2. Pick a cruise departure port within driving distance.  Save the cost of airfare and drive to where the ship departs. The high cost of air travel is a compelling reason to target cruise ships that sail within a day’s drive or less of your home.  Cruising close to home has never been easier. There are over 20 departure ports in the United States that have cruises departing from them. It's one of the best ways to stretch your vacation dollar. Plus, you can choose from hundreds of voyages to destinations like the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Mexico. Departures will vary by cruise line and not all cruise lines sail from your closest city. Here's our list to check out.

From the East Coast, you can sail from; Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, New York City, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Port Canaveral, Tampa. From the West Coast; Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle From the Gulf Coast; Galveston, Houston, Mobile, New Orleans.

To broaden the geographic make-up of passengers, many cruise lines may offer special reduced prices for residents of your state. Ask about it

4. Book your own shore excursions. When budgeting for a cruise vacation, it’s easy to underestimate how much you’ll cruise will cost. Beyond the cost of the cruise fare and taxes, there's the fuel surcharges and other fees to consider. One area you can really save money is do your own sightseeing or shore excursion planning. Almost all the local vendors that the cruise line uses, can be found on the internet. Visit the port’s official tourism web site for up-to-date information on tour operators and pricing. Their direct to the consumer prices in most cases are cheaper than if you bought the tour from the cruise line. Shore excursion income is an important part of a cruise lines onboard revenue. So, they mark it up to maximize profits. Booking just one shore excursion, such as a helicopter ride to land on glacier, for a family of four in Alaska, can save you hundreds of dollars in your overall cruise vacation costs. And you can put that savings to better use.

Two online firms that specialize in sightseeing tours for cruise passengers include Port Promotions and Shore Trips.  You can book online, and pocket the savings.

5. Choose a cruise where kids cruise free.  Find cruise line promotions that let Kids 12 and under sail free when they share a cabin with mom and dad.  MSC cruises is offering Children 17 and under to sail free in the Caribbean & Mediterranean when traveling as the third or fourth guest in a cabin with two full-fare paying guests. Check with MSC cruises for details. Take advantage of reduced rates for 3rd/4th passengers with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Princess. You can also save money onboard. Purchase an unlimited "coke" card or other budget stretcher offer. A deal that offers unlimited sodas for $20, is a real money saver when you are traveling with kids. Tip: many of these 'budget stretcher" deals are not well publicized. Be sure to check out the cruise lines special offers web page, and ask your travel agent about family deals when you reserve your cruise.

6. Think about the future. Some cruise lines offer discounts on a future sailing if you book it while on a current cruise. Back home, you can work with your travel agent and try to lower the price even further.

7. Keep your onboard spending low. Limit your spending on photos, spa services, art auctions, shore excursions, jewelry, casino and drinks of the day.

Stay away from the Specialty restaurants. Many cruise lines have several alternative dining venues to the usual main dining room.  These restaurants, offer special menu items with prices ranging from $10 to $45 per person. Sure, the fare may be better, but is it that much better than what you can savor in the ship’s dining room for free? 

Almost every cruise ship offers Internet access, but they often charge a ridiculous per-minute access fee. Some cruise lines even offer package deals for 100- 200 minutes of Internet access. Forget about it! Instead, visit an Internet facility when you are in port. How to find one? Easy, ask a crew member where to find an Internet cafe on shore, or check out the local public library, where you can sometimes check your e-mail for free.

8. Discover free airfare. Air add-on rates are offered by many cruise lines in conjunction with their cruise only rates. Sometimes, special promotions are offered where the air is reduced. For example, a Caribbean cruise sailing out of Miami, may have an air rate of $389 from Chicago. But the cruise line may subsidize the rate and offer the plane ticket for $179 per person. In some cases, economy airfare is offered free from select cities.

Arrange your own. Shop for airfares on ticket search websites like Farecast, SideStep, or Kayak and then book directly with the airline.

Save on Airport transfers. The cost of cruise line provided round-trip airport transfers can run $20 per person or more. A better (and often faster) way to get to and from the ship is by local taxi. The fare can be $20-30, but the taxi can take up to four people.

 family of "online" travel related sites have something for everyone

Family Cruises Online - Cruise Direct Online - Cruise Search Online - Cruise Reviews Online 

Cruise Mexico Online - Alaska Cruise Tours Online - Cruise Traveler Magazine