Major Cruise Discounts for Spring

Thinking about booking your next cruise? Well this is the time to take advantage of the considerable discounts that many cruise lines are offering. Non profit organization, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), has issued a press release detailing the onboard credits and savings that you can receive by booking your cruise in the next few weeks.

For the month of February, many member lines of CLIA are offering special rates, onboard credits, deposit waivers or other incentives designed to stimulate record cruise sales for 2008. This year's Wave Season offers a range from savings of more than 50 percent of cruise prices to onboard credits worth hundreds of dollars, stateroom upgrades and other perks.

Here's a sampling of offers (unless otherwise noted, offers extend through February 29).

Carnival Cruise Lines: Special rates of $249 to $339 per person on select departure dates for three- to five-day voyages on Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration, both with new Serenity adults-only decks and Carnival Waterworks aqua parks.

Celebrity Cruises: Onboard credits of $50 to $200 per stateroom, based on the length of voyage, on cruises in Alaska, the Caribbean and Europe.

Cunard Line: Onboard credits of up to $300, plus a waiver of deposits for second guests on select Queen Mary 2 sailings and Queen Victoria maiden European voyages.

Crystal Cruises: Ten percent savings on new bookings of all verandah and non-verandah staterooms; five percent savings for penthouse accommodations. The savings apply to virtually all of Crystal Serenity's Mediterranean cruises this summer. This offer has been extended to bookings made through March 31.

Holland America Line: Savings of up to $450 off brochure rates plus upgrades for as little as $100 depending on sailing. The View and Verandah promotion applies to the company's eight ships offering select 2008 Alaska departures.

Norwegian Cruise Line: Weekly special offers, including on-board credits and stateroom upgrades for select destinations, are offered as part of NCL's "Freestyle Resolution Sales Event" and can be found at www.ncl.com. The promotion also includes the chance to win a free cruise.

Princess Cruises: A special "Alaska Wilderness Sale" features savings of $200 per couple plus a $200 onboard credit on Princess cruise tours, with rates starting at $1,399 for an 11-day sailing. The offer is available on many Alaska sailings.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Shipboard credits of up to $500 per suite in addition to normal published offers for new guests of Regent. The offer applies to sailings in Europe, the Mediterranean, Alaska and Tahiti.

Royal Caribbean International: Onboard credits of up to $200 per stateroom on select Alaska sailings/tours for 2008.

Silversea Cruises: Forty percent savings on cruise-only fares for a wide variety of voyages worldwide is part of the line's "Silver Sailings" program. For last minute shoppers, this includes the 14-day Silver Cloud cruise from Mahe to Dubai, departing February 23.