In spite of the sluggish economy these days, the cruise industry is thriving.

According to the trade organization Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), nearly 22 million people worldwide will board a cruise this year. Cruising's growing popularity can be largely attributed to the fact that it's an easy way to travel — to get away from the stress and responsibilities of every day life.

For some folks, however, ocean cruising just isn't in the cards. This includes those with a tendency toward seasickness, or who face time or budget constraints. Ah, but there are alternatives. Minicruises on harbors, lakes and rivers around the country afford a low-cost means for getting out on the water to enjoy at least a brief break from the daily grind.

Here's the lowdown on 10 waterborne outings taking up just 30 minutes to 2.5 hours — and priced to go easy on those with shallow pocketbooks.

1. New York City Circle-Line Sightseeing Cruise

Going back to 1945, Circle-Line has boarded more than 60 million passengers on cruises around Manhattan — billed as "The World's Most Famous Boat Ride."

Choose from a selection of five cruises ranging from a 30-minute blast along Midtown on board the 45 mph speedboat Beast to a more leisurely 2.5-hour "Best of NYC" cruise that circles the island. It's the line's most popular cruise, taking in all the Big Apple sights, including the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, United Nations and Yankee Stadium.

Beverages (including alcoholic) and food are available on board. Dozens of cruises depart daily, year-round from Pier 83 at W. 42nd St. Adult fares range from $28 to $40 and there are discounts for kids and seniors. Contact: 212-563-3200 or visit the website.

2. Maid of the Mist Niagara Falls Cruise

This family-favorite cruise is another golden oldie. It's been a tradition for more than 160 years to hop on board one of a fleet of sturdy Maid of the Mist vessels for a half-hour ride to the base of thundering Niagara Falls.

Wearing the company's famous blue rain cover-ups (provided and yours to keep), you are taken right to the roiling brink of the deluge pouring from cliffs above. Ears ringing and washed by mist and spray, you're as close as you'll ever get to Niagara's majesty.

A busy schedule of cruises departs daily, May to October, from Niagara Falls State Park at Prospect Point, N.Y. Fares are $17 for adults, $9.90 for children 6-12, and free for 5 and under. Contact: 716-284-8897 or visit the website.

3. Boston Harbor & Charles River "DUCK" Cruise

This unconventional cruise recalls a bit of Boston's pre-Revolutionary War history. Everyone remembers the phrase "One if by land, two if by sea" from Henry W. Longfellow's poem, "The Ride of Paul Revere." In retrospect, the patriots wouldn't have needed lanterns if they'd had one of the DUCKS — a World War II-style amphibious landing craft — like those you can board for a land-and-water expedition to discover the sights of Boston and Cambridge.

This may be the best introDUCKtion available to the city known as the birthplace of freedom. Offered by City Discovery, these fully narrated 80-minute tours depart frequently every day from June through November starting at 9 a.m. You can board a DUCK at Boston's Museum of Science or Prudential Center. Fares are $38.74 for adults and $27.19 for children 3-11. Contact: 866-988-8687 or visit the website.

4. Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise

Here's another out-of-the-ordinary minicruise with an educational twist. Take a seat aboard First Lady for a 90-minute ride along the Chicago River, and a Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) docent will interpret more than 50 landmarks in a city justly famous for its architecture.

You'll hear the stories behind prominent structures such as the Merchandise Mart, Navy Pier, Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower and the 1920 Michigan Avenue Drawbridge. More than a parade of buildings, this boat tour reveals how Chicago grew from a pioneer outpost into one of the world's great cities in less than 100 years.

Cruises commence every couple of hours, April through November from CFA's dock at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. Fares are $37.85 per person. Contact: 312-922-8687 or visit the website.

5. Spiritline Cruises' Charleston Harbor Tours

Take in the beauty and charm and learn about the colorful history of this hub of the Old South on a cruise around Charleston Harbor. You'll see such notable landmarks as Fort Sumter (famous as the flashpoint of the Civil War), the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, Cooper River Bridge, Battery Point, Castle Pinckney and other sites from the past and present. Guides narrate the 90-minute tour, and there's a snack bar offering food and beverages.

Cruises depart Aquarium Wharf in Charleston at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily and from Patriot's Point in Mt. Pleasant at 3 p.m. from March through November. Fares are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $12 for children 4-11 and free under 3. Dinner cruises also are offered. Contact: 800-789-3678 or visit the website.

