Cruise fares plummet -- deals galore!

According to R. Alan Fox, CEO of the discount cruise site Vacations to Go, cruise prices have plummeted in the past two weeks to levels not seen since immediately after 9-11.

A combination of bad economic news and tropical storms have scared off potential passengers, Fox says. The good news for those who do want to cruise, however, is that all cruise lines except super-luxury lines will slash prices to fill as many cabins as they can. Fox adds that you can expect to find discounts of 70 to 80 percent or even more on some sailings over the next two months.

Here are a few bargains Vacations to Go is listing on its 90-Day Ticker:

** A 19-day Princess cruise from Bangkok to Sydney via Vietnam and Malaysia, with departure November 23, for rates as low as $895 per person for an inside cabin -- 79 percent off the brochure price. (Ask for Fast Deal #29750.)

** A four-day Norwegian cruise roundtrip from Miami to The Bahamas, departing December 1, for rates starting at just $109 per person -- 88 percent off the brochure price. (Ask for Fast Deal 25260.)

** A 16-day Holland America cruise around Cape Horn from Argentina to Chile via Antarctica, departing January 8, 2009, for rates starting at $1,499 per person -- a 71 percent discount. (Ask for Fast Deal #10278.)

** a 17-day Fred Olsen cruise from Tahiti to Australia, departing February 5, 2009, for prices starting at $1,342 -- a 78 percent discount. (Ask for Fast Deal #17186.)

These deals are bound to go quickly, but if you go to the Vacations to Go website, you'll find many more like them.

For more information, call Vacations to Go at 800/338-4962.

Photo from Norwegian Cruise Lines.

One more week to grab two-for-one Oceania fares to the Mediterranean

Oceania Cruises' early-bird specials on spring 2009 European voyages are nearing an end, so if you're interested, now is the time to act. Oceania -- a super premium line with some of the best cuisine at sea and a low-key atmosphere onboard -- is offering two-for-one cruise fares and free airfare on a number of western and eastern Mediterranean cruises for next year.

Fares start at $3,499 per person for a 14-day Barcelona to Istanbul cruise embarking April 4 on the Regatta with stops en route in France, Monaco, Italy, and Greece. Or you could choose a 12-day Rome to Istanbul itinerary for fares starting at $3,299, embarking May 31 aboard the Insignia.

Other itineraries available include a 12-day Istanbul to Athens, a 12-day Rome to Venice, and a 14-day Istanbul to Venice, all ranging from $3,499 to $3,999 per person, double occupancy.

If you don't want to take the free airfare offer, you should be able to land a further discount of several hundred dollars per passenger. Be sure to ask when booking.

The fine print: Government taxes and fees, and fuel supplement charges are extra. The free airfare deal is available from 20 major U.S. gateways; other gateways require an additional charge.

For more information or bookings, go to the Oceania website or call 800/404-8652 or a travel agent.

Photo courtesy of Oceania.

Ready to sail? Take off to Canada and Colonial America with Princess in a week

Princess Cruises has another last-minute offer working: this one is

a 17-day voyage aboard the Royal Princess to Canada and Colonial

America. Fares start from $1,295 per person in double occupancy for inside cabins, and $1,495 for obstructed oceanview.

Embarkation date from Montreal is October 29 -- one week from today.

The cruise features 12 ports of call, including Quebec City; Sydney (Nova Scotia); Halifax; Portland, Maine; Boston; New York City; Philadelphia; Norfolk; Baltimore; and Charleston before finishing up in Ft. Lauderdale.

$99 air add-ons are available one-way between Ft. Lauderdale and Montreal, plus fees and taxes up to $50 per person. Government fees and taxes of up to $360 per person are additional to the cruise fare, though fuel supplements are included in the base price. This offer is for new bookings only.

For more information or to book passage, visit the Princess website or call 800/774-6237 or a travel agent, and ask for promo code UES.

Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises.

Last-minute Panama Canal cruise deal from Princess

The ship sails October 22, so if you can leave on a two-week Panama Canal cruise on just a bit over a moment's notice, this one could be for you.

Princess is putting inside, obstructed oceanview, and balcony cabins on sale for its Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles cruise in two weeks (via Colombia, the Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Mexico) aboard the Coral Princess, but you'll need to act fast. Inside fares start at $995 per passenger in double occupancy, while obstructed oceanview cabins are $1,095 per passenger and balconies are $1,395 per passenger.

A $9 a day fuel supplement (up to $126) is included in these fares, though government taxes and fees of $202 per passenger are not, so you'll come up about $77 short on that exchange. Residents of the U.S. and Canada are eligible for the fares.

Air add-ons are available to or from Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, or Los Angeles for $199 plus government taxes and fees of up to $110 per person.

For more information or bookings, call Princess at 800/774-6237 or a travel agent, and ask for promo code UES. You can also go to the Princess website here.

MSC holds contest for free group Caribbean cruise

MSC Cruises is holding a new Family and Friends Group Contest in honor of the upcoming arrival of its ship MSC Orchestra in North America.

The winner will receive up to four staterooms (each holding up to four passengers) on a seven-night Caribbean sailing -- either in the Eastern or Western Caribbean -- during the 2008-2009 winter season.

To win, you must write a maximum 150-word essay describing what you "envision a fantasy cruise for you and your family onboard the Orchestra would be like," as the cruise line puts it. Essays will be judged on creativity, enthusiasm, knowledge of the Orchestra's features as well as Caribbean destinations, and fit with the theme "the Orchestra is coming to town."

Weekly voting on the best essays will be followed by weekly prizes. The grand prize winner will be announced December 5.

To enter, log onto this web page. And good luck!

Photos from MSC Cruises.

Save up to $2,000 per couple on Uniworld European river cruises

Uniworld is offering savings on selected 2009 European river cruises of up to $2,000 per couple ($1,000 per person) if you book and pay in full by September 30.

The offer applies to category 2 and above cabins on a number of different European river itineraries for 2009. For example, you could choose the "Eastern European Explorer," a 16-day itinerary from Vienna to Bucharest (or vice-versa) that runs from early April through mid-October next year.

For lower-price cabin categories, you could save between $1,000 and $1,200 per couple. Rates for lower-priced cabins for "Eastern European Explorer" voyages start at around $4,000 per person, depending on which month you sail. You'll need to request an exact quote from Uniworld to see exactly how much you save on the cruise you want.

If you book and pay in full by November 30, 2008, you can still save up to $500 per couple on selected 2009 itineraries.

For more information or bookings, go to the Uniworld website or call 800/733-7820 or a travel agent.

Photo from Uniworld.

General Tours offers big savings on Danube cruise this November

General Tours is offering more than $1,000 per couple savings on Main Deck outside staterooms aboard the MV Mozart -- a five-star Peter Deilmann river vessel -- on its eight-day "Treasures of the Danube" voyage embarking November 2, 2008.

A Main Deck outside stateroom now starts at $1,599 per passenger, double occupancy, down from $2,149 previously -- an $1,100 savings per couple.

The MV Mozart sails roundtrip from Passau, Germany, an easy transfer from Munich Airport, and visits Vienna, Austria, and Budapest, Hungary, among other stops (with overnights in both those ports). Here's one of the best parts of the deal: seven escorted sightseeing excursions are included, as are port charges.

For more information, click here or call General Tours at 800/221-2216.

Photo of MV Mozart from Peter Deilmann.