My bf is a student working on his PhD and seriously has had a hard year....dad's been diagnosed with very serious illness and he has been flying back home every month or so for visits which are emotionally and physically draining.... not to mention putting together his research proposal for his dissertation amidst all this.

I do what I can to be there for him but there's little I can help with his family's illness or his research. However I really want to do something nice for him...like surprise him by bringing him on a cruise to relax for a few days.

I have never cruised before so while I have been reading various sites, I would like some suggestions from you.

The parameters are basically these:

1) We live in LA so I would like to depart preferably from LA or from San Diego.

2) Cruise length about 3 or 4 days.

3) Seems like if we cruise from CA, we would be going on a cruise to Mexico.

4) We are looking to depart in the next few weeks, are there last-minute deals worth looking at?

5) I would be paying for this trip and cannot afford to splash so I am budget-conscious.

6) We are young and adventurous and someone suggested Alaska, I'm open to it even though I know it would be very cold. Does anyone else recommend Alaska in Jan/Feb?

7) Any thing I should watch out, be aware of, this being my first-time cruising.

Please advise and let me know if I should just go to a website and book something online or go through a travel agent. Which cruise lines should I look at? What other costs can i expect besides paying for the cruise price?

Many thanks!