6. Fort Lauderdale Sightseeing Cruises

Fort Lauderdale is not only where the boys are (for spring break) it's also where the bucks are. You'll see it and believe it when you join the Carrie B at the city's New River Docks for a 90-minute cruise along the Intracoastal Waterway and into Port Everglades.

You'll glide past the glitzy mansions and celebrity homes along Millionaires Row, getting an up-close look at the megayachts tied up out front, and at several luxury marinas. You can play make-believe with a cocktail in hand on Carrie B's topside sundeck or relax in the air-conditioned main cabin as you cruise into Port Everglades, home of the world's busiest cruise ship port, for a look at a string of really big ships.

Cruises depart year-round, three times daily. Fares are $22.95 for adults, $12.95 for children 3-12, and free under 3. Contact: 954-642-1601 or visit the website.

7. New Orleans Steamboat Jazz Cruise

Join New Orleans Steamboat Company's Natchez — the last authentic steamboat on the mighty Mississippi for two-hour daytime or dinner jazz cruises that take you back to a time when cotton was king and life was as slow and graceful as the big river's currents. Steam calliope concerts and Dixieland jazz provide plenty of entertainment and you can visit the engine room to view a museum-quality display of steam power.

Daytime cruises, available with an optional Creole buffet lunch, board at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., dinner cruises at 6 p.m. at the Toulouse Street Wharf in the heart of the French Quarter. Fares for the daytime jazz cruise only are adults $28.50, children 6-12, $12.25, 2-5 free. For the cruise with buffet lunch: adults $39.50, children 6-12, $20.25, 2-5, $8.00. Finally, for the dinner cruise: adults $74, children 6-12, $34. Contact: 800-233-2628 or visit the website.

8. Rio San Antonio Cruises

The River Walk, flanking the San Antonio River on its winding 2.5-mile course through the city's Old Town, is one of Texas' top visitor attractions. And the best way to experience it is to "Ride the Rio" with San Antonio River Cruises.

This sublimely slow-paced and informatively narrated 35-minute barge ride floats along the shaded waterway, beneath stone footbridges and past sidewalk cafes and historic sites. Tours run daily, year-round from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fares are $8.25 for adults, $6 for seniors and military, and $2 for children 1-5. Contact: 800-417-4139 or visit the website.

9. Lake Mead Sightseeing Cruise

Witness the wonders of Hoover Dam one of America's greatest technological achievements up close from the water on a 90-minute sightseeing cruise aboard Lake Mead Cruises' 275-passenger paddle wheeler Desert Princess. The sheer magnitude of Hoover Dam 726 feet high, 1,244 feet long and 660 feet thick never fails to evoke the awe of passengers who can view it from the climate-controlled comfort of two enclosed decks or from up top on the open-promenade deck.

The dam now has a dramatic companion piece, the soaring 2,000-foot-long Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (Colorado River Bridge). Completed in 2010, it bypasses the old road over the top of the dam and connects Nevada and Arizona highways some 900 feet above the Colorado River. It's the world’s seventh-highest bridge, and it adds a breathtaking new element to this cruise.

Cruises are offered daily year-round, departing from Hemenway Harbor (near the Highway 93 entrance to Lake Mead National Recreation Area) at noon and 2 p.m. Champagne lunch and dinner cruises also are available. Fares are $26 for adults, $13 for children 2-11. Contact: 866-292-9191 or visit the website.

10. Flagship Cruises' San Diego Harbor Tours

Explore one of the country's most beautiful bays and busiest harbors on Flagship's two-hour Full Bay Tour, utilizing the company's sleek, high-end cruiser Spirit of San Diego. This professionally narrated tour doesn't miss a thing cruising San Diego's picture-perfect bay for views of the Shelter Islands, Point Loma, Cabrillo National Monument and Coronado Bridge.

The harbor bristles with activity as the largest base of the United States Navy on the West Coast and home port to more than 50 ships of the Pacific Fleet. It's a real eye-opener just to glimpse this thoroughly modern state-of-the-art naval facility.

Tours run daily year-round from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., departing from the Flagship Pier at 990 N. Harbor Blvd. Fares are $28 for adults, $14 for seniors, military and children 4-12, free under 3. Contact: 800-442-7847 or visit the website.