New Castaway Club Benefits Announced

[jrabbit]

yup this is correct

side question - you can link two different staterooms even if they aren't adjoining right? I want my parents to be able to board with us because we're gold but I don't want to have them in an adjoining stateroom

if you want both rooms to be at the same Club level, book you in one room, and your SO in the parents room, and one of the parents in your room and the other parent in the other room - that way both rooms will be gold. We did this once - we had a boys room and a girls room. Then had the appropriate room keys made for the "other" person in each room. Hope this wasn't too confusing!

 

[AndrewsMurphy]

What is "Family of the day"?

 

[ivanp91]

I got absolutely no acknowledgement or response to my e-mail sent over a week ago to DCL. Not even a cookie cutter response or a "we received your e-mail and will respond in..."

The "e-mail received" response is sent automatically by the server, so if you never received that I would think maybe the email somehow got lost on its way through. I received a reply back to my email this week after around 3 days of waiting. I'd try again to be safe.

Early Access to Select Port Arrival Times
Platinum members can embark the ship at their leisure after boarding begins; Gold members can select their preferred port arrival time upon completion of eDocuments.

Which is basically the same as it's always been.

It's written so vaguely, since as we all (should) know, selecting PATs have always been there for guests including Silver and first-timers. I sent an email to DCL to clarify how it would work, for example if those not Gold/Platinum would simply be given a PAT, and their response was that every guest can still choose a PAT. It may take some time to tell exactly how the system works now, but my thought is that Gold would have a 'guaranteed' PAT no matter when they choose it, whilst everyone else gets the leftovers on a first-come first-served basis, like in the past.

 

[clten]

I forgot, what time do they start boarding the ship?

Usually 11:30-11:45; can be later if they are behind schedule; typically not much earlier than that though

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

Count me as one who is at least a little disappointed about the reception being only on cruises longer than 7 days

... plus most long itineraries like that are at times and in places outside of a teacher's salary or schedule.

...or anyone who has school aged kids. It's why I still have never been on a Transatlantic or Panama Canal cruise and wasn't able to book the Hawaii cruise the last time they did it. Two weeks to take your kids out of school either toward the end of the year when they have tests, or the beginning of the year when things are just starting up. But hey, that's one reason why those repo cruises are typically so much cheaper per night.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

No lanyards for first-time cruisers. Many will bring their own, so yes it's possible you saw several, plus DCL sells them onboard. But they are not given free to first-time cruisers; only the color-coded for Castaway Club receive lanyards at check-in.

And I'm not a fan of the new, thinner lanyards. I used to wear my DCL ones at work (I have to wear a security badge at work), but the newer ones are just not as good for day-to-day wear and don't support the pins as well. Now I wear a RunDisney lanyard at work that I got at the marathon expo this year and I like it much better.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

...
Since DCL has started adding more and more other events (themed) on their cruises, I'm thinking that there's less & less time for it. Now, by just having it on the long cruises, it gives them something in their repertoire (as it were) for filling the time onboard those longer cruises.

Cruises that now have Star Wars activities, Halloween, Christmas, Marvel, and who know what else, just don't lend to a lot of "free" time for the CMs to fit everything in easily.

I never thought of that angle, but I suppose it could be a factor. There are only so many hours in a day and the CMs on board are already working most of them.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

We received platinum lanyards on the 4/15 sailing of the Fantasy. Perhaps the Magic had just run out of platinum lanyards and the agent assumed they had been discontinued?

Someone mentioned the bags are the same for all levels now. Those bags have been the base gifts for about two years it seems to me. Although I find them attractive, I am very allergic to them. Return it to the host or give it away as soon as I can. Really hope that gift changes soon!

DW called the beach bag a "potato sack". But I still use my blue DCL backpack we got once for a CC gift. The red bag before that only had one strap, but this one was a regular backpack and very useful for theme parks, shore excursions or even non-Disney daytrips.

