princess cruises payment options

Cruise payment plans: All you need to know about paying for a cruise

You're going on a cruise! You've spent time researching and narrowing down your destination, ship and sailing dates, and now it's time to book. But what can you expect in terms of cruise payments? What's the best way to pay for a cruise? Will you have to cough up the full fare upfront, or can you put a cruise on layaway?

Here, I'll answer those questions by discussing cruise payment schedules, different methods of paying for a cruise and the pros and cons of paying in full versus putting down a deposit and paying the rest later.

Note: Payment methods and schedules vary by cruise line and booking outlet. Not all options are offered by all lines or via all booking methods. Check with your cruise line or booking outlet for availability before making a reservation.

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How to pay for a cruise

You can pay for your voyage in multiple ways. Most passengers put the charges on a credit card , which is often the quickest and most convenient method. Additionally, you can use gift cards (either cruise line-specific or those from major credit card issuers that aren't tied to a specific retailer), future cruise credits from your cruise line or even cash if you book in person through a travel agent .

Other options include payment by electronic check, PayPal or Apple Pay (depending on how you book) or points and miles on a third-party platform . You can also redeem free cruise certificates from cruise lines that award them for things like casino play , reaching a high loyalty status tier, winning high-stakes bingo or even cruises gone wrong .

You can choose to pay in full at the time of booking, which could earn you additional perks or savings, or make an initial cruise deposit with subsequent payments until anywhere from two to three months before your sailing date.

Specific financing and payment plan options vary by cruise line. For example, Carnival Cruise Line uses EasyPay to allow interest-free autopayments to be charged to you at regular intervals in order to pay off your cruise before you set sail. Princess Cruises' and Holland America's EZpay program offers a similar interest-free setup.

Carnival also offers Uplift as an option. Although some passengers are approved for no down payment and/or 0% interest, interest rates will apply for other cruisers, and under the program, your voyage doesn't have to be completely paid off before your embarkation date. Royal Caribbean allows passengers to finance their cruises using Affirm, with both interest-free and simple-interest options available. Some lines also allow payments through the popular payment app Klarna, which has different payment options, both with and without interest. (Check with your cruise line for details on its specific payment plans.)

Here are the pros and cons of paying over two different time periods.

Paying all at once

If you have the funds to pay for the entire amount of your sailing right away, feel free. It means you won't have to remember to make additional payments. Plus, as an incentive, some cruise lines extend additional perks or discounts to entice travelers to lock in their plans at the time of booking.

For example, wave season deals often include incentives to pay in full. At the time of publication, Emerald Cruises was discounting cruise fares by thousands of dollars for anyone paying in full at the time of booking. Scenic was allowing passengers to choose from additional savings, free airfare or free pre- or post-cruise land tours for paying in full right away. Silversea was slashing fares for pay-upfront voyages by 10%-20%.

The drawback, however, is that you part with a lot of money upfront if you decide to pay immediately. For many cruisers who book a year or more ahead of time, that money could be more lucrative sitting in a bank account that earns interest instead of providing an interest-free loan to a cruise line.

Paying incrementally, with an initial minimum deposit

Alternatively, you can pay a deposit — a portion of the cruise fare for each person on your reservation — to lock in your cabin. Then, in the months leading up to your sailing, you'll make additional payments, according to your cruise line's payment schedule, until you no longer owe anything. If you don't pay off the remaining balance by the final payment date — usually two to three months before embarkation day — the cruise line will cancel your reservation, and you won't be allowed to sail.

Incremental payments are a better choice if you're unsure whether you can or want to sail but want to lock in an attractive fare or snag a cabin on a new ship or unusual itinerary while you decide. If you pay off your cruise early, you can get your money back (except for certain discounted fares and nonrefundable deposits) should you cancel before the final payment deadline. However, it can be a hassle to go through the refund process and wait for the cruise line to return your funds.

Another obvious draw of this method is that it costs less upfront. You can pay over time instead of draining your savings or putting the full amount on a credit card and then incurring fees if you can't pay off your card in full.

Generally, there is no interest or penalty for paying over time if you go the deposit route, so in most cases you won't be charged more if you opt for a payment plan. Plus, you can always pay the balance off early or in larger amounts than are required by your cruise line.

