Carnival partners with Uplift to offer cruisers an instalment-plan alternative

Carnival Cruise Line said it will offer instalment financing of its cruise vacations through Uplift, a relatively new third-party finance company.

Uplift will offer Carnival customers an alternative to its in-house incremental payment program, EasyPay.

Uplift Pay Monthly offers to finance of up to 24 months with no downpayment.

In an example, Uplift said consumers booking a cruise priced at $2,000 on a 24-month plan would make 24 payments of $96.97, yielding a finance charge on the purchase of 15% APR, or $327.28 above the price of the cruise.

The minimum ticket price to receive Uplift financing is $605. There are no prepayment penalties.

EasyPay splits the ticket price into monthly payments but does not levy a finance charge. Customers must put down a deposit, and billing is through a credit card. If the customer pays the balance on the credit card each month there is no extra charge.

EasyPay must be picked as the payment plan 120 to 150 days from sailing, depending on the itinerary. Monthly payments begin 30 days after the initial deposit.

Ken Tate, the chief commercial officer for Carnival Cruise Line, said Carnival agreed to partner with Uplift because of its unique zero down payment, 24-month format and because it is focused only on the travel sector.

Uplift said Uplift Pay Monthly can be offered by travel advisors, and that its systems will seamlessly integrate with Carnival's existing booking and payment processes.

Norwegian Cruise Line also offers an Uplift option.

Carnival Introduces EasyPay Installment Feature

PHOTO: Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Liberty. (photo via Flickr/Roderick Eime)

Carnival Cruise Line has introduced a more convenient way to pay for your next cruise, rolling out Carnival EasyPay.

The industry-first feature will allow travelers to pay for their cruise over a three-month period interest-free.

Payments will be automatically deducted from the credit card guests have on file on the same designated day over three consecutive months.

Carnival EasyPay users' remaining balance will be split into three equal amounts after they make their deposit.

To be eligible for Carnival EasyPay guests must book early. They must make an initial deposit and the deposit due date must be at least 90 days before the final payment date.

The new feature comes at no extra cost and guests can sign up online, over the phone or through their travel agent.

Guests booking at Carnival.com can select the EasyPay option in the "How Would You Like to Pay" section. They can sign up or cancel Carnival EasyPay after the initial deposit is made at the "Manage My Booking" tab on Carnival's website.

"Rather than having to remember to pay for their cruise, Carnival EasyPay provides guests with peace of mind knowing that their payment is being processed automatically," said Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy in a statement accompanying Thursday's announcement.

Carnival said the feature is available on most but not all sailings when guests book early enough.