He who books late gets the cheap cruise

Cruises were supposed to be the most popular way to travel this year. Some cruise executives sounded almost giddy as they described one sold-out departure after another.

Turns out the cheering was slightly premature, the confidence overdone. In recent e-mails to travel agents and travel journalists, some cruise discounters have noted sailings that aren’t full and that are being offered at reduced prices.

Although no one says cruises aren’t selling, the picture of an industry overbooked and packed to capacity isn’t accurate. That means flexible travelers can find deals, if they’re willing to spend some time searching.

Cruises to Bermuda are a dramatic example. Normally sold out by early summer, this year’s Bermuda cruises still had considerable vacancies then. That resulted in special offers for those who booked later.

The sites cruisebrothers.com and www.cruisecompete.com passed along bonuses offered by leading cruise lines in the Bermuda market, including onboard coupons worth $150, $199 airfares from select cities and free bus transportation to embarkation ports.

Cruises of European waters, once trumpeted as sold out, still aren’t. Some cruise lines are offering two-for-one airfares for select departures of their ships to stir interest.

What’s the best way to find these deals? Savvy travelers check the websites of the prominent cruise discounters for attractive prices.

The largest array of bargains that I’ve found is being offered by Vacations to Go in Houston, (800) 338-4962, www.vacationstogo.com.

On dozens of dates remaining in 2005, Vacations to Go lists reductions as great as 75% off the published price of cruises aboard the world’s leading lines. And discounts are available in almost every category.

Some examples on the day I checked:

* In the Caribbean, Royal Caribbean had a five-day cruise leaving Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Aug. 20, starting at $559 per person -- a saving of 51%.

* Carnival had a seven-day cruise departing from Port Canaveral, Fla., on Sept. 3, starting at $579 -- a saving of 65%.

* Also to the Caribbean, Holland America offered a seven-day cruise departing Fort Lauderdale on Aug. 27, starting at $649 -- a saving of 49%.

Similar deals were available from other discounters.

Cruise Brothers, (800) 827-7779, was advertising a 14-night sailing from Europe to New York starting at $999 per person, double occupancy. The brochure rate for the trip, aboard Princess Cruises Golden Princess, was $3,340, meaning that late-booking passengers could save about 70%.

A side note about shore excursions on Caribbean cruises: Tour on your own, taking taxis booked at the dock. This way, you get to select where and how you’ll spend the day, and avoid high-priced, low-value cruise ship excursions.