2. Take to the Waters

Cruises—already known as a great value option thanks to their all-inclusive pricing—are adding even more enticements. “Every cruise line is trying to make it easier and more cost-effective for people,” says Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of cruisecritic.com. Crystal Cruises (crystalcruises.com) is offering some of the best perks, such as stateroom upgrades and $2,000 discounts on penthouse rooms on some Asian sailings. Silverseas Cruises, meanwhile, is offering travelers who book before April complimentary airfare from 27 North American cities to departure points for 28 European/Mediterranean sailings in 2009. Booking early for a seven-day Mediterranean voyage on the Yachts of Seabourn (seabourn.com) can get you up to 45 percent off, plus a $500-per-person discount. Companies are also becoming increasingly flexible with purchase policies. Late last year, Disney (disneycruise.com), Windstar (windstarcruises.com), Norwegian (ncl.com), and Crystal extended cancellation periods and reduced deposit amounts by as much as 50 percent. SeaDream Yacht Club (seadreamyachtclub.com) introduced a Cancel For Any Reason program, which lets you change your plans up to 48 hours before departure (for $50 per person), with the balance credited toward a future cruise.