It’s always said that out of tragedy comes opportunity. Right now, there’s a phenomenal opportunity as the nation breathes a collective sigh of relief now that the Carnival Triumph has docked. 

For the cruise industry, it’s yet another big black eye at a very vulnerable time. The industry as a whole has overbuilt with too many mega-ships sailing around the world. 

Right now, we are in the midst of ‘wave season’ when the cruise industry books as much as half of all cruise cabins for the remainder of year. Those cabins that don’t get booked now will have to be discounted later in the year or go empty.

If you are a cruise person, I’m expecting that cruising will be the safest thing you can possibly do for the foreseeable future. The cruise lines will want to be on their best behavior. 

This is such a sensitive issue, but I have to say that when others zig, it’s time for you to zag. If you love cruising, the deals will be significantly better if you shop around over the next three-week period while the industry reels from the snafu that was the Carnival Triumph.

Remember, this was a freak occurrence. If you were considering a cruise in your future, don’t be discouraged from pursuing and enjoying one.

To check out deals on cruises, I have several websites for you to check out: CruiseCompete.com, DealNews.com and VacationsToGo.com.

To read user reviews and ratings, visit CruiseCritic.com.

Consumer expert Clark Howard’s column appears here each Thursday in conjunction with Deal Spotter, a weekly print section in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Find more answers to your consumer questions at Clark's website. And get more savings tips from Clark's previous blog posts.

-- Clark Howard -- Save More, Spend Less, Avoid Rip-offs