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Don't you just hate that sinking feeling at the end of your cruise? Well, why not stay on board? Back-to-backs are cruises where you don't get off the ship. Well, eventually you get off, of course, but the idea is that you combine two or more cruises into one extended voyage.

There are lots of reasons to do this, including special savings for combining two cruises, but perhaps the biggest reason is that seven days just isn't enough. "You're just beginning to relax when you have to start thinking about packing," says Mary Ellsworth, a cruise consultant at Seattle-based Cruise Specialists. "It makes a seven-day cruise feel like a five-day vacation."

Mary says that there are cruises that are better-suited for back-to-backs: "Anytime you have to fly a long distance - such as for European cruises or South America cruise. It depends on how much travel time you have to take to get there in the first place."

After flying to Europe this year, I did an incredible series of back to backs, hopping from one ship to another to another to another. I cruised for more than 30 consecutive days on four ships ranging from 110 passengers to more than 3,000.

And I met a fair number of people who were staying on board for back-to-back cruises. Jim Moskos and his wife often book two cruises back to back. And so as others were disembarking SeaDream II in Nice, France, Jim and Maria were staying on board.

Jim says he could have combined a cruise with a land tour to make a two-week vacation, but cruises have a distinct advantage in that you don't have to haul your luggage around. "It adds an element of stress," Jim says.

Cruise lines have designed their itineraries with back-to-backs in mind. You typically can combine two or more cruises without repeating any ports of call, says Christophe Cordu, hotel director on SeaDream II.

And even longer cruises can be combined to create back-to-backs. Gregg Michel, president of Crystal Cruises, says that with an average 12-day cruise length, Crystal passengers still combine. "It's great for those who can make the time," he says.

Make the time to enjoy your own back-to-back cruise. After all, if you've gone to the time and trouble to get there, why not extend your time at sea? Particularly in those far-flung destinations like Europe, South America, the South Pacific and Asia.

I hope I've given you a little insight on how to avoid that sinking feeling at the end of your cruise. It all boils down to this: When your cruise ends, stay on board.

This is Ralph Grizzle. Thanks for tuning in.