The Castaway Club is Disney Cruise Line’s loyalty rewards program for repeat cruisers. DCL grants membership the moment a guest completes their first cruise. Membership comes with perks, and the more cruises you take, the more perks you can get.
Level Up
Like all loyalty programs, Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club has several levels – three to be exact: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Your status is based on the number of cruises you have completed.
Silver: Guests who have completed 1-5 voyages with Disney Cruise Line. On your 5th cruise, you are still considered Silver. However, the moment you step off the ship from your 5th sailing you are immediately upgraded to Gold status.
Check out some retired Castaway Club merchandise and gifts here.
Gold: Guests who have completed 6-9 voyages with Disney Cruise Line.
Platinum: Guests who have completed 10 cruises. Again, your 10th cruise will be your final Gold-level cruise, and afterward, you will be Platinum.
Castaway Club Membership Perks
Disney grants perks to guests based on their membership level. The higher the level, the more perks you will receive.
Silver:
- Book new itineraries 1 day earlier than the general public and cruise activities 90 days prior to sailing.
- Unique Castaway Club member communications
- Dedicated Castaway Club phone number
- Exclusive cruise terminal check-in (where available)
- Welcome Back Aboard gift
Gold:
- Book new itineraries 2 days earlier than the general public and cruise activities 105 days prior to sailing.
- All Silver member benefits
- Special discounts (See next section)
Platinum:
- Book new itineraries 3 days earlier than the general public and cruise activities 120 days prior to sailing.
- All Gold and Silver member benefits
- Complimentary dinner at Palo for you and guests sailing in your stateroom.
About Those Onboard Discounts
Even if this is your first cruise, always ask the crew member about discounts when making purchases. Disney Vacation Club members, Disney Visa Cardholders, and other Disney affinity groups have access to discounts on qualifying purchases onboard Disney Cruise Line. But you have to ask!
Castaway Club Perks That Have Sailed Away
Perks come, and perks go. Some perks disappeared during the pandemic and have yet to make a reappearance.
- Gold and Platinum Onboard Reception (for cruises 8 nights or longer): This has been “paused” since the resumption of cruising operations, and we have not heard of its return at this time.
- Advance check-in:Â Before the pandemic, Castaway Club members had access to early cruise check-in at the same time they booked onboard activities and Port Adventure. Now all guests are eligible to check in 30 days prior to sailing. This means everyone has an equal shot at grabbing a coveted early Port Arrival Time.
- Special Merchandise: This is an unofficial report. On my last cruise (Disney Dream – May 2022) I did not see any merchandise for Castaway Club members in any gift shop. The selection was always small – usually a mug, cap, or maybe a t-shirt – but it seems to be missing now. If you’ve seen any merch, let us know!
Gifts change from time to time. Below is the beach bag that I received in 2016. The previous bag was from a 2010 European Sailing.
Platinum (and Beyond)
Until recently, Disney Cruise Line has only recognized three main levels of membership: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. However, as DCL ages, the number of Platinum Level Castaway Club members has increased.
When booking opened up for the Disney Wish, we were all expecting tiered opening dates based on Castaway Club level, but DCL threw in a little curveball. Platinum members were divided into four groups:
- Members with 25+ cruises
- Members with 20+ cruises
- Members with 15+ cruises
- Members with 10+ cruises
Each sub-group had its own date to begin booking on the newest ship. The result: The Inaugural sailing was sold out the morning that Platinum members with 10+ cruises could book.
Castaway Club Program Benefits
What do you think about Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club? Have you enjoyed the perks and gifts? What would you like to see DCL do differently with its loyalty program?
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