On board credit and gift cards

[Garyjames220]

Hey

 

Am doing my first 7 night Disney cruise next year me and my partner

 

Am going to add on board credit by calling them up to budget. can someone advise how much you will need. Yeah I want a few cocktails etc but what else will I need to pay for and can I charge shopping etc to the on board credit

 

Also when I am able to book excursions spa etc do I need to pay that at time of booking.

 

And finally why are these gift cards so good and can I get them in the uk

 

THANKS FOR ANY HELP GIVEN

[Shmoo here]

Hey

 

Am doing my first 7 night Disney cruise next year me and my partner

 

Am going to add on board credit by calling them up to budget. can someone advise how much you will need. Yeah I want a few cocktails etc but what else will I need to pay for and can I charge shopping etc to the on board credit

 

Also when I am able to book excursions spa etc do I need to pay that at time of booking.

 

And finally why are these gift cards so good and can I get them in the uk

 

THANKS FOR ANY HELP GIVEN

 

Things you pay additionally for onboard:

drinks from bars/lounges/poolside servers (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic).

tips for room service (as well as snacks and sodas)

photos

mixology/tastings classes

adult dining (Palo/Remy)

snacks outside the theatres

purchases in the gift shops

gratuities ($12.00 for each of you per night)

 

Your excursions, etc will charged to your onboard account when they occur. You pay off your onboard account at the end of the cruise.

 

The deal with the gift cards - Target (a department store in the US) has a in-store credit or debit card that, if you use it for purchases, you get 5% off your purchase. So, purchasing a $50.00 Disney gift card costs $47.50. I'm not sure there are such deals available outside the US.

 

You can apply gift cards to your onboard account and any charges against the account will come off the gift card balance before being charged to the credit card that you may be backing up your onboard account with.

 

If you have any credit left over at the end of your cruise, it will be given back. If you used a gift card, it must be reapplied to the gift card. If you paid in advance via your credit card the credit will be applied to your credit card. If you paid cash ahead, you will receive cash back.

[moki'smommy]

You pay for excursions, spa, dining, etc. while on board (not in advance). They are billed to your account when the tickets are printed (excursions) or when you have the service (spa and dining).

 

The gift cards people are talking about are Disney gift cards purchased at Target and using a Target credit card. These are sold at a discount, so you can save typically 5% but with some specials as much as 10% by purchasing the cards. There is NO need to apply the cards to the account in advance (which is a pain to do anyhow.) Just take the card(s) to Guest Services after boarding and ask that they be applied to the account. IF there is any money left over, it will be refunded to the card, so be sure you save it. And be sure that you get the card that is good for "all things Disney," rather than one that is restricted to the Disney store or parks which cannot be used on the ships.

 

How much you need to spend on board is totally personal. Standard tips are $12 per guest per night of cruise--so $84 per guest on a 7 night cruise or $168 for you and your partner. Beyond that, you can have a totally great cruise and spend almost nothing more or you can blow thousands (and we've done it both ways!)

Palo--$25 per person

Remy $75 per person

DCL is somewhat obscure about tip on this--the web site says that the upcharge includes the gratuity, but in another spot it says that many guests choose to leave an additional tip. Both are true statements; we are in the "many" that leave additional tip.

 

Alcohol/specialty coffees--$6-7 each including the automatic gratuity. There are 2 for 1 specials offered by the adult pool in the early evening, and a not often discussed issue is that the 2 for 1 is also available at any bar during these hours. The bar drinks are better as they are made fresh while the pool dudes come around with a tray of drinks with melting ice. Wine--extreme range of costs.

 

Excursions--from $6 to rent a float for the day to $1000 for dolphin trainer for a day (if this is still available). A reasonable budget might be $100 per person per port day, but this is just a randomly selected amount. For this, you can do some excursions, but not the high end ones.

 

Spa--from under $20 for a one day rainforest pass to $600 for a spa villa for 2. And remember to budget for tip.

 

Gift shop--think WDW prices. $25 t-shirts to the sky is the limit for some things.

