on board account

[acallahan]

This is our first disney cruise we hsve done carnival, royal, and ncl is disney the same where we can put cash deposit down? Will they take disney gift cards as a deposit? What is the amount I need to put down.

[Loonbeam]

You will still need to register a credit card to check in online, but yes you can put down cash at the desk on arrival. I don't think there is a minimum unless you remove the CC for charging priveleges.

 

I am not sure if you can use a gift card on the ship to go against account (since technically you cannot get cash back if you don't use it) - I think you can only use them to pay down accumulated balances. Not sure on that tho.

 

This is our first disney cruise we hsve done carnival, royal, and ncl is disney the same where we can put cash deposit down? Will they take disney gift cards as a deposit? What is the amount I need to put down.

[PhillyRomantic]

Loon beam is correct. We use the gift cards to pay down our bill.

 

 

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[moki'smommy]

You can put gift cards against the account. Just keep the cards because if you don't spend all of it, there is no cash refund. It is reapplied to the card. If you don't have the card, it can still be refunded to another card but this is a pain and takes a while.

 

The order in which "money" on your account is used is non-refundable onboard credit (like from an onboard booking or Disney Visa credit), refundable onboard credit (like from a travel agent), gift cards/reward cards/ other "funny money", cash that you have put down, and finally credit card. Your credit card will not be used until you have used all other funds.

 

You do not have to put a credit card on your account. If you have a cash account, they ask for $200 in advance but you don't have to put that much on it. If your account balance goes to/near zero, you'll get a reminder in your cabin to visit Guest Services and pay more!

[Loonbeam]

When we checked in last year it wouldn't let me go through the check in process without entering one. No charges ran to it at that time.

 

There may have been a way around that, but I didn't look too hard.

 

You can put gift cards against the account. Just keep the cards because if you don't spend all of it' date=' there is no cash refund. It is reapplied to the card. If you don't have the card, it can still be refunded to another card but this is a pain and takes a while.

 

The order in which "money" on your account is used is non-refundable onboard credit (like from an onboard booking or Disney Visa credit), refundable onboard credit (like from a travel agent), gift cards/reward cards/ other "funny money", cash that you have put down, and finally credit card. Your credit card will not be used until you have used all other funds.

 

You do not have to put a credit card on your account. If you have a cash account, they ask for $200 in advance but you don't have to put that much on it. If your account balance goes to/near zero, you'll get a reminder in your cabin to visit Guest Services and pay more![/quote']

[moki'smommy]

When we checked in last year it wouldn't let me go through the check in process without entering one. No charges ran to it at that time.

 

There may have been a way around that, but I didn't look too hard.

 

I cruised with 3 people who did it as a "cash account." They just put down either the $200 or used a Visa gift card (looks like a credit card), and no problem at all.

 

Not sure why the difference. I totally agree that a credit card makes it easiest.

[Loonbeam]

You can take the card off the account once on board. I'm thinking for on-line checkin it prevents people from coming onboard and packing guest services, since most people won't bother changing it right then since they can pay it down any time in the cruise.

 

Then, with a CC on file, they are more likely to make an impulse purchase.

 

Many lines are going to CC required because of issues with medical and excursion charges, so I suspect Disney will join them at some point in the next few years.

 

I cruised with 3 people who did it as a "cash account." They just put down either the $200 or used a Visa gift card (looks like a credit card)' date=' and no problem at all.

 

Not sure why the difference. I totally agree that a credit card makes it easiest.[/quote']

[Chefgirl96]

I just applied $250 in Disney gift cards to my OB account. I already have an OBC of $100, so I figure this will cover the expenses I am sure of so far: tips, excursion & Palo. I did checkin online with a credit card, but For budgeting reasons like knowing that the for sure expenses are already PIF.

[moki'smommy]

If you place gift cards on your account, be sure to keep the cards. If you are due a refund at the end of the cruise, the money will be refunded to the card!

[Cali_Mum]

Not sure where you get your gift cards, but with the Target red card, you get 5% off the Disney cards there. Doesn't seem like much, but when you buy 2,000 or so worth of cards, it's a nice bonus!

[nana541]

Not sure where you get your gift cards, but with the Target red card, you get 5% off the Disney cards there. Doesn't seem like much, but when you buy 2,000 or so worth of cards, it's a nice bonus!

 

 

I believe they recently discontinued the 5% discount at Target :(

 

 

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[monty913]

I had several Disney Gift cards and i paid down my balance. I also used my Chase Visa Disney Dream Reward Dollars card to pay it down. We went down on day 5 of a 7 day cruise and paid off most of it with the gift cards/rewards we had accumulated. Totally made that final bill a little easier to stomach. :o

 

Also, I am a Disney Movie Rewards members, sometimes they have $10 Disney gift cards you can buy with accumulated points.

Edited July 11, 2014 by monty913

[Shmoo here]

I believe they recently discontinued the 5% discount at Target :(

 

 

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No they didn't. You can still get the 5% discount for using your Red Card (credit or debit).

 

What they stopped was the stacking of the Red Card discount and the pharmacy rewards discount (also 5%) that you used to be able to do.