Welcome aboard, Chris!
Using
Disney Gift Cards is a great way to save and pay for anything on your cruise. As you're paying for your cruise, you can call Disney at 800-951-3532 to use Disney Gift Cards as payments toward your balance. Once onboard, Disney Gift Cards are accepted in the gift shops for those "must-have" souvenir purchases. Any other charges onboard need to be put on your Key To The World Card, which then charges your stateroom account. However, you are welcome to take Disney Gift Cards to Guest Services onboard and ask that they apply those toward your stateroom account. I do this every time I sail. On the first day, I take all of my Disney Gift Cards to the Guest Services desk, add them as credits to our account and get a print out of what my stateroom credit is. Then, when we use our Key To The World Card to purchase extras like the Drink of the Day, it simply deducts that from the credits on our account. On the last morning, if my final statement shows we have credits left, I stop back to Guest Services with my used Gift Cards, and they'll put the remaining balance back onto one of them.
Port Adventures and the traditional
gratuities for onboard service are charged onto your account by the end of your sailing, so those, too, will come out of any credits that you've added to your stateroom account. Should your adventure be cancelled due to any unforeseen circumstances, you will not be charged for that adventure.
Have a magical vacation, Chris!
Marcy