Great offers on Antarctica cruises from Norwegian Coastal Voyage

Norwegian Coastal Voyage is offering free airfare (a $750 savings) from New York City on three of its 13-day Antarctica cruise tours leaving from Santiago, Chile, on November 21 and 29, 2007, and February 17, 2008. Double occupancy fares start at $4,999 per person, a good value for Antarctica. You must book before July 31, 2007.

The actual cruise length is nine days, with the rest of the trip spent en route from New York or in Santiago and in Ushuaia, Argentina; tours of Santiago and Ushuaia are included, as are top-flight hotels in Santiago and roundtrip plane fare from Ushuaia to Santiago. The cruise aboard the MS Fram crosses the Drake Passage and then spends parts of five days in Antarctica.

AARP members are eligible for an extra $150 discount per cabin.

To book or for more information, click here or call 800/323-7436.

Photo by Dennis Cox/World Views.

MSC kids-sail-free offer ends soon

MSC Cruises is offering two free holiday sailings for kids 17 and under if you book by Saturday, June 30, 2007.

One seven-night itinerary departs Fort Lauderdale December 21, 2007, for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Dominican Republic. Kids sail free if they occupy the third/fourth berths in a stateroom with two paying adults; adult double occupancy fares start at $799 per person.

The other seven-night itinerary departs Fort Lauderdale for Key West, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Nassau on December 28. Adult double occupancy fares start at $999 for this one; again, kids are free if they share a stateroom with two paying adults.

This offer is limited to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Click here or call 800-666-9333.

Book now for hot deals on New Zealand-Australia cruises

You can cruise from Auckland, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia (or vice-versa) this winter aboard the Celebrity Mercury starting at just $2,699 per person, including airfare from one of 38 gateway cities across the U.S. Prepaid gratuities are also included.

Sailing dates are December 9, 2007; January 6 and 20, 2008; and February 3 and 17, 2008.

Cruises are 14 nights and make multiple port stops in both New Zealand and Australia.

Keep in mind that while it's winter in the Western Hemisphere from December to February, it's summertime in Australia and New Zealand, the perfect time to cruise.

To take advantage of this offer, go to CruCon Cruise Outlet or call 800/493-6609 and book by Friday, June 29. The offer applies to the first 100 cabins booked, so act fast. The $2,699 price is for double occupancy of an inside cabin, but upgrades are available.

Photo of Sydney Harbor by Dennis Cox/World Views.

Carnival's "vacation guarantee" aimed at first-time cruisers

Carnival Cruise Lines has extended its "vacation guarantee" for all departures through December 13, 2008.

The guarantee works like this: if you start your cruise and just want to get off, for whatever reason, you can disembark at the first non-U.S. port of call and receive a pro-rated refund for the unused portion of your cruise fare, along with reimbursement for coach air transportation back to the ship's home port. You just have to notify the purser's office of your intent before reaching the first port of call.

Carnival devised its guarantee, the only one of its kind in the cruise industry, as a way to attract first-time cruisers who may be reluctant to sail for fear they may be bored, or feel confined, or other notions that many non-cruisers have about cruising. If you fall into that camp, you may want to give Carnival a try and sail off without risking your entire cruise fare. (Further good news: initial fares tend to be lower on Carnival than on most other lines, anyway.)

You can reach Carnival's website here or call 800/CARNIVAL.

What if a hurricane ruins your cruise?

It's always a good idea to buy travel insurance before any expensive trip, and on cruises, especially, adverse weather and natural disasters like hurricanes can play havoc with your vacation -- not to mention cost you money.

But what travel insurance to buy? QuoteWright.com is a website that can help you choose by offering comparisons among a number of plans, which can vary widely in cost, coverage, and exclusions.

For a comparison chart on which travel insurance companies cover weather cancellations and delays -- and exactly what they cover and offer in compensation -- click here.

The best deal in cruising: the Smarter Cruising Newsletter

Did you get this month's Smarter Cruising Newsletter in your email inbox? If you missed it, you can click here now to read it.

Not a subscriber? That's crazy!

Here's what Smarter Cruising Newsletter subscribers learn each month:

Money-Saving Tricks and Techniques – The Smarter Cruising Newsletter explains the techniques Smarter Cruisers use to Book the Best Cruise Deal, Land Money-Saving Cruise Discounts, and Save Money Onboard their cruises.

Cruise Deals of the Month – Each month in the newsletter we analyze specific deals on offer from the various cruise lines, online travel agencies, and big online discounters. You'll learn how to spot the truly great cruise deals – and which so-called "bargains" to avoid.

Smooth Sailing Tip – In each issue of the Smarter Cruising Newsletter, you'll get a quick tip to help make your cruise vacation more pleasant, safe, and stress-free.

Rough Seas Ahead? Tip – There are numerous little (and not so little) things that can spoil your cruise vacation. Each month you'll learn what they are – and more importantly, how to avoid them!

Best of all? The Smarter Cruising Newsletter is 100% FREE.

So what are you waiting for?

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Early-booking savings on Uniworld river cruises

If you book and pay in full by July 15, 2007, you can save $200 per couple on one of Uniworld's Christmas Market-themed sailings along the Danube, Rhine, or Main rivers of central Europe this upcoming holiday season.

A seven-night Danube Holiday Markets cruise that sails through four countries -- Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia -- starts at $1,698 per person. Other seven-night itineraries are similarly priced. All staterooms are river view.

Click here for more information or call 800-733-7820.