New Castaway Club Level?

[Shanti]

As a 3x DCL cruiser, I don't understand the hype around levels. What do you realty get at the end of the day? A coffee cup? The "opportunity" to pay ~$600 for a cabana? A different lanyard? I don't get it. What am I missing?

The primary benefit higher levels get is the ability to book activities early, which can make a difference if you're sailing a packed ship (common with holiday cruises & special itineraries, which are the cruises I like to sail) and want to have certain bookable experiences that might sell out. Gold and Platinum's ability to book newly-released cruises a day before everyone else can also be very useful.

 

[over50visits]

I sail Disney because I love the ships and the staff and crew who work on them. We're platinum, and have sailed enough to know a number of the long term CMs and feel like family when we sail.

But, the minimal "perks" of platinum don't begin to compare to other lines. I guess early booking is nice for cabanas, but we would sail as often and as willingly without the few benefits of being frequent guests.

 

[tink1970]

I couldn't wait to become platinum and then when I did I realized...much ado about nothing. That said, I have enjoyed many wonderful cruises with my family and that's what's important, not a free bottle of wine I don't drink or a lanyard I don't wear

 

[DisneyConvert]

I couldn't wait to become platinum and then when I did I realized...much ado about nothing. That said, I have enjoyed many wonderful cruises with my family and that's what's important, not a free bottle of wine I don't drink or a lanyard I don't wear

We sail DCL because of the wonderful Disney service and my wife won't get sick from fish oil contamination on her plate (like she does on RCCL) even when I order fish(!). I am moderate fan of the shows, I love the decor/ambience but mostly I like the DCL attitude of caring for their guests that leads to frequent "plusses."

For example:

Wife, who is platinum, and I went on a short cruise in February out of PCnvl (our first "alone" without our son) and just didn't get around to ordering our champagne or the super-special cheese plate (room service actually sent us the "regular" one). So the last night of the cruise we were about to enjoy our free meal at Palo, and as the Maitre'D checked us in, he noticed we hadn't yet "claimed" any of the items in the category and asked us if we wanted champagne that night.

My goodness, they are persistent, aren't they, we agreed. "We don't drink alcohol, so that's ok, thanks," we declined politely, not really caring about losing our prize. And then here's the magic . . .
"Well, would you like some sparkling cider with your meal?" the persistent, service-focused CM asked.

Gratefully, we accepted the sparkling juice as we enjoyed another fantastic non-allergenic meal on the Disney Wonder. Gratuities given gratefully for another great Disney Cruise. Yeah, we'll be back.