Disney Cruise Line’s Loyalty Program — Castaway Club [Review]

In addition to Disney theme parks around the world, Disney provides magical cruise vacation experiences for guests of all ages on Disney Cruise Line. Castaway Club, the cruise line’s loyalty program, rewards cruisers with status and perks after completing just 1 cruise.

Frequent cruisers can take advantage of early booking privileges and even have their family name memorialized on Disney’s private island. The program is simple, and there’s nothing you have to do to participate except take a cruise. Here’s what you need to know about Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club.

Castaway Club Loyalty Program

Castaway Club is Disney Cruise Line’s loyalty program. All it takes to join the program is to sail on 1 Disney cruise, though the more you cruise, the more perks you receive. Entry into the program is free and automatic after completing your first cruise with Disney Cruise Line.

Castaway Club Membership Benefits [Tier Levels]

There are 4 Castaway Club membership tiers: Silver Member, Gold Member, Platinum Member, and Pearl Member. Each status level is earned by sailing 1, 5, 10, and 25 sailings, respectively. Pearl Members who take 50 sailings or more get additional benefits.

After your first completed sailing, you’ll automatically receive Silver Member status, and then it’s only up from there.

The program is exclusive to Disney Cruise Line’s ocean cruises. River and expedition cruises offered by Adventures by Disney do not count toward member status.

Below is a breakdown of each Castaway Club tier and its benefits.

Silver Member: 1 Completed Sailing

Benefits

• Book new itineraries at least 1 day before the general public
• Add cruise activities 90 days before sailing
• Select port arrival time and complete online check-in 33 days before sailing
• Exclusive cruise terminal check-in, where available
• Exclusive Castaway Club Member phone number and member communications

Onboard Benefits

• Welcome aboard gift

Gold Member: 5 Completed Sailings

Benefits

• Book new itineraries at least 2 days before the general public
• Add cruise activities 105 days before sailing
• Select port arrival time and complete online check-in 35 days before sailing

Onboard Benefits

• All Silver Member benefits
• Private onboard reception
• Exclusive member discounts

Platinum Member: 10 Completed Sailings

Benefits

• Book new itineraries at least 3 days before the general public
• Add cruise activities 120 days before sailing
• Select port arrival time and complete online check-in 38 days before sailing

Onboard Benefits

• All Silver and Gold Member benefits
• Complimentary dinner at Palo or Palo Steakhouse

Pearl Member: 25 Completed Sailings

Benefits

• Book new itineraries at least 4 days before the general public
• Add cruise activities 123 days before sailing
• Select port arrival times and complete online check-in 40 days before sailing
• Complimentary Unlimited Digital Photo Package

Onboard Benefits

• All Silver, Gold, and Platinum Member benefits
• Guests who complete 50 or more sailings can choose to have their family name displayed at Disney Castaway Cay, while supplies last

For each member level, kids earn the same status as adults.

Booking Your Disney Cruise Line Cruise

When booking a Disney cruise, you can pay the old-fashioned way with cash or book your cruise with points and miles.

Earning Points on Your Disney Cruise

If you’re looking to earn points for your Disney Cruise Line purchase, there are great ways to do that, too. When planning to make a big purchase, opening a new credit card to earn a welcome bonus offer might be a good idea.

A travel credit card that earns transferrable rewards, such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, is great to have on hand for additional expenses that come with a cruise vacation. If you must fly to where your cruise departs, the card’s annual $300 Capital One Travel credit can help you get there. Earning 2x Capital One miles minimum on every purchase, your rewards will add up quickly. You can redeem your miles for a hotel before or after your cruise or use your miles to pay for travel purchases like ride-shares or tours (within 90 days of purchase).

Disney Credit Cards

The Disney^® Premier Visa^® card and Disney^® Visa^® Card offer 10% off select purchases when using your card for onboard purchases over $50. Cardholders also receive 10% off non-discounted Disney Cruise Line digital photo packages and 20% off select onboard spa treatments. Special Disney vacation financing on cruises is also available.

There are no discounts on cruise fare or complimentary perks when sailing Disney Cruise Line when you hold a Disney credit card. However, you will earn Disney Rewards Dollars that you can redeem for Disney theme park tickets or Disney cruise packages. Unless you exclusively cruise or vacation with Disney, other cards offer more valuable perks.

Final Thoughts

Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club is a straightforward loyalty program. The more you cruise, the higher the status you earn. Unlike some cruise lines, it doesn’t matter how much you spend or what category cabin you sail in. The benefits are a little lackluster, but the value is not so much in the bells and whistles.