One drawback is that you'll have to remember to make additional payments on time to avoid cancellation of your reservation. Plus, you might not be able to take advantage of a cruise line's cheapest fares if you're not willing to pay in full at the time of booking.

Note that if you book a last-minute cruise after the final payment date (typically, two or three months prior to sailing), you must pay in full; there is no deposit option.

How much is a cruise deposit?

The amount of the deposit required varies by cruise line, but typically you can expect to shell out a couple hundred dollars per person to reserve a cabin with most major cruise lines. It's based on several factors, including the length of the sailing, the overall cost of the voyage, the type of accommodations booked and whether or not the line is running a promotion. Sometimes, as a booking incentive, lines will waive deposits completely or heavily discount them.

At the time of publication, as part of their wave season promotions , Carnival Cruise Line and Costa Cruises were touting deposits as low as $50 per person, while Princess Cruises was offering them for $100 per person. Disney Cruise Line also slashed its required deposits by half — a big deal for a line that rarely offers discounts. Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line and UnCruise Adventures also were offering deposit reductions.

The next section outlines the specific deposit amounts for the most popular cruise lines.

Cruise payment schedules

Below are the payment schedules and deposit amounts for each of the "big eight" cruise lines.

Note: Deposits are per person and refundable prior to the cruise line's final payment deadline, unless otherwise indicated. For cruises booked after the final payment deadline has passed, payment is required in full at the time of booking.

Carnival cruise payment schedule

For most sailings, Carnival requires a deposit of $100 per person for two- to three-day sailings, $150 for four- and five-day sailings and $250 for six- to nine-day sailings. Longer cruises and voyages to Alaska, Europe and the Panama Canal, as well as ocean crossings, require a deposit of $400 per person.

Deposits for Carnival bookings are generally nonrefundable unless cruisers specifically purchase fully refundable fares.

Final payment is required either 76 or 91 days from the sailing date, depending on the destination, cabin type and length of cruise booked.

See Carnival's website for more information.

Celebrity cruise payment schedule

For Sky Suite cabins and lower, Celebrity charges $100 per person for cruises up to five nights, $250 for six to eight nights and $450 for voyages of nine nights or longer. Those prices double, per person, for Celebrity Suites and above.

For Galapagos sailings, deposits for non-suites at the time of booking are $450 per person; suites are $900 per person.

Deposits for Celebrity bookings are generally nonrefundable at any time unless cruisers specifically purchase fully refundable fares.

For cruises of four nights or fewer, final payment must be made at least 75 days prior to sailing. For voyages of five or more nights, final payment is due at least 90 days in advance.

Galapagos sailings must be settled further in advance, with final payment due anywhere from 120 to 180 days in advance, depending on the ship.

More information can be found on Vacations To Go 's website.

Disney cruise payment schedule

Disney Cruise Line 's fine print states that deposits are determined at the time of booking, so they vary.

For non-suite and non-concierge voyages of five nights or fewer, the line requires final payment 90 days or more prior to embarkation day; for sailings of six nights or longer, payment must be made 120 days or more in advance. For suites and concierge-level accommodations, final payment is due 91 days or more prior to sailing.

You can read more in the line's terms and conditions .

Holland America cruise payment schedule

Holland America 's deposit amounts vary widely, requiring passengers to pay anywhere from $350 to $2,900 per person, depending on the sailing.

For Alaska, Bermuda, Caribbean, Canada/New England, Europe, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal and long Hawaii voyages, final payment must be made no fewer than 75 days prior to sailing. For all other cruises — including holiday voyages, voyages longer than 30 days and segments of voyages longer than 30 days — full payment must be received at least 90 days before embarkation.

Find more specifics on Vacations To Go's website .

MSC cruise payment schedule

Deposits for MSC Cruises are $99 per adult for voyages of four nights or fewer, $199 for five to 14 nights, $300 for 15 nights or longer and an amount equal to 15% of the overall price for world cruises. Additional deposits are not required for children sailing as the third and fourth passengers in a cabin.

For cruises of four nights or fewer, bookings must be paid in full at least 75 days before the sailing date. Those of five to 14 nights must be paid off 90 days or more ahead of time, and bills for any voyages 15 days or longer must be settled at least 110 days prior to departure. For world cruises, it's 120 days.

