Want to discover North America from the water? Looking for cruise options that won't take a lot of time and money just to get to your point of embarkation? Hoping for some fun, close-to-home choices for the whole family?

Never before have your convenient-to-the-U.S. cruising options been better, as more and more cruise lines--from budget conscious to pure luxury--reap the benefits of sailing from, and off, the shores of New England, the Eastern Seaboard, Florida, California, Washington State, and Alaska. For instance, you can zip to any number of cities in Florida--Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa--and catch some great cruises to The Bahamas for generally three to six days. And for something a touch more exotic, Oceania Cruises^THC leaves Miami for some gorgeous ports in the Caribbean before heading to South America and cruising up the Amazon River.

May 2009