Ahoy, Cory!
Welcome aboard planDisney! Sailing with family and friends makes a Disney cruise even more magical—it’s like Belle’s enchanted castle, the more the merrier!
My crew and I recently sailed with some friends and ran into this same predicament. While both of our parties were
Castaway Club members, we were in different tiers and had separate onboard fun booking and
Online Check-In windows. Here’s the “Hakuna Matata” truth: activity booking always opens based on the highest tier within a single stateroom, not across multiple staterooms. That means if you have linked reservations but one room is sailing for the very first time, your whole party will need to wait until the first-time sailor booking window opens before you can snag Port Adventures, adult-exclusive dining, or spa reservations together.
When the window opens for the Silver Castaway Club stateroom, those Guests can book activities for their own room, but not for the first-time sailors (yet). Once that 75-day mark rolls around, you’ll be able to
coordinate everything across both reservations and adjust as needed. Think of it like Genie’s lamp: you don’t get three wishes at once, but eventually, everyone gets their turn!
Don’t forget that Online Check-In follows this same process. Each stateroom’s Port Arrival Time is assigned separately, and sometimes linked parties get different times. You can decide whether to board separately and meet up onboard (like Woody and Buzz reuniting in Toy Story) or wait so the whole crew can step onto the ship together. If you’ve chosen
Disney’s ground transfers, you’ll likely be grouped together under their system, which usually makes it easier for everyone to stay side by side from the start.
I hope this helps as you prepare for smooth sailing with your whole crew! With a little pixie dust and planning, you’ll be able to enjoy Port Adventures, dining, and all the onboard magic together. Before you know it, you’ll be walking into the atrium with your names announced—and trust me, it’s a moment that feels straight out of a fairytale.
Sea ya real soon as we ride the wave of summer’s final stretch in Disney style,
Dustin