You can read more on MSC's website .

Norwegian cruise payment schedule

Deposits for Norwegian Cruise Line bookings vary greatly, ranging from $100 to $5,000 per person, based on cabin or suite type booked and the length of the sailing.

Norwegian's deposits are fully refundable, but all voyages, regardless of length or cabin type, must be paid in full at least 120 days in advance. That's earlier than what other cruise lines require for basic cabin types and standard-length sailings.

To learn more, see the chart on NCL's website .

Princess cruise payment schedule

When you book a Princess cruise, you'll owe a deposit of $100 per person ($200 for suites) for sailings of five days or fewer, $200 ($500 for suites) for voyages of six to nine days or $400 ($800 for suites) for cruises of 10 days or longer. For world cruises, you'll have to pony up 30% of the overall cost of the sailing.

For voyages of five days or fewer, you'll have to pay in full at least 75 days before your vacation. Cruises of six to 24 days require full payment 90 days or more ahead of time, and for world cruises, your bill is due 120 days or more before you set sail.

Check out the breakdown on Princess' website .

Royal Caribbean cruise payment schedule

Deposit amounts vary by sailing and the number of people in each cabin for Royal Caribbean bookings. Generally, passengers can expect to front $200 per stateroom (rather than per person) for sailings of five nights or fewer, $500 per cabin for six- to nine-night voyages and $900 per room for cruises of 10 nights or longer.

Deposits for Royal Caribbean bookings are generally nonrefundable at any time unless cruisers specifically purchase fully refundable fares.

For sailings of four nights or fewer, the final payment is due 75 days or more prior to the embarkation date. For five-night voyages and longer, the cruise line must receive all money no fewer than 120 days from sailing. The deadline for world cruises is at least 180 days prior to departure.

Read more on Royal Caribbean's website in the line's FAQ section .

Bottom line

Travelers have many options when it comes to paying for a cruise. You can pay in full at the time of booking or choose cruise payment plans that allow you to make a deposit for each person in your party and then pay off the balance over time.

Additionally, payment methods may include credit cards, third-party payment systems, gift cards, cruise certificates and cash.

Ultimately, the best way to make cruise payments is whichever one works best for you and your specific circumstances. What matters most is that you pay the cruise line in full by its designated final payment date, so your reservation is confirmed and you can set sail on departure day.

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Payments & Refunds

To reserve your cabin and lock in the final price, you will be required to place a deposit on your cruise. After you have placed a deposit to secure your reservation, you will be asked to pay the remaining balance of your fare at the final payment due date.

Deposit and Final Payment

Note: Select promotions require full payment at the time of booking.  

Cancellation and Refunds

Penalties may apply if you cancel or change your reservation. Penalties can be up to 100% of your total trip cost. We recommend purchasing insurance to protect against covered unexpected events. Please check with your Vacations To Go cruise counselor for cancellation and refund policies for Princess  cruises. 

• Princess Cruises

EZPay - a monthly payment plan

By johnatsis , April 1, 2019 in Princess Cruises

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I understand Princess is going to start  EZpay - Its a monthly payment plan option that allows  you  to spread the cost of your cruise over time and the payment will be automatically charged to your debit or credit card. Supposed to have no interest charges or additional fees.

Sounds like a good plan - has  anyone know if its true

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I thought that you can make incremental payments now without interest or additional fees as long as the cruise is paid in full by the final payment date.  That gives you much more control over having Princess do it automatically.

24 minutes ago, johnatsis said: I understand Princess is going to start  EZpay - Its a monthly payment plan option that allows  you  to spread the cost of your cruise over time and the payment will be automatically charged to your debit or credit card. Supposed to have no interest charges or additional fees.   Sounds like a good plan - has  anyone know if its true

I'll keep control of money and collect my interest up until final payment.  

Astro Flyer

My TA recently informed me about this new program & here’s a FAQ with more details.

PC_PrincessEZpayProgramFAQs.pdf

It is a monthly payment plan to periodically make payments.  It starts soon after booking and ends on the normal cruise final payment date.  I see no advantage to this and like to see the money in my account until final payment date.  

