Cruising in Fall

Oil prices and the travel boom have driven
cruise prices up 10% from last year, but there's
a little -known way to get a steal. Here is the
secret!

Fall is "repositioning" season, when cruise lines
move their fleets from summer ports, like
Alaska and New England, to the Caribbean
for the winter. Hitch a ride and pay up to 75% off regular rates.

For instance, Celebrity Cruises has a 15-day cruise from Barcelona to Fort
Lauderdale in November for $1,230; its peak rate is $2,600.

The drawback? These cruises tend to be longer than usual, have fewer
port visits and can have fewer amenities. Sometimes cruise lines use the
time to do maintenance on the ships. They're not heavily marketed, But
you can find them on sites like Cruise.com or CruiseCompete.com, or
through travel agents, who tend to get the early words on these sails.