Caribbean oceanview stateroom for a song

If you're ready to take off for the Caribbean in two weeks or so, you can get an oceanview stateroom on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas sailing out of Santo Domingo January 13 for just $499 in double occupancy -- that's more than $300 less than an interior cabin on the same cruise.

It's also $400-$500 less than similar cabins on similar itineraries on the same ship later in January as well as in February and March. Royal Caribbean's $5 per person fuel surcharge doesn't kick in until February 2008, so you'll save even more on this cruise.


The southern Caribbean itinerary is an attractive one: going roundtrip from the Dominican Republic, it stops in St. Kitts, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Barbados, and St. Lucia.

If you're interested, jump on this one right away. Visit Royal Caribbean's website or call 866/562-7625. The same price is offered at VacationsToGo.com; call 800/419-5104 and ask for Fast Deal 10770.

Photo of Legend of the Seas oceanview stateroom courtesy of Royal Caribbean.

Week-long Royal Caribbean Mexico cruise for $399

Royal Caribbean is offering a seven-day Mexico cruise in February 2008 for prices starting at $399 per person for an interior cabin, and $499 for an oceanview.

The Vision of the Seas cruise leaves Los Angeles on February 10 for Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta before returning to L.A. Similar itineraries are available on other dates in February and March 2008 for prices starting at $449-$499 for an interior cabin.

Additional discounts are available for seniors; one person in each cabin must be age 55 or over.

Rates are double occupancy and don't include a $5 per person per day fuel surcharge for the first two people in a cabin.

To book one of these cruises, visit the Royal Caribbean website or call 866/562-7625 or a travel agent.

Week-long NCL Caribbean cruise for $400

CruiseExperts.com is listing a Norwegian Cruise Lines voyage departing Charleston, SC, for the Western Caribbean on January 5, 12, or 19, 2008, for just $399 per person, double occupancy in an inside cabin -- two-thirds off the brochure price. Oceanview cabins start at $449, also two-thirds off.

And if you book one of these trips by December 21, they'll give you ship coupons worth up to $600 per stateroom.

The itinerary aboard the Norwegian Majesty includes stops in Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Key West, with three days at sea.

NCL's website has the same cruises on sale for prices starting at $429, $30 higher (if you book through NCL, ask for Promo code PGSD1).

To book through CruiseExperts.com, go to their website or call 888/804-2784.

Photo of Norwegian Majesty courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line.

Cruise Greece for $100 a day, including airfare

Friendly Planet Travel is offering the nine-day Classical Greece by Sea cruisetour this February and March (2008) for as little as $899 per person, double occupancy, if you book by January 15. That price includes roundtrip airfare from New York to Athens (or discounted airfare from other U.S. cities).

Centerpiece of the trip is a seven-night voyage on easyCruise One, including an outside cabin and two meals (breakfast and dinner) per day. Transfers, fuel surcharges, and port charges are all included, though an extra $135 in taxes and fees per person is not.

The $899 price is available on the February 23 departure; four other March departures range from $999 to $1099 per person. After January 15, prices rise by $300 per person.

An optional shore excursion touring program, including lunches, is available for $175 per person, which represents half off.

The cruise departs Athens for ancient Corinth, the island of Ithaki, Patras (for Olympia), Delphi, and Aegina before returning to Athens; passengers will have the better part of two days in Athens, one on either end of the trip.

While you technically have until January 15 to book, at these prices you may not want to wait; selling out quickly is a distinct possibility.

For more information, go to the Friendly Planet website or call 800/555-5765.

Greek islands photo by Dennis Cox/WorldViews.

Majestic America extends free airfare offer

Majestic America Line has extended its free roundtrip airfare offer from selected U.S. getaway cities for several of its 2008 Delta Queen and American Queen sailings if you book by December 15, 2007.

The offer applies to a number of 2008 sailings on the Mississippi River of seven nights or longer on the two ships.

Alternatively, if you don't need the free air, you can opt for a $300 per person credit off your cruise fare.

For more information, click here or call Majestic America at 800/434-1232 or a travel agent.

American Queen photo courtesy of Majestic America Line.

Luxury for less on Crystal Mediterranean sailings

Crystal Cruises, one of the world's most luxurious cruise lines, has just announced a sale on its late spring and summer 2008 Mediterranean cruises, if you book your cruise by the end of February.

The luxury line is offering 10 percent off all verandah and non-verandha staterooms (as well as five percent off Penthouse accommodations) for virtually all of Crystal Serenity's European cruises departing from May 19 through September 5, 2008.

The peak savings would be $1,650 per couple on 10 sailings from Rome, Venice, Athens, Barcelona, and Monte Carlo. The voyages start at $2,995 per person, double occupancy.

To take advantage of this offer, you must book by February 29, 2008; new bookings only.

For more information, go to Crystal's website or for bookings call 888/722-0021 or a travel agent.

Photo of Crystal Serenity courtesy of Crystal Cruises.

