Cheap cruises from florida

CHEAP TRIPS; Northwest Airlines lowers fares from here to there

Northwest Airlines has put the world on sale, with discounted fares available for purchase by April 22 (April 29 for Asia flights), for travel through Sept. 9 in the United States, by Oct. 3 for Europe and by June 30 for Asia.

Sample round-trip fares from Boston include $138 to Milwaukee, $194 to New Orleans, $694 to Tokyo and $370 to Amsterdam or Paris. Sale fares to London are $326. For reservations, call your travel agent or go to www.nwa.com.

Fast times in Daytona

Don't you love when a new hotel opens up with a great introductory rate? Pack your bags and head to Daytona, and you can stay at the 122- room Courtyard by Marriott Daytona Beach for $99 a night, through Sept. 30 (some blackout dates apply). The property has a heated swimming pool and whirlpool, and is steps away from the Daytona Beach International Speedway.

For reservations, call 800-321-2211 or go to www.marriott.com/ dabcy.

Driving home

Speaking of Florida, Hertz wants to move some of its fleet back up north for the summer, and has reintroduced its Florida Drive Out Program. It works like this: You drive the car from Florida to a designated location and pay only $27 per day or $129 per week for a midsize car rental. You can't drive back to Boston, but you can drop the car in New Haven and catch an Amtrak train home from there.

For more information, call 800-631-3131 or go to www.hertz.com.

Luxury cruising special

Crystal Cruises has pulled its top-of-the-line Crystal Harmony out of Asia due to travelers' concerns over the spread of the pneumonia- like illness SARS. So what to do with the luxury ship? Crystal has moved the amenity-filled vessel to Los Angeles for May, and is offering the cheapest cruises in the company's history.

This means a chance to experience luxury cruising at a mainstream price. You can get on board from $795 per person for a six-day cruise on May 17 from Los Angeles to Vancouver, calling at San Francisco, Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia. Or do a nine-day Mexican Riviera cruise from $995.

For reservations, call your travel agent or go to www.crystalcruises.com.