Disney Cruise Line in a Jiffy: What is Onboard Credit?

On Disney Cruise Line, “onboard credit” is money that’s added to your stateroom account to use during your sailing. On other lines, you may hear this referred to as “stateroom credit” or “shipboard credit”. But if you’re a first-time cruiser, or a first-timer on Disney Cruise Line, let’s run down everything you need to know about onboard credit on DCL.

First: How do you get it? There are a few ways you can end up with onboard credit in your account. Before you sail, you could receive it as a bonus from your travel agent or as part of a booking offer. And if your itinerary changes after booking, DCL might offer some onboard credit to smooth any ruffled feathers. While you’re sailing, you might win onboard credit in a raffle at the spa or a Disney Vacation Club presentation. Or, you could win it at Bingo!

Onboard credit can also be purchased before you sail. You can buy for yourself to help pay expenses ahead, or as a gift for a friend or family member who is taking a cruise. Note: Depending on your needs, a Disney Gift Card may be a simpler and more useful way to make this kind of gift.

Next: What can you use it for? On Disney Cruise Line, you can use onboard credit for almost anything you pay for while you’re sailing. That includes adult dining, bar tabs, port excursions, spa services, internet packages, photos, gratuities, merchandise, and more. A good rule of thumb is: if you can charge it to your shipboard account, you can pay for it with onboard credit.

There are a few things you might pay for during your cruise that you can’t use onboard credit for. You can’t use it to pay for anything you buy in port (except on Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay, where you can charge to the ship). And you can only use onboard credit to pay for DCL Port Adventures, not for private shore excursions. You can see that our rule of thumb applies, as you can’t charge these things to your stateroom!

When should you use your onboard credit? Answer: before your sailing is over! For room charges, you won’t have to worry about “using” your onboard credit; it’s automatically applied before any other form of payment. You can see how much is “left” by checking your cruise folio in the Navigator app. But it’s use it or lose it; onboard credit expires at the end of your Disney cruise, and it’s non-refundable. One exception: if you bought onboard credit before your cruise and haven’t spent it all, unused amounts will be refunded to the original form of payment. So if you happen to win big at Bingo on the last day of your cruise, make sure to get your winnings in cash!

A tricky question: is onboard credit for a stateroom or an individual? If you booked a Disney cruise with a friend and got onboard credit through your travel agent, you might prefer to keep that for yourself. Disney allows different households to have different payment methods for their onboard charges. If you set this up, onboard credit is typically associated with the person who made the booking. For pre-purchased onboard credit, you may need to call Disney or your travel agent. For complex arrangements like this, it’s a good idea to stop by Guest Services on the first day to confirm the setup.

Disney Cruise Line in a Jiffy is for first-time Disney cruisers looking to learn about the DCL experience. Got a Disney Cruise Line term that you want to see explained? Suggest it in the comments below!