The average price of a Caribbean cruise is about $1,400 per person for a one-week sailing (or about $200 a day). And there are cheaper options starting at under $700 (or $100 a day). Your cruise fare includes accommodations, all your meals, daytime activities and nighttime entertainment, and may include transfers to and from the airport. That adds up to a really good vacation deal!

But how can you assure you get the best price on your cruise?
Two rules: book early or book late.

Early-Bird Discounts
Booking early (four to six months in advance of a sailing) means you can take advantage of the early-bird discounts offered by the cruise lines, which are usually 25% to 40% off the brochure (or retail) price. The rules for early-bird discounts vary by line, and sometimes, if the ship is not full, the discounts are extended to a time period closer in to the sailing date. By booking early, you get first choice of cabin (the cheapest and the most expensive cabins are usually the ones that sell out first), and meal time.

Last-Minute Offers
Last-minute deals usually start appearing four to six weeks before a sailing. The sales are tantamount to the cruise lines dumping unused inventory, and the savings can be substantial (sometimes even more than 50%). But you have to be flexible and willing to take a chance to take advantage of these offers. Your desired sailing may sell out. And even if it does not, you will have a limited choice of cabins and meal times. Also, these deals often do not include airfare, which means what you save on the cruise you may have to pay on your air ticket.

Other Ways to Save
Other savings opportunities include booking off season, such as September to Christmas, the first and second week in January, and April (except school vacation time) to June in the Caribbean; May and September in Alaska or Bermuda; and April, May, September or October in Europe.

Or you might want to consider taking a repositioning cruises, which are cruises offered, usually at a really good rate, when a ship is moving from one region to another, such as from the Caribbean to Alaska or visa versa. These cruises tend to be at least two weeks long, though, so they aren't for everybody.

Also keep an eye out for ship introductions, because lines tend to offer great deals when they are bringing a new ship into a market. And Use an experienced travel agent

Travel agents who specialize in selling cruises get priority notices from the cruise lines about special deals. They are likely to know about a sale even before it hits the newspapers. It pays to work with an experienced agent.