Hawaii: Norwegian Cruise Line

Ship: Pride of America
Best for: Low-maintenance cruisers who want to maximize their island time
Why it's a good value: It's the only cruise that sails an all-Hawaii itinerary, and with fares starting at just $100 a day per person, it's arguably the most economical choice for touring the islands
Length: 7 days
Departures: Year-round
Number of passengers: 2,138
Cost: From $699 in summer and fall; from $1,299 in winter

Other cruise lines start or end their itineraries in Mexico or Canada, which means a ten-day cruise can visit only three or four Hawaiian ports. But this seven-day cruise is round-trip from Honolulu, and spends a total of 90 hours in five ports on all four main islands. Don't expect high-end service or furnishings on board, but you will have your own little slice of paradise. The overnight at Kahului on Maui means that you can watch the sun rise from the top of the Haleakala volcano, a must according to island veterans. Tip: Book passage between December and March and you're likely to spot whales off the ship (866-234-0292; ncl.com).

Alaska: Lindblad Expeditions

Ships: National Geographic Sea Bird, National Geographic Sea Lion
Best for: Amateur scientists and wildlife enthusiasts who value rare access over high thread counts
Why it's a good value: Exploring Alaska by small ship is both the easiest way to go and the best way to see the knockout scenery
Length: 7 nights
Departures: August 2009 and May through August 2010
Number of passengers: 62
Cost: From $5,390

Nearly every stop on this itinerary is extremely difficult to get to by land and too small to accommodate the big cruise ships, which means you're likely to have most ports all to yourself. What's more, these small expedition vessels are designed to take full advantage of their privileged access—they're outfitted with underwater audio and video equipment and with kayaks so that you can paddle among the icebergs. Their National Geographic affiliation also means that you'll find top-notch naturalists on board, professional wildlife photographers on certain departures, and a captain willing to change plans midcourse and send passengers out in the Zodiacs if he spots whales off the bow (800-397-3348; expeditions.com).

Central America: Yachts of Seabourn

Ship: Seabourn Legend
Best for: Adventure travelers who'd rather sleep on Egyptian-cotton linens than pitch a tent in the rain forest
Why it's a good value: Cruises on this luxury line normally cost hundreds of dollars more per person per day
Length: 14 nights
Departures: November 2009 and January and February 2010
Number of passengers: 208
Cost: From $4,749

As on other Seabourn cruises, expect decadent amenities, from a complimentary minibar stocked with your preferred drinks to wandering masseurs ready to give you a quick rubdown to a beach barbecue with fine china and caviar. This itinerary combines six cosseting days at sea, a transit of the Panama Canal (pictured), and several ecologically minded ports of call. Go snorkeling or scuba diving near the world's second-largest barrier reef, walk among the treetops in Costa Rica, and explore an ancient Mayan city in Belize. You'll also have free use of the ship's windsurf boards, kayaks, and banana boats for your full day at Hunting Caye, off the coast of Belize (800-929-9391; seabourn.com).

Eastern Caribbean: SeaDream Yacht Club

Ship: SeaDream II
Best for: Empty nesters looking to rekindle the romance
Why it's a good value: Late departures from many of the ports mean you can live it up onshore without having to spring for a hotel room
Length: 7 nights
Departures: February 2010
Number of passengers: 110
Cost: From $4,000

Puerto Rico is the ideal starting point for a Caribbean cruise: It has more direct (and thus cheaper) flights from the mainland than other nearby points of embarkation (such as St. Thomas and Barbados) and saves the multiple days at sea necessary when leaving from Florida. And the yachtlike SeaDream II squeezes into several spots the big guys could never visit, including Jost Van Dyke (population 150) and St. John, two-thirds of which is a national park. Most cruisers get only a few hours on the latter, arriving via ferry from St. Thomas, but you'll have until late evening to enjoy this quiet island. The ship also docks until well past dusk at St. Martin and Anguilla. Better still, she overnights at St. Barths (pictured), where hotel rates are notoriously pricey, so you can party until the wee hours with the island's regulars—the rich, the famous, the beautiful—and sleep on board (800-707-4911; seadreamyachtclub.com).

