On Being "Gold"

If you were to ask the husband prior to our summer 2014 vacation what he was most looking forward to, he would have told you he was looking forward to being a Gold Level Castaway Club Member on Disney Cruise Line.  You see, repeat cruises on Disney Cruise Line are categorized for their Castaway Club Level—silver after your first cruise, gold for cruises 6-11, and platinum after that. The benefits for each level vary.

Guests are given lanyards that match the color of their level.  We were given gold lanyards when we checked in for our cruise at the port.  Our stateroom gifts also represented our gold level status.  I love the gold bag!

One benefit to reaching the Gold Level is that you, and your traveling party, are invited to attend the Castaway Club reception.

The first evening we returned to our stateroom, there was a letter waiting for us which invited us to the Castaway Club reception the following morning at 10:00 am in The Tube which is located on Deck 4 Aft.  The letter also informed us of a 10% shopping discount for Gold Level Castaway Club Members that we would receive by showing our Key to the World Cards as our Castaway Club status was on the card.

Hmmm. . . We had a dilemma.  The Princess Gathering was also at 10:00 am. 

I already had an inkling that this would be the case from reading Navigators from previous sailings.  No worries.  We lined up early for the Princess Gathering and were third in line.  We met the Disney Princesses AND then went to the Castaway Club reception just a few minutes late.

Mickey was there greeting guests with the special Castaway Club background. 

Champagne, mimosas, and apple juice were being served along with a variety of hors d'oeuvres. 

The ship’s officers were there to welcome and visit with guests.  We met Captain Marco, reconnected with Trent the Assistant Cruise Director, and met an officer named Todd.  We couldn’t help but get a photo of the two Todds.

The atmosphere was fantastic for both kids and adults.  We were served quickly and repeatedly.  But at 10:30, the party was definitely over.

In addition, we enjoyed exploring The Tube, which is part of the “adult only” entertainment district and is really “adults only” after 9:00 pm.  The space includes a stage, dance floor, bar, lots of chairs of different kinds, and multiple screens which makes the space versatile for various activities.  We returned to The Tube many times throughout our cruise.

We can’t wait to invited back to the Castaway Club Reception on our next cruise.  Though, we may skip the Princess Gathering to get there sooner!