Hi Jennifer,
Welcome to planDisney and thank you so much for asking us a question!
Disney really does make cruising aboard one of the beautiful
Disney Cruise Line Ships really easy, and that includes the ways in which you can make purchases onboard. Everything that you purchase, from food to drinks to princess tiaras, get charged to your shipboard account, all with a tap of your Key to the World card or
DisneyBand+. You can then pay off those purchases in several ways, including by using onboard credit (which you can get from some travel agents or for with some other
promotions and special offers), by using your own credit card or even by applying the balance of a Disney Gift Card to your account.
All this to say is that you don’t need to pre-purchase “onboard credit” in order to make these purchases. That said, if you want to budget a bit for your vacation and pay some of your expenses in advance, your best bet would be to buy some
Disney Gift Cards before you leave and then to go to the
Guest Services Desk to apply them to your shipboard account.
I hope my answer helps you plan a truly fabulous voyage! Please don’t hesitate to come back and see us if you have any other questions.
Have a Magical Day,
Lynne