Western Caribbean: Royal Caribbean

Ship: Voyager of the Seas
Best for: Budget-conscious families and their short- attention-span kids
Why it's a good value: You get all the amenities of a bigger sister ship but at $100 less per person
Length: 7 nights
Departures: December 2009 through May 2010
Number of passengers: 3,114
Cost: From $600

Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas is currently the largest cruise vessel afloat, and the 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas will take over that title when it debuts this December. But you'll find many of the same kid-friendly amenities on the smaller (though by no means petite) Voyager of the Seas. Best of all, you'll save $100 per person on an oceanview cabin, compared with a comparable itinerary on the Freedom of the Seas. Only 27 hours of this Central American itinerary is spent in ports, but there's plenty to keep kids entertained on board: a rock-climbing wall, an ice-skating rink, a miniature golf course, an in-line skating track, and full-size basketball and volleyball courts. Which leaves you scads of time to lounge by the adults-only pool or get a massage at the spa (866-562-7625; royalcaribbean.com).

Mediterranean: Disney Cruise Line

Ship: Disney Magic
Best for: Parents of infants and young children who want time with the kids—and without them
Why it's a good value: A family trip through Europe can be a pricey proposition, but there's no need to worry about the latest euro/dollar exchange rate—or logistical hassles— when you're touring the Continent by sea
Length: 10 nights
Departures: May through September 2010
Number of passengers: 2,400
Cost: From $2,529

So you want to show your kids Europe but without the bother of a rental car and non-adjoining hotel rooms, and you know they won't let you drag them through the Uffizi for an entire day. Then book a Disney cruise, where onboard and shoreside activities are customized for every age group. For $5 to $6 per hour, the nursery even accepts children as young as three months, so you can head into town alone for the afternoon or have dinner on board at the candlelit, adults-only restaurant. This itinerary also includes long days in port (12 hours in Naples and 9 hours in Malta, for example) so you won't feel rushed when traveling with a large brood. And the combination of ports—from the ruins at Pompeii, outside Naples, to the ancient city of Carthage, outside Tunis—is sure to bring your children's history books to life. Tip: Be sure to reserve nursery times online before your cruise, since space is limited (800-951-3532; disneycruiseline.com).

Central Europe: AmaWaterways

Ships: Amacello, Amadante, and Amalyra
Best for: Culture vultures and landlubbers
Why it's a good value: River cruises allow for more time on land—and a lot less money spent on hotel rooms
Length: 12 nights
Departures: August through November 2009
Number of passengers: 148
Cost: From $3,000

Imagine a cruise with no waits for tenders to take you ashore, a five-minute walk from your cabin to old-world capitals, and market-fresh produce at every meal. That's what you'll find on this Danube River cruise. Three factors make AmaWaterways's ships better than the river-cruise competition: elevators, French balconies on most cabins, and complimentary bicycles for independent exploring. You'll start your trip with two nights in a Budapest hotel, then board the ship for cocktails as the city lights fade into the distance. You can go souvenir shopping in Bratislava, known for its glasswork and folk art; attend a concert in Vienna; and wander the ancient Bavarian city of Regensburg (pictured), with its wonderfully preserved medieval architecture and Roman ruins. The cruise fare includes shore excursions, regional wines with dinner, and onboard performances by local groups. At the end of the Danube journey, guests are transferred to a Prague hotel for two more days of sightseeing (800-626-0126; amawaterways.com).

