Carnival Cruise Line Offers New 'Cruise Before You Pay' Financing Option

(3:42 p.m. EST) -- Carnival Cruise Line has partnered with travel payment plan company Uplift to offer flexible, pay-over-time options for Carnival passengers. Instead of paying for the cruise at the time of booking, Uplift Pay Monthly offers the ability to make payments for up to 24 months with no deposit.

Although interest charges do apply, passengers do not have to pay off the entire cost of their cruise before they actually set sail. There is also no penalty for paying off the balance early.

The new payment plan is in addition to Carnival's current EasyPay plan, which offers cruisers the option of three equal interest-free monthly installments that must be paid, in addition to the usual deposit, prior to the voyage.

"Carnival is already the most affordable vacation in cruising, and with Uplift, guests can enjoy the vacation of a lifetime by spreading the cost of their trip into affordable monthly payments," said Ken Tate, chief commercial officer for Carnival Cruise Line.

Available only to U.S. residents across Carnival's entire sailing schedule, passengers can take advantage of the new Uplift Pay Monthly option through any travel advisor, the line's call center, or at Carnival.com.

Of course, those who still want to do things the old-fashioned way (paying a deposit and then paying off the balance according to Carnival’s payment schedule) can still do that, as well.