DVA vs GC's for Onboard Expenses and Rebooking

[kalishea]

Hi there!
Quick question, is there any advantages to using my DVA for onboard expenses vs getting the money from my DVA transferred to a gift card and then using the gift card for onboard expenses? The only advantage I can see is you can use a gift card for the onboard rebooking deposit, and from what I've read, you can't use the DVA for that (unless that's changed).
So for example, I have paid off my cruise with my DVA but I still have $1000 left in my DVA account. Should I call DCL and have them apply it to my onboard account or should I request that $1000 in gift card form? I think with both ways any remaining balance will be transferred back, so I am not really concerned about that. Just didn't know if there is any reason to do it one way or the other.
Thanks!

 

[anricat]

Well, the advantage to using the DVA is that you aren't carrying around a $1000 gift card! Maybe I'm the paranoid type but I'd be checking and rechecking my wallet every 10 minutes to make sure it was there!

We applied money to our onboard account from our DVA prior to our last sailing. For OBB, my plan was to take what I needed (the smaller amount) on a gift card to book the placeholder. It didn't end up happening because shopping our currently booked cruise wouldn't have saved us money (would have been more) and I don't need a placeholder right now because I can book one next year.

 

[CM Dad]

I was also going to suggest adding the DVA balance to your onboard account before the cruise. And if you want to use a gift card(s) for the onboard booking deposit, then buy the gift cards in the store on the ship. Also, if you add the balance to your stateroom, I think that might count towards the DVA bonus gift card, but if you get the balance on returned to you on a gift card, I don't think you get credit towards the bonus.

 

[kalishea]

Thanks for your replies! A couple thoughts:

I was also going to suggest adding the DVA balance to your onboard account before the cruise. And if you want to use a gift card(s) for the onboard booking deposit, then buy the gift cards in the store on the ship. Also, if you add the balance to your stateroom, I think that might count towards the DVA bonus gift card, but if you get the balance on returned to you on a gift card, I don't think you get credit towards the bonus.

So, the store on the ship sales disney gift cards that we can buy using our onboard account? I didn't know that! I could buy one on the last day when we do the rebooking. I was also thinking about the DVA bonus. It would only be on the $1000 but that's still a free $20.

Well, the advantage to using the DVA is that you aren't carrying around a $1000 gift card! Maybe I'm the paranoid type but I'd be checking and rechecking my wallet every 10 minutes to make sure it was there!

We applied money to our onboard account from our DVA prior to our last sailing. For OBB, my plan was to take what I needed (the smaller amount) on a gift card to book the placeholder. It didn't end up happening because shopping our currently booked cruise wouldn't have saved us money (would have been more) and I don't need a placeholder right now because I can book one next year.

I had to laugh about carrying the $1000 gift card, I couldn't do that either! But I was just thinking I would transfer it to a gift card before the trip and then call and give DCL my gift card number to apply to the Onboard account. Then I even considered just taking like a $300 gift card for the onboard booking deposit. But I wouldn't even need to do that if I can buy a gift card on the ship!