DES MOINES, IA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 10/27/06 -- This holiday season, Santa is making a wish list and checking the prices twice. Considering the great deals on cruise vacations this November and December, he could be parasailing on Christmas Eve rather than riding a sled.

According to CruiseCompete.com, some seven-night vacations can be booked for well under $1,000 per person, including Thanksgiving cruises, Christmas cruises and New Year's cruises.

In addition to stretching your gift budgets further, the following are some more great reasons for cruise vacationing during the holidays:

Less Stress -- The hustle and bustle of the holidays make it hard to celebrate. Rather than worrying, take a relaxing cruise with the family where all your needs are taken care of by the ship's crew.

Unique Gifts -- If someone is looking for a truly memorable gift to give, a cruise vacation is a surprise break from the norm. Plus, the gift giver usually gets to go along.

Family Memories -- When does a teenager actually want to go along with his or her family on vacation? Chances are when a cruise is planned with plenty to see and do.

Value -- An all-inclusive cruise vacation, featuring accommodations, food and most entertainment, can save families hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars versus land-based resorts over the holidays.

Kids' Entertainment -- Children of all ages are not bored on a cruise ship, with swimming, rock climbing, beach combing, water sports, games, music, exploring and more fun on the agenda each day.

Tropical Weather -- With no snow on the ground and plenty of blue sky above, a sun-soaked holiday season on a Caribbean or Mexican cruise is unlike any other.

Picturesque Ports -- Take the chill out of the air with white sandy beaches on the cruise lines' private Caribbean islands. Various ports-of-call celebrate the holidays in grand style, making for truly memorable visits.

CruiseCompete.com saves consumers time by finding them the travel agent with the best deal for them. Consumers secure quotes for cruise deals from multiple agencies without contacting them separately. To date more than 350,000 customers have accessed CruiseCompete.com to request cruise quotes. Agents have provided more than 1.5 million quotes to consumers. http://www.cruisecompete.com.

Contact:
Heidi Allison
Email Contact
248.652.2198