 

Photos--6X8 are $12. 8X10 were $20 (might have increased as the smaller ones did). Save your money and carry your own camera. The character attendants are happy to take a family photo with your camera; the photographers are not supposed to do this.

 

"Tastings" like wine, tequila, etc. are usually $15 per person. Bingo is a giant sink hole for money. Most other activities on board are included in the cruise fare.

 

Seriously, your on board budget will be determined by YOUR choices.....

[moki'smommy]

Schmoo and I type a lot at the same time......you beat me by one minute!

 

Just to explain why posts sometimes seem to say the same things.

[Shmoo here]

Schmoo and I type a lot at the same time......you beat me by one minute!

 

Just to explain why posts sometimes seem to say the same things.

 

:o

 

Your answer is better than mine, much more detailed. I forget things like the spa since I don't do it. :rolleyes:

[Garyjames220]

So if I add on board credit to my account I go I can use that for the spa excursions gift shop etc. I'll be able to book excursions when they come out still and pay with on board credit at end still

 

 

Just suites me better adding credit to budget better

[moki'smommy]

Yes, you can schedule your excursions, spa, and dining at 75 days before embarkation (assuming you are a first timer on DCL and not in concierge), and you'll be billed in your account on board. You can place funds on the account in advance, but we see no point in giving DCL the money before we need to. We just have it available when due.

[SuperDad82]

Gary, you can apply your gift cards to your onboard account. Just make sure you know how much you spent as there are times when the receipt from gift cards won't tell you how much you have left. What I always do is write it down in my phone and keep track. Here's also a little secret that I learned, but you will have to do your own research to find them, you can actually find Disney Cruise line gift cards online that certain companies are always promoting out there at no cost to you. Now you might ask where do you find these promotional deals? It's a secret! Nosa, you just have to do a lot of research. I'll post some links when I come across it as I am looking to go on a Disney Cruise line soon with my two kids. If anybody comes across anything, please feel free to share!

[Sitzmark]

Have you already made your reservations? Many TAs give onboard credit as a bonus to booking through them. The prices are the same as booking via Disney but you can get quite a bit back in onboard credit or other special considerations.

[Garyjames220]

Yeah I'v already booked

[Sitzmark]

Yeah I'v already booked

 

Disney does allow you to transfer a reservation to a TA I believe in the first 30 days, so if it's not that old perhaps that's something you would want to consider. There are several that have offers, Dreams Unlimited Travel is one that a lot of people seem to favor.

[theshowmestate]

You can use Disney gift cards towards your on board account. I do that every cruise. Once I book I add up my wish list of excursions, spas treatments, a little spending in the shops and drinks. I buy $100 under the amount on my list in gift cards throughout the year then use them to establish my account. Anything above that I put on my CC. You'll need to save the gift cards though because if you are due a credit, that credit goes back to the gift cards not to a credit card etc. which is why I put a little under my wish list amount on in gift cards.

[Garyjames220]

Would you say 750 dollars is enough for excursions a good few drinks photos spa treatment for 2 people on a 7 night cruise

[Shmoo here]

Would you say 750 dollars is enough for excursions a good few drinks photos spa treatment for 2 people on a 7 night cruise

 

You can price out excursions on the DCL website:

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/cruises-destinations/shore-excursions/

 

Drinks generally run in the $5-15 range.

 

Spa treatment prices can be checked out here:

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/onboard-activities/fitness-spa/

 

And photo pricing:

PHOTOS

Individual prices are:

8X10 - $19.95

6X8 - $12.95

 

The packages are 10 ($149.95) and 20 ($249.95) photos.

 

The length of cruise CD cost varies with length of cruise. The prices I've seen are:

7 night $349.95; 4 and 3 night $229.95. For an additional $50.00 you can get all the photos on the CD printed. Special CD prices – 14 night $399.95/$75.00 for prints plus 100 CDs max for cruise.

 

The 10 & 20 photo package can be either prints or the CD with 10 or 20 photos unlocked for your access once home.

