Castaway Club Members

[bawpotter]

I am traveling with a group of 10 on a Disney Dream Cruise in February. We will have three staterooms, two with 4 people, and one with 2 people. One of the staterooms with 4 people has been on a Disney Cruise before. (My room) That makes us Castaway Club members, which gives us the ability to choose our check-in time 90 days prior to the sailing date instead of the regular 60 or 75 days before. (I forget if it is 60 or 75)

Now, the other two staterooms contain people who haven't been on a Disney Cruise before. They are also members of our very close family, and this is a family cruise. We would all like to have the same check-in time, so that we can be in the same boarding group, and board the ship at the same time. (As early in the day as possible) How can this be done?

 

[SuperDry]

Wait until all staterooms are eligible to check in, and then check in at the same time and pick the same arrival time.

 

[bucky1023]

I was a first time cruiser last year traveling with family that have been on other DCL trips (two seperate rooms). We could not pick our port time until 75 days out, but we were still able to get the same 11a as our family members (I was on at midnight the first day I could choose so I made sure I got what I wanted).

Once we check in I believe they were give #3 and ours was #4, they just waited until they called #4 to board and we all went on together. and in all honesty I think that the time between them calling #3 and #4 was only about 10 minutes if that so it was no big deal for us.

 

[jdb in AZ]

If the newbies do their onboard check-in as soon as they can (75 days before the cruise) they may get a decent boarding time.

If you do end up with different port arrival times and boarding numbers, just have the early people wait and board with the later ones.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am traveling with a group of 10 on a Disney Dream Cruise in February. We will have three staterooms, two with 4 people, and one with 2 people. One of the staterooms with 4 people has been on a Disney Cruise before. (My room) That makes us Castaway Club members, which gives us the ability to choose our check-in time 90 days prior to the sailing date instead of the regular 60 or 75 days before. (I forget if it is 60 or 75)

Now, the other two staterooms contain people who haven't been on a Disney Cruise before. They are also members of our very close family, and this is a family cruise. We would all like to have the same check-in time, so that we can be in the same boarding group, and board the ship at the same time. (As early in the day as possible) How can this be done?

Any rooms with Silver CC members (completed 1 DCL cruise) can complete the online checkin at 90 days. Any room with no CC members complete their online checkin at 75 days. The only way around it is to have one CC member in each room.

I will point out, there's every possibility that all the rooms will be able to select the same PAT on their respective checkin window.

The boarding number you receive at checkin at the port is tied to your PAT. Each PAT does have several boarding numbers assigned to it.

I've read that those who select a specific PAT earlier that those who select the same PAT later will have a lower boarding number. That said, the spread between the lowest and highest boarding numbers within at PAT is only about 6-9 numbers difference (probably about 15-20 minutes between first one called and last one called).

DCL does ask that, if your party has different boarding numbers, and you wish to board together, everyone wait until the highest boarding number is called.

 

[over50visits]

For the earliest possible check in time, you just complete your oniine registration as soon as you are allowed (different lead times for different CC categories).

You are likely to get different boarding numbers at the terminal. But that's really easy, you all just board with the person with the highest number, and you'll be together and off on your adventure. Don't sweat the truly small stuff...it may seem like it's better to get on early, but the many hundreds of people who have later boarding times will also have a tremendous cruise. Savor being together!