Been 15 years since my last dcl. I have some questions!

[Natasha0b]

this will be my fifth Disney cruise. Will I be considered silver castaway club member or gold?

I requested early dining when I booked, does that automatically mean I got it?

How quickly does bippity Boppity boutique book up?

Do they still do pirate night? We’re doing a 5 night bahamian cruise in may 2025.

When will I be able to see the on board activities and itinerary like where I’ll be dining each night?

Thank you!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

this will be my fifth Disney cruise. Will I be considered silver castaway club member or gold?

I requested early dining when I booked, does that automatically mean I got it?

How quickly does bippity Boppity boutique book up?

Do they still do pirate night? We’re doing a 5 night bahamian cruise in may 2025.

When will I be able to see the on board activities and itinerary like where I’ll be dining each night?

Thank you!

You are Silver. You become Gold when you complete your 5th cruise.

You get your dining rotation at the port on embarkation day.

 

[tee11]

this will be my fifth Disney cruise. Will I be considered silver castaway club member or gold?

I requested early dining when I booked, does that automatically mean I got it?

How quickly does bippity Boppity boutique book up?

Do they still do pirate night? We’re doing a 5 night bahamian cruise in may 2025.

When will I be able to see the on board activities and itinerary like where I’ll be dining each night?

Thank you!

1). you are silver
2) no, check on it - it would display main or second. You can call to be put on a wait list. This is often successful
3) not quickly. Unless it’s for something very specific (certain pirate night do’s), and you are set on a specific date and time.
4) yes! Pretty much every sailing, even 3 nights!
5) you will most see on board activities after you have paid in full, and depending on your castaway status. You will see nearly everything after you’ve completed your online check in. I say nearly, because you will not see your dining rotation until you are at the port.

 

[Mommb]

You will be able to see the onboard activities that can be booked in advance after your booking window opens. That date should be visible when you look at your reservation in the Disney Cruise website or app.

You should download the DCL app before you arrive at the port. Once you are on DCL WiFi in the terminal or onboard, the app will change from planning into being the Onboard Navigator and will show you all of the onboard activities, including those that don’t require booking. The app will also show your dining schedule.

You won’t know your dining schedule until embarkation day, but you will be able to see when Pirate Night is when your booking window opens, because the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique will offer Pirate makeovers that day.

 

[Anna131517]

For BBB get online as soon as your booking window opens. They go quickly!

 

[tvguy]

OP says they haven't cruised Disney in 15 years. I thought in December Disney revised their Castaway Club rules to only count cruises taken in the last 5 years? https://boards.cruisecritic.com/top...y-disney-cruise-lines-loyalty-program-change/

 

[BlovesC]

OP says they haven't cruised Disney in 15 years. I thought in December Disney revised their Castaway Club rules to only count cruises taken in the last 5 years? https://boards.cruisecritic.com/top...y-disney-cruise-lines-loyalty-program-change/

I don't know if Disney meant for that announcement to be only moving forward or retroactive, because we never lost our silver status showing online. We took our first and only Disney cruise in 2013, then when we got on the Wish two weeks ago in 2024 we were given the Silver CC gifts and cards.

 

[tvguy]

I don't know if Disney meant for that announcement to be only moving forward or retroactive, because we never lost our silver status showing online. We took our first and only Disney cruise in 2013, then when we got on the Wish two weeks ago in 2024 we were given the Silver CC gifts and cards.

Good question.

 

[CarolynFH]

OP says they haven't cruised Disney in 15 years. I thought in December Disney revised their Castaway Club rules to only count cruises taken in the last 5 years? https://boards.cruisecritic.com/top...y-disney-cruise-lines-loyalty-program-change/

We took our first DCL cruise on the Magic in 1998. We took our second last week and were recognized as Silver for it. So maybe that will be the policy going forward.

 

[byanks7]

There's no way Disney would change the rules midstream and only count cruises from the last 5 years to determine CC status. Making those changes to new cruisers only would make more sense.

 

[byanks7]

There's no way Disney would change the rules midstream and only count cruises from the last 5 years to determine CC status. Making those changes to new cruisers only would make more sense.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I contacted DCL online chat and got the run-around when i asked if we're still gold (after 6 cruises but it's been more than 5 years.) She said the regulations have changed recently and told me to contact a Castaway Club Rep at 800 951-3532. Has anyone contacted the rep directly? I hesitate because IF he/she says our status has been wiped out, i might just tell her what I think of the idea.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

There's no way Disney would change the rules midstream and only count cruises from the last 5 years to determine CC status. Making those changes to new cruisers only would make more sense.

They could grandfather everyone who has cruised at some time in the past as having cruised in, say, 2023, and start counting from there.

It seems like, if you have a gap, DCL is going to pick up your status again with a new cruise.

For example, someone cruised 10 years ago 5 times and is Gold. They take a cruise this year and they remain Gold. But, if their next cruise after that is more than 5 years later that cruise they would have no CC status, but would again become gold at the end of the cruise.

Maybe.

According to the CC club contract:
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.

 

[jdb in AZ]

They could grandfather everyone who has cruised at some time in the past as having cruised in, say, 2023, and start counting from there.

It seems like, if you have a gap, DCL is going to pick up your status again with a new cruise.

For example, someone cruised 10 years ago 5 times and is Gold. They take a cruise this year and they remain Gold. But, if their next cruise after that is more than 5 years later that cruise they would have no CC status, but would again become gold at the end of the cruise.

Maybe.

According to the CC club contract:
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.

Thanks. I'm hoping my cruise travel agent (who has super powers) can get us re-instated to gold, by booking a new cruise, but if DCL won't cooperate then I'll take my business elsewhere.

 

[Natasha0b]

OP says they haven't cruised Disney in 15 years. I thought in December Disney revised their Castaway Club rules to only count cruises taken in the last 5 years?

My status remains silver on my account and when I called to book they said silver!

 

[Natasha0b]

Thanks. I'm hoping my cruise travel agent (who has super powers) can get us re-instated to gold, by booking a new cruise, but if DCL won't cooperate then I'll take my business elsewhere.

Does your account have your status? Mine stayed as silver

 

[jdb in AZ]

Does your account have your status? Mine stayed as silver

I don't have my account # available -- that's one of the reasons i did the online chat, but since i don't have a cruise booked at present, DCL wouldn't give it to me. My trusty travel agent should have it.

 

[tvguy]

My status remains silver on my account and when I called to book they said silver!

Glad to hear, although not sure silver status even existed last time you cruised.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Glad to hear, although not sure silver status even existed last time you cruised.

Let's see 15 years ago was 2009.

We started cruising in 2008 and were Silver after our first cruise.
Gifts we got on our next cruise in 2010 have a silver lanyard.

 

[CarolynFH]

I contacted DCL online chat and got the run-around when i asked if we're still gold (after 6 cruises but it's been more than 5 years.) She said the regulations have changed recently and told me to contact a Castaway Club Rep at 800 951-3532. Has anyone contacted the rep directly? I hesitate because IF he/she says our status has been wiped out, i might just tell her what I think of the idea.

I can guarantee they have records going back to 1998, when we cruised DCL for the first time. I had a long phone interaction with DCL Website Support today because DH was shown as Silver on our 2nd DCL cruise last week, but I wasn’t. I had my CC number, and she was able to straighten out my account - apparently the system likes to create new accounts/profiles for CC members and assign new numbers. She even found out DH had more than one profile, too, which explained why we couldn’t get our cruise folio from the website. She merged all our profiles and confirmed our Silver status - my account shows 2 cruises now, as it should.

So I would call them - they’ll straighten things out for you.