While everyone else is lying on the couch in a food coma on November 26, (yeah, that’s the day after Thanksgiving), you could be setting sail on the Caribbean to hit four beautiful destinations over a 7 day stretch.

Today’s Deal of the Day was snagged at Last Minute Travel, another of my favorite wheelin’ and dealin’ “mid-major” travel sites. They don’t bear the celebrity spokesperson, a gnome or a catchy acapella jingle, but they do offer some great deals on a daily basis.

Leaving from Fort Lauderdale, FL, on November 26, 2010, you can enjoy a 7 night eastern Caribbean cruise hitting Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Maarten and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas before returning to Ft. Lauderdale. The price on this deal is just as the headline suggested – $499. The same route is available several times throughout the late fall/early winter, and room upgrades are also available.

An Ocean View room is only $100 extra for the 7 days, and balcony rooms are presently going for $799. These prices are per person, based on double occupancy, on the Holland America Cruise Line’s Westerdam liner.

If you’re looking for a great holiday get away, and need an acceptable excuse to avoid yet another “traditional” Thanksgiving, where your crazy aunt serves cranberry sauce from a can, claiming that it’s homemade–I think you should opt for Turks and Caicos, as opposed to the dry, over-cooked turkey. Opt for clear Caribbean waters vs. Black Friday shopping malls. $499/person? That’s about 70/day for accommodations, amenities, food, entertainment and the sights and sounds of the some of the world’s most beautiful places.

You’ll want to book early on these prices/accommodations. They sell out fast.

(Image via: ComfyCruises)