward:
- Silver is enjoyed by those who have completed one cruise, but not yet completed five sailings with DCL – so starting on the second cruise, the silver lanyard and Key to the World (KTTW) carrier is handed over during check-in;
- Gold means you’ve truly earned your sea legs with the completion of five sailings, but haven’t yet sailed a total of 10 times (and a gold-yellow lanyard for your KTTW is given to you at check-in), and
- Platinum denotes folks who have 10 sailings under their belt, and a black lanyard for your KTTW is your prize during at check-in
First time cruising? This also means you will NOT receive a lanyard with plastic sleeve for their all-powerful Key to the World (KTTW) – but you can grab one online or pick one up in the onboard ships.
If there is a Club level “split,” the stateroom will enjoy the benefits of the highest level of those in the room. So, if mom’s penchant for girls’ weekend cruising renders her a Platinum and dad’s a mere Silver, the stateroom is Platinum.
The associated benefits do change from time to time, but presently, Platinum are welcome to book on new itineraries three days before the general public, Gold two days, and Silver one day. Similarly, the ability to book port adventures and activities are also staggered: Platinum can book 120 days prior to the sailing date, 105 days for Gold and 90 days for Silver. (This is optimal particularly for certain highly sought-after options, like a private cabana on Castaway Cay.)
Other benefits vary from time to time and ship to ship. Some can include early embarking (boarding), private receptions on longer sailings (open to Gold and Platinum members on sailings of eight or more nights), discounts and Platinum members enjoy complimentary dining at Palo.
After you get home – after your first sailing and promotion to a Silver member, and again after your fifth and tenth sailing – also get a magnet and such from DCL. The oval (old style) and wave (current style as of spring 2019) are the magnets for new Silver sailors.
For the official skinny on the Club, you can read up more about it on the official Disney Cruise Line – Castaway Club page.
