If you're looking for a cheap last-minute vacation, a fun-filled cruise may be the answer. These sailings are often a great value when compared to the skyrocketing prices of hotels and resorts. Affordable cruises depart from a wide variety of U.S. ports, which can also eliminate expensive airfares.

Short cruises are also a fantastic way to stretch your vacation budget. Discounts of up to 80% are currently available for select late summer and early fall cruise dates. Base cruise fares on certain sailings are currently less than $300 per person for a four-night cruise, making these short cruises a great deal. Daily meals, activities, and entertainment are also included in these fares.

Most major cruise lines offer short cruise itineraries. Short cruises depart from ports in the United States and visit enticing destinations, including Bermuda, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Mexico. Cruise lines' short cruise itineraries vary but generally include one or two ports and often a day or two at sea.

Affordable week-long cruises are also available for vacationers with more time and a slightly larger budget. Cruise lines offer last-minute sailings to tropical ports of call as well as cooler climates, including Canada and Alaska.

Late summer and early fall can be good times to find budget-friendly cruises. If you're looking for an affordable last-minute cruise vacation, here are a few tips for finding cheap cruise deals.

Be Flexible With Your Cruise Choices And Dates
Being willing to try something new or different can result in a great bargain. Instead of being fixated on a specific cruise line or itinerary, consider all available options within your budget range. Then, decide whether the savings are truly worth the trade-offs. Flexibility with your sailing dates can be helpful as well.

Consider Driving To Your Cruise
Transportation costs can account for a large percentage of cruise vacation costs. If possible, consider driving to your cruise and focus your search on ships departing from convenient embarkation ports. Cruise lines offer sailings from a wide variety of U.S. ports, including Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; New York, NY; Bayonne, NJ; Norfolk, VA; Charleston, SC; Jacksonville, FL; Port Canaveral, FL; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Miami, FL; Tampa, FL; New Orleans, LA; Galveston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA and other areas. Parking is generally available near the cruise terminals.

Use A Good Travel Advisor
Great cruise travel agents have access to deals and promotions that may not be available to the public and can save you time and money. Travel agents can also be outstanding sources of information when comparing cruise lines and ships. Look for an agent with membership in the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and/or Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). In addition, if you are set on a specific cruise line, look for an agent who has preferred status with that line. You might receive special discounts and added perks.

Online cruise travel agencies, such as VacationsToGo.com, can be good resources. Another excellent option is CruiseCompete.com. This free service allows vacationers to request competitive cruise quotes anonymously from leading travel advisors. All customer account information remains private, and there’s no obligation to purchase. It's up to you to contact agents if you are interested in their bid.

Be Prepared To Make Decisions Quickly
Good cruise deals can disappear fast, so know what you want and be prepared to move swiftly. This is particularly true if you’re set on a particular sailing or have specific needs, such as a family-friendly stateroom. Once you’ve booked your cruise, continue to monitor the price of your cruise and contact the cruise line immediately if the price drops. You may be able to get the lower fare or be compensated with shipboard credit. If you’ve booked through a travel advisor, they can monitor cruise fares and request available lower rates for you.

There are currently a variety of great deals available for sailings departing during the next few months. Some of the many affordable last-minute cruises available at the time of publication include:

Mexico Cruises
Margaritaville at Sea offers a variety of exciting four- to seven-night cruises on their newest ship, Margaritaville at Sea Islander. The newly renovated ship sails from Tampa, Florida, to ports in Mexico and Key West. Base cruise fares have been advertised as low as $279 per person for a four-night cruise on select dates. Special offers are often available, including upgrades, Kids Sail Free, Heroes Sail Free and Buy One, Three Sail Free deals. Check the cruise line's offers page regularly for the latest deals.

Carnival Cruise Line offers three-night cruises on Carnival Radiance, departing from Long Beach, California. The ship sails to Ensenada, Mexico, with a day at sea. Base cruise fares have been advertised as low as $359 per person for these cruise sailings on select departures.

Royal Caribbean sails four- and five-night cruises on Mariner of the Seas, departing from Galveston, Texas, and ports in Mexico. Base cruise fares have been advertised as low as $459 per person for a five-night cruise on certain dates. Kids Sail Free and second guest discounts are offered periodically.

Bahamas Cruises
MSC Cruises offers three- and four-night cruises on MSC Seashore, departing from Port Canaveral, Florida, and visiting Ocean Cay Marine Reserve and Nassau, Bahamas. Base cruise fares for these sailings have been advertised as low as $359 per person for select dates. Kids 17 and under often sail free on certain sailings as third and fourth guests.

Celebrity Cruises sails three- and four-night Bahamas itineraries on Celebrity Reflection, departing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Base cruise fares have been advertised as low as $285 per person for a four-night sailing on certain departure dates. Discounts for second guests and Third & Fourth Guests Sail Free deals are periodically available.

Margaritaville at Sea offers two- to four-night cruises on Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, departing from Palm Beach, Florida, and visiting Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas, as well as Key West on its longer sailings. Base fares for two-night itineraries have been advertised as low as $65 per person on select departure dates. Specials are often available, including free stateroom upgrades, Kids Sail Free, Heroes Sail Free and Buy One, Three Sail Free deals. Check the cruise line's website regularly for the most current deals.

Caribbean Cruises
Carnival Cruise Line offers five-night cruises on Carnival Sunrise, departing from Miami, Florida, and visiting Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Base prices have been advertised at rates under $450 per person for certain departures.

Royal Caribbean offers six-night cruises on Adventure of the Seas, departing from Port Canaveral, Florida, and visiting Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands, and CocoCay, Bahamas. For select departures, base cruise fares have been advertised at less than $700 per person for select departures. Kids Sail Free and second guest discounts are offered periodically.

Virgin Voyages offers five-night cruises for guests ages 18 and older on Valiant Lady, departing from Miami, Florida, and visiting Bimini, Bahamas, and Cozumel, Mexico. Base cruise fares for these all-adult sailings have been advertised at rates less than $850 per person on select departures. Virgin Voyages fares are highly inclusive, and there are no additional charges for unlimited WiFi, sodas, or dining in any of the onboard restaurants. Gratuities are included in the cruise fares as well.

Bermuda Cruises
Carnival Cruise Line offers a variety of Bermuda cruise itineraries on Carnival Venezia. Base cruise fares have been advertised at rates less than $650 per person for select departure dates.

Royal Caribbean offers five-night Bermuda cruises from Baltimore, Maryland, to King’s Wharf, Bermuda. Base cruise fares have been advertised at less than $700 per person for certain departures. Kids Sail Free offers and second guest discounts are sometimes available.

Eastern Canada and New England Cruises
Norwegian Cruise Line offers seven-night Canada cruise itineraries from Boston, Massachusetts, on Norwegian Gem. Base cruise fares have been advertised at rates less than $750 per person for select departure dates. Ports in Maine are included on cruises sailing round-trip from Boston. Similar cruise itineraries on Norwegian Joy are also available from New York City, New York. Norwegian’s Free At Sea deals include numerous discounts, inclusions, and opportunities for third and fourth guests to sail free on select dates.

Holland America Line offers seven-night sailings on the cruise line’s Zuiderdam from Boston, Massachusetts to enticing ports in Canada and Maine. Base cruise fares for these sailings have been advertised at less than $900 per person for certain departures. AARP discounts are available, and Kids Sail Free deals and other specials are offered periodically.