12 minutes ago, satxdiver said: It is a monthly payment plan to periodically make payments.  It starts soon after booking and ends on the normal cruise final payment date.  I see no advantage to this and like to see the money in my account until final payment date.  

Agreed. A new "enhancement" that rolls out with 2 pages of Q&A leaves me wondering. 

This is not for me but I'm sure there are some folks to whom this will have great appeal.

Need to go back to the EZPay plan they used to have for shore excursions, pay when on board, not months before you have to make the final payment for the cruise itself.

Hasn't Carnival offered this for at least a couple of years?

CC Rider 69

2 minutes ago, pms4104 said: Hasn't Carnival offered this for at least a couple of years?

I might consider this if, and only if, the payment plan offered me a financial incentive ... such as a 10-15 percent discount off my fare.

Otherwise, I'm perfectly capable of budgeting and remembering to make my payments on time.

I see no downside, only upside for those that want to use it.

For some people who need help budgeting or not spending their cruise money on something else, it could be helpful.

Been doing this on my own for years. It's nice only owing 500$ or so at final payment.

Cruise Junky

how does this differ from just calling your TA saying, hey put $1,000 on my card please.

Colo Cruiser

17 hours ago, johnatsis said: I understand Princess is going to start  EZpay - Its a monthly payment plan option that allows  you  to spread the cost of your cruise over time and the payment will be automatically charged to your debit or credit card. Supposed to have no interest charges or additional fees.   Sounds like a good plan - has  anyone know if its true

Thanks for the heads up!   😉

I agree it is probably a good way for some to go...........I guess If you don't like to don't use it.  

Cruiser_1977

I feel no need for this. From the date I book, I spread the payments out to the final payment date. Then each paycheck I transfer the funds from my checking to my savings. That way I keep my money and earn any interest. The only benefit I see could be if you may have trouble not touching the funds before final payment. That also keeps me from spending my savings and sometimes puts me into a higher interest rate for awhile.

Ex: I book Feb 15th with $100 deposit. Balance due Sept. 30th is $1600. I would take the $1600/13 (2 pay periods per month) and move the  $123 each paycheck into savings.

40 minutes ago, JennyB1977 said: I feel no need for this. From the date I book, I spread the payments out to the final payment date. Then each paycheck I transfer the funds from my checking to my savings. That way I keep my money and earn any interest. The only benefit I see could be if you may have trouble not touching the funds before final payment. That also keeps me from spending my savings and sometimes puts me into a higher interest rate for awhile.   Ex: I book Feb 15th with $100 deposit. Balance due Sept. 30th is $1600. I would take the $1600/13 (2 pay periods per month) and move the  $123 each paycheck into savings.

Go ahead and compute the interest you earn on the $1,600 for the 7 months.  That would be interesting.

1 hour ago, bemis12 said:   Go ahead and compute the interest you earn on the $1,600 for the 7 months.  That would be interesting.

Better for you get the interest no matter how small it is, compared to the cruise line getting it.

38 minutes ago, gatour said: Better for you get the interest no matter how small it is, compared to the cruise line getting it.

I agree.  Why should customers be providing any business an interest free loan?

My guess is that, while the EZ Pay option sounds as though it is for client convenience, this was a business decision meant to help Princess.

If people opt for EZ Pay, Princess will not lose some bookings at final pay if people forget or are unable to meet that deadline.  And, Princess won't need to bargain-bucket those cabins to fill the ship.  Only Princess knows how many clients are in this group.

Possibly this move is a way to attract a younger  or different demographic, based on some bean-counter's research on today's versions of yesterday's lay-away.  

I think the program is a creative way to get heads in beds ... with minimum cost and effort from Princess. 

Overall, this seems like a great deal for Princess. Not a deal for me.

I just make payments every two or three weeks so the final payment is not that much.  As some one said here, if there was a financial incentive to use their payment plan, I would.  Even if it was only 5%.

I use FCD to pay the deposits and then just pay the entire thing on the credit card when final payment is due. We normally pay the credit card off completely each month. When we make a cruise payment we  generally take 2 months to get back to a zero balance but we never pay interest. Last month we made final payment on a cruise and paid off a big chunk of the credit card balance. This month we paid off the rest and have a zero balance again and didn't accrue any interest. I'm totally "allergic" to paying interest to a credit card company. (This is a nasty month. I never like April as we have to pay income tax and we also have to pay half of the annual property tax. Bah.)

