No website reflects this situation better than Vacations To Go (www.

vacationstogo.com), one of the few to list what appears to be every cruise departure of every line, grouped logically by date, destination and departure port. It's interesting to survey the rates it presents and the discounts those rates represent off brochure levels.

The heaviest discounters appear to be Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line. To the Caribbean (from Florida) in September/mid-December, such Carnival ships as the Destiny, the Miracle and the Liberty discount the rates for their inside cabins from 69 percent to 77 percent on numerous dates. What results is a chance to buy a seven-night cruise (inside cabin) for as little as $349 to $419 per person on various dates in that period.

Most NCL ships do almost as well by us ultra-cost-conscious vacationers. A ship like the Norwegian Pearl, sailing from Florida through the Caribbean, discounts its rates in October, November and early December by as much as 68 percent to 74 percent, resulting in prices as low as $359 to $429 on many of its seven-night departures. Even the brand-new, heavily touted, meant-to-be-costlier Norwegian Epic discounts its autumn rates (as I recently pointed out) by a heavy 44 percent to 50 percent, resulting in minimum prices of $649 to $719 per person per week on numerous dates.

MSC Cruises are only slightly more expensive. A ship like the MSC Poesia, sailing from Florida into the Caribbean during these months, discounts most of its rates by a uniform 55 percent, and therefore charges as little as $479 per person in an inside cabin for a seven-night cruise.

Royal Caribbean is next, and though Vacations To Go doesn't quantify its discounts in percentage terms (as it does for the other lines), it offers rates as low as $459 to $602 on many of the dates I've cited. The only Royal Caribbean ship charging more is the giant (6,000 passengers) and much-publicized Oasis of the Seas, charging $819-$939 per person for inside cabins on many September through mid-December dates.

The lesson is clear: If you're willing to brave the possibility of poor weather (and the chance of a hurricane nearing your ship is slim), you'll take advantage of rates that are almost comically low for a seven-night cruise on a ship feeding you many times a day for seven days.

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Arthur Frommer is the pioneering founder of the Frommer's Travel Guide book series. He co-hosts the radio program, The Travel Show, with his travel correspondent daughter Pauline Frommer. Find more destinations online and read Arthur Frommer's blog at frommers.com.