When do you pay for excursions?

[OpieDoodle]

I am trying to remember and pick my brain about our last DCL cruise. Do you pay for excursions right when you book them or are they added to your account and you have to pay them before a certain date?

My booking window for my next cruise is coming up so I just want to make sure I am prepared!

Also I'm assuming if booked through DCL I can use Disney Gift Cards correct?

 

[Aby]

They are added to your stateroom account when you board - nothing to pay in advance.

Aby

 

[ILoveMyKellen]

As @Aby stated, they are added to your stateroom account and yes, you can use Disney gift cards.

 

[Mommb]

As Aby said, excursions booked in advance will be charged to your stateroom account once you are onboard. I am not sure whether they appear on your account as soon as you board or on the day the excursions occur. The only reason this matters is that if you have placed a credit card on your account, it will be charged when the total of room charges reaches a certain amount -- on our last cruise, I think that was $750.

Also I'm assuming if booked through DCL I can use Disney Gift Cards correct?

You can go to Guest Services at any time to apply a Disney Gift Card to your onboard account. You can use purchase onboard credit for yourself through the Onboard Gifts link on the DCL website. If you buy onboard credit in advance, you will be charged immediately, but you can pay with a gift card.

 

[OpieDoodle]

As Aby said, excursions booked in advance will be charged to your stateroom account once you are onboard. I am not sure whether they appear on your account as soon as you board or on the day the excursions occur. The only reason this matters is that if you have placed a credit card on your account, it will be charged when the total of room charges reaches a certain amount -- on our last cruise, I think that was $750.

You can go to Guest Services at any time to apply a Disney Gift Card to your onboard account. You can use purchase onboard credit for yourself through the Onboard Gifts link on the DCL website. If you buy onboard credit in advance, you will be charged immediately, but you can pay with a gift card.

That was my plan all along was to purchase gift cards for whatever cost of the excursions/spa/etc we book and add it to our onboard account that way everything essentially is PIF. I started second guessing myself when I was talking to a family member about Carnival excursions and had a moment of panic that I needed all the money in a month rather than being able to keep saving and buying giftcards until September as we originally planned

 

[Dug720]

That was my plan all along was to purchase gift cards for whatever cost of the excursions/spa/etc we book and add it to our onboard account that way everything essentially is PIF. I started second guessing myself when I was talking to a family member about Carnival excursions and had a moment of panic that I needed all the money in a month rather than being able to keep saving and buying giftcards until September as we originally planned

No, Disney is - at least among the lines I've sailed (HAL, RCCL, X, and DCL)- the only line that doesn't require paying for excursions (and specialty dining, etc.) up front.

 

[auntlynne]

For the record, my excursions (for the last 2 days, May 10 & 11) showed up on my account with the Boarding Day (May 5) indicated.

You have until about 3 days before sailing to cancel reservations without being charged. It may be as late as the day before. Pretty similar to cancellation on other cruises - just don’t have to pay far in advance. But also can’t book the excursions as soon as you book the cruise. With Disney, you get that midnight rush with the rest of your CC group - or the sadness of a first timer.

 

[Snowwhyt]

Tinker Bell, please fix my broken brain.
I am dyslexic.
When do you pay for exorcism?
Yup, that’s what my broker brain read.
Probably because the post before this was Oggie boogie villainess, nightmare

Ugh… edit to acknowledge that it was supposed to say broken brain not broker brain. I’m leaving it since it only provides how broken my head is. 5/20/23

 

[OpieDoodle]

Thanks everyone that really helps! Thats what I originally thought and had a big moment of panic when I was talking to my mom about our Carnival cruise and she had to pay up front. We plan to have all the giftcards purchased prior to getting on board, we essentially want the trip completely PIF before we go aside from buying stuff on board and at port