Ahoy, Jennifer
Thank you for bringing this excellent question to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! It's very important to plan ahead for your onboard expenses so there are no surprises during your sailing. All of your onboard activities and Port Adventures will be charged to the credit card that you'll link to your stateroom during the online check-in process. At this time, they are not prepaid, but charged to your onboard account during your cruise so you can expect to see them show up on your credit card statement once you return home.
I have two suggestions on how to budget for all the extras on your sailing, Jennifer. First, you can call Disney Cruise Line at (800) 951-3532 to add money to your onboard account up to three days prior to your departure. Once you're aboard, your charges will be deducted from this prepaid amount and any remaining balance will go onto your credit card. What I typically do is purchase Disney Gift Cards at my local grocery store each week. A few days before I set sail, I head over to the
Disney Gift Card website and combine all my gift card money into one card (up to $1,000.00 can be on each card). I mark the card with permanent marker and write the balance on the back to make sure I bring the correct one with me. When I get onboard, I stop by Guest Services and have the gift card balance applied to by stateroom account. I always make sure to keep the card just in case I don't spend the entire amount because any unused money can be placed back on the original card. Disney Gift Cards can also be used in the merchandise shops on the ship, but all other purchases will go onto your onboard account.
It was my pleasure assisting you, Jennifer! We hope we can help you again in the future, so don't hesitate to sail back over.
Nancy