Deals on Cruises

Cunard (www.cunard.com) has some interesting reductions and special deals on certain fall and winter sailings. For example, a double upgrade on some October and November crossings on the Queen Mary 2 means you can enjoy a balcony stateroom for the price of an inside cabin. That can work out to $999 per person for travel between New York and Southampton, or $1,299 between Hamburg and New York.

In January, the smaller Queen Victoria offers a crossing from Southampton to Florida with stops in Punta Delgada, Azores; Antigua; Tortola B.V.I. and Nassau. The 13-day voyage starts as low as $1299 per person, an amazing $100 per day. If you can afford the time, consider the world cruise which takes 82 days and starts at $11,311 per person. Portions of the longer cruises also sound interesting, with a Panama Canal transit cruise for as little as $1,724.

Even when you add on the cost of air fare to the ports, some of these sound very reasonable. You may have noticed that I mention Cunard often, perhaps because it is the only line I have sailed on more than once. Both crossings were on the Queen Elizabeth 2, the first in 1981 and the second in 2001. (Actually, I have sailed on ships of the Black Sea Fleet twice also, but this line is no longer providing passenger service.)

If you hurry, you may be in time to book some steep cruise discounts through Travelocity (www.travelocity.com.) This offer expires tomorrow and includes a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida starting at $365, and a Western Caribbean voyage from Galveston that also lasts a week for as little as $440 per person.

For 2015 bookings, it may be better to wait until cruise week at the end of October, when a number of lines offer special savings.