Holiday gift rates from MSC Cruises

Book select

MSC Cruises

through December 31, and you'll receive discounts of up to 65 percent and free one- to three-category upgrades. This offer is available on 11-night Caribbean cruises aboard the

MSC Opera

and

MSC Lirica

. The upgrades are only available from inside to outside cabins.

When I checked, sample per-person prices for 2007 cruises included:

• $695 for an inside cabin and $795 for an oceanview cabin on an 11-night "Deep Caribbean" cruise aboard the MSC Lirica departing from Ft. Lauderdale on March 27. Ports-of-call include Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Tortola, and the Dominican Republic. Other discounted dates include January 20, February 11, March 5, and April 18.
• $695 for an inside cabin and $795 for an oceanview cabin on an 11-night Panama Canal cruise aboard the MSC Lirica departing from Ft. Lauderdale on March 16 and April 7. Ports-of-call include Jamaica; Cartagena, Colombia; San Blas and Cristobal, Panama; Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; and Roatan Island, Honduras. Other discounted dates include January 9 and 31, and February 22.
• $695 for an inside or oceanview cabin on an 11-night "Deep Caribbean" cruise aboard the MSC Opera departing from Ft. Lauderdale on March 10. Ports-of-call include Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Tortola, and the Dominican Republic. Other discounted dates include January 25, February 16, and April 1.
• $695 for an inside cabin and $795 for an oceanview cabin on an 11-night Panama Canal cruise aboard the MSC Opera departing from Ft. Lauderdale on February 5 and 27, and March 21. Ports-of-call include Costa Maya, Mexico; Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Cristobal, Panama; Santa Marta, Colombia; Curacao; and the Dominican Republic. The other discounted date is January 14.
  
  
  
  For more information, visit
  
  MSC Cruises' website
  
  . To book a cruise, contact a travel agent.