MSC features Family Plan for New Year's sailing to Caribbean

Want to take your family to the Caribbean for New Year's?

You might want to consider MSC Cruises Family Plan for its December 28, 2007, seven-night Western Caribbean itinerary roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with stops in Key West, Georgetown, Cozumel, and Nassau, plus two days at sea, on the MSC Lirica. The Lirica features Italian cuisine and European-style ambiance.

You can fill a four-person inside stateroom for as little as $499.50 per passenger, or an ocean-view stateroom starting at $574.50 per passenger, also based on quad occupancy. Government taxes and fees of about $51-$55 per person are additional.

To qualify for this plan, reservations must be made by September 30, 2007. (North American residents who place a reservation are required to put down only a $100 deposit per person, based on double occupancy.)

Before you reserve, you should compare this rate to other offers, which include "kids sail free" or deeply discounted youth-fare promotions -- then choose the offer best for you and your situation.

On MSC, for instance, as many as two children ages 17 and younger staying in the same Lirica stateroom with two full-paying adults can cruise for free on voyages leaving from Fort Lauderdale for the Caribbean on December 4 and 14, 2007; and January 9, 19, and 29 and February 8, 18, and 28, 2008. On the ship's December 21 and 28 holiday sailings, the kids' price rises to $199 when sharing a stateroom with two full-paying adults.

For the December 28 sailing, early booking rates for adults start at $999 for adults; multiplying that by two and adding $398 (two times $199) would make the Family Plan a better deal by about $400. For other sailings, the kids sail free deals may be just the ticket.

For more information or bookings, click here or call a travel agent.

Photo of MSC Lirica from MSC Cruises.