Disney Cruise Line Updates Castaway Club Membership Requirements

[mousefan73]

I’ve been sick and only just now heard about this. This does perhaps explain why I had trouble booking a 2025 .

I do think it was poor form not to attempt to alert CC members of this change before enacting it. As others have said, give people the option of trying to book a new cruise to maintain status if they want, rather than waking up one day to discover they’ve lost their status with no communication other than a quiet update to the T&C.

you mentioned the part that is probably one of the reasons why they are doing this. How are they exactly supposed to contact every CC member? A good majority of their database I’m assuming became members as children or additional guests in a cabin. With new data laws and database email processes, that would be very hard to verify the contact for these people. Because their process was always so as soon as you had your name on a booking they automatically assigned you a CC number. There was never an official sign-up for a loyalty program. I think they’re just now realizing oops

 

[DCLMP]

That's fine, but maybe it means that DCL just isn't the right fit for you. I know some people who go to the same country cabin every year for vacation. It's their vacation home away from home. The Disney ships and Castaway Cay serve the same purpose for many of us. A comfortable, enjoyable, familiar and reliable getaway from the stressors of life.

If that isn't something that appeals to you, and instead you see cruising mainly as a method of transportation to a variety of destinations, then there are certainly other lines that can better suit that preference.

I see it as both. I like variety. The original post was about how easy it was to become Pearl l if you live in Florida and take short cruises. I'm not sure how many people do that those short cruises aren't cheap even with discounts.

 

[Karin1984]

you mentioned the part that is probably one of the reasons why they are doing this. How are they exactly supposed to contact every CC member? A good majority of their database I’m assuming became members as children or additional guests in a cabin. With new data laws and database email processes, that would be very hard to verify the contact for these people. Because their process was always so as soon as you had your name on a booking they automatically assigned you a CC number. There was never an official sign-up for a loyalty program. I think they’re just now realizing oops

Can you imagine they send out an email to everyone involved. And then the amount of capacity they need at their callcenter to talk to everyone who has questions, wants to book a cruise etc.

It is probably cheaper to change this quietly as it will spread out the calls and complaints. They probably count on a large part of the database to be lost forever anyway, and only a small percentage will send in a complaint that they need to take action on.

 

[lanejudy]

I’ve been a CC member since 2012 and have rarely received any communication — including marketing — from DCL. It’s really hit-or-miss who seems to get any of that and I wouldn’t tie it to this policy.

 

[bakerworld]

I don't see this is an issue. We arrive a day before and stay a day after so a 4D cruise = a week away. I have sisters who always want to vacation for 2 weeks and I have never understood that because my hips start hurting around night 5 and I want my own bed with my memory foam topper. The only other discount we use is shopping and DVC gives the same discount, plus most of my shopping is on CC, which gives no discount. The Placeholder I find more pressure than 10% is worth. I have found that by searching cheaper cruises can be found. We just booked a 2025 4D because it was a few hundred cheaper than our 2024 4D (not that I cancelled the 2024 - ).

 

[awrites]

I’ve been a CC member since 2012 and have rarely received any communication — including marketing — from DCL. It’s really hit-or-miss who seems to get any of that and I wouldn’t tie it to this policy.

Oh interesting! I seem to get every single marketing email from them so they definitely have my contact info, lol. I was basing my post on that.

But yeah good point, and the EU certainly has more protections than the US that could make it harder to inform those folks.

Still, DCL could’ve done an announcement on their own site. Given the way news spread from the DCL blog, *someone* would’ve picked it up and folks might’ve eventually heard about it that way, rather than it being a silent policy change that the vast majority of people seemed not to have learned about for 9 months.

 

[clh2]

This change is really no different than others we deal with (Ie employer policies as an example). Sucks…but I’m going to need to put on my granny panties and deal with it.

On the brighter side, I now no longer need to spend time trying to figure out our CC numbers from a trip we took when our daughter was in 4th grade, she is now married (with name changed) with 3 kiddos. We are hopefully going in October 2024!

 

[happycamper47]

I’ve been a CC member since 2012 and have rarely received any communication — including marketing — from DCL. It’s really hit-or-miss who seems to get any of that and I wouldn’t tie it to this policy.

Same for us. I wonder if they only send marketing to those who haven't cruised in a while and that is why they want to purge the system.

 

[European]

Still, DCL could’ve done an announcement on their own site. Given the way news spread from the DCL blog, *someone* would’ve picked it up and folks might’ve eventually heard about it that way, rather than it being a silent policy change that the vast majority of people seemed not to have learned about for 9 months.

Exactly. And their social media accounts.

 

[Karin1984]

and folks might’ve eventually heard about it that way, rather than it being a silent policy change that the vast majority of people seemed not to have learned about for 9 months.

But those who haven't cruised with Disney quite a while, will they read DCL blog or follow DCL on social? Some might, but probably the majority of inactive members DCL is targeting won't.

We, on this board, are minority.

 

[tvguy]

I don’t know what other industries offer but Disney CM perks are really good.

Disney Stockholder perks used to be really good about 35 years ago. Magic Kingdom Club membership with discounts on tickets and Disney hotels and early admission with breakfast.

