(MONEY Magazine) – With more than 100,000 berths to fill -- 11,282 new ones this year alone -- cruise lines are handing out discounts faster than you can say bon voyage. Right now, most travel agents will slice 10% to 20% off the list price. With homework, advance planning or special promotions, hefty discounts of 25% to even 60% are also available. ''Consumers can now purchase premium cruises at bargain prices,'' says Oivind Mathisen, editor of Cruise Industry News. If you're tempted to try a cruise or you're one of the 4 million Americans who sailed last year and want to repeat the experience (nearly 30% do), now's the time to book. Although not everyone agrees, there are signs that low- + priced deals may fade. While six new ships will be launched in 1993, adding about 7,000 berths (presold at discount rates), there are only two ships slated for 1994 and just one for 1995. ''I think we'll see discounts taper off in 1993 as consumer confidence returns,'' says Jay Lewis, president of Market Scope, a Miami-based cruise consulting firm. At Princess Cruises, the chief operating officer, Peter Ratcliffe, is more emphatic: ''The discounts are just a short-term blip. They'll disappear as the recession wanes and cruise lines absorb the expansion.'' Here is an up-to-date cruise vacation guide and 10 noteworthy trips for fall '92 through spring '93. Our cruise primer: Who's on deck? Travelers ages 25 to 40 are the fastest-growing cruise market, according to the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA). Nearly half of these cruisers are married, and many bring kids along. Premier, for instance, has wedded sails with trips to Disney World. And even Carnival, with its party-ship reputation, now features Camp Carnival -- free activities for kids from four to 17. ''Parents now take kids year round,'' says Carnival's Bob Dickinson.

What kinds of cruises are available? Cruise vacationers continue to grow at 10% annually, but that represents only about 6% of Americans. So cruise lines are customizing to attract reluctant travelers. For instance: Crown Monarch (530 passengers) and Crown Jewel (800 passengers) are ''deluxe style at moderate prices for couples, average age 45,'' says Nancy Loewenherz at Crown Cruise Line. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has inaugurated theme trips, from country-and- western and improvisational comedy to sailings with basketball stars and Universal's stunt team. Where do the ships go? While 56% of all cruisers head for the Caribbean and eastern Mexico, western Mexico and the Panama Canal are becoming popular. And Alaska has emerged as a premier destination. Do you need a travel agent? These days, getting a good price isn't hard. The real issue is value. A travel agent knowledgeable about ships, prices and packages can match a cruise to your taste and budget. At the American Automobile Association's 1,000 offices, for example, more than 1,800 sailings are offered in 1992 with 10% to 30% discounts. Or you might choose cruise line come-ons such as a second week for 30% less, two for the price of one, or 45% to 60% lower fares for standby cruisers who book three weeks before sailing. When can you get the best deals? Travel when most people stay home, during the first two weeks of December or the first week of January. Also, you can save by cruising the Caribbean early in the fall. Rates jump in mid-December. Or consider a repositioning cruise -- say, a ship that is leaving its summer Mediterranean base to sail transatlantic to winter Caribbean waters. And, if you have time, think about freighter cruises (see below). Is it smart to buy air fare as part of the cruise package? In a word, yes. Even when fare wars erupt, cruise lines generally provide the best air fares. For example, most Caribbean packages run $250 to $300 a person round trip, and that includes airport transfers. Some charge $100 to $500, depending on where you live and where you're heading. Alaskan, European and Asian cruises usually have optional ''add on'' air costs. You can save money by redeeming frequent-flier mileage for a round-trip ticket to a cruise-departure port. Just make sure you arrive the day before sailing in case of problems. Here's a roundup of current bargains. Cruises may be available year round, but rates will vary. Prices shown are list first and then the average discounted price offered by travel and cruise-only agencies. All booking prices are per person, based on double occupancy for an outside cabin. With the exception of Alaska and freighter trips, all include round-trip air fare. -- Best-value Caribbean. For those travelers on a budget, the 895-passenger Caribe departs Miami for a seven-day cruise to Puerto Plata, San Juan and St. Thomas, from September to December (Commodore; $1,295 list, $799 discount). -- Well-priced premium. The new 800-passenger Crown Jewel pampers passengers on its seven-day Caribbean cruises from Palm Beach to San Salvador and St. Thomas, from December to April (Crown; $1,745 list, $1,180 discount). -- Mexican fiesta. A seven-day sail on the 1,486-passenger Carnival Jubilee from L.A. calls at Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas, from September through December (Carnival; $1,469 list, $1,102 discount). -- Love boat. From November through March, the 1,200-passenger Royal Princess cruises for 10 days from Acapulco to San Juan via the Panama Canal, with stops in Cartagena and St. Maarten (Princess; $3,250 list, $1,900 discount). -- The mega-ship. Royal Caribbean's new 2,354-passenger Majesty of the Seas sails from Miami for a week and calls at Cozumel and Grand Cayman, from < September through December (Royal Caribbean; $1,655, $1,324 discount). -- Weekend with the kids. The 1,600-passenger Nordic Empress specializes in three- and four-day Caribbean cruises from Miami with stops at Nassau and Coco Cay (Royal Caribbean; $935 list, $702 discount). The price for kids: $260 each in the same cabin. -- Single parents with kids. The 1,500-passenger Oceanic, a ''Big Red Boat,'' leaves Port Canaveral for three days at sea, stopping at Nassau and returning to four days at Disney World. Car, on-site hotel and Disney World tickets are included, October through December ($1,686 list, $1,517 discount). Kids travel for $629. -- Alaska. See the wilderness on a seven-day voyage from Vancouver on the 1,214-passenger Noordam, with ports at Ketchikan, Juneau, Glacier Bay and Sitka, May through September (Holland America; cruise alone is $1,770 list, $1,650 discount). Round-trip air fare from New York is $535, from Los Angeles $370. -- Repositioning cruise. The 1,266-passenger Statendam sails for 10 days, leaving Lisbon on Oct. 22, 1993 and stopping in both the Azores and Bermuda before docking at Fort Lauderdale (Holland America; $3,155 list, $2,644 discount). -- Freighter. These five- to 12-passenger trips run from 30 to 100 days. For a 12-day adventure and a taste of freighter life, sail transatlantic from Savannah to Rotterdam one way on Mineral Shipping Line ($1,160 list, no discount; air fare is extra). Call Freighter World Cruises, which represents 15 different lines and publishes a fortnightly newsletter, Freighter Space Advisory ($27 for the first year; 818-449-3106).