Six Questions and Answers about Disney Cruise’s Castaway Club

Updated January 25, 2024

What is it?

Castaway Club is Disney Cruise Lines, a way of recognizing Guests who have sailed with them. If you’ve taken a Disney cruise, you’re already a Castaway Club member, and eligible to receive exclusive benefits that make your next cruise easier to plan.

How do you become a Castaway Club member?

You become a Castaway member after you have completed your first cruise. Take note of the word completed, if you have booked and paid for your cruise in full, you still need to have completed your cruise to become a member or move up a level.

What are the Castaway Club levels?

The 3 membership levels are based on the total number of completed eligible cruises:

• Silver Castaway – 1 completed cruise
• Gold Castaway – 5 completed cruises
• Platinum Castaway – 10 completed cruises

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.

What do Castaway Club members get?

The benefits of the Castaway Club depend on your level.

Silver

The benefits of being a Silver Castaway Club member include booking new itineraries one day before the general public. Silver members can book their Port Adventures, specialty dining, adult beverage seminars, spa services and other activities 90 days before the sailing. Access to a dedicated Castaway phone line. Early opportunity to book a Port Arrival Time (PAT) ( this benefit is currently paused due to the pandemic). Silver Castaway members also get an exclusive check-in desk at the terminal. A welcome-back gift and a silver lanyard are left in your stateroom for you. Pre-pandemic, you would get your lanyard in the terminal when you checked in. Check in 33 days prior to your cruise.

Gold

Gold members have completed 5 cruises. They get all the benefits of Silver Castaway members. If you are Gold, you can book new itineraries two days before the general public and book port adventures and onboard activities 105 days before sailing. 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. Rounding out the benefits is a discount at the shops onboard. Check in 35 days prior to your cruise.

Platinum

You become a platinum member after completing 10 cruises. As a platinum member, you receive all the benefits that silver and gold members get. Platinum cruisers can book new itineraries three days before the general public and get the first chance to book new itineraries. Onboard booking for platinum members is 120 days before the sailing. Only concierge guests get to book earlier, at 135 days. Platinum members also receive a complimentary dinner at Palo. Check in 38 days prior to your cruise.

New Pearl Level

Pearl Castaway Club members can book new itineraries 4 days before the general public. Platinum will book 3 days prior, Gold 2 days and Silver 1 day before the general public. Pearl members will have early access to online activity planning starting 123 days before sailing. Platinum will remain at 120 days, Gold at 105, and Silver at 90 days. They also receieve a complimentary photo package. Check in 40 days prior to your cruise.

All members get a welcome back aboard gift. On May 1, 2023 new gifts were released for the 25th Anniversary of Disney Cruise.

How do I find my Castaway Club status?

To find out about your Castaway Status, you can find it under the already booked tab, and near the bottom is the Castaway Club link.

Do Castaway Club members get a discount?

Castaway members do not get a discount. However, you can save 10% on your next cruise if you get a placeholder while on your cruise. Disney also has a discount for New Castawy Club Members. The Castaway Club Welcome Offer needs to be booked within 60 days of disembarking your first cruise.

Does your Castaway Membership Expire?

I have added one more question and answer because of a recent change to the Disney Cruise Line website. Recently, DCL quietly changed the Castaway Club by adding an expiration to their membership. “To remain in the program, Castaway Club Members must book or sail on at least one eligible cruise within five years of their last Disney voyage. For more information, view the Castaway Club terms and conditions.” 

The language used is open to interpretation. When you click through the terms and conditions, you will find this: “The Activity Period shall mean the five (5) year period after debarkation day of the Member’s last eligible DCL Cruise. However, DCL may (but is not required to) extend the Activity Period and/or continue making Program Benefits available to Member if Member does not book or complete an eligible DCL cruise within their Activity Period; such decisions shall be in DCL’s sole discretion.” It is unclear why Disney would make this change; it is an outlier in cruising. 

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