During today’s economic turbulence, if a vacation is in the picture at all, the watchword for such a break from “real life” is “cheap”. Luckily, there is scarcely a better mix of “fun” and “dollar-stretching” than taking a cruise. Cheap cruises abound, and after you’ve finished reading this article, the only thing you’re going to need to figure out is which Hawaiian shirt to pack!

As with most things, when searching for cheap cruises, common sense will help you out a lot. Let’s put it this way: If you don’t ask if there are any discounts or special promotions available, how are you going to find them? That’s right, you won’t. When looking for cheap cruises, make sure to ask your travel agent (or do some digging yourself), and if possible, book around peak seasons.

Another option is to look for family-friendly offers. That is to say, if you’re cruising with your family, the chances are good you can find a sizable group discount. Use it!

The bright side of the economic turmoil in the world (at least where vacation deals are concerned) is that cheap cruises are a cinch to find. In fact, the cruising industry is one of the few industries to continue growing, with no signs of letting up any time soon. What this translates into is good news for you - growth takes money. You have money, and if it means slashing prices to get you to swipe your credit card and buy a cruise ticket or two, the cruise lines are more than willing to oblige.

A few other things you might consider when hunting for cheap cruises is taking advantage of theme cruises (Singles, gay-friendly, family / kids, etc.), or, if you’re feeling daring, you can roll the dice, time-wise, and wait until the last minute to book your cruise. However, the same goal can be accomplished (saving some cash) while simultaneously making your chances of a ticket skyrocket if you do the opposite, and book very early. Taking a cruise in June? Book in January, and make sure to ask if there’s an early-booking discount!

Finally, make the travel agents work for you! In addition to hunting down cruise-centric travel agents who can give you the best possible prices on tickets, or let them start a bidding war for your business. Above all, remember this: Cheap cruises are everywhere... so go get yours!