Please help...in search of the best cruise websites that rate the ships and the destinations. Thanks.

Check out cruisecritic.com, it rates the lines, ships, destinations and has great forums. It's the cruise bible on the internet.

Check out cruise411.com to check prices, I've book 3 cruises with them and the price and service has been great.

I'm a fan of icruise.com.

One note about using icruise. While they have a very good site, they (unlike most) agents, do not clearly post the full price of the cruise. You must go thru several steps to get to the point where they also show the port charges, etc. Most other sites list their advertised prices INCLUDING the port charges. I wish they would all use the same format because looking from site to site is not always an apples to apples comparison.

To really compare rates, try http://www.cruisecompete.com

Select a ship and sail date, then get competing price quotes from different agencies including Cruise411, Best Price Cruises, Cruises n More, etc.

Yes, icruise usually lists only the cruise price but finding the final cost takes only a couple of easy steps...once you are registered. And sometimes their price will include the port charges, in which case that is clearly stated in the category box. Then you 'continue' to get taxes and fees'. And insurance if needed/wanted.

icruise states at the bottom of each price page that it is 'for cruise only'. My problem with some of the others is that I can't see where it's written what is included!

And I just think that all-in-all, they have some very good prices. But, yes, you should definately compare using as many sources as possible!