• Look online, in books, talk to friends, crystallize what you think you want in the experience.

• Choose your cruise, and then check the air sea packages. Tell the agent to hold the cruise if possible while you check other air fares.

• Check air fares on your own. If you find a fare you want, hold your fare for 24 hours while you book your cruise, then call back and confirm your flight. (When you hold a flight you are holding a seat, not the price, Aimée J. Ricca, owner of Bonne Amie Travel in Rockport, Maine, and one of the experts featured on the Travel Channel's Vacation Challenge, warns. There's always a slight chance it could change.)

• Cruise lines and travel agents prefer you fly in the day before you leave, but if you can't, try to take the first flight out in the morning getting you there before noon. Book your home flight at least 6.5 hours after you're scheduled to arrive in port.

CRUISE GUIDE:

• Cruise lines, big and small
• Choosing the right cruise
• Cost of the cruise 
• How to book your cruise 
• Travel agent, or no travel agent 
• How to pick an agent 
• Experts' tips for cruising 
• Readers' cruise tips 
• Cruise resources on the Web 

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