With 2008 world cruises already underway, it's time to begin thinking about 2009 world cruises.

Believe it or not, you can cruise the world for less than $200 per day, per person. Of course, you could pay close to $3,000 per day, per person if you prefer. Fares range from about $20,000 per person to more than $260,000 per person for more than 100 days at sea.

• Crystal Cruises offers a 106-day world cruise on Crystal Serenity. Departing Los Angeles on January 21, Serenity also offers seven segments: Los Angeles to Papeete, 12 days; Papeete to Auckland, 13 days; Auckland to Sydney, 12 days; Sydney to Singapore, 18 days; Singapore to Hong Kong, 16 days; Hong Kong to Yokohama, 12 days; Yokohama to Los Angeles, 22 days. Add Crystal's Panama Canal cruises before and after for a 136-day voyage round-trip from Miami.
• Cunard Line's Queen Victoria will embark on a 99-night true circumnavigation from New York to Southampton in 2009. The cruise can also be booked as a 105-night roundtrip from New York with the last six nights aboard Queen Mary 2, or in the U.K. as a 107-night roundtrip from Southampton. Departs: January 10. Segments available: New York to Sydney, 40 nights; Sydney to Southampton, 59 nights.
• Offering a world cruise with the shortest duration (90 nights), Queen Mary 2 departs Fort Lauderdale on January 13 and ends a full circumnavigation of the globe in New York on April 14. Segments available: Fort Lauderdale to Sydney, 43 nights; Los Angeles to Dubai, 38 nights; Sydney to Southampton, 41 nights.
• Holland America Line's Rotterdam returns to world cruising in 2009 with a 114-day Grand World Voyage departing Los Angeles on January 19. Disembark in Fort Lauderdale on May 13 or extend the cruise by three days to exit in New York for a 117-day world cruise. Want to go even longer? Extend the voyage with a trans-Panama Canal departing Fort Lauderdale January 5 for 131 days. Segments available: Los Angeles to Sydney, 23 days; Sydney to Singapore, 33 days; Singapore to Cape Town, 36 days; Cape Town to Fort Lauderdale/New York, 22 to 25 days.
• Princess Cruises will offer in 2009 world cruising on two sister ships for the first time -- with both voyages commencing at nearly the same time. Both the 670-passenger Tahitian Princess and 710-passenger Royal Princess will offer similar 107-day itineraries that set sail from Fort Lauderdale in January. The Tahitian Princess leaves on January 14, ending in Dover, while Royal Princess sails on January 20 and winds up in Rome. Segments available: Fort Lauderdale to Sydney, 35 days. Sydney to Hong Kong, 23 days; Hong Kong to Dubai, 22 days; Dubai to Rome or Dover, 27 days. Tahitian Princess passengers can extend their voyages with a 10-day Scandinavia and Russia sailing or they can choose to combine their world cruise with a six-day transatlantic crossing from Southampton to New York aboard the legendary Queen Mary 2.
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises also offers two world cruises in 2009. Departing January 12, Seven Seas Voyager offers a 116-night cruise from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale. For a 131-night full world circumnavigation, depart Fort Lauderdale on the New Year's cruise through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles. Segments available: Los Angeles to Auckland, 20 nights; Auckland to Sydney, 12 nights; Sydney to Shanghai, 21 nights; Shanghai to Singapore, 12 nights; Singapore to Dubai, 14 nights; Dubai to Istanbul, 17 nights; Istanbul to Fort Lauderdale, 20 nights.
• Departing January 26, Seven Seas Mariner sails 121 nights from Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver. Segments available: Fort Lauderdale to Buenos Aires, 18 nights; Buenos Aires to Valparaiso, 15 nights; Valparaiso to Sydney, 25 nights; Sydney to Singapore, 15 nights; Singapore to Hong Kong, 14 nights; Hong Kong to Osaka, 14 nights; Osaka to Seward, 13 nights; Seward to Vancouver, 7 nights.