Amadeus Waterways offers $500 off European river cruise

Amadeus Waterways is offering $500 off per cabin ($250 per person) on its March 8 and 12, and November 12, 2008, departures of its Amsterdam to Paris cruise tours.

You can book an entire 12-day package of cruise, land tours, and air transportation to Amsterdam and back from Paris for prices starting at $2549 per person, subject to availability.

The week-long cruise portion of the trip aboard the deluxe MS Amadagio travels down the Rhine and Mosel Rivers from Amsterdam to Trier, Germany, then proceeds by land to Luxemburg and ends with three days in Paris.

This promotion is not combinable with other offers.

For more information or bookings, visit the Amadeus website or call 800/626-0126 or a travel agent.

Photo from Amadeus Waterways.

Carnival's 12 Fun Days of Christmas Sale

Carnival is currently in the fourth day of a 12-day pre-Christmas sale that features a new offer every day.

Today's offer is for up to $100 off summer (June-August 2008) sailings to the Caribbean, with three- to five-day sailings priced from $279 per person.

Note: There's also a bonus "gift" that kicks in at 3 pm Eastern Standard Time: five-day cruises in an oceanview stateroom for prices starting at $399 per person (regularly $669). Availability is limited, so call right away if you're interested. Ask for fare code CPL8.

The offers expire tonight at midnight Thursday, December 6. Tomorrow will bring a new fifth day offer, and so on for each day until the 12 days are complete.

The fine print: Prices are valid on new bookings only. Full deposit is required when you book. Government taxes and fees are additional. Carnival will impose a fuel surcharge of $5 per day per person on all sailings departing on or after February 1, 2008.

For more information or bookings, go to Carnival's website or call 888-CARNIVAL or a travel agent. For today's featured deal, ask for fare code CPC1.

Photo of Carnival Ecstasy from Dennis Cox/WorldViews

Holland America 3-day sale covers the globe

Starting today, December 5, 2007, Holland America is holding a three-day sale that spans the globe for 2008.

Some of the special offers include: week-long Alaska cruises starting at $549 per passenger, two-week Asia Pacific and Australia/New Zealand cruises starting at $1889 and $1899 per person, 10-day Europe cruises starting at $1199 per person, week-long Mexican Riviera cruises starting at $449 per passenger, 10-day Panama Canal cruises starting at $1149 per person, and six-day Caribbean cruises starting at $549 per passenger.

Hawaii, Canada, and South America cruises are also on sale. On some sailings, third and fourth passengers in the same cabin can sail for fares starting at $99 each.

Prices quoted above are double occupancy and are for new bookings only. They do not include taxes (which range from about $40 to $550 per person, depending on itinerary) and also do not include Holland America's $5 per passenger, per day fuel supplement charge, which goes into effect for sailings on or after February 1, 2008.

The sale ends at 11:59 pm (Pacific Time) on Friday, December 7.

For more information or bookings, go to Holland America's website or call 877/724-5425 or a travel agent. Ask for Promo FJ or FN when you call.

Viking River Cruises offers $320 airfare from U.S. West Coast

Viking River Cruises is offering all-inclusive $320 per person roundtrip airfare to China from three U.S. West Coast cities -- Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Seattle -- if you book a balcony stateroom on one of Yangtze cruise tours on selected 2008 dates. Airfare savings range up to $1950 per couple.

The offer is good for either Viking's 12-day Imperial Jewels of China -- which includes a six-day Yangtze cruise as well as a total of six nights in Shanghai, Beijing, and Xian -- or its 16-day China's Cultural Delights, which features a 10-day Yangtze cruise along with the six nights in the three above-named cities.

Guided tours are included in both cruisetours. Airfare from a number of other U.S. cities is $520 per person.

The offer expires December 19, 2007. Call Viking River Cruises at 800/304-9616 or a travel agent and ask for offer 08Echo. For more information, click here for the Viking website.

Photo from Viking River Cruises.

Small-ship line ACCL offers $500 discounts

The family-owned small-ship American Canadian Caribbean Line is offering $500 per person discounts on three of its winter 2008 cruises in the Caribbean and The Bahamas.

Discounts apply to the following 11-night cruises: The Bahamian Out Islands departing March 14, 2008; the Yachtsman's Virgin Islands (departing January 12 and February 23, 2008); and the Treasures of the Leeward Isles departing January 27 and February 9, 2008, which cruises the British and French West Indies and the Netherlands Antilles.

After the discounts, cruises range from $2970 to $3795 per person, double occupancy.

In addition, ACCL is offering a special deal for single travelers on its 11-night Beach Lover's Bahamas cruise, departing December 22, 2007: singles pay the same amount for a cabin as each passenger sharing a double-occupancy cabin would.

Note that on any cruise, ACCL offers a willing-to-share program, in which singles willing to share with other singles who opt for the same program can share cabins at double occupancy rates.

To book a cruise or learn more about ACCL, click here for its website or call 800/556-7450.

Photo from ACCL.