A famous radio announcer used to start his broadcasts by shouting, ``There's good news tonight!'' In these days of economic slowdown, there are many instances of good travel news, as travel suppliers urgently try to increase their business:

• The single-room supplement gets cut: Costa Cruises has responded to complaints by people traveling alone about the steep surcharge they pay. Starting Dec. 1, it will limit its single-cabin supplement to 30 percent, meaning that a person occupying a cabin alone will pay only 30 percent more than the per-person double occupancy rate.

The single traveler, who has paid surcharges of as much as 100 percent in the past, should respond by considering a Costa ship for his or her next cruise.

• Hotel rates in Orlando have virtually collapsed: The website Biddingfortravel.com, which tracks prices paid by users of Priceline.com, reports that recent visitors to Orlando have obtained unprecedented low room rates: $39 per suite per night at the Embassy Suites in Lake Buena Vista; $32 per room at the Radisson Celebration; $35 at the Crowne Plaza Universal; $30 at the Hyatt Place Universal; $31 at Four Points by Sheraton; and so on.

Bear in mind that these are not economy motels, and that these prices were obtained during the relatively active summer months. Rates may suffer a similar decline during the quieter (for Orlando) autumn.

• Some 50,000 $1 tickets are being offered on Megabus: Among the many ultra-cheap bus lines now competing between cities in the Midwest, Northeast, and Canada's Ontario -- BoltBus, Megabus, FungWah, Vamoose, DC2NY, Tripper and others -- the British-owned Megabus has the most extensive route network and seems the most eager to expand its business. For trips between Sept. 14 and Nov. 19, Megabus is setting aside 50,000 tickets for sale at $1 apiece at www.megabus.com.

• Round-trip to Rome is now as little as $343: That upstart Italian carrier, Eurofly, has reduced its round-trip price to an amazing $343 (plus tax), non-stop between New York and the Italian capital, but only for outbound flights on Aug. 30, Sept. 6, 13, 17, 20, 24, 26, 27, and Oct. 1, 2 and 9; inbound flights on Sept. 18, 30, and on Oct. 2 and 16. To book, go either to www.euroflyusa.com, or -- within five days of departure -- phone Eurofly at 973-338-3106.

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