Disney Visa DCL Perks Changing with Phasing Out of $50 Onboard Credit

Disney Visa card holders will soon be losing one of the major perks, the $50 onboard beverage credit. The change will occur at the end of the year. Starting in 2017, cardholders will receive various discounts when you use your Chase Disney Visa card as your form of payment for all onboard purchases. Guests’ KTTW cards will indicate that you are a Disney Visa cardmember and are eligible for the onboard perks.

Disney Visa Card $50 Onboard Beverage Credit
for sailings embarking through December 30, 2016.

Guests can still receive the onboard beverage credit when they pay for a Disney Cruise in full with a Disney Visa Card for sailings through December 30, 2016. The offer, valid up to two staterooms, must be requested by using the booking code DCC at the time of booking and is only good for new bookings. The offer is valid for each person which in the stateroom with the card assigned as the form of payment. This offer cannot be combined with any other offers such as Castaway Club or Cast Member discounts.

Disney Visa Card DCL Perks
Starting with voyages after January 1, 2017, the Disney Visa offer onboard the ships will provide cardholders with the following discounts when a Chase Disney Visa card is attached as the form of payment for your stateroom folio.

  • 10% Off Select Disney Cruise Line Digital Photo Packages
    Receive 10% off non-discounted 10-photo, 15-photo, 20-photo and all-inclusive digital photo packages. Not valid for purchases on photo books, retail items, printed photos, or folio packages.
  • 10% Off Select Merchandise Aboard Disney Cruise Line
    Receive 10% off select merchandise purchases of $50 or more aboard Disney Cruise Line ships. Discount is not valid on previous purchases or on purchases of Port Adventures (Excursions), photos and photo packages, trunk shows, fine jewelry and timepieces, Disney Gift Cards, tobacco, alcohol, Add-a-Dollar (Wildlife Conservation Fund), postage stamps, original or consignment art, select limited editions, select specialty items, purchase-with-purchase offers, newspapers/periodicals, videos, DVDs, CDs, sundries, kitchen production/prepared foods, digital/video/disposable cameras, film, consumer electronics, National branded fragrances, treatments and cosmetics, select collectibles, handmade items, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Pirate League packages, themed experiences (e.g., Royal Court, Royal Tea), shipping or taxes, or on phone, email, online or mail order purchases, or at merchandise locations located at Disney Castaway Cay.
  • 10% Off a Castaway Cay Getaway Package
    Receive 10% off a Castaway Cay Getaway Package and enjoy snorkeling, bicycle rental, float or inner-tube rental on Castaway Cay, our private island! Not valid for any other Port Adventures (Excursions) or Castaway Cay activities and amenities.
  • 20% Off Select Onboard Massages or Facial Treatments
    Receive 20% off a non-discounted massage or facial treatment service aboard Disney Cruise Line ships on port days only.

With all credit cards there is some additional fine print…

In order to receive special Disney Cruise Line perks, beginning 1/1/17, Disney Visa Card must be used to pay for onboard purchases for sailings through 12/31/17. Cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts and is for personal use only. Offer subject to change or cancellation without notice.

For historical reference here is a pdf of the Disney Visa DCL Perks page which was the source for this article. For more information please visit the Disney Visa Rewards website.

28 Replies to “Disney Visa DCL Perks Changing with Phasing Out of $50 Onboard Credit”

  1. Marni

    So do you interpret this to mean that if you are a gold CC member, you would not be able to get the 10% discount added to merchandise since you already get a discount?

    Reply
    1. Beth McMeekin

      It would probably be an either/or thing, like when you go to the parks as a DVC member holding an Annual Pass. You can’t get both discounts, so you choose one or the other.

      Reply
    2. Carol

      You would get either the Disney Visa perks or your Gold perks regarding the merchandise discount. One or the other. They would not be able to combine the two offers.

      Reply
  2. Darth Ricardo

    I’ve only been able to use the DCC code once, on the very first sailing, since all other ones have been OBB. But if you have any OBC, would you still get the discount?

    Reply
  3. MG

    So disappointing. The OBC is replaced with “perks” I’ll likely never use. I guess that’s the point. I wish they’d extend the OBC through 2017, though, since folks may have factored that into their cruise decision (every little bit helps given the cost of these cruises).

    Reply
      1. Amanda

        Stupid the onboard credit only includes beverages right now. I miss the good ol’ days when onboard credit meant ANYTHING onboard!!!