Western Mediterranean: Windstar

Ship: Wind Surf
Best for: Honeymooners, workaholics, seasoned travelers, and anyone else more interested in chilling out than rushing from sight to sight
Why it's a good value: Traveling during the shoulder season is always a good way to save a bundle, but this year's discounts are steeper than ever; this Windstar sailing is now $2,700 per person less than the brochure price
Length: 7 nights
Departures: November 2009
Number of passengers: 312
Cost: From $1,084

Think you have to pay a lot for the privacy and intimacy of a small ship? Think again. This fare comes out to less than $300 per night—and only $150 per night if you've cruised with Windstar before and can take advantage of its return-customer savings. The weather in the Mediterranean may be slightly cooler in November than during the height of the cruise season, but that's a small price to pay for the lack of crowds in popular cities like Barcelona and Valencia (pictured). The rest of the itinerary focuses on lesser-known ports where rugged landscapes and ancient ruins are the draw (not to mention the view of two continents from the Rock of Gibraltar), so you won't mind that you'll have to be back on board each evening around five o'clock. Windstar's vessels are powered most of the time by their sails, which means you'll hear nothing but the ocean breezes during your one day at sea. And you can leave your jacket and tie at home: Attire on these ships is always casual (206-292-9606; windstarcruises.com).

Southeast Asia: Azamara Cruises

Ship: Quest
Best for: Ardent sightseers who want a little pampering—a butler comes with every room
Why it's a good value: At less than $200 per person per day, this smartly designed itinerary knows when to get moving—and when to stay put
Length: 14 nights
Departures: January and February 2010
Number of passengers: 694
Cost: From $1,999

One way to get the most value out of your cruise is to limit the amount of time you spend on the ship; after all, you travel to see exotic locales, not the inside of your stateroom. This two-week itinerary packs in overnights at five popular port cities—Hong Kong, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, and Bangkok—where much of the local color doesn't appear until the sun goes down. And since the ship stays overnight at its first and last ports, you won't have to tack on the cost of a pre- or post-cruise hotel room. A smaller vessel like the Quest can also dock just 15 minutes from the city center in Singapore, while the 2,000-passenger ships must dock much farther away. And in Hanoi, you can spend an afternoon in Halong Bay (pictured), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and then devote the following day to exploring the capital city (877-999-9553; azamaracruises.com).

French Polynesia: Star Clipper

Ship: Star Flyer
Best for: Sailing aficionados (or wannabes) and their significant others
Why it's a good value: The rainy season in French Polynesia brings short showers and big discounts
Length: 11 nights
Departures: October and November 2009 and January 2010
Number of passengers: 170
Cost: From $2,225

The intimate and relentlessly romantic Star Flyer, a 360-foot, four-masted sailing vessel, is the next best thing to chartering a private yacht—at a far more attractive price. Star Clipper operates year-round in French Polynesia, but you'll save a few bucks by choosing one of its "economy" sailings, such as those in November and January, which fall during the rainy season. Fortunately, even then you're likely to experience only a brief thunderstorm each afternoon. (It's unusual to see a storm settle in for more than half an hour, since the fronts pass quickly over these low-lying islands.) Many larger cruise ships call only at the Society Islands, but the Star Flyer also sails to the lesser-visited Tuamotu Atolls, where you'll find coral reefs and atolls ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving (800-442-0551; starclippers.com).

Indian Ocean Islands: Silversea Cruises

Ship: Silver Wind
Best for: Couples, young and old, willing to splurge on a romantic getaway
Why it's a good value: It's a hassle-free way to visit eight exotic islands
Length: 14 nights
Departures: December 2009
Number of passengers: 296
Cost: From $7,416

A nineteenth-century explorer theorized that the biblical Garden of Eden was somewhere in the Seychelles, and these exotic isles have been a destination for diehard romantics ever since. But apparently love doesn't come cheap: The luxury resorts here are notoriously expensive, some as high as $3,500 per night. Why not book a suite on the Silver Wind instead and pay just over $1,000 per couple per night, including all meals, beverages, and gratuities? This itinerary also includes stops on Arab-inflected Zanzibar, Creole-flavored Réunion Island, and coral-ringed Mauritius, plus five days at sea—during which you can make the most of the impeccable service from the 212 crew members. Expect caroling and eggnog on board for Christmas, and an outdoor party with dancing under the stars for New Year's Eve (800-722-9955; silversea.com).