 

HTH

[robhawk]

I am sure you will get lots of answers. We had an on board bill of 750$. This included drinks, mixology, rainforest couples pass, Palo brunch & dinner, and gratuities for our servers, room host.

We booked our excursions privately. About 100$ a day for days in Cozumel, Grand Cayman, & Costa Maya.

[moki'smommy]

It depends on your choices. If you opt for a "spa villa for 2," that $750 won't cut it for the spa and gratuities. On the other hand, if a day in the rainforest is more your style...start counting drinks and photos.

 

If I were doing spa "treatments" for 2 (like massages), then $750 isn't likely to be enough.

[Trekker954]

I'll be on my first Disney (dream) cruise in January. I'm familiar with RCI and Celebrity.

 

How does Disney work the gratuities ($12pp). Is it automatically posted each day on our bill and automatically billed against the credit card we put down? Or do they leave envelopes with the recommended gratuity to put cash in?

 

Also, is our room/charging card called a sea pass on Disney? If not what is it called.

 

Is there any other lingo I need to familiarize myself with?

 

For example, I figured out:

 

Royal's Cruise compass = Disney's Navigator.

Winjammer = Disney's Cabana.

 

Anything else???

[Sitzmark]

I'll be on my first Disney (dream) cruise in January. I'm familiar with RCI and Celebrity.

 

How does Disney work the gratuities ($12pp). Is it automatically posted each day on our bill and automatically billed against the credit card we put down? Or do they leave envelopes with the recommended gratuity to put cash in?

 

Also, is our room/charging card called a sea pass on Disney? If not what is it called.

 

Is there any other lingo I need to familiarize myself with?

 

For example, I figured out:

 

Royal's Cruise compass = Disney's Navigator.

Winjammer = Disney's Cabana.

 

Anything else???

 

The $12 per person per day tip is automatically charged to your account, but they also distribute envelopes. Guest services will alter or remove the automatic amount at your request if you prefer different amounts or a different method.

 

Your card is called your Key to the World or kttw card. It is used for charging to your account, opening your room door and activating your lights.

[Trekker954]

The $12 per person per day tip is automatically charged to your account, but they also distribute envelopes. Guest services will alter or remove the automatic amount at your request if you prefer different amounts or a different method.

 

Your card is called your Key to the World or kttw card. It is used for charging to your account, opening your room door and activating your lights.

 

I was following along, confident I had it all down, sounded just like most of my cruise "keys", until you said "activating my lights? WHAT?? Is it like some hotels, I had to slip the Key to the World into a slot inside my room to active the lights and air conditioner? Is that what you mean?

[Shmoo here]

I was following along, confident I had it all down, sounded just like most of my cruise "keys", until you said "activating my lights? WHAT?? Is it like some hotels, I had to slip the Key to the World into a slot inside my room to active the lights and air conditioner? Is that what you mean?

 

On the Dream class ships, there is a card slot that you must place a card into in order for the lights to operate in the room. Although the original intent was that the KTTW card would do this, many people just bring along an old library card or other credit card sized plastic card to use. Too many people were switching off the lights as they left the room, leaving their KTTW cards inside.

[Gardeneroflove]

On the Dream class ships, there is a card slot that you must place a card into in order for the lights to operate in the room. Although the original intent was that the KTTW card would do this, many people just bring along an old library card or other credit card sized plastic card to use. Too many people were switching off the lights as they left the room, leaving their KTTW cards inside.

 

oh, that sounds like a bad idea. I'm hoping those slots are higher than a 2 year can reach....otherwise, we'd never had lights AND lose our cards....

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

oh, that sounds like a bad idea. I'm hoping those slots are higher than a 2 year can reach....otherwise, we'd never had lights AND lose our cards....

 

You don't have to use KTTW cards. I NEVER did. Because I wore them around my neck on my fancy rhinestone lanyard and if I didn't have it around my neck, odds are that I left it in my room. You can use any card for the lights. In fact, we had one day WDW hoppers that we used the day before, and they were the 'card' RFID type, so we just stuck that in there instead. It works.

 

Doesn't have to be your ship card.

 

I doubt a 2 yr old could reach but then what do I know?