It's always said that out of tragedy comes opportunity. Right now, there's a phenomenal opportunity for deals on cruises in the wake of Carnival's battered reputation.

Carnival has gotten black eye after black eye ever since the tragedy off the coast of Italy. Bloomberg reports that it's now cheaper to take a Carnival cruise per person per night than it is to stay at a Motel 6!

If you are a cruise person, I'm expecting that cruising will be the safest thing you can possibly do for the foreseeable future. The cruise lines will want to be on their best behavior.

Among the sites where you can find a deal are:

• CruiseCompete.com
• DealNews.com
• VacationsToGo.com
• CruiseCritic.com (for user reviews)

One final caveat, though: If you're buying your very first cruise, don't buy online.

I only recommend that experience cruisers buy online. If that's not you, buy from a real live cruise specialist at a travel agency and rely on their expertise. A good agent will ask about your interests, hobbies and what you like to do in your spare time.

Much like people, cruise ships have a definite personality and a cruise agent can help you to find the right fit for yours.