It's National Plan a Cruise Vacation Month!

It's October, which means it's one of my favorite times of the year - Fall! :)

Ok, ok, it's not just fall that makes it my favorite (although it is my fave season), it's also National Plan a Cruise Vacation Month! One of my favorite types of vacations is a cruise vacation, and I love helping others discover how fun it can be. Using a travel agent to book a cruise continues to be the most popular way to book a cruise (which makes me happy)! In fact, go here to read 5 great reasons to book your cruise with a travel agent.

This is one of the BEST times of the year to book your cruise, because just about every cruise line out there has a special going on. Not only that, but you can also enter to win a FREE CRUISE by participating in the #CruiseSmile contest! All you have to do is go to http://www.cruisesmile.org/ and follow the instructions to be entered to win the daily cruise giveaway. You can get extra entries by posting your "Cruise Smile" photo on Twitter or Instragram using #cruisesmile and #sweepstakes (sadly, not on Facebook, for those of you like me who prefer that over the other two). And don't worry - you just have to upload a pic of you smiling, not necessarily one of you on a ship, so if you haven't cruised before you can still enter to win!! You can upload a new picture every day.

Even if you don't win one of the free daily cruise giveaways, you can still get some INCREDIBLE cruise deals! Here's a list of some of the deals that I can get you when you book with Operation Relax:

- Ama Waterways: $100 off per person ($200 off per stateroom) on ALL cruises - and when you book with me, you also get a $50 onboard credit! This offer DOES combine with all other current offers with this cruise line!

- American Cruise Lines: $1,000 off  their holiday river cruises on the Independence and American Eagle!

- Avalon Waterways: Save $1500 per couple on select 2016 river cruises!

- Azamara Club Cruises: Up to $500 onboard spending money on select 2016 sailings!

- Carnival: Special Early Saver rates plus a $50 per stateroom onboard credit for 2016 to April 2017 cruise bookings, PLUS a $100 per stateroom onboard credit for select Carnival Vista 2016 European sailings! Carnival is also offering a GROUP SPECIAL - you can earn one FREE berth for every 10 full fares paid, rather than the usual 15 full fares!

- Celebrity: 50% reduced deposits plus up to $300 onboard credit on select 4 night or longer 2016 cruises!

- Costa: Take a 7 Day Eastern or Western Mediterranean cruise starting from only $595 per person, and Balconies start at $995 per person, PLUS up to $400 onboard credit AND 50% reduced deposit!

- Cunard: $150 reduced deposit plus FREE upgrades on 2016 transatlantic and Mediterranean voyages!

- Holland America: Get the "Explore 4" offers with select January 2016 to April 2017 cruises! Explore 4 includes: a FREE Signature Beverage Package, FREE Pinnacle Grill dinner for two, reduced cruise fares for 3rd and 4th guests in cabin, and 50% reduced deposits!

- MSC Cruises: Book a Caribbean 2016 or 2017 cruise and receive up to $600 in shipboard credit PLUS a beverage package and dinner for 2 in a specialty restaurant! PLUS, you can combine this with Kids Sail Free for select dates, AND you get a free 5x7 onboard photo!

- Norwegian: Book any 2015 cruise and choose one of the following offers: FREE unlimited beverage package, FREE specialty dining, FREE WiFi, or FREE Shore Excursions! PLUS, book a suite or above category and get ALL FOUR OFFERS!

- Princess: 3 for FREE promotion on select 6 day cruises Summer 2016 to Spring 2017, where you can get the following: FREE stateroom location upgrade, FREE gratuities for the first 2 guests in a stateroom, and FREE specialty dining for 2! PLUS, book a Mini-Suite or Suite and get a FREE bottle of wine! PLUS, deposits have been lowered to only $100 per person!

- Royal Caribbean: Buy one guest, get the second 50% off PLUS FREE upgrades and FREE gratuities on select sailings!

- Windstar: Save up to 59% PLUS get 2 FREE hotel nights to use pre- or post-cruise PLUS get a $100 onboard credit PER PERSON on select sailings!

So what are you waiting for? If you love to cruise, or have always wanted to try one, NOW is definitely the time to get "onboard" and book a cruise with your travel agent! ;)