Castaway Club Expiration

[GBBTomorrow]

Hi Everyone. I know that the fine print of the Castaway Club rules and regulations says that they can discontinue your membership (and you start over at 0 cruises) from five years after the debarkation date from your last cruise. It also says this is at Disney's discretion, so it does not sound like it is automatic.

I would be quite disappointed to lose my status, since I am now past the five year mark, but have taken a total of five cruises. My question is, do they really do this in practice? Have any of you been dropped from the Castaway Club after five years?

Thanks!

 

[auntlynne]

We’re waiting to see since they pointed this out around the time of introducing Pearl status.

It was odd they were emphasizing this, as so many loyalty programs I am in have gone the other direction - making points / miles non-expiring.

 

[RangerPooh]

It’s still new, so we might not see of people being dropped for another year. I’m thinking Disney may have shared as a way to give advance notice to book and sail prior to dropping members.

 

[happycamper47]

It’s still new, so we might not see of people being dropped for another year. I’m thinking Disney may have shared as a way to give advance notice to book and sail prior to dropping members.

Doesn't say anything about "sailing" just booking, which you can always cancel close to the PIF date.

 

[mpetersen]

We just did our first cruise after a 12yr hiatus (#kidshappen) and did not lose our silver status at all. Not to say it won’t happen just that it didn’t as of April 2024

 

[CarolynFH]

We had 25 years between our first sailing in 1998 and our second in 2024 and didn’t lose our Silver status. So I guess we’ll have to wait and see whether reports of losing status begin being posted.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Seems like it would be a generous offer to start the 5 years from the announcement of the 5 year plan. If you consider it may take a person 3-4 years sometimes to budget and plan. That would be another 4.5 years from now to start the program. And with 13 ships in the future who knows what kind of help loyalty d Nobody iscounts could provide in the future. Playing the numbers game a few years from now might change things.

 

[anjuan]

It's been 10 years since my mom cruised with DCL once. I just booked a cruise that included her and they have her listed as silver so they haven't changed things yet.

 

[mmouse37]

Didn't the countdown just start with the announcement of Pearl status which was what....a year or so ago? That's how I understood it but maybe I am total wrong.

MJ

 

[bigAWL]

Not to bring up an old thread, but was really wondering if anyone here has yet experienced booking a cruise 5+ years after their last one. Was Castaway Club status maintained or not?

 

[Amunet]

Yes. Last cruise i took was in September of 2018 and I booked my next cruise in December 2024 during Silver CC booking time for new itineraries. So yeah, my status has still been preserved thus far

 

[Disneyland_emily]

my friend sailed once in 1998 and they found her status in Feb of 2025.. her castaway number is fewer digits

Other than that everyone I know is current

 

[awrites]

Not to bring up an old thread, but was really wondering if anyone here has yet experienced booking a cruise 5+ years after their last one. Was Castaway Club status maintained or not?

The cruise I took in May of this year was 12 years after my last one. I was unable to book online on my Silver Castaway day, but when I called the CM was able to book it. It helped that I had my Castaway number myself (I’d gotten married and had a name change since my last sailing, and I think that caused issues on the tech end of my Castaway account.)

 

[CamColt]

The cruise I took in May of this year was 12 years after my last one. I was unable to book online on my Silver Castaway day, but when I called the CM was able to book it. It helped that I had my Castaway number myself (I’d gotten married and had a name change since my last sailing, and I think that caused issues on the tech end of my Castaway account.)

My niece had a similar issue last year caused by changing her name, Once that was fixed she kept her status. The rest of her immediate family, who hadn't sailed since 2000, also kept their status with no issue.

 

[GollyGadget]

To add another data point, I first sailed DCL in 1999 and my second cruise was not until 2013. I’ll be making my 3rd trip with DCL in September 2025 and my silver status still persists.

 

[bigAWL]

It's great to hear that people are keeping their status, at least for now. The policy definitely says DCL has the option to keep or cancel status that is more than 5 years old. Hopefully, that language is just a precaution on their end to have available if they decide the benefits are getting too costly for the growing number of members. Hopefully, far in the future. But this does seem to be a trend in the industry.

 

[GBBTomorrow]

Not to bring up an old thread, but was really wondering if anyone here has yet experienced booking a cruise 5+ years after their last one. Was Castaway Club status maintained or not?

I had last cruised in 2017, and when I cruise this April (2025) my status was still intact.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I thought I read somewhere that you would keep silver no matter what but that the higher statuses would go away if there were no bookings for 5 years?

 

[Mommb]

I thought I read somewhere that you would keep silver no matter what but that the higher statuses would go away if there were no bookings for 5 years?

If that is the policy, it has not taken effect.

My son last cruised with DCL at Platinum status in 2019. On our upcoming cruise when he and his girlfriend (who has never cruised on DCL) are in a different stateroom from my husband and me, I was able to book activities for them starting on the Platinum booking date.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Not to bring up an old thread, but was really wondering if anyone here has yet experienced booking a cruise 5+ years after their last one. Was Castaway Club status maintained or not?

My last cruise was 2019 and I am still gold. I had 2 cruises booked in 2020 that were obviously cancelled. I wondered if they would start the 5 year count after the covid reopenings.