Holland America has put on sale a seven-day Alaska cruise, according to the Washington Post. Rate is from $499 per person double, down from $949. Taxes of $108 are additional. The cruise departs from Seward (Anchorage) May 16. Also in the article, Universal Orlando Resort has extended its Military Salute program, which offers active and retired military personnel a free seven-day base ticket to both of its Florida theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. The pass, which is also valid at select Universal CityWalk clubs and venues, is good through March 26.

According to Sophie Butler, hotel rates in European cities are down 12 per cent compared with this time last year. Barcelona, Lisbon and Dublin are among the cities that have had the biggest drop in hotel prices (up to an 18 per cent fall compared with last January), with average double room rates at about £70 per night. Amsterdam and Madrid are about 12 per cent lower and Paris hotels are five per cent down. Learn more in her article in today’s Telegraph.

Also of interest, European ski destinations are offering dramatic savings on ski packages. According to Peter Hardy in the Daily Mail, you can find amazing discounts in Austria, Slovenia, Italy, and of course Switzerland. An example, stay in Kranjska Gora in Slovenia at the Hotel Lek, a comfortable four-star in a good position for easy access to the slopes: One week half-board from February 20 with Gatwick, Stansted and regional flights to Salzburg was £525, now £345.

In the USA, you can find a room at $82-$112 per night for a Washington, D.C. hotel stay. The Churchill Hotel offers travelers a haven of old-world refinement amidst the modern-day bustle of the nation’s capital. From the inviting ambiance of its finely appointed lobby to the gracious appointment of its over-sized guest rooms to the personal attentiveness of its professionally trained staff every aspect of the hotel has been carefully arranged to meet the requirements of the most discriminating guests.

Hilary Nangle at the Boston Globe on discount vacations in Bermuda reveals that by visiting between November and March, when temperatures are usually in the 60s, Bermuda is uncrowded and affordable. Be sure to visit Best Travel Deals to vote on the best Bermuda hotel deals.

Every day, New York Habitat offers a special South of France vacation rental apartment on Twitter. Follow New York Habitat on Twitter to see the latest discount. All Twitter discounts are valid for 7 days from the time of their posting on Twitter. One of their most recent offerings was a Studio in French Riviera.

Haven’t planned a Valentines Day Vacation yet? Annabelle Thorpe details her top 20 hideaways that are still available on Valentine’s Day, with picks from cute cottages to luxury hotels, in her Sunday article in The Observer. Bubrovnik, Istanbul, and Prague top her list, and includes some truly great package deals in places like Austria, Yorkshire, and rural Dorset.

Break for spring on Oahu, with Aston hotels from $91. The budget-friendly Aston Hotels & Resorts is offering a number of attractive springtime specials at its Oahu sites. Aston Waikiki Circle Hotel, just across the road from Waikiki Beach, is the least expensive of this group. Or enter to win a hotel stay: Shape Magazine is offering a Hawaii vacation sweepstakes for a two-night stay at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. Enter to win here.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas making a huge splash in south Florida, Tom Robbins goes skiing in Switzerland, ARIA Resort & Casino opening in Las Vegas boasts special introductory offer, and Papa Noël greets Christmas travelers to New Orleans this holiday season, plus more!

Last Friday we reported that the world’s largest cruise ship was scheduled to arrive in Ft. Lauderdale, and our readers turned out in droves to see it! So much so, in fact, that the 225,000-ton vessel, which can hold more than 6,000 passengers, has drawn in a flood of spectators trying to get a closer look and asking to take a tour. Since USA Today is reporting that the large crowds of people and vehicles coming to the port have caused massive traffic jams, why don’t you just click here instead to get a closer look at Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas!

New ARIA Resort & Casino opening in Las Vegas boasts a special introductory offer of $159 a night, plus guests staying through April 1st, 2010 will recieve $75 resort credit! The new resort includes a 150,000 square-foot casino and over 4,000 rooms complete with 42-inch flat-screen televisions, 13 eateries, 9 bars, 3 pools, and an 80,000 square-foot spa.

Be sure to read Tom Koppel’s account of exploring by kayak the ruins of Nan Madol, a former royal city in the South Pacific, and Tom Robbins’ article for today’s The Observer about the best-kept secrets of Switzerland’s Snowmotions, a company devoted to helping skiers and boarders explore the Swiss canton of Graubünden where children can learn to ski safely, and hardcore skiers can find virgin powder fields.

And if you’re looking to sail the Caribbean yet want to spend little or no money, (perhaps even get paid for it!) then you’ll want to be sure to read Matt Gross’ latest article in today’s NY Times entitled ‘Sailing the Caribbean, the Frugal Way’ where he details his experience as a crew-member aboard the S.V. Illusion. He includes a list of where to eat and drink on some of the smaller islands, and even provides a few web sites to get you started finding your own cut-rate deals on a Caribbean vacation.

And, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, now is the time to book your Christmas vacation. If you’re planning to visit New Orleans, be sure to check out the great deals available on the official New Orleans Tourism site, or simply review all the great Christmas Deals the traveler community has posted on our own site, right here at BestTravelDeals.net!