DVC Benefits at port check in

[evedein]

Our October 12th trip will be our 1st DCL cruise. We are DVC members. I see under DVC Member Benefits, DVC Member Check-in for DCL. "DVC members are welcome to check in ...at any port along with the Castaway Club Members. Look for queue with designated signage of the DVC logo." Does this mean that we will have a shorter line at check in at the port? Does this include the port in New York?

 

[WishUponAStarryNight]

Maybe, maybe not. The Castaway Club line is for repeat cruisers. It's not unheard of for the first-time cruiser line to be shorter. That being said, in my 5 cruises out of 4 different ports (including NYC), I've never waited in line more than 5 minutes and we tend to get there on the early side before boarding begins. I'm usually rushing to finish the health questionnaire before it's my turn. IMO, this DVC "benefit" isn't anything to write home about.

 

[Marc D]

Like PP said, it depends on the cruise and the time you arrive. Sometimes the CC line is shorter, sometimes the new cruisers line is. It’s not really a perk, unlike Platinum check-in at the Concierge desk.

 

[evedein]

Thanks, that's good to know.

 

[Geomom]

I doubt there will be a DVC only line at the port of NY, it's likely only a perk out of Port Canaveral. We've cruised out of Vancouver and Copenhagen and neither had a DVC desk in the port area, only on the ship.

With it being your first cruise, make sure you stop by the DVC desk on day 1 with your member card and they should give you free lanyards! It's a great perk for your first cruise as only returning cruisers get lanyards from DCL. They also have a member only gathering (usually on the first day) with free drinks/bottled water. And if you show your member card at the shops, you'll get 10% off when you've spent at least $50. (If you also have a Disney Visa, they have the same discount and your key card will say DV, so you should automatically get that discount without having to show anything.) We have also gotten free hats from the DVC desk, sometimes they leave a token in your room for you to redeem for it. (And you should have a magnet on your door!)

 

[Disney1fan2002]

NYC has a DVC table. I'm not sure you can check in there, but it has DVC lanyards (which I was glad for, because I was unaware that 1st time cruisers do not get a DCL lanyard, as they were not silver yet, so I was able to snag 2 for my sister and niece who had never cruised before)

 

[ivanp91]

NYC has a DVC table. I'm not sure you can check in there, but it has DVC lanyards (which I was glad for, because I was unaware that 1st time cruisers do not get a DCL lanyard, as they were not silver yet, so I was able to snag 2 for my sister and niece who had never cruised before)

This may come off as a controversial comment (in fact, I'm betting on it), but it irks me when people do this. If they aren't members then they shouldn't be getting things that label them as a "DVC Member". I didn't pay for my own membership so that random family members can pass themselves off as one.

 

[ScooterScott44]

Like PP said, it depends on the cruise and the time you arrive. Sometimes the CC line is shorter, sometimes the new cruisers line is. It’s not really a perk, unlike Platinum check-in at the Concierge desk.

I’ll second the comment that the benefit really depends on which line is shortest but at port Canaveral the platinum and concierge check in is all the way at the back. We were platinum a few cruises ago and we walked in and did check in at the first time cruiser desk. The line was empty so we figured why walk all the way down to do the same thing. In that situation we also were able to be done just that little bit sooner and were able to get to the supervisors desk and get a very nice upgrade.

 

[squirk]

This may come off as a controversial comment (in fact, I'm betting on it), but it irks me when people do this. If they aren't members then they shouldn't be getting things that label them as a "DVC Member". I didn't pay for my own membership so that random family members can pass themselves off as one.

If the DVC lanyard carried any real tangible benefit, I'd agree with you. But, honestly, what are these people getting besides just something that holds their KTTW card? They're not going to get the door magnet or stateroom gift. They are not going to be invited to the Member Event. They're not going to be eligible for any discounts. No CM is going to treat them any differently or any better by virture of just the cheap-*** lanyard.

If someone wants to pass themselves off as DVC because they think it elevates their social status on the cruise? Well, that's pretty sad, but it doesn't impact my cruise or my DVC membership one bit.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If someone wants to pass themselves off as DVC because they think it elevates their social status on the cruise? Well, that's pretty sad, but it doesn't impact my cruise or my DVC membership one bit.

DVC membership as social status?!

 

[squirk]

DVC membership as social status?!

I know. I was just running with @ivanp91’s comment about people “passing themselves off” as DVC members by wearing the lanyard. I can’t think of any benefit whatsoever, other than thinking you look “cool”. Or, at least, “Disney-cool”.

 

[karen4546]

I know. I was just running with @ivanp91’s comment about people “passing themselves off” as DVC members by wearing the lanyard. I can’t think of any benefit whatsoever, other than thinking you look “cool”. Or, at least, “Disney-cool”.

Looking forward to Disney cruisin' soon. If i see someone wearing a DVC lanyard to tell them how "cool" they are - lol jk. Serioulsy is a DVC lanyard made me look cool or up my social status then i would wear one all the time-not really.

We have not cruised since becoming members, but hopefully soon. (BTW - I will say that the first and only time we cruised so far was in 2017 and we were concierge-now that was cOOl - even heard comments when we walked right past and onboard with an escort that "we must be rich"-my husband said Disney broke" lol

 

[Disney1fan2002]

This may come off as a controversial comment (in fact, I'm betting on it), but it irks me when people do this. If they aren't members then they shouldn't be getting things that label them as a "DVC Member". I didn't pay for my own membership so that random family members can pass themselves off as one.

My sister is her very own card carrying DVC member. I was the one that approached the table. The man asked me how many lanyards I needed. I said two, he asked how many were in my party, I said seven. He handed me 7 lanyards. I am a member, my husband is a member and my sister is a member. Our children are not. So that means they shouldn't get to wear the lanyard? Obviously, DVC wants as many people wearing them as they can get. It ADVERTISES their product.

 

[Dznypal]

this is strange about not getting the laynards on your first cruise--we did several years ago

so we now have 10 total (for just the 2 of us) silver and nest year for Hawaii well get our first gold

how long ago did they change that if its your first cruise you don't get the laynard

 

[Marc D]

this is strange about not getting the laynards on your first cruise--we did several years ago

so we now have 10 total (for just the 2 of us) silver and nest year for Hawaii well get our first gold

how long ago did they change that if its your first cruise you don't get the laynard

It was like this when we started DCL cruising in 2013.

 

[Cinderbrella1]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I believe we received red lanyards for our June '13 cruise.

 

[Dug720]

My and my parents’ first DCL was in July 2013 and we got no lanyards. (We are not DVC members.)

 

[n2mm]

First timers do not get dcl lanyards....my first cruise was 2008. We are also dvc members and pickup lanyards for our group if they want them. We are all owners. However, I’d rather wear my platinum lanyard.... yes children of dvc members will get lanyards too.

 

[Cinderbrella1]

Sorry, they were red DVC Lanyards.

 

[n2mm]

Use to be red dvc lanyards, now they are blue