Mini-Cruises: a hot trend

Having recently returned from a four-night Carnival cruise to Canada, I've got mini-cruises on my mind. For the next few days, I'll be running a mini-series of postings on mini-cruises you can take from the U.S. to three different foreign countries.

For my money, mini-cruises -- voyages of two, three, or four days -- offer some of the best values in cruising, and are certainly among the best ways for novice cruisers to "get their feet wet" in sea-going travel.

Worried that your youngsters might be bored on board? Try a mini-cruise. If for some reason anyone in your family doesn't take to cruising, you won't have invested that much time and money in it.

But chances are the kids will be clamoring for more come next summer!

For these reasons and more, mini-cruises are one of the hottest trends in ship travel, mirroring the general travel trend toward shorter trips. But while departure ports are closer to home and the voyages can often be completed in a three-day weekend, mini-cruise destinations can also offer up a taste of the exotic: The Bahamas, Mexico, and Canada are all on the itineraries.

Photo of port of Miami by Dennis Cox/WorldViews