What's on Deck? Deals, Luxe Ships, New Ports

On Norwegian Cruise Line's new Pearl, passengers can bowl on the first regulation-size alleys on the high seas. Take a voyage on Cunard's Queen Mary 2, and you can study Shakespearean acting with alumni of London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Crystal Cruises even puts adventurers behind the wheel of a Formula One race car in Monaco.

Fun, perhaps, but these days travelers are finding another reason to book a cruise: the prices.

In his 23 years in the travel business, says Alan Fox, chairman of the Houston travel agency Vacations to Go, rates were this low only in the six months after Sept. 11, 2001. "The inflation-adjusted price of a cruise has never been lower. . . . It honestly is a buyer's market out there." Prices average about $70 per day on some ships, he says, "and it got down to as low as $40 in the fall."

Travelers are responding, as the number of cruisers is on the upswing, according to the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), which represents 21 lines -- or 97 percent of those based in North America. The organization reported on Wednesday that nearly 10.2 million Americans took cruise vacations in 2006, and it predicts that half a million more will this year.

The best bang for the buck these days can be found in the Caribbean, Fox says, partly because of the prices and because people can often drive to their point of embarkation. Further, he notes, lines he considers "extremely family-friendly" -- including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Disney and Norwegian -- are sending ships out full.

Along with a wave of new ships entering the market, here's a look at some other cruising developments.

· Lines are adding new ports. In 2007, cruise ships will go to more destinations than ever before, says CLIA. Ports are being added in cruising grounds such as the Caribbean, and more cruise lines have charted itineraries in Asia, Africa, Europe, the South Pacific and the Middle East. And New Orleans is back: Seven cruise ships made 23 calls there in December.

Dubai is becoming popular as a safe, hospitable port in the Middle East. Crystal sails to Dubai four times in 2007, with 14- to 17-night trips on the Serenity and Symphony (recently refurbished to the tune of $23 million); Costa Cruises will also inaugurate stops in Dubai.

This year, Celebrity Cruises is adding 40 destinations in the South Pacific, with ports dotting the coasts of Australia and New Zealand. Windstar Cruises sails for the first time to Almeria, Spain, where "Lawrence of Arabia" was filmed, while Princess Cruises adds Parintins in Brazil to its Amazon itinerary. Regent Seven Seas calls on 21 new ports on four continents, including Chile's Paso Quesahuen for travel by catamaran to watch icebergs break away from the San Valentin glacier.

· Luxe is in. CLIA spokeswoman Christine Fischer and travel agents say baby boomers want adventure travel, but without sacrificing comfort. Features considered luxuries 25 years ago -- balcony suites, spas, fitness areas, fine wines -- are becoming common, as are flat-screen TVs and premium sound systems. On Windstar, you can even work with a personal trainer.

For the first time in years, CLIA notes, orders for luxury ships are up. Seatrade Insider, which keeps tabs on the global cruise industry, notes that 2007 will see the inauguration of Cunard's $522 million Queen Victoria, a super-luxe liner that will carry more than 2,000 guests. In May, Royal Caribbean's $750 million Liberty of the Seas goes into service; it will share the title of world's largest cruise ship with sister ship Freedom of the Seas.

· Dining is less restrictive. Large ship or small, luxury or not, the days of assigned meal seating at designated times are numbered. "There is a general trend in offering more choices and eating times," Fischer says.