 

[hanscarlet]

if you want both rooms to be at the same Club level, book you in one room, and your SO in the parents room, and one of the parents in your room and the other parent in the other room - that way both rooms will be gold. We did this once - we had a boys room and a girls room. Then had the appropriate room keys made for the "other" person in each room. Hope this wasn't too confusing!

follow up question on this - if I want to put a gold member minor in a room with silver member adults, will the cruise still book as Gold Level? Or does there need to be a Gold Level adult in the stateroom? Thanks!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

follow up question on this - if I want to put a gold member minor in a room with silver member adults, will the cruise still book as Gold Level? Or does there need to be a Gold Level adult in the stateroom? Thanks!

The system only recognizes that there's a Gold level member in the room. They don't check ages.

 

[hanscarlet]

nice thanks, ok cool, love these tips, thanks guys

 

[MSPeeler]

What is "Family of the day"?

If I'm thinking correctly, it means that your family will be the first to board the ship. One of the Cast Members makes a big deal of announcing your family and everyone claps and cheers as you leave the waiting area and go to board the ship.

 

[AndrewsMurphy]

If I'm thinking correctly, it means that your family will be the first to board the ship. One of the Cast Members makes a big deal of announcing your family and everyone claps and cheers as you leave the waiting area and go to board the ship.

Thank you for your response. I wonder how they pick the family.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thank you for your response. I wonder how they pick the family.

A random CM in the terminal is tapped to randomly select whoever he/she feels is the Family of the Day. It seems that it's generally a youngish mom & dad with a couple of kids aged 7-12ish get picked a lot. I've seen several who had matching shirts, also. Not WHOLE MATCHING OUTFITS, just shirts.

 

[MsJiminyCricket]

So as I now understand it, there's no such thing as picking "Embarkation Time" and that it's really just PAT still - which we've been able to choose for years?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So as I now understand it, there's no such thing as picking "Embarkation Time" and that it's really just PAT still - which we've been able to choose for years?

Yes, basically that's it. It just makes it sound more special that members can have first choice at selecting their Port Arrival Time over new cruisers.

 

[havaneselover]

Where do you see the 20% off? I don't see it

Not sure I can link to it. Google "Disney Castaway club platinum $123" and limit search to the last month.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Not sure I can link to it. Google "Disney Castaway club platinum $123" and limit search to the last month.

That's on one specific sailing - July 22, 2017 on the Fantasy (and only available through May 15, 2017):

Exclusive Platinum & Gold Castaway Club Member Advance Booking Opportunity

Platinum and Gold Castaway Club members can take advantage of an exclusive advance booking opportunity through May 15, 2017.

Booking Window: May 2 – 15, 2017
Sailing: July 22, 2017 Disney Fantasy 7-Night Western Caribbean Cruise

Save 20% on prevailing Verandah rates by booking a Verandah Stateroom with Restrictions, Category VGT, for sailing on Disney Fantasy July 22, 2017. Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses of approximately $123 per person not included.

Booking Information:
This offer can only be booked by calling the Disney Cruise Line Reservation Center. One Guest in stateroom must be a Platinum or Gold Castaway Club member.

Important Details:
Based on double occupancy. Valid for new bookings only. Full, nonrefundable payment and all Guest names required at time of booking. No name changes permitted. Specific stateroom assigned at later time. Rate does not include gratuities or Port Adventures. The number of staterooms allocated is limited. This offer cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts. Rates in U.S. dollars. Offer subject to Disney Cruise Line Terms and Conditions.

 

[karl_nj]

That's been changed. It now says:
Early Access to Select Port Arrival Times
Platinum members can embark the ship at their leisure after boarding begins; Gold members can select their preferred port arrival time upon completion of eDocuments.

Which is basically the same as it's always been.

I'm not sure it's exactly the same, otherwise they would have put a check mark by Silver too.

I read this as they are reserving some slots for Gold only. Perhaps in case someone Gold books last minute.

I guess I'll see what happens in a few months when i pick my PAT for my November cruise. I've been able to get pretty early PAT's even as a lowly "Silver", since I make sure I complete registration that day. If things change, it's probably a "real" benefit for Gold (and a reduction in benefits for Silver).