 

[awrites]

But those who haven't cruised with Disney quite a while, will they read DCL blog or follow DCL on social? Some might, but probably the majority of inactive members DCL is targeting won't.

We, on this board, are minority.

No, it would not have reached everyone. I said “might’ve eventually heard.” I still think it’s better than not saying anything at all.

 

[Karin1984]

No, it would not have reached everyone. I said “might’ve eventually heard.” I still think it’s better than not saying anything at all.

From a customer pov, I agree. From business pov, I understand they chose this route.

Eventually is a very loose term. Those people probably will not find out till they are interested in booking a cruise again.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I think it's hard to compare CC loyalty to airline and hotel loyalty programs. If I needed to maintain activity in let's say Marriott's program, I could spend $110 and stay at a local Fairfield Inn and be done for 5 more years.
With DCL, even cruising without our adult kids is expensive. Our 5 night March cruise will end up costing $5k and that is with OBC discount, and getting free flights and pre-cruise hotel stay from cc points. This is adding in gratuities, airport parking, trip insurance, and some small fund set aside for excursions.

 

[cvjw]

Interesting. Do you travel to other places? I could see doing the same cruise over and over strictly for relaxation purposes, but taking the same vacation over and over??? I don't know. I like cruising because it's the easiest way to see a lot of different destinations. Someday I'll take a European vacation and do the whole train thing, but with kids, the cruises have been easier.

Then again you haven't been sailing with DCL very long. Our first few years were just the Bahamas and the Fantasy eventually we got bored.

We cruise for relaxation. We spend all our time on deck 13. Most cruises we don’t even leave the ship with the exception of castaway. We vacationed at all inclusives all over the Caribbean for many years. It takes something special for us to leave the fantasy.

We will sail on the fantasy 3 or 4 weeks this year, spend a week on 30A and at least a week at Disney. I am at the point in life where I don’t want to cook, clean or search for a place for dinner while on vacation. The fantasy is perfect for us right now. And it is so easy. No planning. Just show up. And I know what I am getting - no surprises.

When my husband retires in the next couple of years, we will expand our vacations. We will start taking river cruises and spending many weeks at a time at further destinations. We will always make time for the fantasy though. Sailing on her feels like home.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We cruise for relaxation. We spend all our time on deck 13. Most cruises we don’t even leave the ship with the exception of castaway. We vacationed at all inclusives all over the Caribbean for many years. It takes something special for us to leave the fantasy.

We will sail on the fantasy 3 or 4 weeks this year, spend a week on 30A and at least a week at Disney. I am at the point in life where I don’t want to cook, clean or search for a place for dinner while on vacation. The fantasy is perfect for us right now. And it is so easy. No planning. Just show up. And I know what I am getting - no surprises.

When my husband retires in the next couple of years, we will expand our vacations. We will start taking river cruises and spending many weeks at a time at further destinations. We will always make time for the fantasy though. Sailing on her feels like home.

I can relate. Probably 3 out of 4 vacations are for relaxation and time to unwind, de-stress and reconnect. I consider it part of the costs incurred with having a high stress job.

We get that “feels like home” feeling on the Magic which was our first 4 Disney cruises before ever trying another ship. For the longest time, the only other option was the Wonder but she only sailed 3-4 night cruises.

 

[71 Truck]

Disney Stockholder perks used to be really good about 35 years ago. Magic Kingdom Club membership with discounts on tickets and Disney hotels and early admission with breakfast.

I remember those benefits.

 

[DCLMP]

We cruise for relaxation. We spend all our time on deck 13. Most cruises we don’t even leave the ship with the exception of castaway. We vacationed at all inclusives all over the Caribbean for many years. It takes something special for us to leave the fantasy.

We will sail on the fantasy 3 or 4 weeks this year, spend a week on 30A and at least a week at Disney. I am at the point in life where I don’t want to cook, clean or search for a place for dinner while on vacation. The fantasy is perfect for us right now. And it is so easy. No planning. Just show up. And I know what I am getting - no surprises.

When my husband retires in the next couple of years, we will expand our vacations. We will start taking river cruises and spending many weeks at a time at further destinations. We will always make time for the fantasy though. Sailing on her feels like home.

I would think if you ever get to Pearl status you will have sailed on something other than the the Fantasy in the Caribbean. If you end up doing 30 Fantasy Caribbean cruises I think you deserve your own special status.

 

[cvjw]

I would think if you ever get to Pearl status you will have sailed on something other than the the Fantasy in the Caribbean. If you end up doing 30 Fantasy Caribbean cruises I think you deserve your own special status.

We have also sailed on the dream and the magic. Both are great ships, we just love the fantasy.

 

[jerry557]

I would think if you ever get to Pearl status you will have sailed on something other than the the Fantasy in the Caribbean. If you end up doing 30 Fantasy Caribbean cruises I think you deserve your own special status.

Its not that uncommon for people to repeat vacations. There are hundreds of thousands of DVC members. And they go to WDW over and over and over again. Many go multiple times a year.

Also a lot of people in Florida eat up those 3 and 4 day Bahama cruises. They go on those a ton of times. It's why there are so many platinum and pearl members that live in Florida.