        Reply
  4. Amanda

    Well this is a bummer! In the past, I really enjoyed using the onboard credit toward the tips at the end of the cruise. After that was taken away, the beverage credit seemed pretty lame. We sail January 20, 2017, and I was looking forward to drinking lots of lattes and beverages in all the adult areas. These new “perks” are disappointing to say the least. Before, I felt like I was at least getting a small reward for booking with my visa. The no interest for six months is wonderful, since DCL vacations are anything but cheap, and having the onboard credit was the icing on the cake, even if they told you how to spend it. I have not done the math, but I can’t imagine any of the new perks come close to a $50 value. While this may have come from Chase/Visa, I’m assuming DCL had a hand in it as well. Thanks for reporting on this! My latte and bar tab would have been a shock for me come January. Keep up the great work!

    Reply
  5. Sarah T

    The only good side I see here is a way to buy photos at the time of rather than ahead. Pre-purchase gets 15% discount but many people have a 3% foreign transaction fee giving a net 12% discount. This pretty much equalizes those discounts.

    I do see the exclusions list for purchases as comically long though.

    Reply
  6. David Oakland

    Honestly, no biggie – I’ve been able to land a $50 on board credit every cruise when planning our cruises (cruise #8 coming up) without any problem. I’ve just done a little research, see who is offering what perk and when I book I ask if they can match, or I ask what type of on board credit they offer, or I book through someone else. Just do the homework – easy to get a $50 on board credit.

    Reply
  7. Beth

    Just another reason to back away from dcl. It seems like every time they issue a press release it is to take away guest benefits. For the first time on our cruise last summer–which was the most per night we have ever paid for a cruise- we really felt like the value for money was not there. When we got home we cancelled two upcoming cruises with dcl. We have one booking for next year left outstanding, but really it’s only because I haven’t motivated to call our travel agent to cancel. It is a bummer to feel this way about dcl. Love your blog though, Scott!

    Reply
  8. Keith

    I know everyone likes to be all doom and gloom anytime something changes but I just wanted to point out that if you get a massage and buy the all inclusive photo package you will actually be saving more than $50 so you actually come out ahead.
    Now if you weren’t going to buy those things you don’t save anything but seriously —- why aren’t you getting a massage and some photos – they are both awesome!

    Reply
      1. Keith

        Interesting, we normally have great luck — especially at castaway cay and the obvious opportunities at character meet and greets. Also, you can get the pictures from the aquaduck as part of the photo package — this was especially great on our last cruise since it was my four year old sons first time riding the aquaduck so we were able to get the photo of the look of terror on his face :).
        The trick with aquaduck photos is using the kiosk to search through the un-assigned photos and finding your party as the facial recognition software doesn’t sort the photos correctly. Luckily the photos are broken up by day and in chronological order so you just need to remember about what time you rode.

        Reply
  9. James

    It’s hard not to let all of the reductions get to you but I try to look at it as simple economics. DCL is in the business of making money like every other company. It’s all supply and demand. Business is booming, ships are full, profits are soaring, discounts and incentives aren’t needed so no need to give them.

    The market will correct itself though in time. 2 more Oasis class RCL ships on the way, 2 more mega Carnival ships on order, MSC joining the game (take a look at Seaside by the way for a steal of a deal in late 2017-2018, I booked a 650sqf two bedroom suite for less than the cost of a Fantasy inside room.), NCL pumping out ships as well. DCL also adding 2 ships. Even with the emerging China market at some point the market has to become saturated (maybe 4-5 years) and the pendulum will swing and discounts will rise and companies will fight for market share and then we see returns of real promotions and deals. All this competition will be good at some point.

    I’m on Fantasy in 2 weeks, first cruise as gold CC, booked on Dream in April and I love DCL but there are some compelling other options beyond the mouse on the high seas. It will be interesting to see how everything shakes out.

    Reply
  10. Dawn

    Yes DCL is expensive but every time I see a news story about another cruise line having a fire or a generator problem or a norovirus outbreak or dumping raw sewage I am reminded why I cruise with the Mouse.

    Reply
    1. Keith

      Dawn – I agree. You are paying a premium price but you are also receiving a premium product. If the price is too much for you there are other cheaper cruise lines available. But remember — you get what you pay for!
      I’d rather take an amazing cruise less often than a sub-par cruise more often.

      Reply
  11. Susan

    I may not be understanding this correctly but I may come out ahead on this anyway. I already do not get the $50 onboard credit because I rebook onboard and can not combine the offers (told by Visa). So, I can now get 10% off certain purchases while shopping onboard? I should come out better then?

    Reply
  12. poohmeg

    I LOL everytime I read this blog – there hasn’t been a piece of news yet that I don’t view 180 degrees differently from the author! 🙂 For us this will be a huge improvement, and I only wish the changes had been in effect before the cruise from which we just returned. Everyone cruises differently, though, so I do feel for those folks for whom this won’t be an increased savings – but as has been pointed out, there are many other sources of onboard credit out there, so I’m sure you’ll all find something that works just as well for you.

    Reply

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