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March 2005 -- Prices for cruises, which peaked during the boom times of 1999 and 2000 but sunk to bargain levels following the September 2001 terrorist attacks, are again climbing but are still an exceptional value, according to industry executives.

More than halfway through the heaviest booking quarter of the year, cruise lines say advance cruise booking are running heavier than in 2004 despite rising prices.

Cruise.com, one of the largest cruise travel agencies, is selling cruises at prices averaging about 20 percent higher than last year, according to managing director Anthony Hamawy.

Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise company, had its most profitable year ever in 2004 and executives forecast an even better year for 2005. The second largest cruise company, Royal Caribbean Cruises, also reports demand running strong.

Even with higher prices, cruises remain a great value. Carnival Cruise Lines president Bob Dickinson said at the annual Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention that some seven-day trips on Carnival cost about $599 in 1980 and even after inflation are still available at about that price today.

And all of the new features on today's bigger ships mean consumers are getting far more for their cruise dollar than they were two decades ago, cruise executives said.

But the fact that prices generally are increasing doesn't mean there are not still amazing deals to be found, particularly on the Internet.

Caribbean trips can still be found on a variety of lines for well under $100 a day per person, if you are able to show some flexibility in when you travel and which ports you visit.

And while there are fewer bargains on European cruises for summer 2005, the prices begin to look better when you compair them to the costs of a land-based European vacation in the year of the strong Euro.