Onboard account questions

[PrincessShmoo]

How and when do you add Disney gift cards to your account?

Also can you purchase stuff at the gift shops and pay there, or is it always charged to your account?

You can call DCL (or your TA) to have gift cards applied to your account. OR, you can wait until you board and go to Guest Services and add them to your account (that's what we do).

All purchases onboard (gift shops, lounges/bars, port adventures) are done on your KTTW card and charges applied to your onboard account. That being said, it's been reported that you can use Disney gift cards directly in the gift shops onboard (not the lounges/bars, or anywhere else). I can't confirm that.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

You can call DCL (or your TA) to have gift cards applied to your account. OR, you can wait until you board and go to Guest Services and add them to your account (that's what we do).

All purchases onboard (gift shops, lounges/bars, port adventures) are done on your KTTW card and charges applied to your onboard account. That being said, it's been reported that you can use Disney gift cards directly in the gift shops onboard (not the lounges/bars, or anywhere else). I can't confirm that.

thanks

 

[maria's_mommy]

Do you have to preapply gift cards? First cruise, I'm used to charge everything to room and night before checkout go pay off with gift cards at wdw.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Do you have to preapply gift cards? First cruise, I'm used to charge everything to room and night before checkout go pay off with gift cards at wdw.

You can apply the gift cards at any time. I'd suggest before the last night, however, as that's when it starts being completely crazy there.

 

[lanejudy]

Do you have to preapply gift cards? First cruise, I'm used to charge everything to room and night before checkout go pay off with gift cards at wdw.

You can set-up your account to be "cash" if you wish to apply the gift cards onboard. But there are limits (depends on length of cruise) so depending on how much you charge and when, you may need to stop by Guest Services to make periodic payments.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[maria's_mommy]

Thanks!

 

[Dug720]

Thank you. If I do have remaining credit do I need to go to Guest Services to get the gift cards refunded, or will that be done automatically?

It's happened automatically for me - no need to visit guest services. Of course, I only use one gift card - I get one at the Disney Store which I can reload - so I don't have the stress of figuring out which one it's going back to.

 

[Flossbolna]

I know my travel agent has an option for "Add to Shipboard Account" in there online payment web form, rather than using the in-room gifts and mailing/faxing the request. I haven't booked directly with DCL so I don't know if if they have an option to do this as well. If you have a vacation account (won't help someone from the UK) you can call an 800 number for DCL and apply funds from that to your onboard account.

I think what your travel agent does when use that option is to call DCL under the phone number for the ordering gifts and amenities and has them charge your credit card. So their online payment form is just the authorization to do that. I have asked my TA to do exactly that as I don't have a fax and the phone number listed is a 800 number that I can't use since I am calling from outside the US.

 

[DISNEYFAN3260]

You can apply the gift cards at any time. I'd suggest before the last night, however, as that's when it starts being completely crazy there.

My husband seems to recall that on our last 7 nt cruise, he discovered that GS was charging our card on file every 2-3 days rather than waiting until the end of the cruise, because when he went to change our payment method the last night (we decided to use some cash and another card vs the card we used to secure our account initially), it was a little bit of a hassle. The multiple payments had to refunded to the original card, then recharged to the one we were changing to. We had never changed payment methods on other cruises, so we hadn't been aware of that procedure before. Is that always the process at GS when a credit card is securing your account? We had two staterooms, so maybe that makes a difference? In that case, it may be easier to pay with gift cards, etc in advance rather than have to have payments refunded and reprocessed on the last night.

 

[Flossbolna]

My husband seems to recall that on our last 7 nt cruise, he discovered that GS was charging our card on file every 2-3 days rather than waiting until the end of the cruise, because when he went to change our payment method the last night (we decided to use some cash and another card vs the card we used to secure our account initially), it was a little bit of a hassle. The multiple payments had to refunded to the original card, then recharged to the one we were changing to. We had never changed payment methods on other cruises, so we hadn't been aware of that procedure before. Is that always the process at GS when a credit card is securing your account? We had two staterooms, so maybe that makes a difference? In that case, it may be easier to pay with gift cards, etc in advance rather than have to have payments refunded and reprocessed on the last night.

I think there is a certain limit when the credit card will be charged. Not sure what the limit is. But I am sure with a few spa treatments and excursion, it is easy to hit it after two or three days.

 

[DISNEYFAN3260]

I think there is a certain limit when the credit card will be charged. Not sure what the limit is. But I am sure with a few spa treatments and excursion, it is easy to hit it after two or three days.

That would make sense. With 6 people and two staterooms, we racked up charges I'm sure! I try to block the bad cruise memories and keep only the good ones! LOL

I'm curious to know if that is the case, does anyone know the limit?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I think there is a certain limit when the credit card will be charged. Not sure what the limit is. But I am sure with a few spa treatments and excursion, it is easy to hit it after two or three days.

I found an old thread that addresses this. At that time (2011) the limit before the actual charge was processed was $400 on a 7 night cruise and $200 on the 3 & 4 night cruises.

So everytime the onboard account charges reached the limit, the charge was put through.

 

[DISNEYFAN3260]

I found an old thread that addresses this. At that time (2011) the limit before the actual charge was processed was $400 on a 7 night cruise and $200 on the 3 & 4 night cruises.

So everytime the onboard account charges reached the limit, the charge was put through.

Super helpful and definitely suggests that large parties or those who know they'll be hitting those limits quickly may prefer to prepay accounts with gift cards, etc if they plan to utilize them, just to save some hassle at the end. Thanks very much, PrincessShmoo!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

That would make sense. With 6 people and two staterooms, we racked up charges I'm sure! I try to block the bad cruise memories and keep only the good ones! LOL

I'm curious to know if that is the case, does anyone know the limit?

On the Disney Magic the credit limit is $700 I understand all cruises of seven nights or more is $700. It shows on the TV screen FAQs ( information 2015)

 

[noahdove]

When I purchased from anywhere on the ship, it was put on my account.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

When I purchased from anywhere on the ship, it was put on my account.

Yes by use of your card.

 

[algae]

On the Disney Magic the credit limit is $700 I understand all cruises of seven nights or more is $700. It shows on the TV screen FAQs ( information 2015)

Hmm.. when we sailed the Magic in the Med last year, GS told me that it was 200USD or 2 days, whichever came first. In either case, it's easy to reverse charges to a credit card and use gift cards. Just don't do it on the very last night--unless you want to do it at 3AM or so.