@Cruise Junky  I hear what you're saying....Happy Cruising 🙂

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Standard Policy for Guest Cancellations, Refunds & Final Payment

Learn about our standard cancellation policy and refund schedule.

In the case that you need to cancel your cruise vacation, you may be charged a fee based on the standard Princess Cruises cancellation policy. The amount will depend on the length of your itinerary and how far in advance of your departure date that you cancel. Use the charts below to determine your refund.

If you’ve already purchased  Princess Vacation Protection † , your refunds for covered cancellation reasons will continue to be governed by Princess Vacation Protection. Please review the plan coverage, conditions and exclusions for full details. We highly recommend that guests purchase Princess Vacation Protection – not only does it provide some peace of mind for unexpected cancellations, it also offers partial reimbursements for trip delays or interruptions, lost or damaged baggage and medical coverage.

†Princess Vacation Protection is available to residents of the U.S. and Canada (except New York, British Columbia, Quebec and Puerto Rico). Guests in other regions may have alternative coverage options and can refer to our  FAQs  for additional information.

Refund Schedules & Final Payment Due Date

For booked guests, please review your booking confirmation email which contains the cancellation schedule and final payment terms that apply to you. For full details and booking conditions, please also refer to the  passage contract .

Since a cancellation by you likely means a diminished opportunity to sell space on other cruises/cruisetours, the cancellation fees in the schedules below apply regardless of whether Your space is resold. You hereby agree that losses sustained by us in the event of Your cancellation would be very difficult or impossible to quantify, and that the fees set forth in our cancellation policy represent a fair and reasonable assessment as liquidated damages. The amount of cancellation fee varies based on length of sailing for cruise/cruisetour and timing of cancellation for cruise/cruisetour and Cruise Plus package, as illustrated in the schedules below.

CANCELLATION POLICY EXCEPTION(S): A. If You have purchased a specially priced promotion where the deposit is 100% non-refundable from the point of payment, You are not entitled to any refund, payment, compensation or credit whatsoever of Your deposit under any circumstance if you cancel Your booking.

B. If you have purchased a specially priced promotion that is 100% non-refundable from the point of payment, You are not entitled to any refund, payment, compensation or credit whatsoever of Your Cruise or Cruisetour fare if You cancel Your booking.

Shore Excursion Cancellation Policy: For complete details on the terms and conditions governing Shore Excursions, please review Carrier’s  Excursion Terms & Conditions .

Cruise Cancellations & Refunds FAQs

How do I cancel? For bookings made directly with Princess Cruises, please visit the  Customer Support and Information page . For all other bookings, please contact your travel advisor.

How much will I be refunded? If you cancel, your refund amount will depend on the length of your itinerary and how far in advance of your departure date that you cancel. Please view the charts above to determine your refund eligibility.

What is the time window for cancelling? While you can cancel your cruise at any time, your refund amount will depend on the length of your itinerary and how far in advance of your departure date that you cancel. Please view the charts above to determine your refund eligibility.

When will I receive my refund if I cancel? We want you to know that we hear you and understand your frustration with the time it is taking to receive your refund. We are now refunding millions of dollars per week and are actively working through our back log. Our reservation and payment systems were not designed to handle this volume of refunds in a short period of time, and it is taking longer than we wanted. As we respect our guest’s money and time, we have increased the number of team members supporting this enormous effort and have made modifications to our systems. Thank you for your patience in these extraordinary circumstances. The latest updates regarding refunds can be viewed on our  Notices & Advisories page .

Am I eligible for cruise credit if I cancel? The standard Princess cancellation policy does not grant cruise credit, but residents of the U.S. and Canada (excluding New York, British Columbia ,  Puerto Rico and Quebec) may be eligible with Princess Vacation Protection.

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What will be refunded if I cancel? If you’ve pre-paid for shore excursions or onboard purchases, you will receive a full refund. The Princess Cruises refund policy states that you will also receive money back on taxes, fees, port expenses, transfers and surcharges. You may also receive a refund for part of your cruise fare depending on the length of your itinerary and how far in advance of your departure date that you cancel. Read our  Passage Contract  to learn more about refunds.

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