Late fall is one of the best times to get incredible deals on cruise vacations. Cruises generally offer some of the best travel values, especially during the fall and between the holidays. You’ll find great bargains on cruises to a wide variety of destinations, including the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Bahamas.

If you're considering taking a cruise over the next few months and can be flexible about your dates and itineraries, now is the time to snap up a great vacation deal. Here's the scoop:

* Bahamas cruises are currently as cheap as $179 per person. Norwegian Cruise Line has discounted some of their 4-night Bahamas sailings to as low as $179 per person, a savings of as much as 80% over brochure rates. Refer to Norwegian's Promo PGHOT booking code for these fares. Airfare as well as some additional taxes and fees are extra. These rates were available for the November 9 and November 30, 2009 sailings on the Norwegian Sky. Significant discounts on Bahamas cruises are available on Disney, Norwegian, Carnival and other cruise lines for November and December dates.

* Short Caribbean cruises are another good bargain. Currently, 4- to 6-day cruises to ports such as Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios can be found at deep discounts, often for well over 75% off brochure prices. In particular, the November 16th Western Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Imagination is a great deal right now at 77% off the brochure rate, with prices starting as low as $199 per person. The Carnival Fantasy’s December 14 5-night Western Caribbean cruise from Mobile, Alabama is also a great deal starting at $259 per person - a savings of as much as 75%.

* Significant discounts are available on 7-day Caribbean cruises, with as much as 77% off on some sailings. For example, a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Valor currently starts at $409 per person for the November 15th sailing with lower rates available for residents of certain states. This cruise visits Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. While discounts of more than 75% can be found on 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises during November and December, prices vary significantly by sailing date and ship. Bargain hunters will need to show more flexibility in order to scoop up the lowest fares. Sailings depart from such ports as Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa, New Orleans, Galveston, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

* West Coast cruises to Mexico are showing some substantial discounts with several cruises marked down by almost 85%. For example, the November 7th and November 14th sailings of the Norwegian Star are an incredible 84% off with prices as low as $299 per person for a 7-night cruise. The ship departs from Los Angeles and visits Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. The December 6th 7-night cruise on the Carnival Splendor is 77% off. Discounts of 60-70% are commonly available on other cruises as well. West Coast cruises to Mexico depart from home ports in California, including Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego.

* If you’ve always wanted to visit Hawaii, November has some of the best cruise prices seen this year. have some great prices to offer on Hawaii cruises. All four of the November sailings of Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America are a staggering 82% off brochure prices with staterooms starting as low as $499 per person for a 7-night cruise. This cruise leaves from Honolulu and visits ports of call on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii.

* Cruise ships are still sailing the Mediterranean during the month of November. MSC Cruises has some exceptional deals on 7-night Mediterranean cruises during the month, with the November 6th sailing of the MSC Splendida discounted by as much as 73% for a 7-night cruise. The Costa Fortuna's November 23rd sailing from Venice, Italy is also a bargain at up to 76% off brochure rates, with prices starting as low as $449 per person.

If you're seeking an inexpensive getaway, take a closer look at these cruise values. These deals are particularly attractive to those who live within driving distance of a home port or travelers who have frequent flier miles to spare. To take advantage of these great deals, contact your favorite travel agent. Other good Internet sources for cruise discounts include such sites as Vacations To Go, Cruises.com, Cruise.com, Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz. You can also call the cruise lines directly and speak with one of their reservations agents.