When you think of spring break, what do you picture?A Cancun resort with an open bar; a Punta Cana beach party with a mesmerizing sunset; or do you simply envision a trip back home, away from your out-of-control college life?No matter what your ideal vacation is, who has that kind of money to splurge on spring break?Due to Mexican turmoil, out-of-season rates and affordable flights from Southwest Airlines, this spring break could be your lucky year.Have you ever checked out www.cheapcaribbean.com? Their vacations are a steal. A couple of weeks ago, I was browsing some vacation packages and found a five-night vacation deal in the Caribbean, including a round-trip flight for $589 per person. If the package was booked by a certain date, the price would be knocked down to $289 per person. You cannot beat that.It seems as though one never has that kind of money when those deals are available. If you do the right amount of research, though, you might find exactly what you are looking for.For example, if you would like to spend your spring break on a cruise ship, finding an all-inclusive deal is the way to go. You will probably have to book this method of travel in advance. If you want to spend your 2011 vacation on a cruise ship for five or six nights, the price is pretty steep.Booking a last-minute cruise may mean shelling out $700 or $800, amounts which do not even include the transportation to your departure port.So what have we learned so far? Book early. For a cruise, do your research about a year in advance. For all-inclusive vacations to a Caribbean resort, however, you can book at the last minute and still save a great deal of money.Watch out: though these deals are tempting, there are catches.Four nights at the Paradise Island Harbour resort in the Bahamas, an all-inclusive offer, features a round-trip flight, meals and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) at the hotel and occupancy rates of $479 per person.  With a promotional code, many of which are available on Cheap Caribbean’s website, the price is lowered to $399 per person.  Although you may want to book this type of trip immediately, first be aware that to score such low hotel rates, at least double occupancy is required, and a maximum of four adults can be covered under the deal’s terms.  Also, the website’s fine print states that the advertised vacation prices do not include “certain government-imposed taxes and fees,” including a Sept. 11th security fee of up to $10 and “applicable U.S. departure taxes up to $85.” Fees can be calculated before check-out if you would like to know the trip’s true cost, which could be up to $100 higher than the originally quoted price.Also, do not let the “flight included” pitch fool you. As you are selecting your trip’s final touches during check-out, you can select a departure city. However, the only free flight that is usually included in the original price is one that flies out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Departure cities that may be convenient for those traveling from Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New York add an additional $200 fee.My point is that booking a last-minute trip to the Bahamas, Puerto Rico or Mexico’s Riviera Maya district can be financially risky.  Read the fine print, calculate your fees before you submit your credit card information and double-check that all inclusive-trips really are.For more details and current travel prices, visit www.cheapcarribean.com, www.expedia.com and www.bookit.com.